Broad Gaps Reported in Northern
Defenses Where Radar Could Detect
But Interceptors Not Halt Attackers
Air Power Named
Best Defense
In Event of War
WASHINGTON. i/P)—The chief
of the Strategic Air Command
says air power today offers the
best possibility for decisive action
•against Russia in the event of
another world war.
Gen. Curtis E. Le May said he
is convinced that neither ground
nor sea fighting provided much
chance of forcing a decision in a
global conflict with the USSR.
Addressing a session of the Air
Force manpower management
training program yesterday, the
general said the Russian army
could outnumber American land
forces two to one in both Europe
and Asia and still have 228 divi
sions left over.
The Russians have some 20,000
first line combat airplanes now
assigned to active units, he said,
and an equal number of aircraft
in reserve.
He said the U.S. may not be
able to have the biggest air force
but it must have the best.
Cooperation with Alaska
Is Objective of Seattle
Chamber of Commerce
SEATTLE, (/P) — The Seattle
Chamber of Commerce Alaska
Division has two principal objec
tives in its work this year, A1
Shyman, division director, said
yesterday.
The first is to work closely with
the newly formed all - Alaska
Chamber of Commerce. The sec
ond is to continue activities of
the “Alaska Lifeline Committee”
and seek a solution for problems
affecting shipping between Seat
tle and Alaska. Shyman also said:
“The division will continue its
close liaison with many public
and private agencies working to
ward overall industrial and re
source development of the terri
tory.”
This program would include j
work in the field of fishing re
sources, development of forest
product industries, adequate roads
and highways and mineral ex- !
ploration and production.
NOTE OF APPRECIATION
We wish io extend our appre
ciation to the community for its
fine support and excellent turn
out for the Nome-Palmer High
School Basketball games.
—Nome School Student Body
By Elton C. Fay
WASHINGTON, (JP) — Broad
gaps appear in the outer arc of
the defense system along the
North American continent over
which bombers from Russia could
fly toward targets in the United
States.
Although the joint and intensive
efforts of this country and Canada
have succeeded in getting a radar
system into operation which may
detect an approaching enemy,
bases are lacking from which in
terceptors could challenge raiders
at some points along the vast per
imeter.
On the basis of recent official
disclosures and visits by news
men, the far north defense picture
looks like this:
At the northwest end: a system
of major and secondary airfields,
together with facilities for ground
troops to defend them, now exists
in Alaska, where the United
States is a next door neighbor of
Russia. Neither complete comple
ments of planes nor of ground
forces are there, but present
strength can be augmented swiftly
by flying men and planes from
the United States.
At the northeast corner: virtual
completion of a huge bomber and
fighter base at Thule brings to
three the number of American
operated air fields in Greenland.
Together with those Greenland
units at the Northeast Air Com
mand are other bases in Labrador
and Newfoundland.
But along a 1,500-mile stretch
of wasteland and frozen sea be
tween Greenland and a point in
Canada near Alaska there exist
few if any fields capable of send
ing up a substantial force of in
terceptors. The radar eyes might
see an enemy along the rim, but
it would remain up to fighter ba
ses farther down in Canada and in
the United Statees to provide the
interception.
n. somewnai similar situation
exists in Greenland. The three
presently operating IJSAF bases
are located at Narsarssuak, at the
southwestern corner; at Sonde
strom Fjord just north of the Arc
tic Circle; and at Thule, near Cape
York, on the northwestern corner,
about 900 miles from the North
Pole.
Tactically, this present system
has disadvantages. The distances
between bases, one of which must
be used as an alternate field for
another in event of bad weather
or damage to a plane in flight,
is great — 800 miles in some in
stances. There are no fields now
in regular operating use along the
entire east coast of Greenland.
Greenland is a territory of Den
mark and the American bases are
there by agreement with the Dan
ish government. The building of
any new bases or rehabilitation of
old World War II bases would
require the approval of Denmark
which, like Canada and the Uni
ted States, is a member of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organ na
tion.
Fine Job Printing at the Nugget
"
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LEAVE OF KOREA TROOPS
TO JAPAN SUSPENDED AS
SECURITY FOR EISENHOWER
SEOUL, (^P)—Movement of U.S.
troops to Japan for rest leave was
under at least a temporary sus
pension Tuesday, apparently as
part_ of the security precaution
for the impending visit of U.S.
President-elect Dwight D. Eisen
hower to Korea.
it
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