ss NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LXI No. 36 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1959 Per Copy—-15*
Russian Fishing Fleet Watched By
U. S. Navy Planes In S. E. Bering Sea
SEATTLE, Wn — Navy P2V pa
trol bombers have a large Russian
fishing fleet in the southeastern
Bering Sea under constant surveil
lance, the Post-Intelligencer said
today.
Rear Admiral Arnold McKech
nie, commandant of the 17th Na
val District at Kodiak, was quoted
as saying his planes have been
tracking the Russians for about
two weeks.
McKechnie’s report bore out a
statement in Washington yester
day by Admiral Arleigh Burke,
chief of naval operations, that the
Navy is maintaining a close watch
on movements of the Russians.
Pilots shadowing the Soviet
fishing fleet described it as ap
pearing to be a “regular, organized
unit” engaged in trawling for bot
tom fish.
McKechnie told the P-I the es
timate of about 50 vessels may be
low.
“We may not be seeing them
all, but there’s a whole mess of
them there,” he was quoted. “We
think we have sighted at least one
tanker. It seems to be a fully or
ganized fleet.”
The Russians were reported in
international waters, to which
they have legal entry, well east of
the 175th parallel, not far from
the entrance to Alaska’s Bristol
Bay.
By treaty agreement, Japanese
fishing boats remain west of the
175th meridian. Russia is not a
signatory to the International
North Pacific Fisheries Conven
tion, however.
. Fergus Hoffman, P-I business
and financial editor, called the
Russian fishing invasion “Its new
est attack in the economic cold
war,” and said it may presage
an attempt to wrest away a U. S.
Canada fishery which yielded 214
million pounds of halibut last
year. #
Harold E. Lokken, a member of
the North Pacific Salmon Treaty
Advisory Board, said American
salmon and halibut fishermen are
watching developments in the Ber
ing Sea “with great interest.”
“It all depends on what the
Russians are fishing for and how
hard they plan to fish,” Lokken
said. “It all depends on where
they are going to fish.
“In some areas the Russians
could fish without bringing up
any conflict with American
interests.
“There would be considerable
repercussion for the American
fleet, however, should the Rus
sians take halibut or salmon.
“Legally, the Russians, not
being signatories, are not bound
by the North Pacific treaty, but
we feel they are morally bound
by the terms of the treaty and
should observe the same regula
tions as American, Canadian and
Japanese fishermen, particularly
as far as salmon are concerned.”
Lokken said an American hali
but fleet now en route to the
fishing grounds in the Bering Sea
and Pacific Ocean near the Aleu
tian Islands, is expected to reach
there Friday, td prepare for the
April 1 opening of the halibut
season.
Lokken said the American hali
but fleet probably would be con
centrated on halibut banks lying
along the Aleutian Island west
from the Shumagin Islands.
Travel Pay For
Legislators Signed
By Acting Gov.
JUNEAU, UP)—Acting Governor
Hugh J. Wade signed a bill yes
terday appropriating $9,575 to
cover travel expenses for the
state’s legislators.
The measure permits each of
the 60 lawmakers to receive pay
ment for up to 50 pounds of ex
cess baggage in addition to the
travel expense allowance.
Three other pieces of legisla
tion became law with the Gover
nor’s signature yesterday.
One would extend the guaran
teed prevailing wage payment
now in force on federal construc
tion jobs to workers on state or
local public projects.
A second authorizes a transfer
in the past appropriation of the
Attorney General’s office and the
third permits a woman suing for
divorce to claim her husband’s
residence as part of the court
action.
Wade now has signed 54 legis
lative measures into law.
Henry Hudson’s Voyage
Celebration Will Fete
Dutch Crown Princess
THE HAGUE, OR — The Dutch
government announced yesterday
Crown Princess Beatrix, 21, has
accepted an invitation to visit New
York in September. She will at
tend the celebration of the 350th
anniversary of English navigator
Henry Hudson’s exploratory voy
age up the Hudson River.
Infant Succumbs
On Ill-Fated Ride
In Ambulance
FAIRBANKS, UP) — A 200-mile
journey toy plane> ambulance and
police patrol car ended in tragedy
yesterday for 1-year-old Alberta
Gilbert and in misfortune for the
Fairbanks Fire Department.
Suffering from pneumonia, the
child and her mother, Mrs. Mary
Gilbert, were flown from Arctic
Village by a Wien Airlines bush
pilot. As the aircraft approached
Fairbanks International Airport,
little Alberta stopped breathing
Before the plane had stopped
the ambulance crew sprung into
action. The child was given arti
ficial respiration and police pa
trol cars were ordered to act as
escorts on the way to the hospital.
Oxygen was administered to the
child as the last leg of the fateful
journey began.
Fire Chief Frank Jense said
later that the ambulance is o?
1951 vintage and was obtained
from an Army salvage depot after
it struck a buffalo at Fort Greeley
some years ago.
Moments later, the hood flew
up, and shot through the wind
shield, spraying all accupants wiLO
slivers of glass.
The child, along with the por
table respirator, was transferred
to a waiting patrol car.
But little Alberta was pro- J
nounced dead on arrival at St.
Joseph’s Hospital.
WEATHER — Increasing cold,
snow; temp.: low 6, high Thurs. 16.
Khrushchev Meet
Necessary To Get
Results, Says Pres.
WASHINGTON, UR — President
Eisenhower said today he believes
the Western Allies will have to
meet at the summit with Soviet
Premier Khrushchev to get any
sort of valid agreement on Ger
man problems.
But no one is going to command
the United States and the other
Western powers to show up at a
top level conference, the Presi
dent told a news conference em
phatically.
Eisenhower thus said anew, al
though indirectly, that his atten
dance at any summit meeting will
be contingent on progress at an
earlier conference of East-West
foreign ministers.
At today’s session with news
men, Eisenhower was asked whe
ther he felt anything worthwhile
could come of a meeting with So
viet representatives at anything
less than the summit level.
The President replied it is per
fectly clear that Khrushchev is the
only man with sufficient authority
to negotiate for the Soviet Union
with the West and make it stick.
W. German Defense Head
Will Visit U. S. In April
BONN, Germany, UR — West
German Defense Minister Franz
Josef Strauss will visit the United
States April 12-30. Strauss will in
spect several rocket research cen
ters and attend an air show at
Las Vegas, informed sources said.
Speculation On Demo. Endorsement
Voiced By Newsmen, For Dept. Posts
JUNEAU, UPl — A rash of ru
mors popped up here yesterday
concerning the Sunday meeting of
the Democratic Central Committee
and action it may have taken in
regard to state appointments.
Wendell Kay, Anchorage law
yer, apparently won the commit
tee’s approval to the Attorney
General post while at least half
a dozen other candidates were con
sidered.
After the meeting the Democrats
announced there had been no gen
eral endorsement of candidates,
but it now appears the committee
made several recommendations.
The Anchorage Daily Times
printed a list of candidates yes
terday, the paper said had been
endorsed at the meeting.
Democratic leaders denied the
endorsement, saying they would
endorse a candidate only after he
was nominated by the Governor’s
office. ,
The Times said Kfay, 1955 Speak
er of the House, v(?as the commit
tee’s top choice for the Attorney
General’s job. Kay has said he
would accept the appointment if
it were offered.
Warren A. Taylor, Speaker of
the present House, and E. P. Mc
carron, both Fairbanks lawyers,
also were considered for the pdst,
the Times said.
The name of Rep. John Rader,
Anchorage, Governor Egan’s cam
paign manager, was not included
in the Times list. Rader was be
lieved to be Egan’s choice for the
position.
Neither Rader nor acting Gover- ,
nor Wade had any comment on
the reported outcome of the
meeting.
The Governor’s office apparent
ly sent only one name to the com
mittee for endorsement — that of
Floyd Guertin, Juneau, to be Comv
missioner of Administration. His
appointment is expected to be an
nounced shortly.
Guertin will become state direc
tor of finance and take up the
cabinet post when the Depart
ment of Administration has been
established.
The fact other names were not
submitted to the committee indi
cates the Governor’s office does
not contemplate further appoint
ments immediately.
The Times said the central
committee recommended Lou
Dischner of Fairbanks for state
, labor commissioner, with Tom
Moore, Anchorage, as second
choice.
Maj. William Crawford, Alaska
National Guard Scout commander,
from Nome, reportedly won sup
port for the adjutant general’s
post.
The Times also said Tony
Schwamm of Anchorage was rec
ommended as Commissioner of
Aviation. Juneau sources,, how
ever, said his name did not come
before the committee.
Congress Studies Admin. Measure For
Easing Alaska Statehood Transition
By FRANK W. VAILLE
Associated Press Special Service
WASHINGTON, UP> — The Ad
ministration sent Congress its
long-awaited proposal to ease
I Alaska’s way into statehood today.
The proposed Alaska omnibus
act is the outgrowth of a seven
month study ordered by President
Eisenhower last summer after
Congress put its stamp on the
49th State.
Its subject matter ranges from
provisions for financial and other
aid for the new state to the ex
tension of protection for the bald
eagle.
Maior provisions of the bill
would:
1. Authorize a five-year pro
gram of grants totaling 27Vfe mil
lion dollars.
2. Extend to Alaska full parti
cipation in the Federal Highway
Program.
3. Give government-owned air
ports at Anchorage and Fairbanks
to the new state.
The recommended grants would
amount to lOVfe million in the year
beginning July 1, 6 million in
each of the next two years, and
2 Vz million in each of the next
two years.
The grants are designed gener
ally to offset Alaska’s loss of ex
oenditures and grants which the
federal government would have
made had statehood not been
achieved. None of the 27Vfc mil
lion is earmarked for any specific
purpose.
Harold Seidman, Budget Bureau
coordinator for the Administration
study, emphasized that the money
would be available for any use,
including application against
matching requirements of federal
highway and airport programs.
'fhe bill would provide for
Alaska’s full participation in the
highway aid program as of the
year beginning July 1, 1960. As of
that time, the new state would be
come eligible for some 36 million
dollars of aid a year as contrasted
with the approximate 14 million it
now receives. Matching require
ments would go up simultaneously
from the present 10 per cent to
13V£ per cent.
The bill also would accomplish
the following:
Court — Require annual ses
sions of the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals in Anchorage; permit the
Alaska Federal District Court to
sit in Ketchikan as well as An
chorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and
Nome; transfer to Alaska the so
called “Fund C” amounting to
more than a million dollars and
made up of court fees and fines
deposited with clerks of territor
ial courts.
Transportation Tax — Continue
partial exemption from tax pre
viously permitted for trips be
tween Alaska and other states.
Housing — Continue higher
mortgage insurance ceilings ap
plicable under the National Hous
ing Act to Alaska as a territory.
Seidman said it was not ex
pected that the c hange would
make a difference of more than
$100,000 a year “one way or the
other” or all the programs.
Alaska’s Democratic Senators,
Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening,
said they would support the bill
although they are not completely
satisfied with its provisions.
’59er Caravan Will
Reach Alaska
Border Today
WHITEHORSE, Y. T., UP) — The
’59ers rolled into Whitehorse
Tuesday night.
The caravan planned only a 12
hour stop here, the last major
center on the way to Alaska, be
fore continuing their journey.
They plan to cross the border
into their new home state late
today.
The string of cars, trucks and
trailers were given a police escort
to the baseball park, where they
set up camp for the night.
Although tired and travel-worn,
the group seemed enthusiastic and
denied rumors they were planning
to split up.
All are looking forward to life
in the 49th State, and say nothing
can stop them now.
At this point, they are only 200
airmiles from the Alaska-Yukon
Territory border and 1,000 miles
from the Kenai Peninsula, for
which they forsook Michigan to
make a living as homesteaders.
The pioneers have found infla
tion lias set in in this part of bar
ren northern Canada.
A bottle of soda pop, a nickel
or a dime in Michigan, costs them
20 cents along the Alcan High
way. Gasoline for their 19 heavily
laden vehicles ranges from 55 to
60 cents a gallon.
Some of the service station op
erators in the Yukon charge a fee
for water and air. Canned goods
are about 10 cents more than in a
supermarket back home.
The higher prices have been
making the ’59ers tighten the purse
strings on their already low
budgets.