OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVII No. 81 NOME,. ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1955_ Per Copy—15*
$90,000 Lawsuit
Filed by Natives
Following Tragedy
ANCHORAGE—Members of a
native family have filed damages
suits totaling $90,000 against the
U.S. Government for a July 7,
1953 boat accident which killed
one person and injured two other
-members of the family.
Plaintiffs are John Walunga
and his daughter, Elizabeth, both
of Unalaska, and Frank Walunga
of Seward, as administrator of the
estate of his mother.
The Walungas were being trans
ported from near St. Lawrence
Island to Unalaska aboard the
government operated boat, the
district court petition states. Near
the port of Unalaska the ship
dropped anchor and the master
directed the trio to get into a life
boat which would take them to
the town of Unalaska.
While the Walungas were in the
boat and it was being lowered, a
ring in the rigging broke and the
boat fell “with great force and
violence” into the water. Mrs.
Walunga was killed; Elizabeth
was badly bruised and otherwise
injured on her leg and body; and
Mr. Walunga suffered injuries to
his leg and chest from which he
will suffer for years to come, the
suits state.
Walunga seeks $25,000; Eliza
beth Walunga asks $15,000; and
Frank Walunga seeks $50,000 for
the heirs of his mother’s estate.
The Walungas are represented
by Harold J. Butcher and Peter J.
Kalamarides.
MUCH DAMAGE
FROM 3-DAY REVOLT
BY STATE PRISONERS
WALLA WALLA, Wash.,
The bulk of 1,700 inmates at the
Washington State Prison traded
bars for stars last night—and did
not like it—as they reaped the
first fruits of their two-day revolt.
Meanwhile, officials of the bat
tered penitentiary harvested an
other crop—of dangerous weap
ons, broken glass, and damaged
fixtures, toting up a -bill that may
run into six figures.
Jammed cell locks and other
damage plus the slow job of shak
ing down the whole prison for
hidden weapons kept the prison
ers out doors last night.
Around them stood guards
carrying guns and clubs, alert
against any revival of the revolt
which started Tuesday morning
with the seizure of nine hostages
and control of most of the prison.
Meanwhile, officials ordered
the 33 tough convicts who sparked
the revolt into a section where
cells are equipped with new lock
ing devices. They will be kept
there until they can be confined to
a new maximum security building
designed to minimuize a repeti
tion of the rebellion.
All of the leaders face prosecu
tion under a state law making it
a felony to incite or participate in
such uprising or to hold hostages,
despite previous assurances they
might be treated leniently.
Burmese Prime Minister
Explains Troublesome
Statement on Red China
DETROIT, (J*)—Prime Minister
U Nu of Burma explained yester
day how he got the impression in
Washington “that most of the re
sponsible people are not against”
the admission of Red China to the
United nations and that it was a
matter of timing. U Nu said it was
his own “view” and nothing that
was said specifically by anyone.
Announcing a policy of answer
ing no more questions by news
men during his stay in the United
States, U Nu issued a prepared
statement to explain his remark
on Red China at a news confer
ence in New York.
His remarks in New York had
stirred up a number of Congress
members and led to a demand by
Sen. Bridges (R-NH) that the
Prime Minister name the “re
sponsible officials” who gave him
that impression.
DULLES AND IKE
IN AGREEMENT ON
SOVIET STRENGTH
WASHINGTON, UP»—'The White
House said today there is no dif
ference between President Eisen
hower and State Secretary Dulles
over the relative strength of the
Soviet Union.
Press Secretary James C. Hag
erty made this statement in com
menting on news stories about
testimony which Dulles gave in a
congressional hearing. The testi
mony—that the economy of the
Soviet Union “is on the point of
collapsing”—was given June 10 to
the Senate Appropriations sub
committee in connection with the
foreign aid program. It was re
leased yesterday.
Some stories compared this
with President Eisenhower’s news
conference remark Wednesday
that so far as he knew “no indi
vidual in this government” had
said the Russians at the Geneva
summit conference of the Big 4
will be negotiating from weakness.
Dulles told the committee the
Soviets are “over-expanded, un
able to meet their commitments,”
and are seeking “some respite
against strains” of trying to keep
| pace with the western world.
New Polio Research
Program Announced to
Improve Test Methods
WASHINGTON, UD—'The gov
ernment announced today a broad
new research program is being
set up aimed at improving the
Salk polio vaccine and the pro
duction and testing methods now
employed.
Simultaneously, it gave a boost
to the present dribbling vaccina
tion program by releasing approx
imately 300,000 shots of vaccine
tested under new standards adop
ted seven weeks ago. It was the
first vaccine to be released for
use since June 6.
Surgeon Gen. Scheele said the
planned research program will be
a cooperative one among the gov
ernment, universities and indus
try.
U.S. Accepts Soviet
Offer to Pay Half
Incident’s Damage
WASHINGTON, (Jf) — The
United States Thursday accepted
Russia’s offer to pay half the
damage? involved in shooting
down an American Navy patrol
plane over Bering Sea June 23.
In a conciliatory note, the
State Department told the Rus
sians the Soviet apology and offer
of partial compensation provides
“an acceptable basis for the dis
posal of this particular incident.”
The Navy has estimated the
cost of the plane alone, minus
equipment, at about 1 yi million
dollars. How much more the total
bill might amount too has not
been disclosed.
In accepting Russia’s offer, the
State Department expressed hope
the Soviet government “will in
deed in the future take all neces
sary measures to avoid repeti
tion of this and like incidents.”
Sen. Aiken (R-Vt) said today
the desire to create “as friendly
an atmosphere as possible” for
the July 18 Geneva Conference
was the major reason behind U.S.
acceptance of the partial payment.
“Our government is giving the
top-level conference every chance
to succeed,” Aiken said. A For
eign Relations Committeeman, he
also said he understood there was
some question about the precise
location of the U.S. Neptune.
Sen. Capehart, also a member
of that committee, expressed sat
isfaction with the decision to ac
cept the Russian offer. He said:
“It seems to me the Soviet
Union made quite a concession in
offering to pay anything at all
and in apologizing. . . . Certainly,
this is the first Russian conces
sion of that kind made in many
many years.”
Treasury Official
Here to Enforce
Firearm Laws
U. S. Treasurey law enforce
ment agents have left forms at the
office of the 'U.S. marshal here for
the registration and transfer of
certain types of firearms.
Types of guns which must be
registered include all machine
guns, machine pistols and any
type of weapon firing more than
one round with a single squeeze
of trigger.
Any rifle or shotgun with bar
rel length less than 18 inches or
.22 rifle with barrel less than 16
inches and any other weapon ca
pable of being concealed except a
pistol or revolver. This includes
shotgun pistols, cane guns, or pis
tols and revolvers which have
shoulder stocks which can be at
tached. It also includes survival
guns with collapsable stocks.
The penalty for not having
these guns registered carries a
five-year prison sentence or $2,000
fine for any person found with
one in their possession and un
registered.
The U.S. marshal has all forms
and the firearm tax ranges from
$1.00 to $200.00, according to the
agent who is in the area.
STATES SWELTER IN
LONG HEAT WAVE
By the Associated Press
July’s blistering heat stateside
showed little sign of breaking to
day in most sections of the coun
try. The hot, muggy weather has
enveloped many areas in the east
ern half of the nation for more
than a week. It was hot also in
some western areas but the Paci
fic Northwest has escaped the op
pressive heat.
Temperatures again yesterday
were in the 90s and high 80s over
most of the hot belt with some
readings in the 100s in Nebraska
and Kansas. Hill City, Kansas,
baked in 107 degrees.
A tornado struck the area of
Marshall, Minn., about 200 miles
southwest of Minneapolis, yester
day, killing a 3-year-old boy and
injuring at least 10 persons. Crops
suffered heavy damage and some
farm buildings were destroyed.
Russian Jets Said To Be
More Powerful Than U.S.’
SAN FRANCISCO, (JB—1The Rus
sian bombers recently paraded
over Moscow apparently have jet
engines more powerful than any
now used by American aircraft,
says President John R. Alison of
the Air Force Assn.
Alison, also vice president of
Northrop Aircraft Co., said pic
tures of the Russian engines indi
cate they develop 15,000 or more
pounds of thrust—more than any
American jets flown operation
ally.
He addressed Bay Area civic
and military leaders yesterday.
Chain Store, 2 Officers
Indicted on Charges of
Anti-Trust Violations
FORT WORTH, Texas, tB—The
president of Safeway Stores,Inc.,
says the food store chain hasn’t
violated anti-trust laws “unless
meeting competition in good faith
has become a crime.”
A federal grand jury here yes
terday indicted Safeway and two
of its officers on charges of anti
trust violations in Texas and New
Mexico.
One of the officers indicted de
clared: “Safeway has in no way
violated any anti-trust laws unless
meeting competition in good faith
has become a crime.”
The store chain was accused of
engaging in a conspiracy to mon
opolize retail grocery business in
parts of Texas and New Mexico
by resorting to price wars and
selling some groceries below in
voice costs to drive out competi
tion.
Military Construction Bill
Passed by House Carries
$58,495,000 for Alaska
WASHINGTON, W—The com
promise bill passed by the House
Wednesday authorizing military
construction projects around the
world carried a total of $58,495,
000 for work in Alaska. The Air
Force would receive $28,829,000;
the Army $17,338,000, and Navy
$12,328,000.
The biggest single item is $23,
275,000 for construction at Elmen
dorf AFB.
The Senate has not yet acted
on the bill.
U.S. Employment
Highest in History;
Industry Booming
WASHINGTON, MR—More than
64 million Americans were em
ployed in June, the greatest num
ber in the nation’s history, the
Commerce and Labor Depart
ments reported today.
Unemployment, on the other
hand, increased by only 190,000 to
a total of 2,679,000. This was one
of the smallest increases for the
month of June since World War
II.
Young job seekers were dumped
on the labor market by the clos
ing of schools, as is usual in June,
but this was offset by rising adult
employment on farms and vigor
ous rehiring in booming indistries.
The June employment total of
64,016,000 compared with 62,073,
000 in May.
Manufacturing employment has
continued its sharp rise, climbing
by 148,000 to l6Vb million in spite
of scattered work stoppages in
metal products plants.
The total of workers in trade,
services and industrial produc
tion rose by 400,000 to 49,300,000,
described by the departments as
an unusually large increase for
the season.
THAT FIGURES
DALLAS, MR—James Curtis, 28,
said while being arraigned on
federal narcotics charges yester
day that shooting dice is his main
job.
“I don’t get in any game unless
1 know I’ll win,” added Curtis.
U.S. Commissioner William M.
Hill asked, “How can you be sure
you’ll win?”
“Because I only play with my
dice,” explained Curtis.
Ex-Frogman Is
First to Swim
Juan de Fuca Str.
VICTORIA, B. C., W—Deter
mined Bert Thomas waded ashore
at nearby Esquimalt at 5:05 a.m.
PST today to become the first
swimmer to conquer the cold
and treacherous Strait of Juan
de Fuca.
Tired and cold but exultant at
whipping a stretch of water that
had turned him back on four pre
vious attempts, the burley ex
Marine frogman made his way up
on the beach 11 hours and 10 min
utes after he plunged into the
water at Port Angeles, Wash., on
the American side of the strait,
18 miles away.
He ^as met by hundreds of Vic
torians who had sat up through
out the night to welcome the hus
ky swimmer.
The final tortuous mile against
swirling eddies and ebb currents
took more than two hours, during
which he was spurred on by his
11-year-old daughter’s screams,
“Go, daddy, go!”
For completing a swim that
had turned back several others
including distance swimmer Flor
ence Chadwick, Thomas stood to
realize nearly $3,000 in prize
money.