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Hard Times Masquerade Ball, New Year’s Eve
upward Daily (iSatrutay
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOLUME XXVIII. NUMBER 323. SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1932.
PRICE TEN CENTS
EDITORIAL
ALASKA MAY COME INTO OWN
One of the most refreshing bits
of news emanating from the States
is to the effect that the outlook
is bright for selecting John E. Bal
laine as an assistant Secretary of
the Interior.
On Mr. Ballaine, Seattle and the
entire Northwest are pinning their
hopes for representation in the
President’s cabinet and what would
be one of the most important in- j
fluences to be wished for.
Of those occupying the political;
spotlight none have better quali-1
fieations for this position than Mr.:
Ballaine. And none could be more |
acceptable to Alaska or bring!
greater encouragement.
In addition to his mental attain-:
ments Mr. Ballaine is a natural)
empire builder. In this respect he ;
builded a monument to his courage
and zeal when he fathered and
pressed to conclusion the Alaska j
Railroad. And he is the founder of j
Seward.
In casting about for one quali- j
fied to pass judgement upon pio
neer needs no better selection could
be made than the choosing of this
outstanding personality.
It would be fortunate for Alaska
to have such a friend and coun- |
sellor in the Department of the !
Interior and his selection would be
hailed as the greatest augery to
marked development of the Terri
tory.
* * * *
UNEMPLOYED SOLVE PROBLEM
Down in Seattle there has devel
oped a movement calculated to
have a tremendous effect upon re
lieving unemployment and at the
same time exercise its influence
upon the nation.
Unemployed have united in a co
operative scheme whereby labor is
bartered for the necessities of j
life, without money changing i
hands, and the consumer is brot
into contact with the producer.
In this manner a vast number !
are receiving the vital essentials of
life minus the luxuries which sap
ped their funds in the fat years.
The unemployed repair buildings
for the privilege of occupancy.
They tiuck in foodstuffs from the
farms which is distributed on the
cooperative basis, and all transac
tions are on the barter basis.
This has awakened other regions
to great possibilities in the way of
guaranteeing food, clothing and j
shelter to the 13,000.000 unemploy
ed in the nation.
While the system primarily deals I
with the question of relieving dis
tress it is more far-reaching in re
lation to how to meet the national
condition which is the outgrowth
of high tariff walls blocking inter
national trade and commerce.
Hence the nation finds itself re
verting to the time-honored prin
• ciple of barter, where each party
to the transaction secures the
things he needs and money is a
. negligible element.
No other movement would go
farther to loosen up the hoarded
money of the nation. It would con- j
vince those who hoard that money;
in itself may be dispensed with
once satisfactions can be secured
via some other method.
Now if this movement fructifies
in a general determination to buy
only American products, starting
in each community, where barter :
takes the place of money, it not |
only will solve the question of j
want, but emancipate the nation j
from dominance by the money i
, power and in turn emancipate it
from relying upon foreign markets
for its surplus.
*. All of which gives the sensible
'man an opportunity to guffaw at
the rrrodern “Fixits” who have been
deceiving themselves that theory
• and experiment are superior to
those days when men were willing
to win their bread by the sweat
. of their brow and the machine can
pluck hog and hominy from the
skies.
BUI SIX OTHERS PAID
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, —The
Treasury books last night recorded
France. Belgium and three other
European nations in default of
their obligations to the United
States, while opposite the names
Great Britain, Italy, Czechoslova
kia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania
was written the word “paid” .
With France and Belgium in the
defaulting column were Poland,
Hungary and Esthonia. All but
the latter had been heard from of
ficially and the little Baltic State
had a note on its way here saying
it could not pay.
The exact amount defaulted by
all was $24,640,141. This was $1,
215,000 less than the original De
cember 15th due items.
Poland and Esthonia previously
had +aken advantage of funding
agreement clauses to postpone for
two years part of the principal
owed. The amount paid was $98,
658,910.
ASSIGNED TO TASK OF
PARIS, Dec- 16,—France official
ly passed her $19,000,000 war debt
instalment due the United States
Thursday and the debt column was
the rock which wrecked the first
attempt to form a ministry to ne
gotiate debt terms with Washing
| ton.
Camille Chautemps Minister of
the Interior in the late Herriot
| Ministry, accepted the task of try
j ing to form a government but
j when Ex-Premier Herriot declined
to appear in a new Cabinet lineup,
the word went around that Chau
temp; would inform President Le
brun today that he is unable to
consolidate a ministry.
FLIES SWEPT THRU
TOKIO, Dec. 16-—A tremendous
death toll is feared to have result
ed from a terrible fire last night in
a five-story department store build
ing. Seven are known to be dead,
but doubts were expressed at the
time of filing the press as to the
fate of- approximately 500 women
and children who were trapped on
the upper floors and rushed to the
i roof of the building.
Airplanes flew over the burning
building, but were unable to discern
j life thru the dense clouds of smoke.
One hundred and ten were treat
! ed in hospitals. A total of 1,300
employees were at work and hun
dreds of customers were in the
large store when fire broke out and
flames swept thru the structure.
LLEDi
WERE "FL® BLIND"
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16“Fly
ing blind” over San Francisco Bay j
in an army biplane, two pilots were j
killed yesterday when the plane
crashed into the water 300 yards:
off the west shore of Angel Island.
The men were Lieut. John J- I
Miller, U. S. A. Reserve pilot of
1580 Madison St., Oakland, Calif.,
and Lieut. Donald Q. Armagost, 27,
a regular Army pilot of the San i
Francisco Presidio. i
THE STOCK MARKET
NEW YORK, Dec. 16.—Minor
selling in steel issues brot to a halt
the upward trend of the past few
days of the market. The dull mar
ket was unexplained by any news
of the day.
OPINION IS DIVIDED
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, —From
unofficial sources came rumors of
policies the United States should
pursue in retaliation against.
France’s default. Some Congress
men agree that diplomatic rela- i
tions should be severed and all U.
S. Embassies in France closed.
Others were advocates for an al
most. impossible tariff wrall to keep
French products out of America,
while ethers were for elimination
of French stocks and bonds from
America.
It was pointed out that of all the
nations who were able to pay,
France was that nation, and if it
were merely an actual war debt,,
default would be so frowned upon j
but the debts are, in reality^, com- i
mercial debts having been made
after the war .
ANOTHER CONVENTION
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16, —A
convention of national public utili
ties officials will be called to order
today.
COLDEST NEOTHEH III
SEATTLE, Dec. 16.—King Winter
continued to reign supreme over
the land Thursday with indications
of taking pity on Southern states,
but continuing frigid grip from In
diana to the West.
Northern California was moder
j ating with rain in the offing. Frost
was still prevalent in Southern Cal
ifornia. Rising temperatures were
reported from Nevada and Idaho,
while Washington and Oregon
faced rains and sleet.
Northwest and central North,
America faced the coldest weath-!
er in years, with the mercury rang- j
ing from zero to 33 degrees. At'
Chicago it was three below, in Illi- 1
nois nine below, 16 below in Wis- |
consin, 20 below at Duluth and 33 |
below in Manitoba.
SEATTLE IMPROVEMENT
SEATTLE, Dec. 16.—A public im- j
provement costing $1,250,000 and!
calling for paving and construe-[
tion of a seawall, is expected to be!
started next month. i
STATE DEPARTMENT IS
SUM ON DEFAULTS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, —The!
chorus of denunciation over the
French refusal to pay its debts was
intensified with a notice from Bel
gium that her instalment of $2,
125,000 could not be expected.
The Polish Embassy’s statement
indicated that country could not
pay instalments of $3,303,000. The
State Department, however, re
mained silent, all criticism coming
from Congressmen.
AIRWAYS CONSOLIDATE
KETCHIKAN, Dec. 16,—Consoli
dation of Ketchikan Airwavs with
the Alaska Southern Airways or
ganization under the latter name
was announced by W. V. Hickey, j
The plan is to operate three planes i
to Southern points next year.
WHOLESOME HUMAN
INTEREST, CLEM HUMOR
PERFORMANCE TONIGHT
Under the skilled hands of ex
pert carpenters the Liberty Thea
tre stage has been transformed into
a New York drawing room, into
which will walk the embodiment of
a clever playright’s dream charac
ters in one of the cleverest serio
comic creations of the modern
stage, a play replete in wholesome
human interest and clean humor.
Tonight is the night everyone
has been looking forward to when
The Little Theatre Club will pre
sent “The Outcast.”
No better balanced cast has ever
been selected for the interpretation
of the clever lines accorded each of
; the 10 actors who will handle this
delightful and sophisticated con
tribution to local artistry.
From wee Jane McMullen,
who imparts a wonderful natural
ness to her brief role, to the staid
and dignified Bishop, there is fin
ish and perfection in every charac
! ter.
And here they are:
! Mrs. Hamilton.Martine Johansen
; Douglas, her son and author.
J. Leonard Hopkins
Tom, her younger son.
j. Delbert Hayes
Bishop Wade, her brother.*
. Earl Sweek
Peggy, her small daughter.
. Jane McMullen
Janet Harden, a spinster.
. Dorothy Hill
Angela Stone, a debutante .
I ...—. Ruth Prosser
Simpson, the butler.Sidney Urie
Norah, the housekeeper..
.Margaret Rich
Unfortunately, Barbara Chilberg,
who was to portray “Peggy” in the
cast, was taken ill yesterday with
; chicken-pox, and it was thought
that because of the late hour for
another little girl to learn the part,
it would have to be omitted. But
not so, for Jane McMullen inform
ed her mother she would step into
| the breach, having learned Bar
| bara’s role from watching rehear
j sals.
Little has been said about the
i four-piece special orchestra and
| all that is really necessary to say
is that a most delightful surprise
awaits the audience. The orchestra
is composed of Mrs. H. Sogn at the
j piano; John Hawkins, violin; Fr.
; Merrill Sulzman and Harold Sogn,
saxaphones.
Special request is made that all
those in attendance refrain * from
talking during the time the curtain
is up, a common fault at the mov
ies and one which often spoils the
pleasure of others.
And no one who covets a refresh
ing evening provided by those so
anxious to please should miss be
ing present.
EXPERIENCE ESSENTIAL
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16.—A bill
will be introduced in the next Leg
islature to make candidates for
judgeships ineligible providing they
have had less than 10 years of ac
tive practice at the bar.
-4
WHAT PRICE GLORY?
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16.—Dun
can Rinaldo moving picture star,
faces a 12-year term in the peniten
tiary and a fine of $5,000 or de
portation to his country, Rumania,
for falsifying his passport when
he first entered the United States.
WILL BLOCK PLAN
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, —Criti- j
cal comments to President Hoover’s \
plans for government regrouping j
arose in the House Expenditures
Committee, indicating a resolution
to disapprove the changes will re
ceive strong support. The inclina
tion among Democratic leaders is
to leave the business of realigning
government agencies to Franklin
D. Roosevelt.
HIS FIFTH ATTEMPT
PHOENIX, Ariz., Dec. 16,—A writ
of habeas corpus was filed Thurs
day by Winnie Ruth Judd’s attor
ney, his fifth plan by which he
hopes to save her from hanging
February 17.
MOST SERIOUS OF
DERI PROBLEMS IRE
LOCRL, NO! FOREISN
NEW YORK, Dec. 16,—America’s
most serious debt pfoblems are
domestic rather than foreign,
Richard Whitney, president of the
New York Stock Exchange said in
his annual report to members.
Whitney didn’t mention any
specific foreign debts. The report
was prepared before the news of
France’s default of her December
15 payment reached the United
States.
He said continuance of warfare
between France and Germany with
money and security markets serv
ing as the actual battlefields, now
has produced a chaotic condition
in European business finance
which reflected elsewhere in the
world.
Whitney did not attempt Jo fore
cast the business or financial fu
ture but did find scattered augu
ries of promise; he cited govern
ment, municipal and private debts
as examples of the real debt prob
lem.
_*__
FIRMER FROZE DEITN
BLYTHE, Calif., Dec. 16,—Henry
Petty Long, a cotton farmer, froze
to death in Palo Verde Valley, an
off-shoot of the Imperial Valley,
where heat prostrations are ordi
narily the rule for this latitude, j
Snow covered valleys damaged,
! much cotton which was awaiting a
second picking.
The weather man of the Palo;
j Verde irrigation district sent out j
! the query: “How in heck do you'
j measure snow? Do you use a ruler
or boil it down? More snow in the
Valley is forecast”.
-«
QUICK EXTINCTION
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16,—Organ
ized farm groups approved quick
extinction for the Hoover adminis
tration’s Farm Board and told the
House Agricultural Committee they
were without direct knowledge of
President-Elect Roosevelt’s atti
tude towards the domestic allot
ment plan which they advocate.
IS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, —Modi
fication of the Volstead law to per
mit the manufacture and sale of
beer containing 3.2 percent alcohol
by weight was approved by the
powerful House Ways and Means
Committee.
The provision to legalize wine
was eliminated from the original
Collier bill but the committee
agreed to consider . a separate
measure, probably today.
BOTTLE PICKED CP
SEATTLE, Dec. 16,—The currents
; of the North Pacific brought a bot
■ tie from the coast of Japan to Van
! couver Island, 4,500 miles, in two
years and 10 days. The bottle be
longed to the U. S. Hydrographic
office and gave the date, place, and
where it was thrown in the ocean
and was picked up on the west
coast island by Charles Woolintes
and sent to Washington.
y. S. DEBT PIYMENT
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, —Upon
the final settlement of the ques
tion of payment of the December
15 war debt instalments by Europe
hinged the question of whether or
not the American people would be
: called upon to dig down into their
pockets for the sum of $114,000,000
to meet the demand of the Nation
al Treasury or whether the bene
ficaries cf United States assistance
i3i the World War will be called
upon to bear some of this burden.
The total due yesterday was
$125,934,000, including interest and
principal. Great Britain, owing
$85,550,000, was the biggest debtor.
France’s payment amounted to
SI 11261,000. The balance is owed by
Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Esthonia,
Finland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania
and Poland. Most of these coun
tries have the right to postpone
payment on principal for two years
and Poland, Esthonia and Latvia
' served notice of such postpone
ment.
22 Billions Due By 1987
The total principal sum owed
was $11,565,000,000. The avera'ge in
terest rate is 2.135 percent, and the
total sum which the United States
was to have received by 1987, the
maturity of the debts, is $22,188.
000,000—including both principal
and interest.
One of the main objections of
foreign nations to the present debt
scIJbdule is that commodity prices
have fallen so far that twice as
much goods must be sold now to
get the money as was necessary
when the schedules were made.
The debtors further hold to the
United States policy that the debts
were to be paid according to ca
pacity to pay. That capacity, they
said, has been seriously reduced by
the decline in commodity prices
among other things.
The debtor governments also
pointed to the difficulty of further
taxing their citizens, pointing to
the objections Americans have
raised to taxation in the United
States, and emphasizing that Euro
pean taxation is even more bur
densome.
President Hoover has stated that
reduction of world armament has
a bearing on the question, in that
it would reduce the tax burden. U.
S. Senators and representatives
suggested that the debts be revised
downward in porportion to arma
ment reductions.
NEW CHANCELLOR IS
. A MAN OF PEACE
BERLIN, Dec. 16.—Chancellor
Kurt von Schleiched made his first
public statement yesterday re
garding his future policies for gov
ernment. He pledged himself to
work with all parties to the best of
his ability and said that he was
not a militarist but a man of peace.
Referring to disarmament he said
Germany would be willing to use
cardboard soldiers, wooden guns
and tin tanks and cannon when
other countries decided to do like
wise.
LONDON, Dec. 16.—Captain
Mollison, husband of Amy Johnson
Mcllison, queen of England’s avi
atrixes, announced that his wife
would arrive in London today from
France, where she landed yester
day from Cape Town, S. A. Amy
has been unable to lower her record
of four days between London and
Cape Town.
The Outcast Tonight Liberty Theater 8 d. m.