“ALASKA’S HOME NEWSPAPER”
eutarft
The largest circulation MEMBER Also, the best 16-page
of any newspaper in the ASSOCIATED Weekly in the Territory.
2d, 3rd, 4th Divisions of Alaska PRESS j Seward Weekly Gateway
VOLUME XVI. NUMBER 107. SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1931. PRICE TEN CENTS
Alaska Easy Prey
Should Japan Decide
Wage War America
BEST SELLER IN JAPAN DESCRIBES ABILITY TO
TO MATCH NAVAL POWER STRENGTH WITH
THE UNITED STATES—ALASKA COULD BE
SEIZED OVERNIGHT BY FEW SMALL GUN
BOATS—THE COAST WOULD BE FORTIFIED
AND SHIPPING ON THE PACIFIC COAST HAR
RASSED BY FORAYS FROM ALASKA.
“Japan Need Not Fear the United States.”
So says Tadataka Ikezaki, Japanese author.
Ikazaki’s latest book, Japan’s best seller, goes into
great detail and describes vividly such a war. It seems j
that the author wishes to hear the roar of battle; to set
his bayonet against a brisket, to drink hot blood out of
camp skillet; thus satisfying his alleged martial soul
with the pomp of war.
For weeks past the big papers in the States have j
been devoting entire pages republishing the book and|
in editorial comment. The Gateway adds its feeble;
voice’ taking for its theme, an Alaska viewpoint.
From the American viewpoint the Japanese author j
conveys nothing new in his literary efforts. The aver
age American cannot see why Japan should fear the
United States, unless it is in a mercantile sense.
But what Ikezaki really means is that Japan is able
to match her naval power with Uncle Sam, and hints
that now is the proper time to decide the matter of who
shall be mistress or master of the Pacific.
The World War resulted from three belligerent;
words* “Der tag” and “revanche,” showing how insig
nificant is the spark which may plunge the world into a
shambles. Ikezaki’s book, which is being widely read in;
Japan, and especially by the younger generation, who [
are restive and out of harmony with the superstitions j
and archaic political institutions of Nippon. It may
prove the very agency of another war. He paints Japan:
in the guise of a boy with a new .22 calibre rifle and
anxious to try it.
SEATTLE, May 15. (/P) — The
hooner Northland sailed for Al
ika with James Ford and W. B.
hambers of Smithsonian Insti
ite; Doctor Lester Furnas of
’estern Reserve University of
eveland; Herbert Mason of Car
gie Institute; R. M. Gilmore of
e University of California, and
rd Chambers to St. Lawrence
a,nd.
"here they will excavate ancient
age sites. Mason expects to
1 fossils demonstrating that a
id-bridge connected Asia and
erica. Gilmore will.seek spe
of birds. Furnas will study
health of the Eskimos.
ACCEPTS INVITATION
MLA, India, May 15. (&)—
atma Gandhi, who was boy
;d at the first round table
erence, formally agreed to go
ondon and participate at the
od round table conference In
?mber.
1 Ikezaki is frank in his deduc-;
I tion that it would be no great!
| feat for Japan to capture the,
i Philippines, then Guam, after;
i which the main fleet could pay
! its respects to the Pacific Coast
of the United States, inflicting
sufficient damage to cause us to
sue for peace. The former obser
vation is neither far-fetched or
fanciful. Taking the Philippines
and Guam would be but a day’s
j labor for the Japanese fleet, and
Guam would fall even more eas
jily. And all before the U. S. fleet:
could cross the Pacific.
To Alaskan’s these features of j
a war with Japan carries little;
interest when compared with j
what our status would be in the;
event of a clash of arms. Likej
the Philippines and Guam, Alas-!
ka would be but an overnight t
task—a few small gunboats dash- [
ing quickly along the eastern!
shore of Siberia, thence through I
the Aleutians to Seward, up Cook!
Inlet to Anchorage and taking j
possession without firing a shot, j
As the test of strength between'
the two nations would be staged
somewhere between Pearl Har
bor, Hawaiian Islands, and Guam,
Uncle Sam’s nearest eastern base,
little attention could be given
to Alaska. Recovering it from
Japan would be a matter for
(Please torn to Page Two)
BOMBING ATTEMPT
i LIFE SEATTLE
SLEUTH HUMPHREY
HURLED OUT OF BED, PORCH
AND PORTION OF HOUSE
IS DAMAGED
■
*
SEATTLE, May 15. (£>)—A bomb
ing attempt was made on the life
of Detective Giles Humphrey, a J
member of the police force for'
30 years, last night which dam
aged his home and threw him and
his wife from their beds. They
were uninjured.
The front porch and part of
one side of the building was torn
away and windows in nearby
houses broken. i
Humphrey was awakened by
the barking of dogs before the
blast.
The previous night there was
a similar barking, making him
believe the perpetrators were
frightened away on there first
visit. Police said fragments of a
can and wreckage indicated the
bomb was made from dynamite
or gunpowder. t
Humphrey said he had no
known enemies.
_ — ■
JUNESU CHAMBER
THINKS SEC. WILBUR
HIS WRONG SLIT
JUNEAU, May 15.(/P»—Contradict
ing the statement by Secretary
of the Interior Wilbur advising
men in the States that they can
better themselves by coming to
Alasa, the Juneau Chamber of
Commerce instructed its secreatry
to write a “strong letter" to Mr.1
Wilbur, informing him that there!
are more men in the Territory
now than can find work.
That the unemployment situa
iton is becoming worse. That i
persons coming North should in- i
vestigate conditions and should
have ample funds to return home
in the event their expectaitons
are not realized.
LABOR PRESIDENT
APPROVES OF SMS
(
WASHINGTON, May 15. (/P) —
William Green. Labor president,
approved of strikes to prevent
wage cuts if other means prove
unsatisfactory.
The statement followed an ap
peal by the Federation of Labor
Executive Council that both or
ganized and unorganized labor
must resist to the “fullest extent”
tendencies toward less pay and a
lower living standard.
ROAD CHIEF ARRIVES
Major Malcolm Elliott, president
of the Alaska Road Commission,
arrived in Seward from his Juneau
headquarters aboard the SS Yu
kon. Major Elliott is inspecting
the local breakwater project and
continues on into the Interior Sat
urday on a general tour of inspec
tion of projects.
WIESE PUNE IS
DI1SED DT STORM
TOKYO, May 15. UP)—Aviator
Yoshihara, in his damaged plane,
drifted four hours off the coast
of Shimushiru Island where he
had flown from Shana enroute to
Muroton Bay.
He ran into a fog and landed
on the water. The plane was
picked up by the steamer Hakuho
Maru which arranged to return
to Nemuro for repairs to the j
plane, if not available there the |
aviator might return here.
ONE NATIVE KILLED
DUTCH HARBOR, May 15. (JP)—
High seas engulfed villages and
a native, a chiefs son, was killed
by a board blown through his
body during terrific storms which
swept Attu the past winter.
The news reached here with the
arrival of the trading ship Eunice,
Captain Nelson, who said the seas
were driven over villages creating
widespread damage*
In October storms demolished a
government house and native
buildings at Chicagof Bay and in
other villages.
HALIBUT PRICES
SEATTLE, May 15. (A*)—Nine ves- I
sets with 99,800 pounds of halibut ;
sold their cargoes for 6c and 9V2C. J
TE1T0IL SOWN
JUNEAU, May 15. (/Pt—Request- 1
ing him to take means to coun
teract lecoinmendations by giving
publicity to the actual state of
affairs, Territorial Senator Allen
Shattuck, speaknig in reference
to the suggestion that Secretary
Wilbur's advice be directed to per
sons wanting farm lands, insisted
that even the agriculturally in
clined cannot be encouraged.
“Such settlers cannot make a
living raising products,” he said,
in Alaska or in the States.
INSTRUCTED TO FILE
FORMAL POTEST OVER
DAMAGE TO CHURCHES
VATICAN CITY, May 15.
Frederico Tedeschini, Papal Nucio
at Madrid, announced here he had
been instructed to file a protest
with the Spanish Republican gov_
ernment in which he is to make
strong representations regarding
the burning of Spanish churches,
convetns and the lack of protec
tion during the past week.
He said the church assumed this
in view of the great property dam
age it has suffered. Reparation will
be asked.
SEAN OF THEATER
Dll BELASCO IS
CALLED LAST ACT
DRAMATIC PRODUCTIONS EM
BELLISHED WITH
DETAILS
NEW YORK, May 15. (JP)—David.
Belasca, dean of American theatri
cal producers, died at 4:15 Thurs
day.
His inherent love for his work
and his infinite capacity for pains
taking in every detail made him
one of the most successful men in
the theatrical world.
To achieve that distinction,
however, was not an easy task and
involved on the part of Mr. Be
lasco active participation in every
phase of work connected with the
stage. So devoted was he to the
theatre that not once during his
long career did he ever consider
retiring.
That subject brought a vigorous
outburst from him when it was
mentioned on the occasion of his
75th birthday anniversary.
“I shall retire when I am car
ried feet first out of the theatre,”
he said. ‘‘I expect to be working
hard and producing plays when
those who I should retire
have passed away. Why, I’ve been
on and off the stage ever since I
was eight months old. My first
appearance was with my mother
in a mother-and-infant part.”
Mr. Belasco’s major honors came
from the artistic details with
which his dramatic productions
were embellshed. Constantly, he
was in pursuit of every item that
would make his plays realistic to
the highest degree, especially from
the scenic viewpoint. The attrac
(Please turn to Pa^e Seven)
SEATTLE, May 15. (/P)—Helene
Madison bettered her own North
west record in the 100-yard free
style for women, swimming the
distance in 61 seconds and beat
ing her former time three seconds,
in the Pacific Northwest A. A. U.
championships here last night.
She also aided in cracking the
150-yard Medley relay for women
when the Washington Athletic
Club team won the event in one
minute and 40.6 seconds.
The former time made by the
same team was one minute, 57
seconds.
FISHERMEN AND BOUT
OWNERS MEET RUPERT
PRINCE RUPERT, May 15. (JP)—
At a meeting of halibut fishermen
and boat owners last night they
discussed cooperative marketing
but no action of importance was
taken apart from a general sur
vey of the present situation.
F. J. Kwapil of Seattle said
there may be some announcement
later but he will return to Seattle
tomorrow.