3 NO 14
KODIAK, AIASKA JUNE 5, 1943
PRICE 10 CENT*
yanks Sharpen Up Kodiak Defenses
Project Order Issued
Confirm it ion of the change in
plans of t he water system from
(he former plan incorporating
the Erskine water system to an
entirely new distribution set-up
wasrece ved by letter by Mayor
Nick Miell this week. According
to the letter the plan will incor
porate a new distribution system
with a storage basin.
The letter Miell received was
a copy sent him by Baird Sny
der, assistant administrator of
the Public Works Agency, in
Washington, D. C., of one from
Snyder to L. R. Durkee, re
giona PWA director ordering
accomplishment of work on the
Kodiak water system, Project
50-123.
The letter asks that construe
tion of the distribution system,
with the exception of the main
leading from the storage facil
ities to the distribuiion grid
(system of mains) be carried out
at once.
It also asks that an immed
iate engineering survey be made
of the natural basins ‘advocated
by the Mayor of Kodiak”
‘‘On the face of it,” the letter
continues, “it seems that the
basins will provide storage in
the least time with the least ex
penditure of material for the
purpose. 16,000 yards of earth
can be removed in a very short
time and the pipe run appears to
be the shortest possible from
the storage to the distribution
system.”
Station Sites
Obtained
Four bites have been obtained
for public comfort stations in
Kodiak, Ray Martin reported
at the Chamber of Commerce
•Meeting this week, and work
*ill be started on them immed
iately. The chamber agreed to
Underwrite expenses necessary to
Preparing the sites.
They will be located as fol
lows: 1—near Belmont bar.
2—on beach between fire hall
and Harbor avenue 3—between
Sears Order office and Log
Cabin. 4 — between Kodiak
fountain and Helen’s Eat shop.
Astoria (JP)—The Seattle boat
Kew Washington brought 4951
Pounds the record for single de
livery. The halibut catch was
P'ade in Western area No. 3 near
Kodiak island by an li-man
*rew.
New Express
Agent Named
A G.Riefensthal, route agent
for the Railway Express com
pany, announced this week the
appointment of A1 Chouinard as
the company’s agent for Kodiak.
The Island Transfer Company
has been handling the express
but relinquished it in view of
its increasing volume.
Chouinard has leased the form
er Tom Williams’ residence on
Brooklyn Avenue across from
the Coco-Cola bottling works
and opened his office theie this
week.The rear of the 20x60 build
ing will also be used for storage.
Buenos Aires—Revolt has
broken out against the regime of
Pres. Ramon Castillo. Revolut
ionary troops from Camp Mayo
base entered Buenos Aires after
fighting on outskirts & seized no
lice headquarters.
After trucks have pulled their
|anti-aircraft guns into positions,
U. S. Soldiers set up a 37 mm.
gun on Kodiak island in the Al
eutians. Should the Japs attack
during setting up opera'ions,
the 50 calibre machine gun in
the background is ready to fire.
Photo from U. S. Army.
News Highlights
Pacific Front
U. S forces on Attu annihilat
ed the main body of Jap defend
ers early this week when the en
emy was dislodged from Fish
Hook ridge. The Japs descended
to Chichagof valley & met the
Yanks in hand to hand fighting
in a fog so dense that ground
visibility was almost zero. Army
troops had to scale a 60-degree
hill in the face of strong enemy
fire to capture Jap positions. To
kyo radio admitted complete de
feat of Attu forces but U. S. savs
some snipers still remain in rock
y pockets. American casualties
are officially placed at 342 dead;
1135 wounded; 58 missing. Jap
casualties at 1791 killed; 11 cap
tured. Japs left vast quantities
of canned oranges, tons of pota
toes, tea, canned salmon & on
ions. Each Jap carried at least 3
bottles of vitamin pills & 1 pow
der puff.
Navy announced U. S. subs
have sunk 7 additional Jap ships
in the Pacific. 1 of them a des
troyer. Allied bombers bagged a
5000 ton Jap transport & a car
go ship & strafed an entire ene
my flotilla in raids that ranged
more than 1000 miles northwest
of Australia. Austialiau com.
mandos operating in New Guin
ea killed 500 Japs with loss of
only 12 of their own men.
Atlantic Front
War Mobilization Director
(continued on page 4)
Merchants Form C.ofC.;
Col. Wm.D. Frazer Heard
The Kodiak Merchant’s Asso
ciation met at the city hall
Thursday evening and as a re
sult of action taken joined with
the Chamber of Commerce,
formed tw© years ago but inac
tive since the war started, in
forming a new, revitalized
Chamber of Commerce organiz
ation. Incorporated in the
group will be a committee of 3
to act as a Better Business com
mittee to cope with problems
pertinent to relationship between
business men and Army and
Navy organizations.
Election was held and the
following named to handle the
reins of the group: L. F. Nacht
weih, president; Ben Kraft, vice
president; Paul Johnson, secret
ary treasurer; Ray Martin and
O. A. Torperson, directors with
the officers.
The by-laws committee was
instructed to report on adapted
by-laws of the chamber and
Dresent recommendations on
dues and other matters
Resident Dies
In Seattle
Word has been received here
of the death in Seat* le of Charles
“Big Charlie’’ Houtari, 53, who
made his home for many yea s
in Kodiak and was well-known
as a fisherman. Houtari died at
Laurel Beach Sanitarium, a vie
tim of tuberculosis. He had been
in ill health here for the past
year and made the trip out with
Jorgen Fredrickson and Jack
McCord to seek medical attent
ion. The two men took care of
his funeral arrangement m Seat
tle. Present at the services, held
May 18, was his sister, Martha
Viuhkola, of Astoria. Ore.
He is also survived by his ex
wife, the former Mariane Wills,
and a daughter, Donna, born
in 1932 in Kodiak.
The deceased's ashes are to
be brought here and turned
over to the United Fishermen
to be scattered over the water
of the Bering Sea, which furnish
ed his livelihood for so many
years.
Renewal Simple
War risk property insurance
may be renewed by presentation
of the policy number to the
agent and payment of the
premium, according to a local
insurance agent. Many such pol
icies in Kodiak will expire dur
ing the summer months, as
much of the insurance was taken
out after the bombing of Dutch
i Harbor last June.
Col. Wm. Frazer, command
ing, Fort Greely, on his behalf
and for Capt. Dyer, command
ing, NOB, spoke to the Chamb
er of Commerce Thursday even
ing on the matter of post-city re
lationships
He began by pointing out that.
Kodiak enjoyed a boom, with
the influx of civilian workers,
similar to gold rush booms of
other Alaska towns in previous
years, but that now "with prac
tically all civilian base workers
gone the situation has altered,
but many merchants do not real
ize it”.
Briefly outlining the recent
difficulties in relationship, Col.
Frazer said. “The situation here
recently required us to request
city authorities to correct cer
tain evils that the naval depart
ment felt existed in this city. We
asked the cooperation of city of
ficials bur, they were not so ready
to cooperate at that time. The
resulting impale, along with the
tactical situation, lequiied deny
ing passes. Through efforts of
the business men and after re
consideration on the part of the
officials they agreed to suppress
conditions W e are taking them
at their word.
“As the result of the confer
ences a number of things came to
light bearing on relationships be
tween the post and the city ”
Among them he named the
matier of observance “of the set
of rules we have adopted” for li
quor control; the mat er of sani
tary conditions and comfort si a
tions; and “the great variation in
prices on the things servicemen
hke to buy.”
Co) Frazer emphasized the
latter, explaining that "if you
meet us half way there will he no
occasion for anything hut a hap
py existence on the part of ev
eryone”, a matter of paramount
concern because the “military
establishment here is on a per
manent basis and no doubt will
exist here and grow in import
ance after the war.”
If the business men are unable
to control certain individuals
and groups Col. Frazer said it
might be necessary to use "out
of hounds” procedure against
them, explaining it was the
Army’s last and only "recourse
to justice in cases like that.”
After giving specific examples
of how the Army maintained its
part in cooperation, in matters
of health, fire protection, full co
operation with civil authorities
in law enforcement, roads and
“in any emergency, regardless of
what it may be”, he closed by
saying “we believe we can all live
happily together here and we
will do our part in maintaining
ja friendly attitude between the
city and the post.”