THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. o. Box 618
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W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER.Editor*
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffic*
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Friday, March 14, 1947
Feeding The Germans
(Rocky Mountain News)
IF EVER.Y MEMBER on Congress reads and digests
Herbert Hoover’s searching report on his economic, mis
sion to Germany and Austria, there should be little dis
position on Capitol Hill to cripple our occupation forces
by ill-considered cuts in their appropriations.
Mr. Hoover presents convincing reasons why we
should continue substantial relief expenditures in the
former enemy areas, while admitting that such a policy
is “something new in human history for the conqueror
to undertake.”
/The State Department also should profit by a study of
the Hoover report. By inference, it is critical of certain
aspects of our foreign policy, particularly with reference
to our past attitude on reparations.
Mr. Hoover makes the same point that General Mac
Arthur did in reporting on Japan—that we should re
cover the money we are spending for relief and rehabili
tation by taking a first lien on the assets in the areas we
occupy.
In Europe, we have operated on the theory that Rus
sia should have the first and largest cut in reparations,
and that we should take what is left, if anything, in reim
bursement for our expenditures.
Meanwhile, no ceilings have been placed on Soviet!
demands. By relief expenditures, we are rebuilding I
German economy. Mr. Hoover urges that such costs
should have priority over any reparations claims. This
should be stipulated in the German treaty about to be
drafted in Moscow.
Related to this issue is the present policy which closes
the Baltic and North Seas to German fishing.
In consequence, American and British taxpayers are
called upon to furnish food as a substitute for fish, which
the Germans could catch for themselves. This ban on
fishing should be lifted by Allied agreement, even in
advance of the treaty negotiations.
Equally unrealistic are the political restrictions
which limit to manual labor some 1,900,000 persons—a
considerable part of Germany’s former technical and
administrative skill—whose know-how could be put to
more constructive use. By continuing to punish these
people we also are punishing ourselves.
!Mr. Hoover points to other outgrowths of the Pots
dam declaration which complicate our administrative
and rehabilitation efforts and which should be re-exam
ined in the light of experience. These include restric
tions on trade and shipping.
* U ' • . ,
Freedom Is Earned
(The Denver Post)
GEN. DOUGLAS MacARTHUR’S latest report on the
occupation of Korea reveals that little progress has been
made in industrial recovery or political advancement.
This is in contrast to battered Japan where, according
to MacArthur's reports, significant strides have been
taken in economic reconstruction and democratization.
Korea was a Japanese possession from 1910 to 1945.
An ancient land, it was virtually untouched by the air
war that was concentrated on the Japanese home is
lands. Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin promised Korea
independence after a period of tutelage, a decision since
reaffirmed at several Allied conferences. That period of
tutelage is likely to be no short affair.
The stury of confusion in postwar Korea is similar to
that in India, French Indo-China and Java, all of which
have been offered some measure of independence by
their overlords. In each of these colonies the fire of free
dom burns bright, but long-subjugated peoples find
themselves unprepared for self-government.
It is internal weakness rather than outside interfer
ence which keeps these countries in turmoil. Faction
have been unable to reconcile their differences in the
common cause of independence, and thus the rivals for
; power slash and tear at each other.
Perhaps these are natural reactions of a peools strug
gling to evolve a philosophy which will guide their g •
ing steps toward healthy nationalism. But all to > often
the role of the masses is as members of mobs inf am *
by some demagogue urging them to violent action \vh cv
leads only away from the real goal.
The unhappy Koreans, the Indians, Indo-Chine c °n ’
' Javanese must realize, if they already have not done so,
that independence is not something that is conferred
upon a people. They must earn it. Unfortunately they
are striving under the handicap of a crippling heri a 7c
the heritage of decades of divide-and-conquer rule im
posed by foreign masters.
NEWS LETTER
By MARY LEE COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, Delegate to Congress from Alaska
LAND SETTLEMENT IN
ALASKA BY VETERANS
Senator Edwin C. Johnson ol;
Colorado has introduced a com-'
panion bill in the Senate to Con-j
gressman Lemke’s measure which i
would open vast areas ol land in
Alaska for settlement by veterans.
A similar measure has been intro-!
duced by Congressman Peden of i
Oklahoma.
These bills embrace provisions j
throwing open for settlement ail'
southeastern Alaska, portions of j
south central Alaska thirty miles1
on both sides of the Alaska High-1
way the Richardson Highway and j
The Alaska Railroad, the Aleutian
Islands, not including Unalaskal
and Umnak. Tracts of land as large
as 1920 acres could be claimed by
veterans “as an economic base to
support a family of seven accord
ing to the American standard of
living.” The settlement provisions
e m b r ace agricultural, grazing,
timber, mixed and fur-farming j
claims. Agricultural claims may be
as large as 640 acres, grazing and i
timber claims as large as 1920
acres, mixed claims of agricultural
grazing and timber land of not
more than 1280 acres and fur
farming claims not exceeding 960
acres.
National parks and monuments,
military and naval installations,
townsites, Annette Island, airfields
and certain other reservations are
i excluded from settlement under
the terms of the bills.
Hearings on the two House mea
sures will commence on March 24
before the sub-committee on Pub
lic Lands of the House public
lands 'committee.
HAINES CUT-OFF
The State Department, recogniz
ing its great importance to the
United States and Alaska, is con
tinuing discussions with the Cana
dians looking toward formulation
of plans envisioning maintenance
and rehabilitation of the Canadian
portions of the Haines cut-off by
the Dominion government, and it
is hoped those discussions will re
sult in constructive plans for this
important Alaska Highway feeder
line.
Knowledge was disclaimed by
State Department officials of any
specific date when the Canadian
government would formally an
nounce abandonment of plans to
keep this road open, one date hav
ing been given in press releases as
March 25.
Reluctance on the part of some
Canadian officials to maintain the
road has been expressed as being
based on the ground that the road
does not sufficiently serve enough
of Canada’s interests to justify ex
penditure of money for the pur
pose of rehabilitation and main
tenance. It has been pointed out by
these same Canadian officials that
the Canadian Parliament, like the
United States Congress, is econ
omy-minded and desirous of mak
ing cuts in national expenditures.
ALASKA SHIPPING
No tariff schedules have as yet
been filed with the Maritime Com
mission by snip operators who
plan to undertake private opera
tion of vessels in the Alaska trade.
It is understood the Maritime
Commission does not desire to
continue government operation un
til June 30 of ships to Alaska un
der recent authority given it by
Congress to do so, but hopes to
bow out of the p cture as soon as
private operation may be resumed
under the terms of the recent Con
gressional resolution providing
partial government subsidy in the
form of charter hire and hull in
surance.
FWA ADVANCE
TO FAIRBANKS
Approval of the advance of fed
eral funds in the amount of $6,500
to Fairbanks for the plan prepara
tion of a fire station and garage
building has been made by Maj.
Gen. Philip B. Fleming, Federal
Works Administrator, according to
information recently given Dele
gate Bartlett.
It is estimated the total cost of
the project will be $190,500. Un
der the plan preparation program
of the Federal Works Agency, fed
eral funds advanced to municipal
ities to complete the proparation
of drawings and specifications are
to be repaid if the projects are
completed by the applicants.
Otherwise, if construction does not
go forward, the advance is not to
be repaid.
•ASSESSMENT WORK
The mines and mining sub-com
mittee of the House public lands
committee has approved suspen
sion of annual assessment work on
mining claims in Alaska for an
! iner year in view of continuing
j H faculties in obtaining labor and •
! equipment.
The enabling legislation was in
' troduced by Delegate Bartlett and
! superseded another bill presented
■ by the Delegate earlier in the year
a nich would have extended this
p;ovision to mining claims in the
nited States also. It was felt by
o umbers of the sub-committee
hat conditions in Alaska were
unique and should receive special
I consideration.
I At the present time, assessment
work must now be performed be- ^
tween July 1, 1947, and July 1,
j 1J48. Every claimant must file on
i oefore noon of July 1, 1947, a
! notice of his desire to hold the
mining claim covering the past
year of non-performance of assess
ment work.
If Delegate Bartlett’s measure
>ccc>mes law, assessment work will
not have to be performed until the
>c; iod between July 1, 1948, and
July 1, 1949, with a holding no- 4
ice to be filed before noon of
July 1, 1948.
Tne sub-committee’s approval
>vill be submitted to the full pub
ic lands committee for action al
most immediately.
LANGDON R. WHITE
Nomination of Dr. Langdon R.
White from surgeon to senior sur
geon with the U. S. Public Health
Service is before the Senate for
confirmation.
This is of particular interest to
Alaskans because of Dr. White’s
previous service as medical direc
tor for the Alaska Native Service
on assignment from the public
health service with headquarters
h Juneau. Dr. White is now at
tached to the American Consulate
in Montreal in charge of the For
eign Quarantine Division, and his
duties embrace examination of
aliens.
The promotion for D'\ White
represents an advancement from
major to lieutenant colonel when
compared with army ranks.
RECEIPTS FROM
MINING LEASES
Alaska is in line to rece've 37’fe
per cent of the income derived
from mineral leases on public
lands within the Territory if action
taken this week By t ie House Pub
lic Land Committee n reporting
I Delegate Bartlett’s enabling bill to
the House is endorsed by mem
bers of Congress.
The receipts would go to the
Territory for construction and
maintenance of public roads or for
the support of public schools or
1 other educational institutions. The
remainder of the receipts from
mineral leases on public lands will
continue to go into the United
States Treasury until such time as
the reclamation laws are extended
to the Territory. The receipts now
derived from mineral leases in the
States are divided as follows: 52V4
per cent for reclamation benefits;
10 per cent to the United States
Treasury; and 37V4 per cent for
roads, schools and other public ed
ucational institutions.
On the basis of receipts 5n 1946
from mineral lands leased in the
Territory approximately $6,700
would go to the Territory under
Delegate Bartlett’s bill.
STATEHOOD HEARINGS
Preliminary hearings on state
hood for Alaska, tentatively set
by the sub-committee on Territor
ies and Insular Affairs of * the
House public lands committee for
• April 8, have been now scheduled
! for April 16. according to informa
tion given Delegate Bartlett.
; The delay is occasioned by the
! inability of Secretary Krug to ap