THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 p. O. Box 618
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER .Editors
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Entered as second class matter October 14. 1943. at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Monday, July 26, 1948 j
. I
ENFORCEMENT RATHER
THAN CLOSURE > j
(Alaska Weekly)
IN TESTIMONY recently before the house committee
on interior department appropriations Alberti
M. Day of the Fish and Wildlife Service stated that
consideration was being given to complete closure
of certain of the pink salmon areas of Southeastern
Alaska in an effort to rehabilitate the diminishing
runs of the pinks.
"We feel," said Day, "a great deal of the trouble
is due to overfishing. Industry itself has urged in
creased efforts toward enforcement so maximum
protection may be given this important fishery."
In seeking funds for adequate protection Mr.1
Day put his finger on the sore spot in the situation, j
Many who are familiar with the pink salmon waters
of Southeastern Alaska are inclined to believe that
it is not so much the quantity of fish taken as it
is the "when and where" of the taking. They main
tain that all that is needed is enforcement of present
regulations. The State of Washington, it is pointed |
out, with 1,000 miles of shoreline to protect spends
$624,000 annually to enforce its conservation regu
lations, while the Federal government spends $5000
less than that amount to patrol 16,000 miles of Alas-!
kan shoreline.
Under such circumstances it is an every day oc
currence for seiners to move in and circle a mass of
fish gathered in a bay at the mouth of a creek and be
on their way to the cannery before a patrol boat I
a couple of hundred miles away knows the fish
are running in that particular stream.
There are fish hogs among cannerymen and
fishermen alike but the vast majority of both have
no desire to see the industry ruined and are not
only willing but anxious to observe all intelligent
conservation measures. It is against the minority
that protection is needed and badly needed. '
The fisheries of Alaska should have appropria
tions for enforcement at least double those now
available and should add plenty of reconnaisance
planes to the patrol boats. It is of small use to have
one of the pitiably few boats patrolling an area in
which the fish are not running while fish are being
taken far in excess of safe escapement at some other
point.
Neither the Fish and Wildlife Service, the cannery
men nor the people of Alaska want more fish to go
up the streams than are needed for proper spawning
of the beds, for that is simply economic waste. Yet
practically no money has been spent by the gov
ernment to determine what constitutes adequate es
capement, even in the principle streams.
Even if such knowledge were available it would
be of small value without some latitude being
granted local authorities. Repeatedly while an ar
bitrary closing order has been in effect the fish have
arrived off schedule and, except for those who took
a chance on paying an insignificant fine, fishermen
have stood by while thousands of fish went up a
stream to die on the banks without ever reaching
an already overcrowded spawning bed. In one re
cent year the largest of the runs in certain South
eastern Alaska areas, according to fishermen, took
place after the season was closed.
We are certainly not prepared to say whether or
not it is necessary to close the major portion of
Southeastern Alaska's fishing areas in order to save
the salmon runs of the future, but we should cert
ainly like to see the Fish and Wildlife Service have
LOOKING FROM BAST TO WEST
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a chance to save the industry through appropria
tions which would make possible full enforcement
and research.
LOOKING THROUGH A CURTAIN
(Science Monitor)
J^OES THE CLASH between Moscow and Belgrade
also disclose a shift in Communist policy?
Reasons given for the trouble range from a
Molotov-Zhdanov fued to ERP; from a Bulgarian
Yugoslav disagreement over making war in Greece
to food hoarding; and from personal guarrels to
deep instinct of nationalism. Some comment even
finds the break with Tito a cause for Russia easing
up in Berlin—although the rift is months old. The
fact is that we know very little for sure.
This very lack of firm knowledge indicates how
unwise it would be to assume that Yugoslavia can
be drawn into the Western orbit. The West un
doubtedly exerts a real attraction, especially in
economic affairs. Moreover, there seems ample evi
dence that certain high Yugoslav officials are not
zealous Reds. But neither are they special friends
of the United States.
If there is to be a lastincr break between Bel
grade and Moscow it will arise chiefly from deep
instincts of personal and national independence.
Yugoslavs would not relish begging for America's
aid any more than dancing to Moscow's tune. Like
most of Europe's peoples, they are alarmed lest
they be caught in the middle in a new war between
the two great powers. They resent pressures from
either.
While Americans will take comfort from the
evidence of Communist disagreements, they would
do well not to count too complacently on a smashup
of the Soviet system. It has discovered mistakes and
changed its course more than once before this. One
of the most interesting features of the Cominform's
statement is the repeated reference to the necessity
for "preparing" the Yugoslavs for collectivization.
Indeed, this whole incident may indicate a shift in
Moscow's methods.
In recent months Russia has been far from
successful in its use of power politis. It stirred up the
Marshall Plan. It lost ground in France; it was re
buffed in the Italian elections; its guerrillas are on
the run in Greece; its coup in Czechoslovakia has
vastly stiffened and rearmed America. Its latest
move in Berlin, while embarrassing the Allies, has
also angered Germans. European countries have
been drawing together for resistance, as in "Western
Union."
There have ben repeated signs of a reorientation
of policy in Moscow. The shift is accompanied bv
the reduced prominence of Vyacheslav Molotov and
the rise of Andrei Zdanov. TTie former wielded the
weapon of diplomacy; the latter
the weapon >of propaganda; The
former dealt with nations; the
latter with Communists. The for
mer relied on force or threat of
force; the latter emphasizes in
doctrination. He commands the
Cominform, and its indictment of*
Tito discloses two clear purposes.
One is pressure to hold the Com
munist parties in line, and the
other is to emphasize the role of
ideas in spreading Communism.
The West has stiffened its
ranks against power politics pres
sures. It will have to do the same
against the offensive of ideas.
International News
At A Glance — .
t (Continued from Page One)
tween that city and Hamburg.
The Moscow radio accused the
Western Powers of using the Ber
lin situation for “stirring up war
hysteria.”
French premier-designate Andre
Marie, pleaded with the national
assembly to permit him to form
a new cabinet, called “all Repub
licans to the defense of the father
land in a crucial hour of the world,
for Europe and the nation.” The
assembly recessed until the after
noon, delaying action of support or
rejection of Marie’s program.
The atomic bomb stood out as
the main issue between the east
and west at the forthcoming third
United Nations Assembly m Paris.
Delegates said the Palestine prob
lem will certainly come before the
Assembly again and possibly the
disposition of the former Italian
colonies.
New Foundland has voted to
join Canada, but there was some
doubt of Canadian acceptance.
Britain announced the reorgan
ization of operation control of her
Armed Forces in the Middle East
and Mediterranean area. The new
set-up includes Mediterranean and
East African commands.
BERLIN
The U.S. and Britain halted rail
traffic between Western Europe
and the Russian zone of Germany
tonight.
“Technical difficulties” were as
signed as the reason. The Rus
sians asserted a month ago that
the lone railroad between Berlin
and the West had been closed
because of technical difficulties.
The Berlin City government dis
missed police president Paul Mark
graf, whom the Russians appointed
in 1945. The act is expected to have
wide repercussions.
Ranking diplomats of the U.S.
Britain and France appeared to
be arranging for talks with Rus
sia on the Berlin blockade and
other German problems.
There was speculation about
either another four-power meet- '
ing of the foreign ministers’ coun
cil of talks directly between Pres
ident Truman and Prime Minister
Stalin. The latter seemed unlike
ly.
Many believe the basic reason
for the Russian blockade of Ber
lin is to force the Western Pow
ers to reopen the whole German
question.
MOSCOW
Russian newspapers ignored the
Western Powers diplomatic talks
about Berlin and did not even
mention ambassador Smith’s de
parture. Pravda, however, devoted
a large part of its foreign page
to the nomination of Henry Wal
lace for president by the New
Progressive Party.