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Em.ly Boucher .... .Local Editor
Entered ac .second class matter October 14. 1943, at the postoffice
at Nome, Aia'-ka, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Friday, December 10, 1948
%
PROBING THE WEAK SPOTS
(The Forty-Ninth Star)
M. R. Marston, an Anchorage man, gave Alaskans a
new look at their western defenses recently. The picture
of the Arctic-Boring coast presented isn’t a pleasant one.
As former commander of Alaska’s Territorial Guard
units west of the 54th parallel, Marston knows the vast
section he says needs immediate strengthening and
those who inhabit it.
His recommendation that no time be lost in establish
ing National Guard units among the Eskimos*should be
given immediate consideration. The former ATG offi
cer is not an alarmist, but he is a realist. He assesses
the United States position along the entire coast as being
“wide open.”
That such a condition should exist with Manchuria
under Communist control and all of China threatened
seems unbelievable. Each Communist success in Asia
increases the strategic value of Alaska. Conversely,;
each day of delay in strengthening Alaska weakens the
Territory’s position.
The Eskimos who inhabit the coast facing Siberia are
also realists. They know that 17 of their fellow Alaskans
were recently held 57 days by the Russians on Big Dio
mede. Basing their action on some vague law, the con
tent of which has probably never been made known to
the Eskimos who were held prisoner, the Russians re-'
leased the American citizens only when it pleased them
to do so.
There is no indication that the United States govern-;
ment protested the detention by the Russian^. As a rr'-'
suit, it is entirely possible that the Soviets have already1
won a victory in the psychological warfare centered
about the Bering Straits.
The apparent indifference of Washington to the wel
fare of 17 American citizens who were held an unrea
|
sonably long time, and to the reasons they were held bv
a so-called friendly power may have the Eskimos asking
questions. They may be wondering what the nation
would have done if 17 white citizens had been held for
nearly two months on Big Diomede.
If the Alaskan Eskimos can be led to believe that per
haps the United States would have been more bold and
at least sent a piece of paper to Moscow protesting the
Russian action had the Big Diomede incident involved
whites rather than Eskimos, the Soviets have already
won a victory. The unprotested third-degree treatment
dished out on Big Diomede may have started the Eski
mos wondering whether Uncle Sam plans to defend the
bleak coasts that have been their homeland for cen
turies.
The Russians won a clear-cut victory if they have
shaken the confidence of the Eskimos in their govern
ment or established even a slight breach in the white
Eskimo relationship. Because the Eskimos are a reticent,
non-talkative race, the number of casualties the Soviets
inflicted through weakened loyalties is impossible to
determine. Making up practically the entire population
along the most strategic coast in North America, the Es
kimos are Alaska’s first line of defense. If the nation ex
pects their full support, it can’t consider their welfare
and citizenship secondary propositions.
The fine art of diplomacy and international law don’t
mean much to the Eskimos. They came off Big Diomede
knowing only that they had been pushed around and no
body in the State Department even wasted a holler on
them. In handling future incidents that may develop in
the Bering Strait, Washington will do better if it assigns
a man to the job who knows something about practical
psychology and the Eskimo way of reasoning.
CALLING SURGERY
etc.,—all these are useless and worthless alibies. The
very fact that people vote, that they keep fresh and
It is a long established Russian practice to probe for
weak spots, and move in when one is located. Maybe they
were looking for a weak spot in the Big Diomede inci
dent.
As Marston says, if Alaska waits to find out what
Russian intentions are, it may be too late. The time to
convince the much-interested Russians the United
States is not backing up from the coast is now. The time
to show the Eskimos that Uncle Sam is on their ball
team is now. Immediate formation of Eskimo National
Guard units in Alaska’s “wide open” spaces will be a
step in the right direction.
APATHY ON VOTING
(The Catholic Sentinel)
In past weeks, there has been a tremendous expendi
ture of newspaper space, radio time, and other valuable
efforts in endeavoring to give the reasons for the unex
pected, even startling results of the November second
election.
Meanwhile, a closely connected fact which, in the ag
gregate, is of even greater moment, because of the per
manency of the effects, has not received the attention
which its importance demands.
In a large part of the world today, the Four (it should
read Five) Freedoms are practically unknown, millions
of human beings are subject to totalitarian or dictator
ial governments, in which they have no voice either to
obtain their rights or to redress their wrongs. In strik
ing contrast to this sorrowful condition, free America
stands out with dramatic conspicuousness. For here
men are free; if they suffer any wrongs, these can be cor
rected; if they are not corrected, it is the fault of the peo
ple themselves, taken collectively.
Nevertheless in the recent election, more than one
half of those entitled to a vote were so indifferent, so
unappreciative of their marvelous prerogative, as not to
take advantage of it.
Whether this or that candidate was successful, which
one or two parties achieved political power for the next
two or four years, this was of secondary importance,
when compared to the problem which fifty millions, of
non-voting citizens create.
Apathy on election day means that the honest, de
voted public servant may be rejected, while the incom
petent tool of selfish interests may be kept indefinitely
in office. Apathy on election day means that abuses
which feed discontent* and ultimately Communism may
be perpetuated, while the general good of the greater
number suffers in consequence.
Nothing can cure this undermining of democracy,
this destruction of representative government, except
spontaneous action of all the citizens on those dav*
when they have the opportunity to express their will.
The fact that they are not clear on all the issues at stake,
that there seems little choice between candidates and
i parties, that “after all it doesn’t make much difference,”
sharpened the wonderful iru-tru
iient of the ballot, this is a varn
!gt to office-holders tha: heir
•'mloyers, the sovereign v '<•,
i: e a live, act vc think. \:
available at any ime, to . . n sh
he faithless and to rewar:’ h.
ai’hful public servant.
Talking, writing, exh rih.p -p »
y.e to vote, these means ha * .11
:en used extensively with ,.i ap
preciable results; some hing mon*
is necessary. For example: 1 re
spective of excuses, alibies ex
planations, people must pav their
axes or suffer material damage in
consequence of their failure ’o do
so. We have plenty of laws, it is
true, in fact too many of them: but
here does seem to be dire need of
a tax upon every citizen in the
form of an obligation to cast his
vote at certain times and, failing
o do so. to pay a penal y for his
neglect. All other taxes levied by
duly constituted authority are for
the grea:er part at least paid, or
’.he delinquent is penalized. The
delinquent voter should be penal
ized no less than the delinquent
lax payer.
Of the fifty million eligible to
vote who did not vote on las; No
vember 2, probably forty m.ilions
had no excuse that could no; have
o cn provided for; if those forty
millions had to pay a poll t?x of
‘*>25 each, the result would have
been a large sum for the city, 'tale
and national governments and
many more voters in futwre elec
tions.
International News
At A Glance —
'Continued from f*age c*
Land.
The U. N. political committee
approved, 41 to six. a resolution
endorsing the U. N. Korean com
mission, provdiing for a new com
mission, recognizing the Korean
Republic of the U. S. occupation
zone and recommending with
drawal of occupation troops "as
early as practicable.”
The Russians filed new com
plaints of alleged American air
lift plane violations flying to
blockaded Berlin.
The airlift delivered 6.133 tons
to Berlin Wednesday. -
The Russian-controlled state
•ailroad refused to provide freight
cars to haul away garbage from
the western parts of Berlin. U. S.
authorities said Count Heinrich
von Einsiedel, communist great
grandson <>l Bismarck, had aban
doned his job as a Russian editor
and moved into the western p_rt
of Germany.
Foreign policy leaders o: .ie
| next Congress began looking ver
Marshall plan estimates for next
year—expected to be about $4,
500,000,000 or about a half billion
under htis year. However, funds
for China and Korea likely will
make the overall total higher.
Austrian government •? .trees
said the Russians sentenced Ur.
Margarethe Ottillinger, an Aus
trian official, to 20 years o! In >nr
on charges of spying for the U .S.
Stalin returned to Moscow after
his annual vacation. He rc.v vrri
the communist premier if '"r.vho
slovakia, Antonin Zapotocky.
Friday, December 10, 1948
Martial law for all China under
nationalist control was decreed to
night by President Chiang Kai
Shek. The edict does not apn v t »
the far western provinces v>- Tor- ^
mosa.
The announcement came is
Chinese communists appcnre ■ to
be trying to cut behind he Pwai
'Continued on Page Nine)