OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_
VOL. LHI No. 59 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1951 === Per Copy—15^
Senate Committee
Report Opposes
Alaska Statehood
•
WASHINGTON, (£>)—Members
,, of the Senate Insular Affairs Com
mittee opposing statehood for Al
aska and Hawaii filed today their
minority views on the statehood
bills now awaiting Senate action.
The minority reports oppose ad
mission of Hawaii because of what
they said was the risk of Com
munist influence in the islands,
and urge against Alaska statehood
* because of “grave economic ills”
in the territory*
Asserting .that Alaska, despite
recent tax increases, will end the
1951-52 biennium with a deficit
of more (than $2,000,000 the report
says:
“Federal spending in Alaska,
including the multi-million dol
lar projects for war and defense,
is at a peak. Aside from the sal
mon industry, which is declining,
» federal spending constitutes 'the
territory’s main industry.
“When this bubble bursts; Al
askans will be faced with extreme
economic hardship.”
“Statehood for Alaska,” the re
port said, “would benefit a hand
ful of political opportunists who
are ambitious to become the of
ficials of the new state, thus gain
ing powers and stature on a par
with other state officials through
out the nation. These are the same
‘ individuals under whom govern
mental abuses have been prac
4
U. S. Casualties In Korea
Reach 65,523, An Increase
Of 1,468 Since Last Week
WASHINGTON, iff) — An
nounced U. S. casualties in Korea
(today reached 65,523, an increase
of 1,468 since last week.
The total covers casualties re
ported to families through May
11 and includes 9,848 killed in
action, 44,669 wounded and 11,006
missing.
Of the wounded, 1,163 later
died. Also 101 of the missing are
known dead. This raises the total
of deaths to 11,112.
The missing total also includes
1,169 who have since returned to
U. S. military control and 115 pri
soners of war.
Army casualties increased 1,301
during (the week to reach 54,416.
Communist Losses In
Korea Estimated 904,788
WASHINGTON, (A*)—The army
today estimated Communist losses
in Korea ait 904,788 through May
7th.
This is 11,126 more than was
reported through April 30.
Chinese and North Korean bat
tle casualties were placed at 631,
607. Non-combat casualties were
estimated at 125,880. In addition,
147,301 Red prisoners of war have
been captured by actual count.
ticed in the territory for years.”
The minority group suggested
that instead of statehood, Alas
kans be given the right 'to elect
their own governor.”
BACCALAUREATE EXERCISES
CLASS OF 1951
NOME HIGH SCHOOL
Nome, Alaska
SUNDAY, MAY 20, 1951
8:00 P.M.
HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
Prelude Processional .Tannhauser-Wagner
(Grand March by Kay Coulthard)
Invocation.ReV. Neil Murphy, S. J.
Duet.Fairest Lord Jesus—Arr. Willis
(Erma Jean Loomis, Opal Peterson)
Scripture Reading.Rev. Robert S. Treat
Hymn.....Holy, Holy, Holy
(Girls’ Chorus and Audience)
Trio.Just For Today—Blanche Seaver
(Lois Swanberg, Juanita Fagerstrom, Katherine Bjomstad)
Baccalaureate Address.Rev. Clark H. Lewis
Hymn.The Old Rugged Cross
(Girls’ Chorus and Audience)
Benediction.Rev. Robert S. Treat
Postlude.Grand March from Aida-Verdi
(Kay Coulthard)
UN Troops Retreat j
Before Mightiest
Red Offensive
(By the Associated Press)
United Nations troops retreated
along most of 'the blazing Korean
warfront today in 'the face of
what appeared to be the mightiest
Communist offensive in the 11
month old war.
The Reds, spending men reck
lessly for territory, gained as
much as 20 miles. The allies lost
.their last .toehold in North Korea.
The Communists died like flies
before the withering fire of Allied
guns and warplanes. Still they
surged forward, despite the ter
rible slaughter.
In Washington the army esti
mated Communist losses at 904,
788 through May 7—before the
present bloody offensive began.
Enemy losses were colossal.
Communist infantrymen were cut
down by the thousands. One re
port said the Reds lost more than
9,000 men before they broke
through a heavily defended Amer
ican position near Chunchon on
the central front.
But on they came, clambering
over their own dead. The Air
Force claimed killing 5,570 Com
munists yesterday.
To the Chinese nation and its
Communist overlords men were
cheap and expendable. General
Rddgway’s Tokyo headquarters es
timated the enemy is capable of
(hurling 1,141,000 men against a
vastly outnumbered United Na
tions army. But U.S. Eighth Army
field commander Lt. Gen. James
A. Van Fleet predicted the “human
sea” tactics would fail.
“Ycru are heroes of this hour
and this age,” Van Fleet told his
men.
Secretary of Commerce
Threatened with Contempt
Of Court Charges
WASHINGTON, (/P)—The U. S.
Court of Appeals today served
notice on Secretary of Commerce
Sawyer and nine others that they
will be sent to jail for contempt
unless they comply with its orders
in litigation over control of Am
erican President Lines, Ltd.
The court said it would enter
an order giving Sawyer and the
others five days in which to com
ply with its decree.
The court said: “If 'they have
not complied as directed in 'the
order ((they) must submit them
selves . . . for commitment as in
civil contempt until they do com
ply.”
Sawyer and eight other govern
ment officials and attorneys ear
lier had been cited by the court
on contempt charges for failure to
deliver “effective possession” of
92 per cent of the voting stock of
American President Lines to K.
Stanley Dollar and his associates.
Two Pennslvania Railroad
Passenger Train Crash,
Killing 6, Injuring 51
BYRN MAWR, Pa., Two famed
Pennsylvania Railroad passenger
trains crashed near this Philadel
phia suburb today, killing six per
sons and injuring at least 51
others.
Five bodies were taken from the
wreckage of the Pittsburgh-Phila
delphia night express and the Red
Arrow, bound from Detroit to
New York.
A spokesman for the PRR said
the 19-car Philadelphia night ex
press 'had been halted on a signal
indicating that something might
be dragging from underneath the
train. It was while the crew was
trying to detect the drag that the
Red Arrow smashed into the rear
car at 6:38 a.m.
Today’s wreck was the second
in the history of the New York
Detroit Flyer. On Feb. 18, 1947,
the express went off the tracks
on a lonely mountain curve near
Altoona, Pa., and plunged into a
gully, killing 24 and injuring 150.
_____ __ •
House Votes Deny
Pay Differential
Federal Employes
WASHINGTON, </P) — The
House voted yesterday to deny
pay differential to residents of
Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico
employed in those areas by the
Agriculture Department.
The differential of 25 per cent
in Alaska and Puerto Rico and
20 per cent in Hawaii will still
apply to employes transferred to
those areas from 'continental
United States.
An amendment by Delegate E.
L. Bartlett to eliminate what he
-termed the “discriminatory” pro
vision of the Agriculture Dept, ap
propriation bill was defeated by a
standing vote to 100 to 32.
Delegate Farrington of Hawaii,
supporting -the Bartlett amend
ment, said it would be “colonial
ism of the worst sort” -to have
two pay scales in the territories,
the lower one applying to local
residents.
Chairman Whitten of the com
mittee said it is unfair to pay
more money to a federal employe,
living and working at -home in
the territories, than to a federal
employe living and working at
home on the mainland.
Watermelon Eating Champ
LEESBURG, Fla., (JP) — Two
freckle-faced youngsters ate three
and a 'half pounds of watermelon
in two minutes today.
They were itoo full to have an
eat-off for the annual Leesburg
Watermelon Festival Champion
ship, so a itoss of a coin gave the
(title to Paul Johnson over Miles
Ebert.
Considered Firing
MacArthur Off and
On For A Year
WASHINGTON, (/P)—President
Truman’s statement he had con
sidered dismissing Gen. MacAr
thur off and on for a year “aston
ished” the deposed general and
stirred critics of the administra
tion to new wraith (today.
MacArthur, in a statement is
sued in New York, said his aston
ishment at Mr. Truman’s remarks
bordered on incredulity. He
added: “Lt is difficult to reconcile
ithis with my appointment by him
as commander-in-chief of the
United Nations command” in Ko
rea. That was last June.
Mr. Truman also told his news
conference yesterday the Repub
licans are trying to overthrow the
foreign policy of the U. S.
This brought a retort from Sen
ator Brewster, a Foreign Relations
Committee member. He told a re
porter “We can’t overthrow it
when we don’t know what it is.”
In an expansive mood at his
news conference, the President
also said that:
1. Secretary of State Acheson
cautioned at an April 6 White
House conference against MacAr
thur’s removal on >the grounds it
would stir up a political fuss. And
it did, he was right, the President
added with a grin.
2. He is happy the Senate
Armed Forces and Foreign Rela
tion Committees upheld yesterday
a ruling that Gen. Omar Bradley
did not have to divulge what was
said by whom at the April 6 White
House meeting.
Anti-Trust Suit
Filed Against
Alaska Steam
SEATTLE, (JP) — The right of
the U. S. District Court in Alaska
to file anti- trust indictments
against the Alaska Steamship
Company and six wholesale liquor
dealers was upheld Wednesday in
federal court here.
Federal Judge Dal M. Lemmon
denied the defendants’ motions to
dismiss the suits because the Al
aska courts lacked jurisdiction.
The suit against the Alaska
Steamship Co. accuses it of con
trolling 90 per cent of the water
transport between Alaska and the
States and of using that control
to force shippers to give the com
pany tfyeir exclusive business.
K: and L. Distributors, Inc.f
Odom Co., Land and Co., Meherin
Mertel Distributors, Inc., West
Coast Distributors, Inc., and the
Anchorage Cold Storage Co. are
charged with fixing prices on 10
million dollars worth of alcoholic
beverages they wholesale annual
ly in Alaska.
NOME HIGH SCHOOL GYM
*■ • ?• ; . • .n *; •. •* • -,‘Tr'
FRIDAY, MAY 18, 9:00 P.M.
Admission $1.25 — Single or Couple