THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P- O. Box 618
$1.50 PER MONTH $18.00 A YEAR
W. A7and EMILY BOUCHER.Editors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice at
Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Wednesday, September 26, 1945
POSSESSION IS NINE POINTS
(Cincinnati Enquirer)
The ancient theory that possession is nine points of
the law can be seen in actual operation these days as
members of the Allied powers crowd time in order to
occupy bits of terrain upon which they believe they
have just claims. The swift movement of the Soviets
into Manchuria, into Port Arthur and other key cities
is one example. The race which seems to be on between
the central government of China and the Brtish in the
direction of Hong Kong is another. And, of course, the
Communists of North China and the troops of Chiang
Kai-Shek have been contending, ever since the surren
der of Japan, to take over as much territory as they
possibly could.
While there is a certain danger in these contests, an
of which can’t be called friendly, still there is no real
reason why any of them should end in serious trouble.
If the Allied powers in fact have drawn a workable
plan for peace, any of the difficulties which might arise
can be settled amicably.
Britain, China and Moscow all realize the fact. But
still they are moving heaven and earth to place them
selves in the best possible position to bargain when final
agreements are drawn. Each calculates, and reasonably
enough, that its best interests will be served if its own
claims can be backed not only with argument, but with
the fact that of current occupation as well.
The day may come when any nation can entrust, with
complete confidence, parts of its domain to the hands
of another. But this is not yet generally true, although
both Canada and England, without any expression of
fear, have allowed Americans to take over parts of their
own territories. For the most part, however, traditional
suspicions still are with us, although there is no deny
ing they have diminished tremendously in recent years.
We still race to be the first on the ground, but we’re
willing to stop and talk arbitration when the other fel
lows arrive. A few generations ago he who came last
found nothing but steel to greet him.
I
PUBLIC DUTY NO. 1
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
For the past two weeks readers of the Post-Intelligen
cer have found at the head of this page a timely and
pointed excerpt from the address of Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur at the Japanese ceremonies.
In his supreme hour of triumph the conqueror of Nip
pon had foremost in his own thoughts the sufferings and
sacrifices of the men in arms whom he led through the
dark days of the Pacific war.
And, after a well earned and fitting eulogy of the men
who fought with and under his command, he exhorted
this nation to live up to its supreme obligation to them.
“They are homeward bound,” he said. “Take care of
them.”
Even since he uttered this sharp reminder tens of
thousands of those men who so successfully and bril
liantly carried the war to the shores of Japan have come
home. Hundreds of thousands are on the way home.
For those who return to us maimed or disabled there
is nothing that the people of America are no anxious
to do. , . ,
The Veterans’ Administration exists as the special
custodian of their welfare.
Evt the greater number of those who have served
A HAHt>m , BUT
abroad have fortunately not been casualties, or have not
been incapacitated for civil pursuits; and they desire
and they deserve the fullest opportunities to live use
fully and self-reliantly among their fellow countrymen.
As they arrive back in their home towns they will
want most of all employment.
And it is the paramount duty of Congress to make
certain that opportunities for employment are not de
nied to them nor curtailed in any way.
Congress has passed some legislation to restore or to
establish the veterans to their rightful places in our
social system.
But Congress has not done its full duty.
The existing legislation is defective—so defective
that veterans returning to their former jobs, under a
supposed guarantee in the law, are compelled to com
pete with non-veterans and, by interpretations of the
word “seniority,” the veterans may be pushed aside.
This, as Federal Judge Abruzzo has ruled in a Brook
lyn test case, was not the intention of Congress.
But Judge Abruzzo’s decision, unless Congress im
proves the law, may be reversed in some higher—and
more politically subservient—federal court.
Congress can prevent that outcome, and Congress
must do so.
Shortly before the Congressional recess, Representa
tive Knutson of Minnesota, introduced a bill, sponsored
by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which would give
veterans employment-seniority ratings based upon their
days served in the armed forces.
This bill will benefit the men who were called away
from jobs.
It is a fact, however, that the Knutson bill will assist
only about one-fourth of the veterans.
It cannot help the millions of lads who were not em
ployed—mainly because of their youth—before the war.
These young men will now want to begin their life
work.
There is no good reason why jobs should not be avail
able for all of them.
The country needs their work as much as they need
to work.
It will not be sufficient for Congress and the states
merely to maintain employment services to help these
veterans find jobs.
It is even more necessary for Congress and the legis
lature to assure that they will not be shut out of jobs by
arbitrary rules or contracts, or by eually arbitrary de
cisions of labor boards.
There is no time to waste.
The soldiers and sailors are returning now in ever
increasing numbers.
“They are homeward bound,” as General MacArthtir
solemnly said. “Take care of them.”
HOLLYWOOD
STAR-LITES
By CHUCK COCHARD
Hollywood’s contribution to *se
servicemen is unequalled in any
other city in America, larger or
smaller.
In addition to what Hollywood
. has done for the entertainment of
1 fighting men overseas and in
j camps, both in stars’ personal ap
pearances and in providing films
| for amusement, the Hollywood
Guild Canteen, which houses and
feeds thousands of servicemen
each month, and the Hollywood
Canteen, which en’ertains them,
-nd the Hollywood USO. the Red
Cross and other agencies, as well
as individuals—all who have done
great work along line.
THANKS to the hundreds of
movie personalities who have
turned their homes and swimming
jools to the visiting servicemen—
oeople like Mary Pickford and
James and Mrs. Gleason and
jthers who open their swimming
oools and estates to the men reg
ularly.
* * $
Caught On The Fly
«
When the film ‘Anchors Aweigh’
plays your theater run — don’t
walk to see it . . . It’s the best
musical we’ve seen in many a
month—Gene Kelly and Frank
Sinatra are tops as are Kathryn
Grayson and Mr. Iturbi . . . Joan
Blondell plays her “Oomphiest”
role in ages with Clark Gable and
Greer Garson in “This Strange
Adventure” . . . Oscar Levant
played the piano for musical
scenes showing Robert Alda as
George Gershwin in “Rhapsody in
Blue” . . . Betty Hutton finally
emerges as a top actress in “In
cendairy Blonde” . . . Harold
Lloyd will again wear his specs
when he plays comedy roles for
Preston Sturges . . . Bette Davis
tells me she wants to do another
comedy role . . . Betty Grablc
has been doing most of her house
work—who hasn’t???
* * *
Along Film Row
’Tis said that Ann Sheridar
wants to get back on the screer
before she is entirely forgotten—
by the way who was she anyway*
. . . Railroad travel is so tougl
now that Jimmy Durante is think
ing of buying a handcar . . . Fre<
MacMurray gets the male lead
opposite Anne Baxter in “Smoky,
a screen version of Will Jamej
famous novel—about a horse.
▼ v T
Useless Information
Sound department at Warm
Bros, reports that no two scree
kisses ever sound alike—especia
ly when—Humphrey Bogart’s, i
“Conflict,” psychological murd<
drama in which he hates his wi
and kisses her accordingly, wi'
disdain and almost silent une:
thusiasm.
Kisses, the department repor
are like fingerprints. Any kee
eared film fan, under blindfol
should be able to select her favc
ite heroes via osculatory audib
ity.
Ho hum—now I’ve heard ever
thing
The vocabulary of basic Engl
is made up of 400 general nou
150 adjectives, 100 “opera to:
(verbs, articles, pronouns, e
, and 200 names of pictura
( things.