THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 6itf
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W. A. Boucher .Owner-Publisher
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Monday, May 23, 1949
DEMOCRACY DEFINED
(The New World News)
The city of Berlin is a symbol for much that is hap
pening in the world today. It has two currencies—an
Eastern currency and a Western currency, and though
each functions in its own area, there is no longer a com
mon market where one currency is an effective means
of exchange between East and West.
In the realm of ideology and political philosophy,
ideas are currency. Politicians often complain they can
only do business with other politicians and other na
tions if there is an acepted currency of ideas in which to
bargain. Especially they say they cannot lift politics to
a moral level if there is no moral currency that is valid
and acepted by the other nation as well as by their own.
Today the ideological and political world is working
on two currencies—a “democratic” currency, theoreti
cally based on a moral standard of conduct, and a “to
talitarian” currency actually based on force. Our great
est need is a universal moral* coinage that will be the
medium of diplomatic exchange for the whole world.
This has been stated and discussed with increasing
intensity for years, and the stock answer has been to
create a new organization. People who today put their
trust in organization look hopefully to the United Na
tions. But an organization only provides a market place.
It does not provide a currency. The business of diplo
macy goes on in different corners of the market place,
not by general agreements in the heart of the market.
The other approach is that of Professor Peters in his
short but highly important book just published—
“Problematik der Deutschen Demokratie.” Professor
Peters is Professor of Law in Berlin University in the
Soviet Sector of Berlin. He has ample experience of the
chaotic conditions caused by the breakdown of the cur
rency of commerce and of ideas in that city.
Professor Peters asked first, “What do we mean by de
mocracy?” He traces the different forms of government
in ancient Greece, Switzerland, Britain, France, and
the Soviet Union.
the final point in this examination he writes:
A new form of democray is represented by the move
ment for Moral Re-Armament, namely Inspired Democ
racy. Here the nation is presented as sovereign, but no
hard and fast forps are laid down for the outward
shape of the state, and so it is applicable to the most dif
ferent democratic states. On the other hand, it aims at a
change in the external conditions through a change in
the mentality first of the individual, then of the nation
and finally of the whole of mankind.
“The idea of democracy can only become effective
and beneficial to mankind when individuals and nations
are permeated by four absolute moral principles—Un
selfishness, Straightforwardness, Love and Purity—and
when statesmen ‘listen to God,’ and let themselves be
inspired by Him in theii* decisions.
“The essentially new element in this is that here de
mocray is conceived of primarily from the moral and
less from the material or outward side.”
Having established the fact that “Inspired Democ
racy” is a new concept, universally valid, Professor
Peters continues:
“Modern times have seen doubts arise about the value
of democray because of the way both democrats and
democracies have behaved. But this is in no way due to
any of the institutional disadvantages of democray, but
it springs from the failure of democracy to live out its
own moral principles. One of the services which MRA
has done the world is the creation of the concept of an
‘Inspired Democracy* which moves the emphasis from
the formal and outward organization of this form of gov
ernment to the mentality of the people who. compose it.
If the democratic forms are to be sucessful in realizing
the content of democracy, then the citizens must be per
! meated by a clear moral way of life. Without democrats
there can be no democracy.”
Professor Peters deals in detail with the technical
problems involved in democratic procedure. But he is
primarily concerned with the fundamental question,
“Can democracy exist without people who are trained
to live as democrats?”
In his final words on authority in a democratic state,
Professor Peters has this to say:
“Always when democray and the Christian philoso
phy meet, the question arises of the relation between
God and people. Since the type of relationship which
! exists between man and God is a moral question, here
again one meets the moral aspect of democracy.
“The believer knows that all authority derives from
God and that the obligation to obey civil authority rests
upon divine command.
Moral Re-Armament draws the following conclu
sions from this: that unity in world affairs has been lost
because statesmen in actual practice have neglected the
will of God and put other factors in its place. Unity can
only be recreated when we become aware of our moral
duty in political life and order the world in accordance
with His will. God gives any man who takes time for it
His mind. The morally conditioned form of government
which gives God the sovereignty, even in a democracy,
is as a result an ‘Inspired Democracy.’
“The athiest, naturally enough, may not be enlight
ened by this line of thought. But he, too, will be forcibly
brought to agree that democracy without a moral basis
leads to hate,, confusion and mutual destruction of
groups and classes in states, and of nations and states,
also.”
Germany today is full of voices, friendly and un
friendly, warning and advising how her new democ
racy shall be created. Professor Peters’ voice is one o\
the wisest and the sanest and one to which not onl>
Germany, but all nations will gratefully listen.
I
i COMPETITION IN SEARCH FOR ARK
Some weeks ago a dispatch from an American expe
dition in a search for Noah’s Ark, which, it was said,
might be found on top of Mount Ararat, which strad
dles the Arabian-Turkish frontier and lies close to the
border of the Soviet Republic.
I Now comes the information from Moscow that a Bri
I tish and Dutch expedition will join in the search, which
the communist press denounces.as “another excuse for
espionage.
It would be natural for the Soviet to doubt the good
faith of the searchers who profess to believe that a
wooden ark, located on the top of a mountin, had out
lasted the deterioration of centuries, but Americans, fa
miliar with the free thinking of individuals and the va
riety of enterprises attempted, easily understand the
situation.
'Barrow Getting.
I Many New Homes
| JUNEAU, </P) — Home building
projects totaling $170,000 have
J given many new homes to the Es
1 kimo village of Barrow, farthest
north settlement on the American
continent. Two recently completed
projects and a third underway
will bring the building total to 75
new homes, 49 repaired homes,
and 31 additions to homes. Bar
i row is now a thriving community
with a population of nearly 1,000.
Congestion in homes has been re
lieved; one family per home is
about the average and the homes
have from two to four rooms.
In 1946 the population then
numbering about 500 were crowd
ed into about 90 huts and shacks
built for the most part of ships
dunnage and drift wood. Ten to
twelve people living in one or two
rooms was a common event. Be
fore this, shipping costs of build
ing material wa$ prohibitive, but
an arrangement was made with
the U. S. Navy whereby shipping
costs were reduced. A number of
the natives obtained steady em
ployment with the Navy. A build
ing project was started, the peo
ple set aside a part of their earn
ings, and materials were pur
chased in Seattle. During 1947, 18
new homes were built, additions
were made to 5, and 8 more were
repaired. During 1948, 23 more
new homes were built, additions
were made to 8, and repairs to 15.
The 1949 project calls for 34 new
homes, additions to 18 and repairs
to 26. The people do nearly all the
work themselves, with the guid
ance of ANS personnel in plan
ning and ordering.
The success of this project is
based on the school and hospital
program which over a long period
of time prepared the people to
make the best and most intelli
gent use of their present econo
mic advantages. The natives now
living happily and comfortably in
their new homes have a chance ;o
give practical application to the
habits of cleanliness and other as
pects of living associated with a
normal, civilized and well order
ed life.
ALASKA ROAD COMMISSION
URGES CAUTION ON ROADS
The period of spring breakup is
again approaching and theAlaska
Road Commission wishes to invite
attention of the general pub
lic, and especially of the highway
users, to the road conditions
which will prevail. During this
period, more than at any other
time, the cooperation of the high
way users is essential to the pre
servation of a good highway sur
face.
The Alaska Road Commission is
making every effort to keep the
roads throughout the • Territory
open for all types of hauling, in so
far us it is possible, and for local
residents who must use them
daily. The voluntary cooperation
of all highway users is requested
to avoid using the roads through
out the critical breakup period any
more than is absolutely necessary.
Local road commission offices will
issue notices to the public regard
ing breakup conditions in their
areas, and if the public coopc'
ates, the roads will soon stabilise
and can again be used without re
striction. Help save the roads!
•
Water mains and service lines
from mains to buildings in Army
camps total more than 9,200 miles,
or three times the distance from
I New York to San Francisco.