OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_
VOL. LIV No. 86 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1952 ' Per Copy—lsT
Democratic
Convention
Opens Monday
By JACK BELL
CHICAGO, OP)—Vice President
Alben W. Barkley pulled a stride
forward Friday in his race for the
Democratic presidential nomina
tion with reports he will get some
first ballot support from Illinois.
While all candidates jockeyed
for position in advance of the
opening of the 31st Democratic
nominating convention Monday,
there were signs that Jacob Ar
vey, Illinois national committee
man, is ready to* take a political
flier on the 74 - year - old vice
president.
Arvey and Mayor David L.
Lawrence of Pittsburgh, Pennsyl
vania national committeeman,
conferred with Barkley strate
gists. There were immediate re
ports that Arvey had told the
Barkley leaders he would use his
influence to get as many as pos
sible of Illinois’ 60 convention
votes lined up for Barkley on the
first ballot.
These developments came dur
ing a temporary lull in the seeth
ing pre - convention buttle over
Civil Rights that might explode
into a floor fight.
No less seething were some
Southern delegations over the
action of Sen. Richard B. Russell
of Georgia in denouncing the
Taft-Hartley Act.
Russell added to the controver
sy by saying in a televised news
conference Thursday night that
he sees no reason why he could
n’t support President Truman for
re-election—in the unlikely event
Truman runs.
Eight-Man Army Units
Walking from Kotzebue
And Unalakleet to Tanana
HEADQUARTERS, U.S. ARMY
Alaska — Two Army testing
groups departed Kotzebue and
Unalakleet on the west coast of
Alaska July 5 on an overland
march to Tanana, military offi
cials announced today. The ex
pedition, known as Operation
June Bug and organized to test
Army equipment ,is composed of
personnel from the 4th Regimen
tal Combat Team.
One group will cover approxi
mately 450 miles and the other
group will march 375 miles. Both
units expect to arrive at the vil- j
lage of Tanana on the Yuko*n
within 45 to 60 days-. Light air
craft from the 4th Infantry at
Ladd Air Force Base are re-sup
plying the eight-man units.
Saucers Over Washington
WASHINGTON, (/P)—At 2 a.m.
Friday, radio engineer Elmer
Chambers looked up at the sky.
Here’s what he says he saw:
Six or seven bright orange discs
were streaking through the sky,
in single file. The saucers sped
along for about five seconds and
then each, in turn, veered sharply
upward and disappeared.
Chambers, 41, is chief engineer
at the WRC radio station trans
mitter in the Washington suburbs.
Anchorage City Manager
Quits Job Because It Is
Night and Day Every Day
ANCHORAGE, (/P)—Robert E.
Sharp has submitted his resigna
tion as manager of this military
Loom city.
His explanation to the mayor,
in effect, was: the job is enough
to make a gray-haired man out
of one of the nation’s youngest
city managers.
Sharp is 31. He said he plans
to get into a field where he'won’t
have to hit a day - and - night,
seven-day-a-week pace so he can
get better acquainted with his
family. He has held the post for
two years.
“The future work load of the
city probably will increase, rather
than decrease,” he commented.
He said he will step out Aug. 15
and take a two - month vacation
with his wife and two children.
Alaska’s Delegates
Dem. Convention
Are Uncommitted
SEATTLE, (/P) — Alaska’s six
vote delegation to the Democratic
national convention, originally
committed for the renomination
of President Truman, is going to
Chicago with its hands free and
its ear to the ground.
National Committeeman Stan
ley McCutcheon said here last
night the pro-statehood delegation
feels particularly friendly toward
Sen. Estes Kefauver because he
“went out of his way in behalf
of statehood for Alaska” when it
was before the Senate.
McCutcheon pointed out that
the convention is one place where
Alaska has equality with one or
more of the less populous states,
which have* no more delegates
than Alaska’s six.
The six delegates are: Gov.
Gruening: Mrs. Essie Dale of
Fairbanks; Sen. William Beltz,
Nome; Frank Peratrovich, Kla
wok; Z. J. Loussac, Anchorage,
and McCutcheon.
He said two planks on which
the delegation will be especially
interested are immediate state
hood and national defense policies
due to the territory’s proximity to
Russia and- the importance of
military installations in Alaska.
He said the pro-statehood Dem
ocrats feel the Republicans “sold
the people out” by inserting a
plank for eventual, instead o*f im
mediate statehood.
Territorial Sen. Howard Lyng
of Nome, Democratic national
committeeman for Alaska, 1944
1952, and an alternate delegate to
the Chicago convention, sent his
proxy to James A. Farley, for
mer chairman of the Democratic
national committee and postmas
ter gerferal under President F. D.
Roosevelt.
._____ •
Truman Gives Recefes
Appointment to Judge
Cooper for 2nd Division
WASHINGTON. (&)—President
*
Truman gave a recess appoint
ment Thursday to Joseph Earl
Cooper, federal judge for Alaska's
Second Judicial Division.
\
Rev. Laycock’s
Plane Crashes,
Killing Three
The whole Arctic was shocked
and saddened with report of the
deaths of three people when the
Rev. Howard T. Laycock’s Piper
plane crashed on landing at Pt.
Hope on a return from Kotzbue
July 16.
The dead are: Rev. Howard l1.
Laycock, Episcopal missionary
stationed at Pt. Hope; Lizzie
Frankson, 18-year-old daughter of
Andrew Frankson; and Chester
Downey’s small daughter, Edith,
all of Pt. Hope.
Chester Downey, who was also
in the plane, is in critical condi
tion at the Kotzebue ANS Hos
pital where he was brought after
blood transfusions had been given
him at Pt. Hope by Dr. E. S. Ra
beau, who was flown to the scene
of the accident by Tommy Rich
ards, Wien Airlines pilot.
Edith Downey was also alive
when rescuers reached the plane
but she died a few hours later.
John Cross, also of Wien Air
lines, brought the body of Rev.
Laycock to Kotzebue Wednesday
night from where it will be sent
to Fairbanks for funeral services.
Rev. Laycock was greatly liked
and well - known for the short
time of his residence in the north.
He is survived by his widow and
infant daughter who were in Pt.
Hope at the time of the tragedy,
and who will return to Pennsyl
vania in the irnmediate future.
High Wind Blamed
For Crash
KOTZEBUE, (/P) — High winds
were blamed Thursday for the
crash of a light plane at Point
Hope Mission Wednesday which
claimed the lives of a flying
missionary and two of his three
passengers.
Killed in the crash were the
Rev. Howard T. Laycock, pilot of
the craft, Lizzie Frankson, 18, of
Point Hope, and 3-year-old Edith
Downey of Kotzebue.
Laycock, who was believed to
be a native of New York State,
used the plane to minister to his
far-flung parishioners in this ex
treme northwest corner of the
North American continent.
Truce Negotiators In 11th
News-Blackout Meeting
MUNSAN, (JP) — Korean truce
negotiators resumed off-the-rec
ord talks Friday with no sign of
a break in the deadlock over pri
soner exchange.
Today’s was the 11th meeting
under a Communist - requested
news blackout which began July
4.
Brig. Gen. William P. Nuchols,
the Allied spokesman, would not
say whether the Reds were ready
to accept U.N. refusal to force un
willing prisoners to rejoin Com
munism.
He declined comment also on
announcements from the U.S. that
Jacob Malik, Russia’s U.N. dele
gate, cancelled plans to sail for
home, and that India has initiated
discussions with Red China aimed
at ending the war.
Democrats Impatiently
Await Truman Discharge
From Hospital
WASHINGTON, (/P)—President
Truman’s doctor gave him the
last of a series of medical tests
Friday while Democratic politi
cians waited impatiently for his
dismissal from the hospital.
After nearly a week’s bout with
a virus infection, the President’s
temperature had returned to nor
mal, but Democratic aspirants
could not boast as much with the
Chicago national convention open
ing Monday.
Despjte the President’s plans to
return to the White House Satur
day, there is no indication that he
will make known his choice of a
successor in advance of the Chi
cago balloting — a move which
could be the deciding factor in
selection of the Democratic nomi
nee.
Most of the people around Tru
man profess to be in the dark.
Even cabinet members are but
ton-holing reporters, asking them,
“What is the boss going to do?”
Govt. Prepares
Probe Alleged
Oil Monopoly
WASHINGTON, UP)—The gov
ernment Friday prepared a brass
knuckle investigation designed to
break up an alleged international
oil monopoly by seven giants of
the vital industry.
Attorney General James P. Mc
Granery told a news conference
yesterday that a federal grand
jury, sitting here, will shortly
start probing into activities of
what he called “the international
oil cartel.”
McGranery named these firms
as involved in the probe: Stand
ard Oil of New Jersey, Standard
Oil of California, Texas Oil Co.,
Socony - Vacuum, Gulf Oil — all
U.S. owned — and two foreign
firms dominated by the British,
Royal Dutch Shell and Anglo
Iranian Oil Co.
A spokesman for Standard Oil
of California said at San Fran
cisco, “Our record is clear” and
that the international operations
of its affiliated companies had
been “carried on to the best in
terests of the United States.”
There was no' immediate com
ment from any of the other oil
companies, either in this country
or in London.
Navy Continuing Efforts.
To Save Tug Mohopac
Aground Near Kodiak
KODIAK, </P> — The Navy
scored a gain Thursday in its
fight to save its ocean-going tug
Mahopac from a Kodiak Island
beach.
The bow of the doughty tug
swung 60 degrees seaward and
the craft moved about 15 yards
down the beach in the fourth day
of salvage operations.
The Coast Guard Cutter Bitter
sweet, Navy vessels and a Navy
barge were continuing efforts to
free the Mahopac on high tides.
The Mahopac was driven
aground in heavy seas while try
ing to salvage a fishing boat. It
was 35 miles from the naval sta
tion.
Part Steel Industry
May Be Seized
Under SS Act
WASHINGTON, </P) — The
White House was reported Friday
to be seriously considering a plan
to seize part of the strike-bound
steel industry under the Selective
Service Act.
This word came from a high
administrative source who said
Justice Department attorneys •
were instructed Thursday after
noon to prepare papers leading to
possible partial seizure of the in
dustry.
The Selective Service Act gives
the President power to seize only
plants which fail to produce un
der direct contract with procure
ment agencies.
The act says that “if any such
producers of steel or the respon
sible head or heads thereof re
fuses to comply with such re
quirement, the President, through
the Secretary of Defense, is au
thorized to take immediate pos
session of the plants of such pro
ducer . . .”
President Truman seized the
entire steel industry last April 8,
but on June 2 the Supreme Court
ruled that he lacked authority to
do so and ordered the mills re
turned to private ownership.
The April 8 seizure was based
on no specific law but rather an
what the Justice Department said
were the President’s inherent
constitutional powers.
Former Solicitor General Philip
Perlman told both the District and
Supreme Courts in the seizure
case that the government had con
sidered seizure under the Selec
tive Service Act but had decided
the method was too cumbersome
and too difficult to pursue.
Communists Attack
Through Drenching Rain
SEOUL, OP)—A tank-supported
Communist battalion attacked
through drenching rains today in
a fruitless effort to push Allied
soldiers off battle scarred “Old
Baldy’’ hill on the Korean west
ern front.
The U. S. Eighth Army said
United # Nations defenders killed
an estimated 100 Chinese attack
ers and wounded 150. At least one
of the Red armored vehicles was
set afire.
The U.N. seized the strategic
hill five weeks ago.
The fighting was the most in
tense in more than a week of
routine action across the front.
THURSDAY BASEBALL
(By the Associated Press)
American League
Boston 2—Chicago 1
Cleveland 11-4—New York 6-5
Washington 1—Detroit 0
St. Louis 9-1—Philadelphia 5-3
National League
Brooklyn 2—Cincinnati 1
St. Louis 3—New York 2
Pittsburgh 2-4 — Philadelphia
1-2
Boston 1—Chicago 0
Pacific Coast League
San Francisco 1—Sacramento 2
Hollywood 2—San Diego 1
Portland 3-2—Los Angeles 2-5
Oakland 7—Seattle 3