THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday. Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 618
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER .Editors
• 1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
Entered as second class matter October 14. 1943. at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Friday, February 13, 1948
Bov Seoul Anniversary Week
Recognizing the 38th Anniversary of the founding of
the Boy Scouts of America, this week has been set aside
for special observance all over our nation by over two
millian boys. It is young America’s largest birthday
party.
Their theme for the coming year is, “The Scout Citi
zen at Work, in his home, in his community, in his na
tion and in his world.”
Tomorrow when the boys take over the city they will
learn a lot about the “Scout citizen at work.” Their pro
gram includes for the year of 1948 beautification of
gardens for the home and community, food conserva
tion, control of flies, mosquitoes, repairing of toys and
service to hospitals, etc.
In this community they have already rendered a big
service as citizens when they undertook the job of
street markers and house-numbering, an improvement
to our city—a task which cannot receive too much
praise.
There are 42 nations now with Boy Scout organiza
tions with International Headquarters in London. Their
World Scout Jamborees, held about every four years,
may do more to accomplish world peace than adults of
today are accomplishing.
Scouting in Alaska includes 1700 members and more
and more communities are taking advantages of the op
portunities for the young men of Alaska.
Recognition goes also to those leaders of the Bov
Scouts who have given of their time, their patience and
their knowledge to build Troop 666. This has taken
fortitude and foresight and is deserving of the gratitude
of the entire community.
Wholehearted support should be given to their pro
gram so that more boys may have ' the privileges of
growing into the leaders of tomorrow.
European Currency (Conflicts '
(By Jack Foster)
DEVALUATION of the French franc could start a
European currency war.
To prevent that, the International Monetary Fund
and the London government should refrain from retali
ation or at least postpone actions that would add to the
tension.
The tragic paradox of the situation is that stabiliza
tion of the franc, so greatly to be desired bv all, may
have the opposite result from that intended. What may
help France today may hurt her neighbors tomorrow.
Experts disagree as to the results. The reason for the
complications, and for International Monetary Fund
and British opposition, is that France did not make a
clean-cut devaluation. Instead, she created an intricate
multiple exchange rate for the franc, and a “free” mar
ket which is not, in fact, free.
Her avowed object is to reverse the flight of French
capital abroad, restore confidence in French stability,
increase production and exports, and eliminate the
black market.
Can this laudable purpose be achieved without in
jury to others?
Paris says this will help her neighbors. But London
and others say it threatens to undermine the value of
their currencies, and to cause dumping of cut-rate
French goods in their markets.
The solution is obvious, but difficult to achieve. Cur
rency stabilization, which all agree is essential to Euro
pean economic recovery, should be carried out co-oper
atively by the Western nations, by turning all curren
cies loose simultaneously to seek their own level on a
free market. But the rub is that the all-important mat
I SHOOTING THE WORKS
ter of timing applies differently in each nation.
Thus the French monetary and export situation is so
desperate that devaluation could not be delayed; while
the British, with their greater dependence on imports
bought in the world market, must keep up the artificial
value of sterling as long as possible. Though France
economically is basically stronger than Britain, on the
•monetary plane, the French crisis is now, and the Brit
ish will not come until later.
As for Americans, tourists in France may profit about
three to one and purchasers of French imports here
theoretically might get prices reduced 50 per cent—pro
vided increased production costs do not eat up the dif
ference.
But these direct American benefits would be far out
weighed by the indirect effects here of international
economic chaos caused by a European currency war.
So if is to the interest of America, as well as of France
and her immediate neighbors, that this conflict be set
tled quickly and amicably.
One W av lo Save Money
SOME CONGRESSMEN, like Reo. William J. Crow
(R.-Pa.), say thev are opposed to universal military
training because it would cost too much monev. That’s a
reason calculated to impress an economy-minded Con
gress.
Let’s see about it.
The Compton Commission estimated that universal
military training would cost $1,750,000,000 a year—a
lot of money. But less money, the commission points
i out, than it took to pay for one week of World War II.
And only one-tenth as much as the American people
spend each year for tobacco, cosmetics, liquor, amuse
| ments and jewelry.
The commission is for universal military training be
| cause it would save money—a great deal more than it
| would cost.
It’s the way, says the commission’s report, to provide
such protection as this country must have “without such
prohibitive costs that they would bankrupt the nation
i or destroy the ability of our government to provide the
human services we deem essential to a healthy, prosper
ous America.”
The other way to get such protection would be to
maintain a huge standing army, navy and air force. But,
the report explains, “paying for a professional force the
size needed would impose a ruinous load on our econ
omy.”
Congressmen who are really economy-minded ought
to read the Compton Commission’s report.
i _...
. Marshall Plan Or Else
j WHEN Secretary of State Marshall testified that
Congress should either go the whole way with the Eu
ropean Recovery Plan or drop it, Senator Taft and a Re
, publican minority objected to what they called a take
; it-or-leave-it ultimatum.
i Now two expert witnesses who are not politicians,
Mr. Baruch and Mr. Dulles, have
warned the Senate committee
against the folly of half-way mea
sures.
Senator Taft and those agreeing
with him are to be praised for
wanting economy—Europe will
suffer as much as the United
States if we go broke. But there is
such a thing as false economy.
And all the testimony at the hear
ings to date, official and non-off -
cial, has shown the danger of
phony savings on the Marshall
Plan.
As Mr. Dulles said the alterna
tive is a rearming of the United
States that would make the pro
posed 17 billion dollars for the
four-year recovery program “look
like a bag of peanuts.” Defense
Secretary Forrestal made the same
point recently.
We can understand the resent
ment of legislators who object to
rubber-stamping any executive
proposal. Unless Congress is going
to investigate for itself, think for
itself and a^t on its own, it might
as well go out of business. That
applies to this legislation as much
as to any—even more than to most
bills, because of the size of the
foreign commitment involved.
But, as Congressmen carry out
their proper function of examin
ing this measure carefully, we be
lieve they will discover that the
objectionable “ultimatum” springs
from an international crisis rather
than state department dictation. It
was made, not by Marshall, but by
Moscow.
As in the case of wartime ap
propriations, Congress now does
not have much choice. It’s too bad
—but it’s a fact.
• -
. LOOKING
r AHEAD
GEORGE S. BENSON
K FusilcHt—HtrilKf MUft
Scarcf. AritKtmt ,
YOtJ PAY FOR IT
The o!her clay that classic jour
nal of ours, the Arkansas Gazette,
commented: “The government has
it all figured out what people do
with every penny of their money.
Now, if only the people could fig
ure out what the government do :s
with it.” That is a real poser! To
be sure, government has to spend
a lot of money. We are a big na
tion. Moreover, we find it neces
sary to take on obligations in
many foreign lands.
But whether the government
(specifically the federal govern
ment, where they throw around
big sums) spend no more than is
needful is important to everyone.
Government is not a luxury; it is
a necessity. Yet, to read the bud
get figures you would think all
operations were on a luxury basis.
The cost of government is largely
a non-productive invesim e n t .
When you settle your income
taxes in March, you will get no
interest on past payments.
Way lo Depression
Here’s a prophecy. Want until
the budget is presented to Con
gress, then watch the departments
and bureaus fight any reductions.
Increase the appropriation and
swell the payroll—but shrink the
swollen department? Never. This
kind of selfishness means meager
tax savings. It permits little tax
reduction for folks who so much
need relief. The more we tax and
the more we spend for govern
ment, the nearer we get to depres
sion.
Taxes of all kinds are too heavy
these days. Corporation taxes are
burdensome. Income taxes on all
levels are too high. The individual
income taxes cut down the re
wards of the wage earner, keeping
him from saving and investing.
i