THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 . P- O. Box 618
91.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER.Editors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice at
Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Friday, September 28, 1945
ROUTE TO THE ORIENT
(Alaska Daily Empire)
Anchorage Editor Bob Atwood, who has surprisingly
been delegated by the Alaska Development Board to
represent Alaska’s official voice at the Seattle meetings
concerned with a fight to retain Seattle as the air gate
way to the Orient, continues to assail the Seattle Cham
ber of Commerce for “spurning Alaska” in that body s
stand.
But we believe that this stand is questionable as be
ing representative of Alaska. We are also at a loss to
see why Anchorage should be concerned with where
the air route to the Orient takes off—whether it be
from Chicago or Seattle—since both routes would have
Anchorage as an Alaska stop.
Jessen’s Weekly, if that publication speaks for Fair
banks, has gone on record with the Seattle Chamber as
opposing the route from Chicago which Atwood advo
cates.
Similarly, the Ketchikan Chronicle, if that publica
tion speaks for Ketchikan, also has gone on record as
opposing the Eastern route from Chicago which Atwood
advocates.
. ~ n i a 1 _
This newspaper also tavors tne route irom oediuc.
It is very probable also that Nome would favor Seattle.
Faced with these opinions from communities other
than Anchorage, it is surprising to us that the Alaska
Development Board should place itself in a position of
favoring the Eastern route and that Atwood should con
tinue to shout “Alaska spurned” if three out of four
cities heard from take the same stand as that ot the
Seattle Chamber.
Atwood also continues to impress upon his readers
that if such an air route were to take off from Seattle,
Alaska would be skipped entirely because the only stop
would be in the Aleutian Islands. Pan American Air
ways, one of the applicants for the Seattle jumping-off
route’, has stated that Anchorage would be the Alaska
stop._
THOSE BACKWARD ALASKANS
(Seattle Times)
The people of Alaska are not yet ready for statehood
and won’t be until they become sufficiently informed on
the principles of economics and fair government.
So say two Democratic Congressmen, Jed Johnson
of Oklahoma and Jack Rooney of New York, newly re
turned from a visit to Alaska, where they spent a couple
of weeks inspecting Interior Department projects.
Junketing Congressmen rarely give themselves a
chance to become acquainted with the people in the
areas they tour. As a rule, they do most of the talking
and hear nothing more than what toastmasters say at
banquets given in their honor. It is purely an accident
if they get any kind of a slant on regional public opinion.
There is no evidence that the people of Indian Terri
tory were particularly well informed on the principles
of economics and fair government when admitted into
the sisterhood as the State of Oklahoma in 1907. History
tells us that when New York joined in with the original
13, few of her people had any idea what it was all about.
But if the people of Alaska—and we doubt it—are
backward in such respects, the reason is right at hand.
So far they have had experience only with the econo
mics of bureaucracy, and none at all with fair govern
ment.
I THI5 MAY TMet A WHILE_
/
CUCOPfAN
*AT€R**VS I
PEACETIME MENACE
(Washington Post)
It is deply ironical that, as human slaughter on the
battlefield ceases, a sharp rise in slaughter of a differ
ent kind in contemplated in many American communi
ties. Gasoline rationing and the tire shortage which
necessitated slower speeds greatly reduced the deadli
ness of the motor car. Now those restraining factors are
disappearing at a time when millions of cars are aged
and in poor repair and highways are showing the ef
fects of long neglect. Unless great care is exercised the
death toll from motor accidents is almost certain to
mount skyward.
Retention of the 35-mile speed limit is doubtless im
practicable as a peacetime restraint. On modern high
ways most cars can be driven faster than that without
serious danger if they are carefully operated. But the
lifting of this wartime restriction certainly demands
that other safety precautions be accentuated. One of the
first necessities seems to be more rigid inspection of
automobiles, including tires. Hard use of old cars with
few repairs during wartime has undoubtedly left us
with millions of unsafe vehicles on the highways. Un
der the restrictions of wartime driving the menace from
these machines was not great, but the present outlook
is radically altered.
No amount of new restrictions, however, will take the
place of a sane attitude on the part of the driving public.
New drivers will have to be taught the dangers of
speeding over poor roads with weakened tires. Experi
enced drivers will have to control their mania for speed
and more speed if a horrible toll of unnecessary slaugh
ter is to be avoided. Everyone will have to remember
that the penalties for abandonment of common sense
are severe even in peacetime.
BUREAU SHIP
TO NUNIVAK
The M. S. North Star, of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs returned
to Nome roadstead Thursday af
ternoon and is loading supplies for
a trip to Nunivak Island. The ves
sel will return to Nome before
making calls at various points on
the Alaska coast and islands.
Mr. Aimer Rydeen, Clerk of the
District Court, returned to Nome
on the vessel. He was on a trip
north with the District Judge as
a traveling court, holding sessions
wherever necessary. The U. S.
District Judge Joseph Kehoe, left
the vessel on the return trip to
fly home.
Alaska Railway Employees
May Participate
In Politics
WASHINGTON, Sep. 28—(fl3)—
Employees of the Alaska Railway
could participate in politics under
the bill approved by the Senate
Judiciary Sub-Committee. The
bill passed the House last session.
NEW BOOKS
AT KK LIBRARY
“Green Dolphin Street” by Eliz
abeth Douge, winner of the $125,
000 Metro-Goldwin prize.
“Dragon Harvest” by Upton
Sinclair.
“Immortal Wife” by Irving
1 Stone.
The White House ,
Job Wears Out
Its Staff *
By JACK STINNETT
WASHINGTON—When Frank
lin D. Roosevelt took over the
White House in 1933, it might
well have been said that it was
not a case of one man moving
into the executive offices — but
five men and a woman.
The six were:
Mr. Roosevelt himself.
Bluff Steve Early, a thoroughly
seasoned newspaper man whd*
took charge of public relations.
Ailing little Louis McHenry
Howe, a political genius.
Marvin McIntyre, another for
mer newspaper man.
Brig. General Edwin M. “Pa”
Watson, whose name was almost *
always preceded in newspaper
stories by the adjective “genial.”
Marguerite A. “Missy” LeHand,
who was that rare treasure, the
perfect confidential secretary.
* * *
Out of that team—the President
and his first-term secretariat—all
but Steve Early have closed their^
job-worn lives.
“Louis” Howe was the first to
go. Frail all his life, he died be
fore the early Roosevelt battles
had gotten well under way. Some
forecast a dim political future for
Mr. Roosevelt, with this good po
litical right arm gone. But for all
their storm, his succeeding terms
proved them wrong. In fact it
might even be proper to regard
Mr. Roosevelt’s subsequent politi
cal accomplishmnts as a monu
ment built on the foundations of
Howe’s advice.
Watson took over part of Howe’s
duties, but there really wasn’t
anyone who could take over all of
them. Watson was the cushion be
tween the President and the pub
lic. He arranged Mr. Roosevelt’S
appointments and steered some
applicants for personal talks to
other channels. In days of national
stress this was an all-importanl
job.
“Pa” Watson died on the waj
back from . Yalta, where Mr
Roosevelt met Prime Ministei
Churchill and Marshal Stalin fo:
the last time.
For all the differences in thei
characters, the three held respec
for each other, and in the case c
Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt thi
respect bordered on real affectioi
Mr. Roosevelt acted as a sort c
“moderator” when the three mi
—a smoother-downer when Chun
hill and Stalin, who frequent!
came close to tangling despi
their regard, seemed on the verj
of dispute.
Miss LeHand died after a rath
short illness, and Marvin Mcl
tyre after a much longer one.
Now Mr. Roosevelt himself
gone—leaving only Steve Ear
And Early himself had made ;
rangements to give up his Wh
House assignment in June to «
ter private business.
Early never would have 1
without Mr. Roosevelt’s const
and finally the President 1
given it. It had long been kno
that Early felt he couldn’t ai
quately take care of his family
his $10,000-a-year salary.
Strange as it may sound
some parts of the country, 1
much money doesn’t go far in
ficial Washington.