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
SI.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, December 12, 1947
A Proud Silence—And Stupid
(The Denver Post)
A GOOD DEED, we have been told poetically, shines
brightly in a naughty world. Senator Taft of Ohio is
content with that assurance. He thinks that our good
deeds in behalf of Western Europe, and of peace and re
covery everywhere, are sufficient advocate for us
against all critics of our policy and performance.
The Senator’s complacence is revealed in a form let
ter he is dispatching to inquiries about his position on
an adequate, truthful and understandable program of
information about the works and purposes of the United
States in international affairs. The letter emphasizes
two points: first that.Mr. Taft “has received so many
letters” on the subject that substantial public interest
is indicated, and second, that his mind is made up and
he doesn’t expect to change it.
His letter constitutes pretty definite opposition to the
Mundt bill, awaiting action by the Senate. This measure
would give full legal stature to the state department’s
information program abroad. It would enable that pro
gram to be adequately financed. It would give us a full
round voice with which to replace falsehood with truth,
and to remove misunderstandings which now plague
even our friends overseas.
“I am extremely doubtful about the effectiveness and
desirability of direct broadsides to the populace of other
countries,” the Senator wrote.
The Senator may doubt their effectiveness and desir
ability, but the Russians do not. They are increasing
their output of slander about us. They have the show;
almost to themselves; broadcasts by our state depart-1
ment and under departmental supervision by private
networks are pitifully limited by comparison.
“No one can find out,” the Senator continues, really:
getting worried, “what kind of doctrine has been going
out over the air, but I am quite sure that a great deal of
it is something with which you and I would not agree.”
If Senator Taft were not so preoccupied with his par
tisan duties as chairman of the Republican policy com
mittee in Congress, and With his candidacy for President
of the United States, he could easily find out exactly
“what kind of doctrine” is being broadcast. There’s no
secrecy about it.
In view of his admission that he “can’t find out” what
doctrine is broadcast, the Senator’s certainty that he
wouldn’t like it if he did know stamps him as a man of
very suspicious nature. If he entertains such sinister
thoughts about the information program, he ought to
move for its complete abolition as a national menace—
or perhaps as a menace to the Republican party. How
does he know he wouldn’t like it? We assure the Sena
tor it is much easier to like thaq the broadcasts that
come from Moscow about us—and about him.
The silence that Senator Taft would impose upon us
before the world may be a proud silence, but it is stupid.
Does he know how the bread and meat we send to
hungry Europe are mixed with Russian poison before
they reach the mouths of the needy?
“Swallow that food,” these people are told by Russian
propagandists, “and you must also swallow Wall street
domination of your lives henceforth. Eat American
grain and save your lives—but you will lose your liber
ties if you do.” The hungry swallow our food—but they
swallow fear of us with it.
Senator Taft may ihink, in his naive provincialism,
that that sort of thing is of doubtful effect.
But we’ll bet a pretty right now that when the cam
paign for Presidential nomination begins, the good Sen
ator will not sit by silently and let his rivals, all unans
wered, say what they please about him, his weaknesses
CLASHING GEARS
I'll TP—l II I 11 J l'» I
) UOV&W&
and shortcomings, his motives and purposes.
If he does, he will discover to his great chagrin just
how effective propaganda can be.
—— - -
“Balance Wheel”
(Rocky Mountain News)
THREE MONTHS have passed since the Taft-Hartley
Labor Law went into full effect. That period, of course,
has been too brief for a conclusive test of the law’s merits.1
But General Counsel Denham of the National Labor
Relations Board is fully justified, we think, in what he
has told the Georgia Bar Assn.
The first 90 days do not bear out charges that the
TafLHartley Act is a “union-busting” or “slave-labor”
measure, Mr. Denham said. Pointing out that, at the
end of October, 849 cases had been filed under the new
law in the entire United States, of which only 162, less
than one-fifth, were originated by employers, he added:!
“This, to me, reflects a sincere belief by industry in'
the justness of the law and a willingness to use it as a
balance wheel for future labor relations, at the same
time drawing a curtain over the past.” *
That term—“balance wheel”—seems to us a happy
one. Most Americans believe the government must pro
tect workers in the right to organize and to deal with
employers through unions of their own free choice. 1
But laws for that purpose should not swing the weight
of government too far to either side. Their effect should
be to maintain a fair balance between the bargaining!
strength of employees and employers, between the au- j
thority of union leaders and the individual rights of
workers, between the power of unionism and the public
welfare.
Further experience will be needed to show how near-i
ly the Tart-Hartley Act can perform the function of a'
good balance wheel. If it is found to give employers an
undue advantage, it will have to be corrected. And fair
minded employers—unlike the union leaders who'
fought all proposals for amending the lop-sided Wag-’
ner Act—should be among the first to advocate changes i
if they become essential to prevent injustices.
But so far, certainly the new law shows no sign of
producing the dire consequences predicted by William
Green, Philip Murray and almost all other officials of
the labor movement.
« _ . I
“Scrap Iron” To Russia
(By Jack Foster)
COLD LOGIC and national self-interest, we think,
will compel President Truman to change his mind about
shipments to Russia.
We shipped 11 billion dollars of wartime lend-lease
supplies to Russia, which helped to shorten the war, but
for which in return we received neither gratitude nor!
public acknowledgement.
We sent 352 million dollars worth last year, of which
85 per cent were lerid-lease and UNRRA; and in the first
nine months of this year 113 million worth, of which
• about half was give-away and the
other half for cash.
The give-away shipments have
about petered out. But even for
cash on the barrelhead we should
not sell to Russia anything that is
needed in this country, or in any
of the countries of Western Europe
that are trying to co-operate with
us under the Marshall Plan, or
in China where Chiaijg Kai-Shek’s
government is resisting active
Communist aggression, or any
where else in the world where free
peoples friendly to us are trying
to work out their own destines.
One thing at least we should
learn from history: We should re
member what was done with that
scrap iron we sold to Japan.
CHURCHES
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Sunday Mass—8:00 and 10:00 a.m.
Weekday Mass—7:00 a.m.
At Base—Sundays at 4:30 p.m.
LAVINIA WALLACE YOUNG
MISSION 9
Pastor - H. R. Amundsen
Sunday:
11:00 a.m. Sunday School.
7:30 p.m. Evening Service.
8:45 p.m. Young People’s Sing.
Wednesday - 3:30 p.m. - Chil
dren’s Miracle Book Club.
Thursday - 7:30 p.m. - Prayer
Meeting.
FEDERATED CHURCH
Murlin W. Day, Minister
Sunday
10 a.m.—Church School.
11 a.m.—Morning Worship.
7:45 P.M.—Fellowship Hour.
PENTACOSTAL ASSEMBLY OF
GOD
Third Arenue West
Pastor A. E. Capener
Sunday—
Sunday School.10:30 a.m.
Evening service . 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday—
Bible Study.7:45 pm.
EVERYONE WELCOME
CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
Corner of Third and Dirision
Rer. Lewis I. Hudgins, Pastor
“You can worship God at home
on Sunday—but do you? Your
presence at church is appreciated.”
10:00 a.m. Singspiration and Sun
day School Classas.
11:00 a.m. Morning Message.
7:30 p.m. Singspiration and spe
cial music.
8:00 p.m. Evening Message.
Chaplain Darling will be the
guest speaker. Special music.
Wednesday: 7:30 p.m. Melody and
Prayer.
Come and bring your Bible.
You are ever welcome to attend
these services.
NOME GOSPEL MISSION
of
Alaska Evangelisation Society
Geo. H. Loveless. Pastor
Sunday:
2:00 p.m. Sunday School.
3:30 p.m. Gospel Service.
Tuasday:
7:30 p.m. Prayer and Testimony
Meeting.
Thursday:
3:30 p.m. “Vit-Em-In Childrens'
Bible Class.”
Friday:
7:30 p.m. “Know Your Bible
Class.” Using large dispensa
tional wall chart. “God’s Plan
of the Ages.”
You are invited—Everyone is
welcome.