THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME. ALASKA
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 818
$1.50 PER MONTH $10.00 A YEAR
W. A. Boucher .Owner-Publisher
Entered as second class matter October 14. 1943, at the postoffice
•t Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Friday, June 23, 1950
ARMED SERVICES CODE
(New York Times)
President Truman has signed the new unified code
of military justice for the three armed services. This
new code was praised by the President as an example of
real unification. It was likewise lauded by Defense Sec
retary Johnson for providing some marked improve
ment in the administration of justice without hampering
military functions. Its provisions for a civilian court of
appeal, for cross-examination at pre-trial hearings and
for the presence of enlisted men on courts-martial will
win wide applause.
But the code, good as it is, does not go far enough in j
its changes. In one important respect, especially, it fails
short. It retains the command control of the court-mar
tial. The court is actually appointed and convened by a
commanding officer of the individual to be tried. This
necessarily leaves the system open to the charge of the
possible presence of prejudice or pressure from time to!
time. The code should be so drafted as to avoid the pos-!
sibility of such riticism. The functions of appointment;
should be placed outside the command chain with rela- I
live ease and the good name of military justice would
be enhanced. It should not be too difficult, even at this
stage, to make a further amendment to the code, and we
urge those who have labored hard and long to get courts
martial out of command control to keep up the good
work.
ii
THE APPEAL Td IGNORANCE
(By George S. Benson, President Harding College)
An Arkansas newspaper has just published the tact
that a card-carrying Communist student has been at
work among the student body of the University of Ar
kansas, that he establishd a small following or “cell” of
undergraduates on the campus. The news story said the
organizer had left the school to work with a small Com
munist group elsewhere in the state. The announce
I ment, confirmed by an authoritative source, raises
again the question that has perplexed a great many peo
ple: What causes young Americans to be beguiled by
Communism .
The basic answer to the question is: Ignorance. Ignor
ance of the facts about Communism and the facts about
Capitalism (American style) provides a fertile ground
for the half-truths and bewitching fallacies with which
p IT WASN’T GOING TO BE EASY AT BEST
Mrs. Kanari Traps
Large Wolverine
(Continued from Page One)
had sufficient weight Mrs. Kanari
figured to keep the wind from
blowing it over. She also cleverly
deducted that bait would be un
necessary as the wolverine would
be curious to look inside and see
what was being so carefully placed
out of reach.
The story as related by Maurice
Kelliher, who is mining in that
area tells how the Kanaris opened
camp on May 22 this year and
John Kanari set about immediate
ly to fill all barrels with snow for
summer water. The barrel which
had been left on its side on top of
the triangular arrangement was
open end down between the oth
ers. When he turned it over he is
reported to have rushed into the
house and accused his wife of put
ting his fur parka outside in an
6pen barrel.
They both rushed out and in
spected the barrel to find a 'fat,
frozen wolverine wedged nicely
with paws, feet and tail touching.
Apparently the 42-pound thief
hod been caught last fall and was
in too close quarters to free him
self.
Mrs. Kanari looks With pride on
the fine wolverine skin which is
at present drying outside the camp
for all visitors to see.
Harold and Bill Tweet reported
six camps broken into, even an
oil burning refrigerator was bad
ly scratched by the vicious wol
verine in that same area where
they are mining tills season.
PMftuot Herbert C. Hansen, of
the Catholic University of Amer
ica in Washington, D. C., arrived
Wednesday fbr the Artdc Institute
In' connection with the study of
Arctic plant study. He is specially
studying the stammer ranges of
plant life adaptfttile to the rein
deer and studying the relationship
of plants to the teH*ain. Ih addi
tion to SeWard Peninsula he will
cover the Noatak and Kobuk, as
• _ « • ^ ; , • '•_ -
TRAVELERS ENJOY
VISIT IN NOME
Charles K. Lucas, photographer
for Associated Press and Henry
C. Wear, retired business man of
Colorado, world travelers who for
the past five years have spent
their vacations together in all
parts of the world are seeing Alas
ka this month. They arrived Wed
nesday via P.A.A. and plan to
leave for Kotzebue today.
Mr. Wear is well known in his
part of the country for his fine col
lection of ivory and furs collected
from his many trips to the far
places and for his philanthropic
enterprizes and generosity. They
were particularly impressed this
i morning with our gold dredges
and the system used for cold wa
ter thawing.
—
A. POLET RETURNS FROM
LENGTHY TRIP TO STATES
j A. Polet, Nome’s pioneer mer
: chant returned last evening from
a five month’s trip to the States
as well as a tour of Southeastern
and Southwestern Alaska.
He brings greeting f#6m many
i oleftimers at Sitka who wish to be
' remembered to their friends in
Nome. They included Emil Lassen,
John Fosberg, L. Erickson, L. Han
; son, Sparrow the Barber, E. Wag
| ner of Oregon Creek fame, Max
Rapp. He met Gus Kunelis in Jun
eau and put him on the plane for
Sitka.
He state that Pioneers can be
proud of the fine home that is
maintained in Sitka for the old
1 timers and the splendid organiza
tion that cares for them.
Wherever he traveled, Mr. Polet
stated, Nomeites and former Alas
kans always turned up to greet
him.
He was constantly aware of the
keen interest in Alaska every
where and people interested in
visiting this pdri of the World
now that transportation was so
| easily available and estimated a
year round tourist program if
Alaskans cart get together and
Wbrk one out together.
well as St. Lawrence Island and
kunivak Island.
the Communist and Socialist crusaders make their con
verts. A youth who is ignorant of American history has
no background of understanding against which to view
the phbny doctrines.
When Elizabeth Bentley, the recanted Communist,
bgan working with Government agencies to thwart the
Commies’ underground conspiracy, she answered the
question (why she became a Communist) thus: “I did
n’t learn enough about America when I was in school,”
she said. “I didn’t get American history.” She also said
she wasn't taught the true facts about Communism.
She attended a well-known women’s college and one of
the greatest American universities. She became a Com
munist, she said, while attending the university. She
later was a Communist spy courier.
Had Elizabeth Bentley learned in high school and col
lege the true facts of American history, it is unlikely
that she would have been vulnerable to the canned at
tacks on American capitalism which are the stock-in
trade of the Communists and Socialists. The same prob
ably would hold true for Judith Coplon and for the other
thousands of young college students who have been
lured into the Communist conspiracy or the equally
fatal bog of Socialism.
Benjamin Fine, education editor of The New York
Times, has sent me results of a survey he conducted on
the attitude of college and universities on the question
of American history for students. The encouraging fact
revealed is that twice as many colleges and universities
today require students to study American history as did
in 142. Yet the number today is a mere 34 per cent. The
schools replying to The Times questionnaire have an
; undergraduate enrollment of 1,526,571. Only 12 per cent
of the students were enrolled in American history
j courses.
NEWS IN BRIEF
(Continued from Page One)
admi nistration employee who
came to Alaska from Cleveland.
Ohio. He was the son of Mr. and
Mrs. P. B. Carroll of Cleveland.
The crash scene was about 275
miles southwest of here.
LONDON. (£>) — The House of
Commons ended a marathon 14
hour session early today, during
which the labor government beat
off all attempts by the Conserva
tive opposition to amend tax pro
posals.
KUALA LUMPUR, Mayala, {/P>
Five accused Chinese terrorists
were hanged in Pudu jail today in
the largest execution since Malaya
began its campaign against com
munist terrorism.
The executions bring to 04 the
number of persons put to death
since the emergency laws went
into effect two years ago.
• ' ■ • _-_* « ^
BOMBAY, India. (/P)— A gov
ernment spokesman said today
that order has been restored in
•Dhoraji town where 100 persons
were arrested yesterday after riot
ing in which five were injured.
Shops looted and many houses
burned down.
The disturbances broke out af
ter butchers put mutton on sale.
Orthodox Hundus objected to the
sales which Is against their reli
gion. Some 80 per cent of Kathia
war provincfe is vegetarian.
OTTAWA, (/P)—'The House of
Commons adopted a bill yesterday
to strengthen Canada’s spy laws,
boosting the penalty for espionage
from seven to 14 years imprison
ment.
LANGTON, Ont. </P)— One of
the greatest manhunts in Ontario’s
history widened over the Hamil
ton-London area today as a ban
dit-killer of two pursuers eluded
caputre for a third day.
The fugitive cut down his two
victims with a Sten gun yester
day while fleeing a $23,000 bank
holdup.
Hundreds of police and vigilan
tes. carrying rifles and tear ga6,
using planes, walkietalkies and a
bloodhound to guide them, found
nothing in the bushland just north
of Lake Erie where the killer was
originally thought to be hiding.
MORRISTOWN, Tenn., OP) —
This violence-shaken community
awaited a decision today on whe
ther national guard troops will be
returned to the bloody strike
scene at the American Enka Corp.
rayon plant. Representatives of
Gov. Gordon Browning questioned
about 108 men and women at
Hamblen county jail far into the
night after roaring bunfire yester
day wounded four men, ane crit
ically.
They announced they would
make a full report and recom
mendation to the Governor today.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., (/Pi
Thirty persons were injured Wed
nesday night when the ceiling
over the balcony of the Sequoia
theater collapsed and showered
10 tons of ornamental plaster on
moviegoers.
WASHINGTON, UPt—'The rural
electrification administration to
day apporved these loans:
Homer Electric Associat ion,
Homer, Alaska, $360,000; Golden
West Electric Cooperative, Wi
baux, Mont., $150,000, and Public
Utility District No. 1 of Ferry
County, Republic, Wash., $220,000.