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
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Entered as second class matter October 14. 1913. at the postoffict
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879
Wednesday, February 11, 1948 •
Peace, ITs Remark a Me!
(Rocky Mountain News)
TIME HEALS all wounds. Discretion is the better
part of valor. Circumstances alter cases. Many a man
has risen above principle for the sake of interest. Poli
tics makes strange bedfellows. A dish of crow won’t gag
you if you’ve got a strong stomach.
We present those thoughts for the benefit of Alexan
der F. Whitney, chief of the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen. Mr. Whitnev, having been invited to the
White House, has emerged after a lovely visit with its
tenant to announce that he and his union will fight for
President Truman’s re-election. “It never should have
happened,” Mr. Truman told him.
Memory turns back, and not so far, to when “it did (
happen. That was in May, 1946. The President has
broken a railroad strike by asking for a law to draft;
strikers into the Army. The ^Jouse had voted, 303 to 13, j
for the drastic proposal, which later was killed in the
Senate, largely by Senator Taft’s opposition.
To Mr. Whitney, then, Mr. Truman became a “one
termer political accident” and a tool of “vested inter
ests.”
On May 26, Mr. Whitney was ready to spend all of the
47 million dollars in his union’s treasury to prevent Mr.
Truman’s re-election. (Next day he lowered the ante to
two and one-half million dollars). On June 16, Mr.!
Whitney disclosed that he had sent an investigator to
Missouri to delve into “Pendergast politics” for anti
Truman ammunition. On Labor Day, Mr. Whitney call
ed Mr. Truman an enemy of the people’s welfare. On
Sept. 15. Mr. Whitnev gave Mr. Truman hell for firing
H enrv Wallace from the cabinet. On Dec. 29. Mr. Whit
nev pledged financial support to the Pro-Wallace Na
tional Citizens Political Action Committee.
But now how different! Messrs Whitney and Truman
have reached a beautiful “understanding.” Mr. Whit
ney has resigned as a member and vice chairman of the
Progressive Citizens of America, successor to NCPAC.
He couldn't think of helping it to split the Democratic
Party and beat his dear friend Mr. Truman by running,
Mr. Wallace on a third-party ticket.
So Messrs. Truman and Whitney are closer than
brothers again, and maybe that makes things look a lit
tle brighter for the Democrats—that is if Mr. Whitney
stavs put this time, and if his union’s 220.000 members
follow his breath-taking leap from caboose to caboose.,
Meanwhile, though. Republicans are taking comfort
from the Gallup Poll, indicating that in an election now
with Mr. Wallace in the race, a Republican would have
a strong chance of beating Mr. Truman. We hate to sug
gest a horrd thought to the GOP.
But what if, some time between now and November,
the Democrats should get scared enough to beg Mr.
Wallace to call at the White House for a Presidential
welcome and reconciliation? What if Mr. Wallace, of
fered flattering inducements, should do a Whitney?
Stranger things have happened, and Henry’s dish of
crow wouldn’t be much bigger, tougher or smellier than
the one Mr. Whitney has just eaten.
Soviet Views ERP Block to Red Gains
(Bv Lawrence Martin)
SOVIET RUSSIA has stated officially bluntly and
even violently that it will do everything in its power
to wreck the Marshall plan.
It has instructed Communist parties in all countries
to obey definite instructions and follow explicit technics
to destroy the program. |
It has sent out full programs of sabotage, both politi
cal and physical, to hamper, slow down and disrupt Eu
_GRINDING IT OUT
ropean recovery.
The Reds understand that if the plan succeeds, Com
munist expansion will be stopped.
That is, in fact, one- of the plan’s major purposes.
Russia says it is a plan to encircle and destroy the
Soviet Union. We say it is a plan to “contain” interna
tional Communism within certain bounds—to keep it
from engulfing peopfe in Europe, Asia and Asia minor
who do not want it.
Molotov’s attack on the Marshall plan at Paris last
July was along three lines:
1— That'it would destroy the sovereignty of partici
pating nations. That it would force them to submit to
economic and political dictation from Washington.
2— That it was an attempt to punish and eventually de
stroy anv nation not agreeing to American terms. That
it was therefore an enslavement plan, and “an imperi
alism against the Soviet Union and other free peoples.”
3— That before it would be acceptable to Russia, the
United Statess must say definitely exactly how many
dollars it would give in aid. That the United States must
agree to deal with each nation separately, and not with
a group of nations.
Taking this line full cry, Russian propagandists have
been shrieking against the plan ever since.
But the Soviets did more than denounce the program.
They took these practical steps:
1— Forbade Poland, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Yugo
slavia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria from partici
pating.
2— Tied up all these nations in-trade treaties with the
U. S. S. R and with each other. Under this group of
treaties, Russia took iron clad control of the trade of
eastern Europe. Russia can permit these countries to
trade with the west, or she can forbid them to trade.
3— Revidcd the Comintern—the international organ
ization of Communism. Issued instructions to the parties
in various countries to defeat the Marshall plan. It is
now called the “comiform.” It is a propaganda and sabo
tage office, with headquarters in Belgrade.
Describing its duties, Col. Gen. Andrei Zhdanav,
member of the Soviet politburo, fifth man from the top
in the Soviet hierarchy and often prominently men
tioned as Stalin s successor, said:
“The Communists must be the lading force in all
countries in co-opting all anti-Fascist freedom loving
elements in the struggle against the new American ex
pansionist plans for the enslaving of Europe. A special
task lies with the brotherhood Communist parties of
France, Italy, Britain and other countries.”
This whole close-knit program of opposition and de
struction is known as the Molotov plan.
It has already forced the kihg of Romania to abdicate
and converted that country into a Communist “repub
lic”
It has divided Europe into two parts.
It has thrown up trade banners between east and
west.
It has fomented guerrilla warfare against the govern
ment and people of Greece.
It has created unrest, disturb
ances and political insecurity in
France and Italy.
It is fomenting unrest in west
ern Germany, and causing strikes
that cut down coal production.
It has prevented unification of
Germany, a key to the recovery of
Europe.
Col. Gen. Zhdanov summed up
the Russian hopes of defeating the
Marshall plan in these words, in
Warsaw, last September:
“If the countries and people of
Europe display the necessary fort
itude and readiness to resist
American enslaving terms, Amer
ica may be forced to retreat.”
Our highest officials paraphrase
that statement thus:
“If the countries and people of
Europe display the necessary fort
itude and readiness to resist Com
munist expansion and domination
Russia may be forced to retreat.”
Russia is against the Marshall
plan. The United States is for it.
The people of western Europe,
by their will, determination and
i energy, will decide whether the
American of the Russian view will
! prevail.
That’s That
By BRUCE GUSTIN
l
I -
| France’s devaluation of the
franc was long overdue. While it
was valued officially at 125 to the
dollar, the franc had been selling
/on the black market at half that
rate. By slashing the official value
to 214 to the dollar, with the “spe
cial export franc” rated 277 to the
dollar, the French put themselves
in a position to reduce prices or
their exports so they can sell mort
goods abroad and get more of th<
dollars they need.
France’s action puts pressure oi
Britain to revalue the pound. I
has been overvalued at $4 whil
:t has been selling in some place
fr only S2.25. To compete wit
the French, the British will hav
to squeeze some of the “watei
out of the pound.
Instead of wrecking the Ma
shall plan. France’s revaluation
the franc should help that pla
One of the first essentials to t
success of any program for we:
ern European rehabilitation is si
bilization of the currencies of t
nations which are to be help
Last week. Secretary of the Tre
ury Snyder said Congress mi]
be asked to provide funds, in
ditior. to the Marshall plan app
priation. to support the value
European moneys. That wo
mean more opposition to the M
shall plan, for it would incrc
the cost of that program to
United States. Trying to sup'
inflated values of European i
rencies would be like “pou
sana into a ratnole.
Last July, in the American r
azine. Director Hoover of the
warned:
“The nation's women and
dren will never be secure unti
face reality. When sex offer
are identified, there are only
courses of satisfactory a<
Cure through medical attend
the more drastic step of depr
the offender of his freedom tc
tinue such activity. So long j
degenerates run wild, rev
sex crimes will continue.”
Hoover’s warning has not
heeded. In Baltimore, a 23
old youth has confessed th<
slaying of an 8-year-old f
, Cleveland. Police say he hac
ed a term in a New York st
stitution tcfr delinquents for
offense against an elevel-y
boy.