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
11.50 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.
WEDNESDAY. JUNE 23. 1948
SWEDISH NEUTRALITY FACES HOME CRITICS
TO THE SWEDISH government the traditional pol
icy of strict neutrality in any international conflict
is still good, but an increasing number of Swedes
say it is obsolete. The Swedish minister of finance,
Ernest Wigforss, recently had to admit in a speech
on foreign policy that the unity on neutrality seems
to be breaking.
Foreign minister Oesten Unden has refused to
commit his government to anything except the Mar
shall Plan. He has been criticized for saying east
and west were equally dangerous to this country.
The view, which is vigorously propounded by
"Dagens Nyheter" and some other newspapers, is
that Sweden's chances of escaping anv new war are
faint. The best course according to these quarters,
is to prepare military and political cooperation with
the west in good time. Swedish defense, it is said,
is based on the principle of delay till helo from
abroad arrives. "Why not acknowledge our friends
and arrange for that help before the flood comes?
After, it may be too late," the alliance enthusiasts
say.
But there has been no panic here. Although 3,314
Swedes can immigrate to the United States each
year, that quota has not been filled for many years.
The American embassy in Stockholm has not ob
served any increase in applications lately.
As for the "scare" of Russia one Swede recalled
that American journalists who visited Stockholm
during the war used to make fun of the Swedes for
their apprehensions in that direction.
"The Swedes have known all the time what the
Americans have discovered only recently regard
ing Russian expansionism. Centuries of wars with
the Russians have taught us something. We are
not scared, "but watchful," he said.
LABOR'S HOPE FOR BETTER STANDARDS
SEVERAL IMPORTANT labor leaders say one feat
ure of the General Motors wage contract is the most
important thing that has happened to labor in years.
They refer to a provision allowing workers a 3 cent
an hour increase, this year and again next year, to
improve their standard of living.
The GM workers obtained a total increase of 11
cents an hour. Eight cents of this is to meet increased
living costs. Theoretically the worker has to pay this
out to meet the increased costs of the things he has to
buy. It doesn't increase his standard of living. But
the 3 cents an hour, theoretically, is extra profit for
him on his labor, so that he and his family can en
joy more of the things they consider the good things
of life or store up savings for old age. For a 40-hour
week this 3 cents totals $62.40 a year. One national
labor organization official says of this:
"It is the first time we have gained recognition,
by an important company, of management's res
ponsibility to share the fruits of productivity with la
bor and increase the working man's standard of
living. This establishes a new beach head for labor
in a battle we have fought a long time with man
agement over this principle."
Labor leaders say the GM contract helps the work
er but is far from the goal they want to reach for all
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American workers. Th6y want to tie wages, comp
any profits and the prices of goods together. To do
this, companies would have to open their books to
the unions or some "umpire" such as government
agent.
Profits might go up because of price increases.
Or profits might rise simply because there was more
efficiency in industry, from new scientific develop
ments, new machines, *more efficient management
or other reasons. In any event labor wants to share
in these. It doesn't want wage scales tied rigidly
only to the cost of living. If they are, wages will go
up and down with living costs, without adding to the
workers' standards of living, labor leaders say. They
aren't very enthusiastic about this feature of the GM
contract. A hint of new labor policies is contained in
the official statement issued by the United Auto
Workers (CIO) on the GM case. It said:
"The assumption that workers can expect no more
than to remain on the economic treadmill, inching
up 3 cents an hour per year while management and
stockholdrs reap profits proportionately far in ex
cess of that amount is unsound and unwise. This is
the trickle-down theory of prosperity, slightly modi
fied. The modification is extremely important, how
ever, because in making it General Motors has ac
cepted the principle that prices and profits are a
concern of labor. "This is progress."
RETURNED YUGOSLAVS MUST STAY IN COUNTRY
HUNDREDS OF YUGOSLAVS who have returned
to Belgrade from Canada and Australia have had
their passports from those countries confiscated and
according to Yugoslav law can have no further re
course to the services of representatives of those
countries. Since it is almost impossible for an ordin
ary citizen to procure a Yugoslav passport that
means these repatriates must stay there whether
they want to or not.
Many of these people went home with the idea
6f seeing their homeland again, perhaps visiting
relatives for a while, and then returning to their ad
opted homes. They, of course, have been unable
to do so. But they have been settled in their home
land and given good jobs, often as technicians.
Many, of course, returned voluntarily with the
idea of staying in the new Yugoslavia. The author
ities have treated them very well. But there are some
who are dissatisfied. They have hounded British
and Canadian consulates to absolutely no avail.
They are Yugoslav citizens and that's all there is
to it.
Vandenberg Gave
Consent For
His Nomination
—
'Continued from Page One>
didn’t honestly believe there was
real hope of winning I would not
nominate him.”
i Seigler ^ made the announce
ment after Vandenberg had put
in his first appearance at the
Michigan headquarters.
These workers for the nomin
ation for Vandenberg have been
discouraged by his aloof attitude
and the Senator made an apolo
getic little speech.
“I know I am a problem child
for you,” he told the Michigan
group, ‘‘but I set my course a
year ago and must steer it to the
finish.”
He said a year ago he would
not seek nomination, but would
not refuse it if it were offered.
The Taft-Stassen moves to head
off Dewey kept their backers in
an almost continuous round of
conferences. The principals them
selves were meeting.
Taft and Stassen first met sec
1 retly last night. This morning,
Taft told reporters” I rather ex
pect I wall see him (Stassen-* again
today, but it is still a little in
definite.”
When questioned by newsmen,
Taft refused to discuss what had
transpired at his secret confer
ences last night with Stassen and
Gov. Earl Warren of California.
I
These strategy conferences and
maneuverings went forward while
I the delegates assembled in this
' big hall for the morning session
1 .
of the convention day.
The big item was the nominat
ing speeches. Balloting will pro
bably not begin until tomorrow
although that was not definitely
.settled. It may begin tonight.
Working with the Taft and Stas
sen forces in the “stop Dewey”
campaign was Gov. Duff of Penn
sylvania.
The fifth session of the con
vention began at 10:15 a.m. <EST>
Duff leads one faction of a split
Pennsylvania delegation. Senator
Edward Martin, a leader of the
other, withdrew yesterday as a
“favorite son” and declared his
support for Dewey.
Any doubt that Dewey’s name
would be the first to go before
the convention was removed when
Alabama delegation voted 8-6 to
yield its first place on the alpha
betical roll call to Pennsylvania
so that Martin could nominate
the New Yorker.
An Associated Press survey of
delegate intentions pointed up the
formidable task confronting the
i “stop Dewey” forces.
U.S.G.S. OFFERS $10,000 BONUS
FOR DISCOVERY OF URANIUM
Walter West of the U.S. Geo
logical Survey announced today
he has received a number of cir
culars from Washing‘on, D.C., di
rected to the prospectors of Al
aska.
The circulars are sent out by
the Atomic Energy Commission
to stimulate the discovery of ur
anium in Alaska.
The commission is offering a
bonus of $10,000 for the discov
ery and production of high grade
uranium ores from new domestic
deposits.
A ten year guaranteed mini
mum price for the precious ores
is being offered to the discoverer.
Miners interested may procure
cobies of the Domestic Uranium
Program at the Nugget Office.