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_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LIV No. 39 NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, MARCH 31, 1952 Per Copy—15<r
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Navy Rescues
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Nine Men From
Arctic Ice Pack
BARROW, Alaska, (/P) — Nine
stranded men were snatched from
the Arctic ice pack and landed
here safely by their Navy rescue
plane Sunday night.
The plane rescued the seven
Navy men and two civilian scien
tists from their four-day isolation
and brought them to a safe land
ing at this northernmost tip of
Alaska at 8:30 pjn.
The pickup from the ice, where
the men had been stranded by-a
takeoff accident of their own
plane last Thursday, was made
only about 500 miles from the
North Pole.
The men reported the greatest
danger of the daring operation
came in the landing on the ice
pack.
The crewmen of the downed
“flying laboratory,” an R4D, had
cleared a 2,500-foot runway on the
ice. The P2V rescue plane came
within 10 feet of an eight-foot
high ridge of ice at the end of
the runway before it could be
stopped.
The plane normally requires a
4,500 runway.
Members of the rescued party
were in good health and good
spirits. They said they never suf
fered any anxieties during their
days of isolation.
The landing on the Point Bar
row landing strip brought a happy
reunion for Mr. and Mrs. J. F.
Holmes of Falmouth, Mass. Both
are scientists with the Navy’s
“Operation Ski Jump.” He was a
member of the stranded party;
she was stationed at the Barrow
base of operations.
The rescued men said they
didn’t see a sign of wildlife
around them on the sub-polar ice.
They had taken along fox traps—
just in case.
The Navy reported 1,000 pounds
of equipment and material was
salvaged from the abandoned
“flying laboratory.”
Director of National Art
Foundation of New York
To Tour Alaska Cities
SEATTLE, (JP)—Carleton Smith
director of the National Art
Foundation of New York, left for
Fairbanks Saturday as part of a
50-city tour to persuade munici
pal and educational authorities to
name streets, plazas, parks,
schools and university buildings
after famous artists.
During his visit, which will in
clude Fairbanks, Anchorage, Ju
neau and Ketchikan, he will give
two speeches and also will consult
with Terris Moore, president of
the University of Alaska, about
artistic resources in the Territory.
Smith said the foundation ex
pects to form an advisory com
mittee in Alaska and to work up
a program which will increase in
4aroot ?« .oil » -• —
Tells Demo Rally He Is “Draft-Proof”
By ERNEST B. VACCARO
WASHINGTON, OP)—President
Truman convinced all but the
most stubborn die-hards Monday
that he is “draft-proof” and sent
them on a desperate hunt for a
new Democratic standard bearer.
Many seemed inclined to go
along with his own apparent
choice of Gov. Stevenson of Il
linois — if Stevenson will — but
three avowed presidential candi
dates already in the field claimed
new support and brightened pros
pects.
The always unpredictable,
though seldom dramatic Truman
outdid himself Saturday night
when, near the end of a “give ’em
hell” speech against the Republi
cans at a $100-a-plate Democratic
rally, he departed from his pre
pared text to say:
“I shall not be a candidate for
re-election. I have served my
country long and I think, effic
iently and honestly.
“I shall not accept a renomina
tion. I do not feel that it is my
duty to spend another four years
in the White House . .
The more than 5,000 diners
packed into the National Guard
Armory had applauded frequently
but not too enthusiastically dur
ing his speech. However, when he
came to his dramatic announce
ment there arose cries of “No,
No.”
Most of the audience, not all of
them pro-Truman, appeared stun
ned, even shocked.
When newsmen asked if any
development could bring him to
reverse his decision, the Presi
dent said, “None whatever.”
Most of the world’s press ban
ner-lined Truman’s decision to
step down, but it had not yet been
published in Moscow. It was safe
to say the Russians will not grieve.
London papers stressed the
“shock” and “confusion” they
foresaw among Democrats. In
Milan, Italy, the Communist
L’Unita headlined: “Truman with
draws to open way for generals.”
Japanese papers played the news
big, but treated it editorially as
a “trial balloon.”
.
Former British prime minister
Clement Attlee declined comment
but other European officials were
less reticent.
Maurice Schuman, French for
eign affairs expert, applauded
Truman’s “wisdom for knowing
when to quit.”
Though his present term doesn’t
expire until January, already
speculation was underway as to
i
his future. A man of many in
terests, the President likely will
range afar.
Two-Mile-Span Power Cables
NELSON, B.C., yp>—The sus
pension of three two-mile-long
170,000 volt power cables across
Lake Kootenay, 20 miles east of
Nelson, was completed Friday.
The cables represent the longest
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Alaska Delegates To
Demo Convention Hope
To “Draft” Truman
ANCHORAGE, (/P) — Alaska’s
delegates to the Democratic Na
tional Convention hope to launch
a “draft Truman” movement, Na
tional Committeeman Stanley J.
McCutcheon said Monday.
McCutcheon, chairman of Al
aska’s convention delegation, said
Alaska “will make an unquali
fied motion . . . most respectfully
demanding that President Truman
accept our nomination to continue
as President of the United States.
“His sincere but shocking an
nouncement has suddenly brought
into full focus the importance of
confidence in our nation’s lead
ers,” McCutcheon said.
“Our appreciation of his gal
lant personal sacrifices in the face
of unjustified severe criticism will
be evidenced by Alaska refusal
to acept his no-candidacy declar
ation. It will be our unique place
because of our alphabetical posi
tion at the convention to lead a
move to draft Mr. Truman even
over his protest.”
Red Charges Germ
Warfare Meet
General Disbelief .
(By the Associated Press)
Soviet charges that the United
States is waging germ warfare in
North Korea and Red China are
meeting in general with disbelief
outside the Iron Curtain countries,
an Associated Press survey show
ed Saturday.
It is impossible to tell what
effect the Soviet charges are hav
ing on the populations in the
Communist countries. They get
only one side of - the story—the
Soviet side.
One of the chief aims of the
Soviets is to sell the millions of
people in southeast Asia the idea
that the Western powers have no
compunction against unloosing
the dreaded weapons of germ
warfare to further “Western im
perialism.”
The United States and Britain
demanded that the International
Red Cross or the World Health
Organization be permitted to send
experts into Communist China
and North Korea and report what
they found. The Communists re
plied with a scornful “No.”
In India a top level official sum
marized his government’s reaction
to the Soviet charges as “incred
ulous horror.”
Some followers of Mohandas
Gandhi, however, are inclined to
give the Chinese Reds the benefit
of the doubt until an inquiry is
made. Said one such disciple to
a western questioner:
“After you dropped the atom
bomb on Japan, I’m afraid the
Asians would not be surprised at
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Radio Listeners To Be
Given Opportunity To
Help Paint Nome AFRS
Are you a listener to AFRS,
Nome ?
If you are enjoying the excel
lent reception of the Nome radio
station, now is your chance to
express your appreciation.
Since it is an Air Force radio
station few civilians have seen
the improvements which have
been made this past winter.
It has come to the attention of
the Chamber of Commerce that
the station needs paint. If they
only had some paint they could
finish up the station and have it
looking like they would like to
have it look.
It has been estimated that about
$70 worth of paint would cover
the cost.
If you wish to contribute a
small amount toward the fund
your donations may be left at the
Nome Nugget or mailed to the
Chamber of Commerce.
Contributions will be welcomed
from our out-of-town readers also.
This is your chance to show
your appreciation for this fine
service to civilians of Northwest
ern Alaska.
CAA Supervisory
Conference Starts
The Civil Aeronautics Adminis
tration opened its Management
and Supervisory training confer
ence this morning in the CAA
recreation hall.
Regional Training Officer F. M.
B. Merrithew, who is conducting
the conference, leads today’s dis
cussions on the subjects of the
job of supervising and the super
visors part in management. He
stated that the program which is
being carried out extensively
through CAA had thus far proved
very successful in promoting bet
ter supervisor-employee relations.
Tomorrow’s sessions will be de
voted to employe and public rela
tions and to training problems and
techniques. The latter subject will
be presented and discussed by
Electronics Maintenance Inspec
tor Robert W. Edlun of the CAA
regional office in Anchorage.
A feature of this presentation
will be the practice demonstra
tions in which the members of
the conference will participate.
Other subjects to be covered
during the week’s conference will
have to do with leadership, effec
tive utilization of employees, con
ference leadership, and methods
for improving work operations.
In many of these, “role playing”
and other recent developments in
training techniques will be dem
onstrated.
Attending the conference from
out of town are W. A. Spence,
Galena; A. C. Kirmer, Unalakleet;
V. Francher, Tanana; and L.
Brooks, Kotzebue.
Nome CAA personnel includes
Station Manager Robert L. Hall,
D. L. Fritz, G. A. Morin, R. War
dell, R. Hawk, N. Wall, F. Par
sons, F. Killins, J. Waggy, J. Ol
ynyk, W. Jackson, and Officer in
Charge D. T. Van Osdol of the
U. S. Weather Bureau and A. E.
Mobilization Chief
Resigns Because
Of Steel Dispute
WASHINGTON, {JP) — Charles
E. Wilson has quit as the na
tion’s mobilization chief. He told
President Truman he decided td
resign because he doesn’t believe
in the administration’s plan for
settling the steel dispute.
Wilson’s resignation is effective
Monday. Truman appointed John
R. Steeloan, presidential assistant,
as temporary director of mobiliz
ation and instructed him to do
what he can ta reach a steel
settlement between the CIO’s
United Steelworkers and the steel
industry.
A strike is scheduled to begin
April 8.
The sudden resignation of Wil
son, who once headed the Gen
eral Electric Co., dimmed hopes
of averting the steel strike and
left the future of controls over
wages and prices pretty much in
doubt.
Steel industry and union lead
ers resume peace talks in New
YoTk Monday and the industry
found itself with no assurance of
a price boost to offset the gov
ernment-recommended increase of
17 Vfe cents an hour.
The President, in accepting Wil
son’s resignation, declared the
wage terms recommended by the
Wage Stabilization Board were
“by no means unreasonable.” He
said he believed steel profits were
“many times higher” than the pro
posed new wage costs.
Wilson’s resignation letter said
he could not “accept public res
ponsibility for major stabilization
actions which I cannot control.”
Reveal Billion
Dollar Airbase
In Greenland
WASHINGTON, </P) — A dis
puted Army audit estimate that
the government's huge hush-hush
polar airbase in Greenland will
cost a billion dollars came under
intensive Senate investigation
Saturday.
Col. Harry E. Reed, chief of
Army audit, gave the estimate at
a public hearing before the Sen
ate Preparedness subcommittee
Friday.
A civilian subordinate, Nathan
L. Rubin, promptly called it “ill
advised,'* possibly based on ru
mors. But Rubin himself had said
in an official audit report read
to the subcommittee that the cost
would “approach ten figures.”
Cost of the proje ct has been a
closely guarded Pe« tagon secret.
Even its existen e was con
cealed behind the cr£:e name “Op
eration Bluejay” unul Soviet pro
paganda broadcasts and drunken
workers returned from the site
last year let out the secret that
work was under way.
Sen. Johnson, (D-Tex), the sub
committee chairman who smoked
out the estimate from Reed, de
clined to discuss it later beyond
telling a reporter, “We are going
to study it intensively—we are