OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LIV NO. 70
C of C Fires Back
At Lundeberg For
Slurring Sincerity
In answer to the press release
Tuesday by Harry Lundeberg,
head of the Sailors Union of the
Pacific at San Francisco, the
Northwestern Alaska Chamber of
Commerce sent the following mes
sage:
Re: Your statement to San
Francisco press that Nome busi
nessmen are merely tools of Alas
ka Steamship Co., trying to sway
public opinion. Be advised Alaska
Steamship Co., has nothing to do
whatsoever with Nome business
men nor have they solicited our
help. All Nome businesses, with
one exception, are home-owned.
We are trying to supply defense
construction contractors operating
outside U.S. defense zones with
vital food stuffs. We are trying
to supply three vital tin mining
operations, the largest potential
tin mines controlled by the United
States, with food stuffs and neces
sary supplies. We are trying to
supply food stuffs and necessary
materials to gold miners operating
a short season due to weather
conditions.
Our hospital serving this area
is short of medicines and special
foods for patients. Coastwise
Steamship Company does not
come into Nome. We have not had
a boat for almost eight months.
We are completely out of many
basic commodities. Two to three
weeks wil make the situation des
perate. Airlines cannot carry all
perishables offered. The nearest
road to the States terminates 500
miles away.
We do not want sympathy. We
are not trying to sway public
opinion. We want a boat to supply
us so that we can continue to
live as Americans and do our
shaie to build American defenses
and mine the necessary minerals.
Your cooperation earnestly so
licited.
10,000 - Ton Ghosts?
(By the Associated Press*
Harry Lundeberg, Sailors
Union head, said in San Fran
cisco that the Nome business
men's appeal was "just a move
by the Alaska Steamship Co.
to stir public opinion. There
are all kinds of ships serving
Alaska, for instance. Coastwise
Steamship Co., which runs six
Liberty ships up there, each
10,000-ion ships."
Gen. MacArthur Named Keynoter
Of Republican Nat'l Convention
CHICGAO, (/P) — Gen. Douglas
MacArthur Tuesday was named
keynoter for the Republican na
tional convention opening here
July 7.
The choice of MacArthur was
a victory for the supporters of
Sen. Robert A. Taft of Ohio, lead
ing candidate for the GOP presi
dential nomination. Although the
designation of MacArthur had
been protested by backers of Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Taft’s
chief rival, Mylander said there
were only scattered “No’s,” when
the voice vote was taken.
Steel Strike:
Senate “Requests”
Truman Invoke
Taft-Hartlev Act
*
WASHINGTON, (/P)—'Top gov
ernment officials said today Presi
dent Truman probably will turn
now to the Taft-Hartley Law,
which he loathes, in an effort to
get the steel mills back into pro
duction.
The Senate, unmoved by Tru
man’s personal appeal for special
seizure powers, held firmly
against any alternative other than
Taft-Hartley.
After hearing him, irate Re
publican and Southern Democrat
senators joined forces to write
into the anti - inflation Defense
Production Act an official “re
; quest” that Truman invoke at
' once the labor relations law he
had just denounced as ‘‘unfair,
harmful and futile.”
To use the Taft-Hartley Act's
80-day anti-strike injunction pro
visions, Truman contended,
“would be to take sides with the
companies and against the work
ers.
He hinted broadly there was no
assurance the 650,000 striking
steelworkers would obey an in
junction—a statement which drew
sparks from Taft and others as an
“invitation” to defy the law.
The President told the lawmak
ers the better way would be a
plant seizure law under which the
owners would “face the possibility
of receiving something less than
their normal profits . . . and the
workers will face the prospect of
getting less than they think they
are entitled to.”
0
Within hours the Senate bowled
over three plant seizure propos
als, two of which had tacit White
House blessing, and spiked into
the controls bill the request to
use the Taft-Hartley law.
The margins were decisive, but
administration forces planned one
last major effort today to put
across a new seizure amendment.
They conceded in advance they
probably will take another beat
ing.
*
St. Louis Browns’ Manager
Replaced by Marty Marion
ST. LOUIS, (/P)—Rogers Horns
by was fired Tuesday as manager
of the St. Louis Browns by Owner
Bill Veeck and Marty Marion was
immediately named to replace
him.
Veeck, in making the announce
ment through the Browns’ front
office here, said he was relieving
Hornsby for “the good of the
club.”
Hornsby had a three-year con
tract with the Browns but Veeck
made a settlement with him, the
terms of which were not an
nounced.
Hornsby took over the Browns
this season after managing the
Seattle club to a Pacific Coast
League championship last year.
Veeck, who flew east Monday
night because he was tired of
“worrying about the ball club by
remote control,” took the action
in Boston.
Taft Backers
Named to Key
Convention Posts
By JACK BELL
CHICAGO, OP)—Sen. Robert A.
Taft has tightened control over
Republican convention machinery
with the apparent intention of
fighting vigorously for the seating
of southern delegates favorable
to him.
The top arrangement commit
tee’s choice Tuesday of Gen. Mac
Arthur as keynoter, and the selec
tion of Taft backers to fill other
major convention posts, was dic
tated down the line by the Ohio
an’s camp.
The action served notice on sup
porters of Gen. Eisenhower, that
there will be no quarter in the
battle over disputed southern
votes which may go a long way
toward determining the winner.
The keynoter assignment for
MacArthur, who has publicly
backed Taft and has criticized
Eisenhower, emphasized the no-,
compromise mood of the Ohioan’s
backers.
While MacArthur is expected to
make a party - rallying speech
without reference to any parti
cular candidate, some other con
vention officers selected by the
arrangements group are in a posi
tion to make vital rulings.
Walter Hallanan of West Vir
ginia, a Taft supporter, was
chosen as temporary chairman of
the convention until the perman
ent chairman, Rep. Joseph Martin
of Mass., takes over. Martin is a
rooter for MacArthur, although
the general has said he isn’t run
ning.
Sen. Eugene Millikin of Colo
rado, a Taft delegate, was named
to head the convention platform
drafting committee.
McGranery Asks D.A.s for
Reports on Pending Cases
WASHINGTON, {IP) — Atty.
Gen. James P. McGranery told
the nation’s ILS. district attor
neys Tuesday to give him an im
mediate report on the criminal
cases which have been pending
longest in their offices.
It was the first major step taken
by McGranery since he was sworn
in as head of the Justice Depart
ment May 27.
McGranery, a former U.S. dis
trict judge in Philadelphia, was
named to replace J. Howard Mc
Grath, who was let out of the
cabinet on April 3, the same day
he fired Newbold Morris as his
corruption hunter.
Committee Extends Price Controls
WASHINGTON, (/P) — T h e
House Banking Committee voted
Wednesday (1) for a full year’s
extension of wage, price and rent
controls, and (2) for dropping all
controls over real estate and con
sumer credit.
The committee is working on a
measure to replace the present
Defense Production Act — the
basic controls law—which expires
June 30.
Consumer credit controls, which
regulated down payments on auto
mobiles, radios and many other
items, were suspended recently.
■ . II II ■ II I I ■ I ..
Developments In
Shipping Strike
(By the Associated Press)
New protests came from Alaska
cities today over the shipping
strike that has cut off Alaska
Steamship Co. operations, while
another shipping line reported it
had available space on ships going
to ports for the Anehorage-Fair
banks sector. /
Nome businessmen fired back
at Harry Lundeberg, Sailors Union
of the Pacific, for his questioning
Tuesday of their sincerity in ask
ing release of a ship for Nome
cargoes.
Anchorage businessmen appeal
ed to government officials to take
action to cut short the strike.
They contended it threatens the
entire construction season in Al
aska.
Meanwhile, E. A. Gardner,
Seattle manager for' Coastwise
Lines, said his firm’s Liberty ships
can carry more cargo to its ports
of call—Seward, Whittier, Valdez,
Anchorage and Kodiak. Coastwise
is not affected by the strike.
Its ships do not call, however,
at southeastern Alaska ports or at
Nome.
Gov. Gruening said in a tele
phone report to Seattle from Ju
neau that the situation is rapidly
becoming “serious.”
Meanwhile, there were two
other ship possibilities:
1. The Berger Transportation
Co. reported it is trying to charter
a ship to operate to southeastern
Alaska. It has operated small
vessels to the territory in past
years.
2. Max Weisbarth, Seattle agent
of the striking AFL Sailors Union,
said he believes the union high
command will grant permission
for the freighter Coastal Monarch
to call at Wrangell to pick up fro
zen fish cargoes to avoid the dan
ger of spoilage in that fire-dam
aged town.
Committee Plans
^ v } >
Shipping Strike
Relief For Alaska
SEATTLE— A special commit
tee has been organized with a
nucleus of Seattle citizens to work
out a program o*f relief for Alas
kan cities suffering because of
the shipping strike. The Seattle
Chamber has asked Thomas M.
Pelly to take chairmanship of the
Seattle - Alaska Lifeline Commit
tee.
The following were named and
are serving:
C. B. Lindeman, publisher of
the Seattle Post Intelligencer;
William K. Blethen, publisher of
the Seattle Times; Warren D.
Lamport, general manager of the
Port of Seattle; Nat S. Rogers,
vice president of Van Waters and
Rogers, Inc.; James F. Hayward,
administrative assistant to the
president of Bon Marche; C. L.
Egtvedt, chairman of Boeing Air
plane Company; L. E. Karrer,
executive vice president of the
Puget Sound Power and Light
Co. Others named include Glenn
Carrington, chairman of the
(Continued on Page Two)
New Union Dispute
Threatens All West
Coast Shipping
SAN FRANCISCO, <>P) — Rep
reesentatives of the AFL Masters,
Mates and Pilots Union and Ship
owners will meet today in an ef
fort to settle a dispute that threat
ens to affect east coast and foreign
flag ships touching strike bound
Pacific Coast ports.
The MMP threatened tor walk
out after shipowners discharged
all but the captain and the first
mate on ships tied up by the 16
day-old AFL Sailors strike. The
union contends its contract calls
for the master and four mates to
remain aboard, regardless of the
strike.
If the compromise fails, all
ships, except tankers and lumber
freighters, will be affected.
At least 54 ships on the West
Coast are tied up by the AFL Sail
ors and no settlement of that
walkout appears to be in* the
making. The shipowners’ Pacific
Maritime Association refuses to
discuss wage demands with union
officials unless guaranteed a one
year contract with a no - strike
clause.
Meanwhile the Navy announced
at Pearl Harbor that transporta
tion of a limited amount of food
supplies, cattle and poultry feed
on Navy ships has been author
ized for Hawaii.
Hawaii Gov. Oren E. Long had
appealed to the Navy to author
ize the shipments because erf a
“critical” food shortage existing in
the islands.
Communist Prisoners
Murder 15 Anti-Reds
In Compound 77
By ROBERT B. TUCKMAN
KOJE ISLAND, Korea, (JP) —
Communist prisoners of war in
compound 77 murdered 15 fellow
POWS in a night of terror, then
meekly surrendered to United
Nations troops Wednesday for
dispersal ter smaller stockades.
A leader of tough prison pen
66—holding 2,700 North Korean
officers and 650 enlisted men—
was shown the shambles of com
pound 76 where the Reds resisted
dispersal. But American guards
said throughout the day they
heard considerable hammering in
66, an indication the POWs were
shaping crude weapons.
Twenty anti - Red prisoners
scaled barbed wire fences during
the night. They said Red leaders
had planned to kill them.
The 6,400 Reds in compound 76
—1 first to be dispersed — fought
savagely for 2Vz hours Tuesday
before being subdued by 750
tough paratroopers from the 187th
Airborne Combat Team.
■ ' i ■ ' ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■ .. "i .. ■
SAN FRANCISCO, — James
G. Smyth, third of the scandal
riddled Internal Revenue Bur
eau’s ousted collectors to be tried,
was acquitted of backdating his
own 1945 income tax returns to
defraud the government.
Two other ousted collectors—
Dennis W. Delaney of Boston and
James P. Finnegan of St. Louis—
were convicted earler this year.