22 NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PBESS _
VUL. Lll No. 8 NOME, ALASKA,FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1950 Per Copy—15c
NEWS IN BRIEF i
t
___ I
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.!
</P)—Three military men were
still missing today as crews put
out the last sparks from a fire j
that ravaged camp Carson and 50
square miles of grass and timber
land south of here Tuesday.
Two soldiers were killed and
10 others critically burned fight- j
ing the blaze. Another 19 were
hospitalized for less serious injur- |
ies.
Camp Carson officials said the j
three men were among the 7,000
soldiers and civilians who fought
the wind-driven blaze.
ALBACETE, Spain, (A*) — A
Spanish transport plane, appar
ently lost in a heavy fog. crashed
into a mountain peak 30 miles
south of here yesterday. All 16
persons aboard were killed, burn
ed almost beyond recognition.
WASHINGTON, (/P)—President
Truman said today James F.
Byrnes is a free agent to do as he
damn pleases about running foi
office.
Mr. Truman made the state
ment when he was questioned at
a news conference about Byrnes*
decision to seek the democratic
nomination for governor of South
Carolina.
Byrnes, Truman's former Sec
retary of State, has sharply crit
icized some of the Truman “fail
deal” program in a series of
speeches.
When a reporter asked Mr. Tru
man for his reaction to Byi nes’!
announcement of his candidacy, j
the president answered:
“Mr. Byrnes is a free agent to '
do as he damn pleases.”
That ended the questioning.
■ —-■■■■ —■ ■ ■■ ■ ■
FAIRBANKS, (/Pi— Warming
Chinook winds almost spelled dis
aster for Californian Jack Fields,
a taxicab driver, yesterday.
The temperature climbed way
up to 12 degrees above zero, and
weakened the Chena river ice a
cross which winter traffic is rou
ted.
The front wheels of the cab
went through the ice. A wrecker
towed it back to safety. The
machine was unhurt.
“How cold does it have to get in
this place?” demanded driver
Fields.
SAN FRANCISCO, (/?.— The
U S. circuit court today upheld
the decision of a lower court
against Mike Erceg, owner of a
drilling company, in a case filed
by him against the government.
Erceg asserted he was not paid
for equipment rented to the gov
ernment in the construction of the
big Delta airbase in Alaska in
1942.
The government entered a de
murrer, saying action on tho nse
was barred by a six year limita
tion during which a case of this
nature may be filed against the
federal government.
JERSEY CITY, N. J., (/P) —
Mrs. William J. Nickerson ob
(Continued on Page Eight)
Statehood Rill
Chances Good
WASHINGTON, (#*)—A bill to
grant Alaska statehood may be
brought before the house as a re
sult of today’s defeat in attempt
to restore the house rules commit
tee’s power to pigeonhole legis
lation under present rules. Com
mittee chairman was given the
right to ask the house to take the
bill away from the rules commit
tee if he served notice at least
twenty-one days before. Chairman
Peterson <D-Fla.t of the public
lands committee told a reporter
he well seek recognition to call up
Alaska statehood bill when the
house convenes Monday. Notice
of his intention to do so was
served on rules committee last
session. Chairmen and several
other committees also expected to
seek recognition to bring their
bills up. What legislation is to be
called up depends on whom the
speaker recognizes. Peterson says
he plans Alaska statehood first,
then Hawaii statehood, then one
to provide Alaska homesteading
whereby war veterans can home
stead as much as 2560 acres. Bart
lett says he believes today’s ac
tion improved chances of getting
house to vote for statehood bills.
Puget Sound
Bridge Co.
Low Bidder At
Wrangell Narrows
SEATTLE, (JPt — The Puget
J Sound Bridge and Dredging Co.,
j Seattle, was the apparent low bid
; der for dredging and disposal of
J 769,000 cubic yards of material at
Wrangell Narrows, near Peters
! burg, Alaska, the district corps of
| engineers announced,
i Col. E. C. Itschner, district en
! gineer, said the company bid to do
the job for $1,034,305. The gov
: ernment estimate of fair cost was
| $968,940.
j General Construction Co., Seat
tle, bid $1,422,650 and Portland
Tug and Barge, Portland, Ore.,
asked $1,768,700.
Col. Itschner said the bids will
be studied before award is made.
Truman Tax
Program Delayed
. WASHINGTON, (VI’)—President
Truman said today that technical
matters are holding up submission
of his tax program to congress.
He told a news conference
there is no controversy within the
administration over the proposals
but that it is taking a long time to
whip them into a message for
congress.
He said he would send the mes
sage to the capitol as soon as he
can get it ready.
In his state-of-the-union mes
sage Jan. 5, Mr. Truman advised
congress that he would ask a
“moderate” increase in taxes and
revision of some present levies in
a later special message.
Northwest Rains
Bring Floods
SEATTLE, (#»)— Rain pelted
down on most of the Pacific
northwest today, bringing ming
led feelings of relief and appre
hension.
The accompanying rise in tem
peratures meant at least a tem
perary end to the bitter cold that
has locked Oregon, Washington,
Idaho and cross-border British
Columbia in its grasp for more
than week.
But it also brought fear of a i
new danger—floods—to lowland '
residents.
Already in Oregon the Kilchis
river had left its banks and cov
ered the coastal highway 'US 1011
with a foot and a half of water
near Tillamook.
Washington national guard un
its were ordered to prepare for
flood emergencies.
In Seattle, police were armed
with shovels and ordered to free
a 1 1 street drains as miniature
floods blocked intersections.
The weather bureau said to
day’s rainfall would be accompan
ied by freezing in scattered spots
of the region.
Yesterday’s near silver thaw
sent numerous areas into virtual
isolation as the weight of ice
felled utility lines and poles.
Telephone company officials at
Forest Grove, Ore., said it would
be six weeks before all lines
snapped there could be repaired.
Ten Oregon communities around
Portland were without service. In
Washington, communications
were disrupted at Aberdeen, Bat
1 Continued on Page Four)
Vatican Envoy
Resigns
WASHINGTON, (/P)—President
Truman said today a decision on
whether to name a new ambassa
dor to the Vatican is under study.
The president told a news con
ference that the question of con
tinuing representation at the Vati
can and appointing a successor to
Myron C. Taylor are both under
study at the state department.
Taylor resigned yesterday af
ter 10 years as the president’s
special envoy to Pope Pius XII.
The announcement of Taylor’s
action brought to a fresh boil a
controversy that has been hot be
fore.
Taylor, an Episcopalian, had
held the job since it was created.
During most of those ten years,
there has been strong Protestant
pressure to call him home. Only i
Tuesday a group of 15 Protestant
clergymen called on the president
to abolish the “alleged legation
at the Vatican.”
But such a decision probably
would result in equally vigorous
dissent from American Catholics.
In congress, there was some
sentiment — especially among
Catholics—for naming a succes
sor to Taylor, a 76-year-old busi
nessman.
Most lawmakers backed away
from the question.
BULLETIN
WASHINGTON, AP —
Air secretary Symington
said decision to close
Marks Air Force Base at
Nome will be reviewed at
high policy levels. Dele
g a t e Bartlett announced
the decision after he and
Governor Gruening con
ferred with Symington.
Bartlett and Gruening
were both opposed to the
Air Force abandoning the
only air base in northwest
Alaska. It is the only field
of its kind on the Bering
Sea coast opposite Russia.
i n '«w—a.’gu.nt,*'-. v-r^c.
Minors* Families
Short Of Food
POINT MARION, Pa., <>P) —
Some miners’ families are having
a tough time getting enough to eat
in the latest strike of 90,000 soft
coal diggers.
The family of Joe Konicki, 42,
is an example of what's going on
in many a mining town.
Konicki, a miner for 27 year?,
has seven children. The youngest
is two and the oldest 16.
“We haven’t had meat for a
month,” Konicki said. He added
that if his credit is shut off at the
grocery store where he owes $300
he’ll have to ask the state for re
lief.
Mrs. Mary Konicki, 39, did a
lot of canning last year. There’s
nothing left except a few cans of
tomatoes.
What does the family eat most
ly? Just beans, Joe reported.
No (lines Yet
To S 1.500.000
Stolen In Boston
BOSTON, (TP)—Another clue in
Tuesday’s $1,500,000 express com
pany robbery evaporated today.
New Jersey police discounted
the story of informant Thomas J.
Hannifan, 28.
The man, who originally gave
his name as Jackie Horrigan, said
he drove the holdup car and asked
for arrest by the Boston police.
He was revealed by Newark
questioners to be a former state
hospital patient and mental hos
pital orderly.
Hannifan had been drinking
and apparently hadn’t been in
Boston in months, a Newark po
lice spokesman said. He had been
questioned on his statement that
funds seized in the robbery had
been cached near the holdup
scene.
From the outset, Boston police
captain John D. Ahearn had »c
cepted the story with skepticism
Nevertheless, overlooking n o '
possibilities, he directed a raid on j
an empty house in the north end j
area near the scene of the crime
(Continued on Page Four)
Il-Iiomh l)i SC*IISS€kd
In Washington
WASHINGTON, (A*)—President
Truman today left wide open the
possibility that he will order pro
duction of a hydrogen superbomb.
With the United States re;>or
ted to be going ahead full blast
on preliminary work leading up to
production, M r. Truman was
asked at his news conference:
“Do you have under considera
tion production of a hydrogen
bomb?”
The president replied that he
could not comment on that
Mr. Truman also told inquirers
that he is not considering direct
negotiations with the Kmsi ms on
the hydrogen bomb.
The phrase “direct negotia
tions” was the one used by the
questioner.
In giving a negative reply, Mr.
Truman did not rule out the pos
sibility of some less im: ledinte
approach to the Russians.
For example, negotiations with
in the United Nations were not
flatly ruled out.
The chief executive was asked
“has David Lilienthal offered to
go to Russia?”
Mr. Truman said flatly that he
has not.
Lilienthal is the retiring chur
I man of the atomic energy commis
sion. There have been reports, so
far without substantiation from
| Lilienthal or the president that
the AEC chairman is opposed to
development of an H-bomb unless
the1 United States first makes a
new effort to work out an inter
national atomic energy agreement
with the Russians.
In addition there have been re
ports that Lilienthal offered to go
to Moscow for the president on
such a mission. This Mr. Truman
flatly denied.
Lilienthal is scheduled to leave
his AEC job Feb. 15. The presi
i dent said today that when he de
i cides on a successor he will an
nounce it.
At least some top officials in
the Truman administration be
lieve that the bomb will ever.tu
<Continued on Page Four)
C ’ _j j
Wilhoul \ Prayer
San Pedro, Calif., (/P)—V/eek
end fisherman Charles lames
Cooper, 53, weathered wind and
wave for 43 hours adrift on the
Pacific with his overturned skiff,
and never uttered a prayer
He was rescued yesterday af
ter a coast guard plane sp it ted
him 10 miles from shore. His 14
foot boat capsized Sunday. He
spent the hours clinging to the
boat or resting across its keel.
“I hadn’t put in a special re
quest to the Almighty for a long
time,” he said, “so I didn’t pray.
I thought it would be sacrilegious
to resort to prayer at this late
date.”
Brought here by a coas< guard
patrol boat, the Bell Gardens man
was treated for shock and ex
posure.