THE NOME NUGGET
Pyblished Monday, Wednesday and Friday bv the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME. ALASKA
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 618
11.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
W. A. Boucher .Owner-Publisher
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice
ftt Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Nome, Alaska Monday, May 22, 1950
THE RED CONQUEST OF HAINAN ISLAND
(By Seymour Topping)
In Hainan Island the Chinese Communists have ac
quired one of the potentially richest regions in east
Asia but one which for the present will only add to their
severe economic problems. The Japanese made a com
prehensive survey of the big South China island while
they were ocupying it during the war. They found its
mineral wealth may rival that of Manchuria and Sin
kinag, China’s far western province. Hainan has high
grade deposits of iron, tin, copper, manganese, lead, sil
ver, coal, graphite, antimony, and tungsten. These have
harlly been touched. Hainan also can produce rubber,
pineapple, sugar cane, quinine, coffee and coconuts.
With industrial development, Hainan could become |
one of the few Asiatic regions capable of supporting a
larger population. Leaders on Hainan say the 2,500,000
population culd be tripled without straining the island’s
resources. But now Hainan has to buy about two-thirds
* oi its food elsewhere. And the Communist mainland h,
famine instead of surplus.
Besides the immediate problem of feeding the popu
lation. the Chinese Communists inherit an enormous
job of rehabilitation. After the war the Chinese Nation
alist officials almost wrecked the industrial foundation
of Hainan built by the Japanese. Their remarkable rec
ord of inefficiency, corruption and sheer vandalism
ended only a year ago when Gov. Chen Chi-tang took
over.
NUMBERS ARE NOT ALL
Personally, it has always seemed to us that the qual
ity of the people in Nome has been a bigger civic asset
than the number. We would prefer to see 100 cultured,
respectable, hard-working men and women move into
ou community men 1.0J0 people of doubtful purpose,
men."’ and indentions.
Naturally, die population determines, in a marked
decode, the business of the town, but very often the
bac k-country that trades within a city of town is as im
portant in the commercial life as are those who live
within the municipal limits. The character of these cit
izens is an important factor in the desirabiltiy of the
piece.
—
Early treatment of cancer could save at least 67,000
lives a year, the American Cancer Society points out.
AND THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE TWINS
n i - ■ .... — - ,, IWW.-M
y KAT»0NAt_
ft XPOJOITL/RES
! Truman Flays
Soviet’s Boycott
Of United Nations
(Continued from Page One)
progress toward ending the arma
ments race, and the tendency of
the Soviets, while blocking Ger
man and Japanese peace settle
ments, to isolate themselves in
creasingly from the rest of the
world.
In this connection the President
noted for the first time in a Unit
ed Nations report that Russia now
has possession of the atomic wea
pon.” He gave the world the first
official western report last Sep
tember 23 when he announced “an
atomic explosion” had occurred
in the Soviet Union.
The U. N. report was prepared
by the state department and Mr.
Truman submitted it to Congress
with a letter setting forth his per
sonal views.
The President praised highly
the work of the United Nations in 1
settling the Indonesian dispute,
the Arab-Jewish fishing in Pales- |
tine, and the India-Pakistan trou
bles over Kashmir.
He said that “many lives have |
been saved” as a result of the U.
N. work on these disputes last
year and that such attacks on spe
cific problems as well as its gen- i
eral work in behalf of peace
showed that the U. N. “is distin
guishing between realities and il
lusions” and is striving for “solid
gains through actual perform
ance.”
News of the World
\f A Gin nee - - -
(Continued from Page One)
valleys north of London yester
day, leaving 500 persons homeless.
It climaxed a day of lightning
storms that took at least three
lives.
Tragedy overtook a children’s
church procession in Italy. A rick
ety footbridge collapsed and 15
youngsters, aged from 11 months
to 11 years, drowned in the swift
waters of a canal at Cavarzere,
south of Venice. Horrified priests
and villagers managed to save 85
of the marching children. The 11
months-old boy w.as being carried
by an older lad.
City officials at Gelsenkirchen,
Germany, made plane for a mass
funeral service for 71 miners kill
ed in an explosion a half mile un
derground in the Dahlbusch coal
mine. Firedamp was blamed for
the disaster. Germany’s worst
since 1946 when 439 men died at
Grimberg.
Elsewhere on the international
front the news was mostly politi
cal:
Britain’s Labor governm e n t
chiefs indicated they may water
down their Socialist projects and
try to rule for at least another
year despite their skimpy major
ity in Parliament. Party strategy
was mapped at a secret week-end
meeting.
Konrad Adenauer, the West
German chancellor, said in a
speech that the French proposal
for pooling French-German coal
and steel output will solve the
dispute over the Saar. Adenauer
declared that under the pooling
arrangement the question of whe
ther the Saar was French or Ger
man would lose its significance.
Yugoslavia and Greece took a
step toward bettering diplomatic
relations by appointing ministers
to serve in Athens and Belgrade.
A single steam-driven subma
rine torpedo costs about $12,000.
NEWS IN BRIEF
(Continued from Page One)
burg.
Several prominent Alaskans are
also making the trip. They include
Mr. Robert H. Romig, and Mrs.
Romig of Anchorage, Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Gaffney of Ketchi
kan, J. B. Gottstein of Anchorage,
Antonio Polet of Nome and A. H.
Ziegler of Ketchikan.
WASHINGTON, (£>)—'The na
tional labor relations board today
ordered a nelection in the Alaska
Salmon Industry to determine
whether its radio operators wish
to be represented by the Radio
Officers* Union, Marine Division,
Commercial Telegiaphers Union
(AFL).
The union formerly acted as
bargaining agent for the radio op
erators, who operate and main
tain i-adio telegraphic and tele
phone equipment at cannery shoie
stations in Alaska. Its contract
lapsed, however, and the board
ruled that a new election shall be
Held.
The date for the election will be
set later by a regional representa
tive of the NLRB.
JUNEAU, (£>)—1The city ’ coun
cil is considering putting to a vote
a proposition to levy a one per
cent sales tax to clear S560,000 in
bonded indebtedness.
The debt was incurred for pav
ing an dother improvements. An
ordinance will be drawn up Wed
nesday for submission to the peo
ple.
NENANA, i/P>—1The bodies of a
mother and her 14-vear-old son
were found in the ashes of a fire
razed cabin Friday night.
George Gale, station agent, said
the fire department was unable to
control the blaze and did not
know anyone was inside.
Believed to be the victims are
Mrs. Helen Dyke and her son
Charles.
RUBY, Alaska, GPt — The ice
broke in the Yukon River at Ruby
at 2:29 p.m., May 15.
GREENWOOD, S. C. (/P)—J. L.
Roundtree, 24-year-old baseball
fan, became enraged Saturday by
a decision of base umpire James
McGowan, 58. Roundtree drew a
pistol, but it failed to fire when
he pulled the trigger. Umpire Mc
Gowan drew his pistol and shot
Roundtree dead.
Sheriff J. C. White said today
those were the essential facts in
the slaying at Bradley, 15 miles
south of here, at a game between
Negro teams.
ANCHORAGE (ff)-An “experi
mental” drinking party by 13 sol
diers using wood alcohol taken
from the Fort Richardson motor
pool cost two of them their lives
this week-end. Two others were
in critical condition and nine were
hospitalized.
Names of the victims were with
held until relatives were notified.
All the men were members of the
813th engineer battalion at the
Fort.
The unlucky 13 drank the alco
hol last Friday night. One died 24
hours later and the second yester
day morning.
The poisonous fluid, known
technically as methonal alcohol,
was used in the motor pool for
cold weather starting.
FAIRBANKS, (/P) — Airmen
found some tough ice to crack on
the Koyokuk river near the vil
lage of Cutoff Saturday.
Fliers from Ladd Air Force
'Official Ballot
Count Shows High
j Republican Vote
Official returns for the First
i Division show:
Delegate
Bartlett, E. L. (Bob) <D) .4,168
Peterson, Aimer J. <R) .1,510
Treasurer
Roden, Henry <D) .5.014
Commissioner of Labor
Beach, Ray (R) .1,325
Benson, Henry (R) .2,400
Kimball, Ross E.1,094
Owen, Alfred A., Jr. 630
Senators
Almquist, G. E. (D) .1,786
Nolan, James (D) .3,380
Peratrovich, Frank (D) .2,756
Engstrom, Elton E. (R>.2,752
Representatives
Republicans
Barnes, Doris M.3,135
Hendrickson, Waino E.2,408
Johnson, Frank G.2,404
MacKinnon, James S.2,320
Locken, Ed .2,241
MacSpadden, M. L.1,767
Peterson, Clyde 0.1,721
Bartholomew, Ralph A.1,61
Democrats
Hope, Andrew .2,603
Gundersen, Amelia A.1,977
Metcalfe, Vernon M.1.760
Jensen, Marcus F.1,638
Smith, W. 0.1,519
Stewart, B. D.1,494
Coughlin, Robert E.1,421
Harris, R. T. iDick) .1,291
Phosphorus Fiir
A*h!s to Horror
(Continued from Page One'
the school term, but seniors would
be graduated despite incompleted
courses.
The remains of a phosphorus
fire which flared up yesterday
smouldered near the dock scene
o fthe Friday night explosion'.
The phosphorus fire startled
residents anew as a fast-spread
ing blaze zigzagged through about
50 drums, raising a pall of omin
ous white smoke over the stricken
city.
State police said the phosphorus
drums may have been cracked
open by Friday’s blast, or by a
mine detonated by army men.
Phosphorus ignites when exposed
to air.
The burning chemical set off
about 100 more mines.
Base reported an icy section two
and a half miles across was bare
ly dented by the first 500-pound
bombs rained on it.
The Eskimo village of Cutoff,
located on a tiny knoll 300 miles
to the westward, asked help when
it became completely isolated by
water backing up from the ice
jammed river.
At noon Saturday came the
word that the jam had broken and
the waters were receding.
SEATTLE, (JP)—Frederick Ed
ward Becker, 83, Seattle and Alas
ka pioneer, and retired mining en
gineer, died Friday.
He came to Seattle in his youth
in 1886, and for several years was
employed as a bricklayer before
launching out on his Alaskan min
ing career.
He was active in Alaska mining
from 1894 until 1914 at Circle
City, Fairbanks and 40 Mile. He
was a native of Germany.
Survivors include his widow,
mary; a daughter, Mrs. Wayne
Warwick, Oaksdale, Wash., and
three sons, Edward, Cleelum and
Richard, Fairbanks. The funeral
will be held tomorrow.