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_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_
VOL. L NoT60. NOMETaLASKA, WEDNESDAY. MAY~f9ri948 15c Per COPY
Square Knot Is
Tied Up In Ice-pack
In Bristol Bay
SEATTLE. —I/P)—The 3800-ton
freighter Square Knot was locked
tight in the Bristol Bay ice-pack
today, awaiting aid.
The Coast Guard reported the
vessel radioed for assistance las
night. The brief message said the
ship was in no immediate danger.
Speeding to the stranded Scfuar.
• Knot is the Coast Guard Cutter
Bittersweet. It left Dutch Harbor
last n;ght but is not expected to
reach the vessel before tomorrow
morning.
* The Square Knot, owned by
the Alaska Steamship Company,
operates out of Seattle to various
Alaska ports. It was believed on
its way to Naknek when trapped
in the ice. It normally carries a
crew of 33.
A fishing boat was caught sim
ilarly earlier this month, but came
through with only minor scars
after a Coast Guard cutter went
to its aid to help it through the
■ice.
Senate Comm. OK’s
Hawaii Statehood
WASHINGTON. — (JP) —Chair
man Butler <R-Neb>'told the Sen
ate yesterday he is “firmly con
vinced” a majority of the Senate
Insular Affairs Committee favors
statehood for Hawaii.
But he added thar the committee
still wants an opportunity to check
into certain “movements” there.
' While Butler did not identify
these “movements” today, he has
previously said that the committee
• wishes to study the Communist
situation in the islands.
The committee voted 7 to 5
recently to withhold action on the
House-approved S'atehood Bill
pending a trip to the islands by
the members for an on-the-ground
study.
Atomic W eapons
Much Improved
Over W ar Models
HONOLULU, — (/P)—'The Unit
ed States has atomic weapons
vasly improved over the war
time Hiroshima and Nagasaki
types.
Aside from this fleeting peek
under secrecy’s curtain, the de
tails are hidden.
This was the gist of a news
conference yesterday by top mili
tary and scientific directors of
a joint task force upon their re
turn from “operation sandstone”
on isolated, well-guarded Enike
tok in the mid-Pacific. .
There they conducted the latest
series of atomic tests during the
past 45 days. Three weapons of
improved design were tested. No
under sea tests were conducted,
nor any dropped from the air.
Whether guided missiles were
can’t for security reasons, be an
swered.
Leaders of task force 7 evaded
all questions attempting to pin
point the latest U.S. strides in
atomic weapons.
BRITISH TANKS RUMBLE ON THEIR WAY TO PALESTINE
A convoy of British tanks moves past an Egyptian frontier post en
route from the Suez Canal zone across the Sinai desert to Jerusalem.
(AP Wirephoto)
Dewey - Stassen
J
Debate in l^orllaml
Over Communism
i
__
PORTLAND, — f/P) —Repub
lican presidential a pirants Thom
as E. Dewey and Harold E. Stas
sen held unswervingly today to
clashing views on Communism—
their nail nwide radio debate sct
, tlir.g practically noth ng.
They argued last night in the
hotly disp ted question of whether
the Communist party should be
outlawed in the United States.
Governor ’"'•.wey, a foe of legis
lation to outlaw Communist or
ganizations, maintained the Min
ne*o an had “ surrendered c m
pletely.” Stassen, in turn, claimed
Dewey had “sort of walked
around” the issue.
The two met Monday night to
air their clashing views over na
tionwide radio networ1 s in the
best tradition of the classic Lin
coln-Douglas debate—and on a
similarly burning social question
(Continued on Page Three'
Army Corporal
Endangers Life
To Save Planes
ANCHORAGE. — (/P) —An Air
Force corporal saved a number
of refueling fighter planes from
possible destruction yesterday
when he drove a blazing tank
truck away from the parked P-5 Is.
The soldier was identified as
Cpl. Robert Riddle, Johnson City,
Tenn.
The 4,000-gallon truck, loaded
with high octane gasoline, caught
fire on the runway while refuel
ing one of the planes. Riddle
jumped into the cab and raced
the truck to the other side of the
field. He suffered a slight burn
on one hand.
The fire was believed to have
started when gasoline spattered
on a heated pumping engine.
Am. Legion Says
Stop Vet Legislat*n
JUNEAU, —i/Pi—The Juneau
American Legion Post is looking
a gift horse in the mouth.
The local post adopted a reso
lution yesterday asking Congress
,o refrain from passing “unneces
sary” legislation for the benefit
of veterans.
The resolution said that ‘20
per cent of the United States bud
get is earmarked for veterans’
benefits” and added that it has
put “exceptionally high peace
time tax burdens on the individ
ual taxpayer.”
“Veterans are now too numer
ous and represent too high a pro
portion of the population,” the j
resolution said, “to be entitled to
special and separate treatment
apart from and at the expense of
their neighbors and fellow citi
zens.”
Not only does the legion post
want Congress to hold down on
“unnecessary” veterans legisla
tion, but it called for possible
flaws.”
Two Ships, Plane
Take Man To
Hospital
SEATTLE. —(/P)—Two Alaska
ships and a B-17 Air Force plane
combined today to hospitalize a
man in need of an immediate op
eration.
The Coast Guard said the man, I
who became ill yesterday aboard
the SS Pacific Explorer, was
picked up early today at Cold
Bay. A B-17 from the 10th Res
cue Squadron at Kodiak flew
him to Elmendorf Field, Anchor-1
age.
The fishing boat Bear took the
man from the Pacific Explorer!
last night at Isanotski Straits
(False Pass), the tip of the Alas
ka Peninsula.
I lood Threatens
Fairbanks From
Two Sides
--
j FAIRBANKS, — i/P) —Already
! pressed on one side by the flood
1 ;ng Tanana River, Fairbanks is
facing a new flood threat today
as heavy spring runoffs forced the
[Chena River to its highest level
! in nine years.
Cutting through the heart of
i the city, the Chena has risen 11
1 feet from the level of the ice
! surface before the break-up eight
| days ago.
Riverside cabins and business
houses already'are drawing water
on their ground floors. Basements
are flooded.
The U.S. Geological Survey
said the river’s rise was slacken
ing and reported the crest of the
runoff would soon appear.
The Tanana River, which over
ran its banks south of the city
last week, has advanced within
a mile of the city innits.
The flooding waters have made
impassable the Alaska Highway
between here and Eielson Field,
26 miles away. A 200-foot stretch
of railroad track was under water.
Food, military perconncl and
some civilian workers are being
shuttled back ond forth by air
several times daily.
Great Falls C of C j
Visiting Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS,-l/P) —Possi
bilities of increased trade with
Alaska was being discussed here
today by 39 Great Falls, Montana
businessmen who arrived yest
erday on a goodwill mission.
The party, headed by Col. R.
F. Kitchingman, former officer at
Ladd Field, were guests at a ban
quet last night. Kitchingman now
is manager of the Great Falls
Chamber of Commerce.
The Montanans will fly to An
chorage tomorrow.
Marshall Says
Stalin Can Show
Sincerity Now
—
WASHINGTON, — </P) —Sec
retary of State Marshall said to
day future Russian cooperation
in settling world issues will de
termine Premier Stalin’s sincerity
in calling for greater understand
ing between nations.
Marshall said he would cer
tainly see Foreign Minister Molo
tov if Molotov ever should come
to Washington.
But Marshall refrained from
saying he would be glad to see
Molotov.
This reply concerning Molotov
was given to a news conference
question. M;#.shall omitted the
‘•glad to see Molotov” used by
the questioner and only grinned
when reporters laughed at the
omission.
As to whether he had noted
any recent increase in Russian
cooperation toward solving issues
before the United Nations and
other international bodies, Mar
shall said there has not yet been
much opportunity.
IKE’ May Get
First Nomination
WASHINGTON, — (sP) —Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s name
may be the first placed in nomin
ation for the presidency at the
Democratic National Convention.
When nominating time comes,
the roll of states is called alpha
betically. If present plans pan out,
the Alabama delegation may use
its top listing to try to start an
Eisenhower boom before Presid
ent Truman’s name is put up.
Alabama electors already have
been instructed never to vote for
Mr. Truman. Its delegation, to be
completed in a run-off primary
soon, is primed to walk out of the
convention if a platform support
ing Mr. Truman’s civil rights
views is adopted and if the pres
ident wins the nomination. Most
politicians agreed the later out
come as almost certain.
Joint L. Lewis And
Coal Operators
Break Up Talks
WASHINGTON, — f/P) —Con
tract negotiations between John
L. Lewis and the coal operators
collapsed today.
The two-day-old wage talks
broke up over issue of seating
Joseph E. Moody, president of
the Southern Coal Producers As
sociation, in the conference.
The operators voted to seat
Moody and Lewis’ United Mine
Workers voted against it. A vote
then was taken on a union pro
posal to go ahead with confer
ences covering the balance of the
industry.
The operators opposed that. The
union voted for i‘.
Lewis got to his feet and said:
“I make the observation that
there is now no conference.
“The operators have voted
Continued on Pace Three