THE NOME NUGGET
Puohshed Monday. Wednesday and Friday by 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
•t Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Monday, June 5, 1950
YOU CAN HELP BUILD NOME
The Nugget urges all the citizens of Nome to adopt an
intelligent plan of community cooperation. This does
not involve the careless boosting that ignores facts or
the degenerating pessimism that depreciates every,
thing. It merely requires that the citizens of Nome real
ize that the combined efforts of all neighbors and
friends will definitely improve our town.
One of the necessities for such improvement is a
sound business structure upon which to rest other orn
aments. The trade-at-home policy, as often advocated
by this newspaper, is a cardinal principle of community
loyalty. It applies to sellers as well as to buyers and in
volves the use of money for improving Nome as well as
spending it within municipal limits.
In addition, our citizens should compare Nome with
other communities and, if possible, see that we acquire
as many advantages as others. Moreover, an eye should
be kept on our living conditions and social organizations
in the hope of securing a fuller life for those who make
their homes in our midst.
Let’s start today with Clean-up Week.
RUSSIA NOT APT TO REPAY THE U. S.
During World War II, the United States delivered
many vessels and untold volumes of munitions to the
Soviet Union. When the war ended, the United States
expected the return of such material as was not expen
ded, including vessels in use by the Russians.
In the last three years, the Soviet Union has returned
seven tankers, one dry cargo ship, twenty-seven to
twenty-eight frigates and an ice-breaker. Still pending
is the return of eighty-four merchant vessels and nu
merous small naval craft, such as torpedo boats and
twro ice-breakers.
In addition, the people of this country should remem
ber that approximately eleven billion dollars worth of
locomotives, trucks and other vehicles, machine tools
and communications equipment was turned over to
the Soviet Union during the war. When the war ended,
it was understood that the Soviet Union would return
the material or pay for it. So far, the Soviet Union has
done neither.
The Soviet Union, according to what we read, was
very much incensed by the precipitate demand of the
United States for the return of Lend-Lease equipment.
In fact, the prompt ending of Lend-Lease was a shock to
the Russians. In view of the enormous destruction suf
fered from the invasion by the Germans, the Russians
expected that the United States would continue to help
them for some years and assist the nation in its econom
ic recovery.
Regardless of what the Russians expected, the fact is
that the United States was exceedingly generous in
shipping war material to Russia. In return, the nation
has had rather meager thanks. Even today, when the
Russians celebrate the victory of their armed forces,
they do not mention that Russia had allies in the war.
The victory over Germany, and that over Japan, is at
tributed solely to the prowess of the Russian armed
forces.
It is extremely doubtful if the United States will
ever recover anything of value from the Russians. Cer
tainly, no considerable amount of return will be re
ceived by us.
MARAGON’S SENTENCE
(St. Louis Star Times)
To those who relish seeing the full book thrown at
every convicted offender, the sentence imposed on
John Maragon will probably seem inadequate. This
one-time bosom buddy of men in high White House
places got only the minimum on his conviction on two
Air til ion Defenses
Reviewed ()n
Duteh Harbor Day
(Continued from Page One)
way:
In 1942 neither the nevy nor
Army could spare the ship; or
men to guard the Aleutians, be
cause America’s very limited for
ces were more urgently neede 1
elsewhere.
The Japanese invaded with
practically no opposition. They
had hardly begun to develop any
real military strength on the is
lands however before they were
kicked out—within a year. They
offered resistance only on Attu. i
They had scurried away from
Kiska and Agattu by the time the
Yankees arrived.
After victory the Army do- l
ployed troops all over the Aleu- j
tians. Eleven air fields were built. J
Adak was developed into a great
Army and Navy supply base.
Now Army department officials
say that no Army people what- j
ever are in the Aleutians. The
Air Force has maintained four
fields, but all will be closed by
June 30 unless the civil aeronau
tics authority keeps one or two of
them open.
The Navy maintains Adak only
in a caretaker status. It will keep
the air field operational for limi
I
ted Navy use. The most impor
tant activity at Adak now is the
weather station. Dutch Harbor
has been completely closed, with
only a few Marines stationed
there as watchmen.
The reason: there simply isn’t
enough money to maintain defen
ses on the Aleutians. Too many
other areas of more strategic im
portance are lacking now in ad
equate defenses.
If the U. S. Navy maintains its
present power, the strategists
say, and if the air bases on the
Alaska mainland are given ade
quate defenses, the ships and
planes probably could prevent
any invasion of the Aleutians, or
at least nullify their value to an
enemy.
The truth is that U. S. strate
gists do not regard the Aleutians
as great assets either to the U. S.
or to an enemy. Weather condi
tions are so bad that the Air Fort e
says the Aleutian fields can be
used only three days a month.
Even 15 days is .considered innc
ceptable.
Furtht inoi e, i. would take a
’ ast amount or shipping a id con
struction work to develop any of
the Aleutian harbors as invasion
bases. No enemy in sight is like
ly to make the prodigious effort
required, say the strategists, be
cause his material and time could
be much more profitably employ
ed in other areas.
fH5 B.3 DRAIN
charges of perjury—eight months to two years. It’s
obviously no heavy punishment.
Most persons, thdugh, will be quite content that Mar
; agon got only the minimum. For the obvious fact is that
Maragon was only the smallest of small fry. He peddled
his influence, real and imagined, and traded on the fact
that he could call a president and a presidential military
aide by a familiar “Harry”. Caught now, not because he
did the peddling and trading, but because he lied about
I it to a Senate committee, it’s right that he should be
I punished. But it’s right, too, that his punishment
shouldn’t be severe, because he traded in such small
stuff and because so many of the big operators go un
scathed.
Brig. Gen. Harry Vaughan, who gave Maragon what
little backing there was for his front, is untouched, for
1 instance; he serves still in the White House, an intimate
| of the President. And the other “5 per centers” who
were so much bigger than Maragon ever pretended to
be, as well as the really big-time behind-scenes lobby
ists—they’re untouched too.
It’s a strange net the government has, quite the re
verse of usual ones, for it catches the small fish and
, let’s the big ones go.
Sen. Lyng l<(‘|iorts
On Statehood Hill
(Continued from Page One)
stitution of the United States, and
the principles of the Declaration
of Independence.
After a Constitution and State
Government have been formed,
the Constitutional Convention will
submit the new Constitution to
the people of the proposed State,
for ratification or rejection, at an
election to be held at a date to be
fixed by the Constitutional Con
vention, not less than seventy
five «75» days nor mare than one
hundred < 100) days from the date
of its adjournment. The returns
of this election are to be made to
the Governor of Alaska, and if a
majority of the votes cast shall
approve the newly-written State
Constitution, the Governor shall
certify the result to the President
of the United States. The Presi
dent of the United States in turn,
after determining that the con
1 stitution and government for the
new state arc republican in form,
and that all the provisions of
H.R.331 have been complied with,
shall certify these facts to Alas
ka’s Governor. The Governor,
within thirty (30) days of such
| notification, shall issue a procla
mation calling for the election of
all State and other officers provi
ded for in the new Constitution
for the State of Alaska. These
will include in addition to offi
cers for a full state government,
a Governor, one (1) Representa
i tive in CongTess, and two(2) Uni
ted States Senators.
The Governor of Alaska will
certify the result of the election
to the President of the United
States, who shall immediately is
sue a proclamation announcing
the results.
j The State of Alaska shall then
be deemed admitted by Congress
into the Union on an equal foot
j ing with each of the 48 states, or
! 49 if Hawaii is admitted before
, Alaska. The Representatives to
( Congress and the two <2> United
States Senators elected from the
new State of Alaska, shall imme
diately be entitled to seats in the
United States Congress, and to
I all the rights and priviliges at
tached to those positions. Until
the President’s proclamation, all
the officers of the Territory will
continue to discharge the duties
of their respective offices.
All of this involves considerable
expense, and toward this end
Congress will appropriate One
Hundred Thousand Dollars <$100,
000> for defraying the cost of the
Constitutional Convention, and
the numerous elections. This in
cludes payment of the delegates,
j officers, and employees of the
Constitutional Convention. Com
, pensation will be at the same rate
as now provided by law for the
, Territorial Legislature, and dis
bursement of this fund will be
, made by the Secretary of Alaska.
All of the foregoing will require
considerable time—a year—two
years—maybe more—provided, of
course, that H.R.331 clears the
three (3) hurdles now set up for
it.
I
Corporation Taxes
May Increase
i --
(Continued from Page One)
litical purposes, Republican sen
ators charged.
I Due to expire at the end of this
month, rent control is coming up
for a vote in both the House and
Senate.