THE NOME NUGGET *
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 618
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER .Editors
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Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Monday, A ugust 23, 1948
SECRET TALKS IN MOSCOW
(The Rocky Mountain News)
Secrecy of the Moscow conversations is beginning to
worry people. A few even fear the Western powers are
now making a deal which is a sellout of democracy.
We doubt that. We don’t think Secretary of State
Marshall and Foreign Minister Bevin are in the ap
peasement business. If they are forced to make major
compromises they will not do it in the dark to fool the
people—not if they are half as intelligent as we believe
them to be.
Of course, secrecy invites suspicion. Many otherwise
trusting persons can’t understand why the dealings
should not be above the table if it is honest.
(That is a normal feeling. In this case there are special
reasons for it. One is the traditional American commit
ment to “open covenants openly arrived at.” The other
is that in past secret dealings with the Russians we
never have gained, and usually have lost our shirts.
This newspaper shares the common American prefer
ences for open diplomacy, particularly when making
agreements with Stalin. We were critical of Yalta at the
time and wTant no repeat of that one.
Nevertheless, preparatory conversations of the sort
now being carried on by the American, British and
French envoys in Moscow need not violate the open
covenants rule. In fact, preliminary confidential discus
sions are necessary to pave the way for any successful!
international conference. And even when an open con-j
ference is held, a certain amount of backroom talk is es
sential for progress. If that is true in the Congress of
the United States, it is even more true in a foreign ses
sion.
The test is not whether teelers are put out and pre
liminaries disposed of behind closed doors, but whether
final decisions are arrived at openly.
What worries us about the Moscow” conversations is
not the intentions of the democracies, but Stalin’s ca
pacity for trickery.
Unless our envoys watch their steps they may dis
cover that the preliminary is the main bout. That in
stead of convincing Stalin they will not hold a negotiat
ing conference while Berlin is blockaded, they have, in
fact, negotiated under duress—and in sceret, at that.
After four Kremlin sessions we begin to wonder just
how long it takes to find out whether Stalin will lift the
blockade as the price of another four-power conference.
We don’t think Mr. Marshall and Mr. Bevin will make
a shady deal. But we are afraid Russia will take advan
tage of their peace overtures to stall open negotiations,
to sabotage their position in Germany, and to confuse
public opinion, unless they prevent such trickery.
These preliminaries were intended to be brief. Before
they are allowed to string out indefinitely a public re
port will be in order.
I
MARSHALL PLAN WARNINGS
(By Jack Foster)
Marshall plan nations received two warnings that
they must produce or else.
One was given by Averill Harriman, co-ordinator of
the program in Europe. The other came from Chairman
Bridges of the Senate appropriations committee, which
will have most to say about putting up the money next
year.
The warnings, which repeat those given by ECA
Chief Hoffman on his recent trip to Europe, were of
fered in friendly spirit. They do not imply any desire
by our government to dictate or dominate, which prop
NO HELP PROM THE AUDIENCE I
erly would be resented by free nations. They are simply
reminders of the basic agreements on which Marshall
aid was requested and granted, and without which it
cannot succeed.
Unless reasonable progress is made in this first year
with five billion dollars, the United States cannot be ex
pected to continue with the four-year program and cer
tainly will not do so.
This is true not because America would be uninter
ested. Marshall aid is not charity. It is an American in
vestment in European solvency and security on which
American peace and prosperity depend. Therefore, it is
a bargain investment—if it works.
But if it does not work, if for any reason those dollars
fail to advance European solvency and security, then
the drain will weaken America. That would be the final
calamity for Europe and for us—the bargain Stalin is
looking for.
To achieve the purpose of strengthening peace, the
Marshall Plan nations agreed among themselves and
with us that American aid would be used to facilitate
self-help and mutual help.
Unless each nation makes a supreme effort to help
itself, and equally to help its neighbors, our dollars can
not boost European production and trade materially.
Mere promise of Marshall aid helped to prevent
France, Italy and others from falling to Russia last
spring. Excellent crops in Europe and here have now
advanced recovery. Some countries, especially Britain,
have pushed industrial output far above prewar levels
—though not yet nearly enough. A faint start has been
made even in monetary stabilization and currency ex
change, and in reducing trade barriers.
So today the prospects for Marshall Plan success are
better than last winter. Always provided, however, re
cipient nations keep going and pick up speed on the
way. This is why the Harriman, Bridges and Hoffman
warnings are needed.
i
■ .- ■■ -
HOLES IN THE IRON CURTAIN
The iron curtain, which was lowered to keep people
out of Stalin’s empire, is needed now to keep them in.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ivanovitch Samarin and other
Soviet citizens in New York, who refuse to go home to
the Red heaven, are typical of many trying to escape.
Stalin may have to call off his military maneuvers in
Germany near the Allied line because so many Red
Army officers and men slip across to stay.
Thousands have fled from Czechoslovakia since the
Red curtain enclosed that country. These include not
only civilians, but almost 20 generals and a considerable
portion of the best squadrons of the Czech Air Force.
Last week the former vice premier, Dr. Peter Zenkl,
was spirited across the border into the American zone
of Germany by a Czech Army company.
As fast as Stalin’s terrorists patch up one hole in the
curtain more appear.
Alaska Explora
tory Vessel Leaves
For Bering Sea
<Fish and Wildlife Service)
Exploration of Alaska’s oceanic
waters will be resumed after a
lapse of seven years when a Fish
and Wildlife Service exploratory
fishing vessel sails from Seattle,
Wash., for Bering Sea, Milton C.
James, acting director of the serv
ice has announced.
Mr. James explained that the
exploratory boat will make a pre
liminary survey for two months
to determine the varieties and
quantities of fish present in the
Bering Sea, south of Nome, be
tween the coast of Alaska and the
International Date Line.
•
During this voyage, fish pres
ervation techniques and new
types of commercial fishing gear
will also be tested. Results of this
cruise will establish a basis for
future exploratory work.
The exploratory boat, a 100-ft.
motor vessel named the Washing
ton, was transferred to the Fish
and Wildlife Service from the
Maritime Commission. It carries a
crew of 12, including two fishery
engineers and a biologist.
This cruise is the introductory
phase of the Service’s new, long
range Alaska Exploratory Fishing
Program, authorized by the 80th
Congress. In 1940 and 1941, the
Service explored the southeast
Bering Sea, leading to the devel
opment of the king crab fishery
in that area. Because of war, the
exploratory program was discon
tinued.
Commercial exploitation of the
vast fishery ^resources in the
northeast Pacific Ocean and the
Bering Sea has been slight. Lack
of specific data on the seasonal
occurrence and the abundance of
fish in the area, and little knowl
edge of actual operating require
ments have curged the fishing in
dustry’s development. After the
Fish and Wildlife Service has ex
plored the region and determined
the extent of its fishery resources,
the fishing industry will be able
to apply the Federal findings to
its own commercial operations.
The Service also hopes that off
season fisheries can be encour
aged in southeast Alaskan waters.
Salmon and halibut, the chief
ones in the region, are only sum
mer activities.
By October 20, the Washington
will be back in Seattle for altera
tions and refitting for more inten
sified exploratory work. The ves
sel will sail to the Bering Sea
again in the spring of 1949 for ad
ditional exploratory fishing.
THAT’S THAT ...
(By Bruce Gust in)
Of all the quack remedies pro
posed for inflation, increased
taxes is the worst. The argument
that it “sops up excess purchas
ing power and thereby reduces
competitive bidding for scarce
foods” is obviously a phoney. It
does take purchasing power from
individuals, but it merely trans
fers that to the government which
spends the money and perpetuates
the inflationary spiral. The es
sence of this theory is that the
government knows better than
the people how they should spend
their income.
Actually, government policies
are responsible for most of the in
flation with which the American
people have been cursed. The real
villain in the meat-price gouge is
the department of Agriculture.