THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by .The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 6)»
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W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER.Editors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffi***
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Monday, June 16, 1947
Science In Straitjacket
(St. Louis Star-Times)
FROM LONDON has come the announcement that a
new atom-smashing plant—a kind of improved cyclo
tron that is a “big advance” over similar American and'
Russian apparatus—has been installed at Birmingham
University. Only the day before that news, from Mos
cow came the report that a Soviet scientist had discov
ered a “new mode of disintegration of the atomic nu-i
cleus.”
There is significance in the manner of these an
nouncements. They are made with a kind of breathtak
ing excitement, as if a Clem McCarthy were reporting
the position of horses in an eight-furlong race. And they
come with a suppression of detail, an awed secrecy that
never before have marked the remarkable “one world”
of science.
Freedom of exchange of scientific information has al
ways been a keystone in human progress. All knowl
edge has, to the chemists and physicists and biologists,
been universal, without identifying national character
istics, and it has been placed in a common pool from
which any seeker after truth could draw at will. Now,
however, for lack of a plan to bring nuclear energy un
der safe international control, science has been reduced
to the level of the traditional football game between Si
wash U. and Pibald Horde, with spectators barred from
the stadium during secret practices. Where once there
was co-operation, now there is competition, and men
of science who formerly aided one another now race,!
tight-lipped, at a dead run down the long halls of truth.
It is not at all certain that the London and Moscow ad
vances in control of nuclear fission have any direct con
nection with the A-bomb. That, however, is precisely
the point; because of the atomic-arms race, all new
knowledge about the atom becomes a national secret,
to be hoarded as a weapon rather than shared as a com
mon boon. Knowledge about the essential energy of the
universe should be neutral, but the nations of the world
are forcing it to choose sides, and so they are stunting
it.
There is something deeply wrong with a world in
which what should be only another article in a chemis
try or physics journal becomes instead a top military
secret. The time in which to change that world is, un
fortunately running out at breakneck speed.
Democracy Only Cure
(By Barnet Nover)
THE TEST which the United States faces in the Near
East in the months ahead is the most considerable and,
in many respects, the toughest which this country has
ever had to undergo in peacetime.
The domestic hurdle in the path of the Truman doc
trine has now been surmounted. Both Houses of Con
gress have approved the Greek-Turkish aid bill, ia each
case by a very large bipartisan majority.
The fact must be recognized, however, that many of
those who voted for the bill did so without enthusiasm
and with many qualms, hesitations and forebodings.
They supported the Truman program because, in the
present world situation, they saw no safe and reason
able alternative to it.
Appropriating money to aid Greece and Turkey rep
resents only the first and by far the easiest step on the
uncharted road upon which the United States proposes
to move. #
The sum involved — 400 million dollars — will not
WHT-8PK-UP row A 8PKLL
bankrupt us financially. But unless that aid is used
wisely and with a clear vision as to our ultimate aims
the program can bankrupt us morally.
Obviously, our immediate objective in Greece and
Turkey is to prevent those countries from being drawn
in'o the Soviet orbit as a result of Russian pressure or
Communist infiltration.
Certanly, a policy of anti-Communism is not enough.
That has been precisely the policy which recent Greek
governments have enthusiastically and wholehearted
lv pursued. One might go further and say that has been
the only policy.
We can take it for granted that the overwhelming
majority of the Greek people want an end of bloodlet
ting, civil strife, disorder. They want a breathing spell:
in which to rebuild their shattered homes and their I
shattered lives and become once again masters of their ',
own country.
Our objective in Greece must be to help the Greek
people achieve those goals. This does not and need not
involve intervention in Greece’s internal affairs.
Totalitarian rule can be imposed on a people from
without. We have proof of that in what has happened in
Bulgaria, Poland Romania, Hungary and other coun
tries.
Democracy can only develop from within. The task*
of those entrusted with the administration of Greek aid
will thus primarily be to see that this aid is not used in
such a way as to stifle democratic growth in the Balkan
kingdom.
We have an example of the obstacles our mission to
Greece is likely to face in the attitude of George Papan
dreous, minister of the interior in the present Greek
government.
Papandreous has been one of the leading advocates
of the so-called “dynamic” program of restoring peace
to his country by means of the sword, which means root
ing out the guerrilla bands and destroying them root
and branch. The trouble with that policy is that for ev
every guerrilla thus taken care of two new ones arise.
By MARY LEE COUNCIL
Sacratary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlatt. Dalagata to Congrats from Alaska
-*■ — -
DR. FROELICH G. RAINEY
Dr. Froelich G. Rainey, widely
known throughout the Territory
where he has served for many
years on the faculty at the Uni
versity of Alaska, has been ap
pointed director of the University
of Pennsylvania Museum.
Dr. Rainey, who is anthropolo
gist, archeologist and author, has
been recently associated with the
States Department in Washington.
HOUSE PASSES
ALASKA BILL
A bill introduced by Dele
gate Bartlett has been passed
unanimously by the House and
referred to the Senate f6r action.
One measure would make possi
ble exploration for any mining of
gold and other minerals in the
beds of navigable streams in Alas
ka which is not now permitted un
der existing law. Such explora
tion would be subject to the juris
diction of the War Department for
the protection of navigation. Safe
guards provided by Delegate Bart
lett are' contained in the bill that
the Fish and Wildlife Service will
keep a constant check upon min
ing to make certain that the sal
mon and other fish running in the
streams will not be endangered. »
JOSEPH L. FISHER
Joseph L. Fisher, who lived in
Juneau for some time when asso
ciated with the National Resources
Planning Board, has been selected
to a position with the Council of
Economic Advisers and will be lo
cated in Washington, D. C., short
ly
The Council assists the Presi
dent in the preparation of an an
nual Economic Report to Con
gress, studies national economic
developments and trends, apprais
es activities of the federal govern
ment bearing upon the nation’s
Economy and its advancement and
develops” and recommends to the
President national economic poli
cies to maintain employment, pro
duction and furnishes the Presi
dent with other studies and re
ports relating to economic policy
and legislation.
CANDLE POST OFFICE
The Senate has received the
name of Ronald L. Gillis for con
firmation as postmaster of the of
fice at Candle.
The office was advanced from
the fourth class to the third last
year.
FEDERAL WORKS
AGENCY GRANT
A grant of <518,000 has been'ap
proved by the Federal Works
Agency for planning airport fa
cilities by the town of Fairbanks.
Under the advance planning
program of the agency the blue
printing funds do not have to be
paid back if the project is aban
doned but are repayable only if
the plans of the city materialize.
GERALD FITZGERALD
Gerald Fitzgerald has been ap
pointed chief topographic engineer
of the Geological Survey to suc
ceed Thomas P. Pendelton who
I has retired.
Mr. Fitzgerald is well known
throughout Alaska where he has
spent almost 2 years in survey
and map work for the Interior De
partment agency. During the war,
the commanded the Aeronautical
.chart service for the army with
| the rank of colonel. He has been
I with the geological survey since
1005.
ALASKA BILLS
Five Alaska bills have been ap
proved by the subcommittee on
Territories and ^ Insular Posses
sions of the House Public Lands
Committee for favorable report to
the full committee,'
Four of the measures were
sponsored by Delegate Bartlett,
and the fifth was introduced by
Chairman Welch of the commit
tee at the request of the Interior
Department.
One of the bills would authorize
the Territorial legislature to exer
cise or provide for the exercise of
zoning power .through a Territori
al Zoning Commission, in town
sites on public lands in Alaska.
A second measure would give
authority to the Governor of Alas
ka to use sole power to pardon for
offenses against local law in Alas
ka which now reposes in the Pres
ident of the United States.
Alaska came commissioners