THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Noma. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 . P. O. Box 618
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W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER.Editors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffire
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Friday, July 25,.. 1947
Did Roosevelt Give Alaska to Stalin?
(San Francisco Argonaut)
Alaska, where the New Deal and its bureaucrats are
marking their last stand, is the biggest pool of untapped j
resources left to the American people. Under the ex-i
cuse of conservation, the lumber is rotting, but con
servation is only a semanticism for job-holding. Should
Alaska, which has a better claim to statehood than Ha
waii, be freed for private enterprise, it would soon fill
up with people eager to supply East Asia and western
North America with coal and lumber. There is water
power there to reduce pulp and relieve the paper short
age, largely caused by Russia’s cornering the Scandi
navian supply.
But Alaskans are worried. The Russians are claiming
Alaska, and there is more than a suspicion that when
Franklin D. Roosevelt was making presents to Stalin at
Yalta, he promised Alaska. He probably agreed that the
folly in Seward’s purchase was that Seward had not
paid the Czar enough for the Territory. However, the
Army fields in Alaska are covered with planes, and if
they are kept on the alert, it is unlikely that Russia will
claim Alaska. Certainly there would be less danger if
Alaska were invited to become a State of the Union, and
not a colonial possession of the Department of the In
terior, as it is now.
There are 100,000 Americans in Alaska, but they have
few rights. They are not even allowed to vote for the
President of the United States.
But as John E. Manders, former Mayor of Anchorage,
said recently, there are three fundamental things which
must be done if Alaska is to take its place as the forty
ninth State:
“(1) An enabling act of Congress enabling the people
of Alaska to form a constitution and State government,
and to be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with
all of the other States;
“(2) The forming of a State constitution in accord-1
ance with American principles of government by a con- j
stitutional convention of elected Alaskans in session for
that purpose; and
“(3) Ratification of such constitution by at least a
majority of the qualified electors of Alaska.”
Alaska has been a Territory of the United States
since 1867. Since that time the States of Nebraska, Colo-,
rado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Washington, Mon
tana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona and
New Mexico have been admitted to statehood.
The way to convince Russia, no matter what was said
during the cocktail parties at Teheran and.Yalta, that
Alaska is part of the United States, is to let the Ameri
cans in Alaska enjoy the full rights of American citi
zens. Then, even if Henry Agard Wallace should be
come President of the United States, Alaska will not
be given back to Siberians.
Britain Finds A Road
(The Denver Post)
BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY, long stalled at the
crossroads, has gained a new impetus and determina
tion from the Marshall plan for the recovery of Europe.
Before Marshall’s Harvard speech that government
was following a middle-of-the-road poicy whose ultim
ate results might have been likened to those achieved
by Prime Minister Chamberlain. But its vehicle had
broken down.
Foreign Secretary Bevin admitted as much by his
speech at the Labor party convention at Margate on
May 29. Then he was defending British foreign policy
against attacks by the left wing of the party. The at
' DISK JOCKEY
tacks were based on “Cards on the Table,” a booklet
published by the party leadership. The left claimed that
Britain was leaning too close to the United States, at the
expense of Russia.
Bevin’s defense was based on three important pre
cepts of Labor party policy. First, that Britain was pri
marily concerned with preserving her own internation
al power. Second, that as socialists the British govern
ment recognized the interdependence of all nations.
Third, that the Labor government would not take sides
in a lineup for a third world war.
Now, while it has accepted the Marshall plan whole
heartedly, the British government has sacrificed none
of these precepts. The Marshall plan, which is designed
for European recovery, will be instrumental in the
preservation of Britain as one of the Big Three. The
Marshall plan, more than any previous plan of action,
recognizes the interdependence of all nations.
Most important of all, in accepting the Marshall plan
the British did not take sides in a lineup for the third
world war. But in rejecting it, and in putting pressure
on eastern European nations to reject it, the Soviet
Union may have done so.
The Marshall plan was designed for the integration
of Europe. Soviet Russia was asked to participate. Her
refusal means that she prefers a divided Europe to one
she cannot dominate.
Britain sees survival of Europe in the Marshall plan.
Her government has accepted it. After months of run
ning to the gate to meet the Russians, she suddenly
stopped half-way and beckoned. It is apparent that if
the Russians are determined on a course of isolation,;
the British will do nothing but keep beckoning. They;
are no longer prepared to just string along.
One Man’s Opinion By Walter kiernan
The coal contract is effective only when miners are
“able and willing to work.” . . . Fortunately they have
John Lewis to tell them when they’re both. — Old John
will be a better diagnostician of “clauses contractitis”
than Johns Hopkins. — But it’s going to look odd to see (
Lewis bent over a miner, trying his chest with the
stethescope and burning his liver with the cigar. —
Miner gets up in the morning and says: “I feel as bouncy!
as a Bugsy Siegel check today.” His wife says, “Don’t
be silly . . . there’s a note from the union that you’re in
terrible pain.”
THAT’S THAT By bruce gustin
i
_ a_
President Murray of the CIO
and Walter Reuther, head of the
United Auto Workers, which is
the CIO’s biggest union, are
grandstanding. In their union pa
pers they have published articles
designed to provide court tests of
the Taft-Hartley act’s| prohibition
against expenditure of union
funds for political campaign pur
poses. Reuther has expressed
doubt that either Senator Taft or
Congressman Hartley or other
backers of the new law “will have
the courage to demand prosecu
[ tion for this violation:” Their fail
ure to demand prosecution will
not be due to any lack of courage.
It clearly is not the intent of the
law to interfere with freedom of
the press.
Governor Dewey of New York
; is on the ri »ht track in suggesting
I some “horse-trading, where the
federal gove.nment gives up nuis
ance taxes in exchange for the
' exclusive right to tax incomes.”
An agreement between the states
and federal government upon
their respective fields of taxnron
surely would be desirable. Cer
tain sources of tax revenue should
be reserved to the states, thereby
eliminating the overlapping which
results in double taxation
Seven of the thirty-two Presi
dents of the United States have
died in office, but no v:cc presi
dent, after succeeding to the pres
idency, has died in office. So it is
no experience of the past, but
what may happen in the future,
that explains the new succession
law voted by congress on recom
mendation of President Truman.
With the advent of atomic age and
recognition of the possibility that
in a future war the White House
would be a bomb target, it is pru
dent to make ample provision for
Presidential succession. Under the
new law succession after the vice
president, will be through the
speaker of the House, the presi
dent pro tern of the Senate and
then through members of the
cabinet.
No one should begrudge the
coal miners the wage increase
which John L. Lewis squeezed
out of the operators. What causes
widespread worry is the fear this
may touch off another inflation
ary price spiral. After all, the
wage increase \Vill come out of
the pockets of the public, rather
than the mine owners. Coal prices
are expected to go up from 67
cents to $1.25 a ton. Iron Age has
predicted an average increase of
$5 a ton in steel prices. That will
advance prices on automobiles and
steel products generally.
There is one way to increase
wages without boosting prices,
that is by cutting taxes. Every tax
reduction increases the takehome
pay of American workers. It gives
them the spending of more of the
money they earn. Without a fed
eral tax cut, the miners will have
to share their increased pay with
Uncle Sam’s tax collectors.
There’s considerable merit in
former President Hoover’s sug
gestion that Congress, in revamp
ing federal tax laws, should dif
ferentiate between “earned and
unearned” in come, and tax ac
cordingly. As a general thing, it is
reasonable to give tax payers some
credit for “earned income.” As
Hoover points out, “the man who
works for wages finds it difficult
to build up a savings account
while a person receiving his live
lihood from annuities, or similar
income, usually is in a much bet
ter financial position.”
How to avoid injustices in tax
ing “earned income” at a lower
rate than Income from invest
ments, annuities, etc., is a diffi
cult problem, however. Take the
case of people who have retired,
or who have become incapacitated
and have barely enough income to
support them. They are entitled
to some consideration. Their in
come would not be classed as
“earned” although it comes from
savings accumulated when they
were working. In justice to them,
if a credit is to be allowed on
“earned income,” there should be
a credit on a certain amount of
“unearned income,” too.
Russia’s attempt to torpedo the
Paris conference by keeping all
the countries in, the Soviet bloc
from participating sets the stage^
for an economic showdown be
tween the United States and the
Soviet Union. Which will help
European countries the more in
rehabilitation? Unless as much