an NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL.' XL VI 11. No. 65. NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 3 1, 194 6. PER COPY—15c
Alaska Rates
Being Heard
In Washington
Alaska Rale Hearing
Offering testimony which dif
fered radically from that presen
ted by the Alaska Steamship op
erators last November in Seattle,
the War Shipping Administration
estimated in the recent hearing
before the Maritime Commission
'in Washington that a rate increase
^ of 12 per cent would be suffic
ient to make up losses sustained
by the government in the Alaska
trade in 1945.
^ An increase between 80 and
100 percent was claimed in Nov
ember by the carriers, Alaska
Steamship Company, Northland
Transportation Company and Al
aska Transportation Company, as
necessary to enable the ships to
operate profitably under private
i _ • . _
UWI1CI
* The direct financial loss to the
government for the operation of
War Sshpping Administration con
trolled vessels in 1945 in the Al
aska trade was $1,361,861.93 it
was disclosed.
John Jago, WSA attorney, stat
I ed that if a rate increase would
be more than the traffic could
bear it was hoped the Maritime
Commission would recommend
that WSA seek authority to sub
sidize losses rather than have a
rate increase.
Territorial and federal witnes
ses and attorneys concurred in the
statement made by Donald J. O’
Connor of the Office of Price Ad
ministration that “there have been
no data so far offered by the car
riers, the WSA or the OPA on the
^basis of which, up to this time, any
substantial change in rates can
be justified. The present rates
to Alaska are already too high,
some higher than the traffic
should bear, and the canning in
dustry is not paying either what
its traffic could bear or, for the
services it demands, the cost those
services entail.”
The Territory was represented
l by Ralph J. Rivers, Attorney Gen
eral, and the Alaska Development
Board by David E. Scoll.
Officials of the Alaska carriers,
Gilbert Skinner, President of Al
aska Steamship Company, and S.
J. Swanson, Vice President and
General Manager of Alaska Tran
sportation Company, defended
.their forecasts made in Seattle
*that under private operations in
1946 their companies would sus
(Continued on Page Five)
Solemn Pledges
For Firm Peace
Dominant Theme
-:—
UNDATED, May 31, —(/P)—Sol-!
emn pledges to make firm the
peace, provided the dominant
theme for the reverent world-1
wide memorial services for Amer-1
ica’s soldier dead. Small Amer- j
ican flags fluttered over graves i
in wide areas of the Pacific where'
a year ago, America’s military
forces battled Japanese, and at
each grave in 37 U. S. military
I
cemeteries in Europe.
In a solemn, almost silent cere
mony, lasting no more than a min
ute, President Truman placed a
wreath of white roses on the
tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
in Arlington Cemetery, he didn’t
speak, but acted for the eneire
nation paying homage to the
dead of all wars.
POST HOLDS MEMORIAL
DAY SERVICES
Memorial Day services werr
conducted yesterday at the mil-,
itary cemetary te Fort Davis. To
the battle veterans of Italy and
Germany, of World War II., fell
the honor of performing theser
vices.
Major Roscoe C. Holland, post
adjutant, conducted the services,
assisted by Major Clarence E.
Groves.
Aa eleven o’clock, a ‘V’ form-'
ation of Norsemen, under the com-1
mand of Captain Enderton, drop
ped wreaths of flowers on the i
graves of the honored men.
Taps were sounded by Corp-1
oral Adkins, and the closing
prayer was given by Major Hoi- j
land.
__ |
OPA Gives
Lumber Mills
Higher Prices
- !
WASHINGTON, May 31, —(/P)—
The OPA announced today, mill j
price increases averaging $3.50
per thousand board feet on Doug
las Fir and other west coast lum
ber. The higher pricer will be
come effective today, and were
granted to encourage the produc
tion of lumber for veterans em
ergency housing.
Like the wolf, the Eskimo dog
does not bark.
Revolutionize Future Air Attack
Official U S Army Photograph
Greatly increased accuracy in future bombing attacks is forecast
«rt this remarkable, ju^t-released photo of guided bombs at work.
Taken from 10,000 ft. during a test raid on a Jap-held bridge late in
the war, it shows three guided bombs, called Azon, bursting squarely
«n target. To left, standard bombs simultaneously released explode
-•'ide of bridge; and scores of craters testify to failure of previous
tandan* bomb attacks. Developed by Gulf Oil research for the Air
rorces, Azon bombs are steered by the bombardier through radios in
.heir tails right onto the target. Introduced in final stages of the war,
guided bombs have since been improved. The Razon bomb, an advance
• /er Azon, has been developed, adding still further precision to U.S.
-.rpower.
China’s Hopes
For Peace
Ebbs Again
_ i
MUKDEN, China, May 31, —(/P)—\
Chinese communists have recap-,
tured the South Manchurian
steel city of Anshan, and are er
ecting a tough defense line in
front of Harbin, government dis
patches reported, as China's hopes
for peace ebbed again.
Nanking dispatches reported j
the arrival in Peiping, of General-1
issimo and Madam Chiang Kai!
Shek, who have been conferring
with national generals and offic
ials in Mukden, and Changchun.
Hirohito Pays
Friendly Visit To
General MacArthur
TOKYO, May 31, -A/Ph- Hiro
hito called on General MacAr
thur, accompanied by Viscount
Yoshitama Matsudiara, minister
CPA^s Small Says
‘Scars Will Show
For Many Months’
WASHINGTON, May 31, — (/Pi
Civilian Production Administrator
John D. Small, said the soft coal
strike and other work stoppages
set back output on automobiles
and other consumer goods at least
three months. He estimated the
coal strike alone cost the country
close to two billion dollars in lost
production, not counting the loss
of wages to a million odd workers.
Arrierican economy will bear
"the scars of the coal strike for
many months to come,” the CPA
chief predicted in his monthly re
port on production.
of the Imperial household.
Plans for the visit to MacArth
ur's American Embassy residence
was a secret few knew, the em
peror contemplated a second call
since the occupation. Conceiv
ably the emperor could have gone
to discuss Japan’s food situation
following his recent appeal to the
Japanese people.
John L. Lewis
Has W on His
i
Greatest Victory’
*
'WASHINGTON, May 31. —(/P)
Senator Byrd asserted today that
the terms of the settlement of the
soft coal strike constituted “gov
' ernment surrender” to Lewis in
; signing the new coal contract with
the government.
' Byrd told the Senate “Lewis
has won his greatest victory.”
Praise for the agreement came
from Senator Pepper, however,
during the Senate debate over
Truman’s emergency labor leg
islation.
Pepper noted that the contract
; provided for the miners welfare
fund stipulated the fund be ad
ministered by a board of three
members, one named by the gov
ernment, one by the miners, and
a third by the other two members.
The end of the soft coal strike
left Truman with a problem pre
sented by the hard coal fields.
Advisers are reportedly coun
seling him against seizure of the
anthracite mines.
Premier Stalin
Refuses Invitation
To Washington
WASHINGTON. May 31. —f/P>—
Stalin turned down two invita
tions from Washington, it was
disclosed today by President Tru
man in a fast moving news con
ference. The President said that
Stalin gave poor health as the
reason for the turn-downs.
The President also declared in
the conference that he would use
the Navy. Army and any other
man at his command if it is nec
essary to keep the merchant mar
ine running even the Maritime
strike scheduled for June ISth.
President Truman is still whole
heartedly in favor of the striker
; draft legislation he recommended
1 to Congress and he wouldn’t say
! whether he will sign the Case
Labor Bill. He is also opposed
to the labor leaders.
Truman also stated that he has
no intention of accepting the res
ignation of Stettinius as U. S
representativ to the United Na
tions Security Council, and there
is no hurry about filling the Su
preme Court vacancy caused bjr
* the death of Justice Stone.