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
*1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
Entered as second class matter October 14. 1943, at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879
Monday, April 19, 1948.
CITIZEN OF ALASKA — V O T El
NOW IS THE TIME, be gins the old 'saw' about
coming to the aid of the party. We now have a new
type of ballot on which are printed the names of
all candidates for the verious Divisional and Terri
torial offices, with party affiliation printed after each
name. A person can vote in any manner he or she
chooses; either straight party, or intermixed. But,
no matter how you vote, do vote tomorrow.
It is the democratic way of life in America which
permits a free voting privilege. After all, what is
democratic government for if it is not intended to
secure the greatest blessing for the greatest number.
AMERICA'S OTHER WEAPON .
The past is still with us. Those who hoped for
a brave new world after the last war are finding
on every side the time-worn paraphernalia of pow-:
er blocs, spheres of influence, military guarantees,
armaments races, conflicting national sovereign
ties.
Some Americans, indulging in soft and wishful
thinking, would blink the hard facts. Others, with
heavy hearts and bitter minds, would wash their
hands of the whole sorry business in a gesture of
despair. But a courageous, clear-eyed idealism must,
face squarely the challenge of the past.
In a world in which old-fashioned povyer factors |
(with new lethal weapons) still count heavily, the
interests and independence of nations beyond the
recognized Russian sphere of influence are now
threatened. American military and economic power
is necessary to back these nations against an ag
gressive Russia (interior of Czarist Russia ambi
tions) seeking strategic advantages which would
endanger the possibility of reaching a balance of
world power. Thus, American national interest de
mands a firm containment of further Russian ex
pansion.
All this may be new to the United States as a
recent comer to world power. It was an old story
to Europe a hundred years ago when Karl Marx
warned against Russian autocracy's aggressive'
threat to western democracy. Now the question is
must the old story be repeated without variation
till it leads to the ultimate calamity?
Wo. lius time there is a ditterence. nussia has a
new weapon—the very Communism of Karl Marx.
It is a half-truth to say that military power is the
only language the Soviet Union understands and
respects. Certainly, bluster without military power
will never restrain the hard-bitten men in the Krem
lin. But they speak another language, too: the lan
guage of revolutionary ideas. And Henry Wallace
is right when he declares that you can't kill ideas
with guns.
Here, just where there is the greatest danger,
there is the greatest hope. For this means that
while democracy stands guard over its established
Institutions with the weapons of the past (or dead
lier versions thereof), it may never need to use
these if it can win a clean victory on the new ide
ological front.
What does this mean concretely? It means that
the United States must first of all offer doubting
millions throughout the world convincing evidence
that its own democracy works. Only thus can it dis
prove the Communist thesis that capitalism inev
itably leads to fascism and to imperialist war as
an escape from economic depression. It must pur
ify its own democracy of the more glaring in just-1
ices which serve Communist propaganda so well.,
It must rise above the level of thinking which pre
HE CALLED FOR HIS FIDDLERS THREE
I k- ^ i iteMg tfi&M bj
fers lowering its taxes to educating its children.
Furthermore, the United States must prove the
sincerity of its concern for democracy elsewhere
in the world. It must understand the legitimate as
pirations of those who stand doubting between
Russian anr American promises. The angry surge
of rebellion in the Old World against the misery
and exploitation of the past has deep-lying causes
which few Americans comprehend thoroughly.
They must bend every effort not to allow military
necessity to force them into unconditional alliance
with corrupt privilege at the .expense of popular
tides which Communism may then ride to its own;
advantage. ,
This is a tall order. Many Americans may feel
that the obvious superiority of their democracy
speaks for itstlf. To those who have enjoyed its
privileges, yes. But it must learn to speak the lan
guage of those others whom it would win if the
battle of the future is to be fought without plung
ing the world into atomic ruin..
A DEBT TO SADAO
(Christian Science Monitor)
The United States Army transport Wilson Vic
tory was recently rechristened the Private Sadao
S. Munemori.
Munemori is a Japanese name. But Sadao was an
American boy. The Army's tribute to this outstand
ing hero of the war—who was also awarded post
humously the Congressional Medal of Honor—is i
another step taken to redress the unfavorable dal
ance in the nation's treatment of its Japanese- Am
ericans.
When Sadao Munemon performed single-handed
prodigies of courage at Saravezza, Italy, in April,'
1945—finally saving the lives two of his comrades
by smothering with his own body the blast of
a hand grenade—he was fighting for a democracy
which has not yet been extended to many of his;
fellow Americans of Japanese ancestry. No honor j
paid to his name can settle the debt the United'
States owes to the thousands of his countrymen'
who suffered serious economir losses when they
were evacuated from their west coast homes in an'
improvised, overexcited action. i
Why any further delay in making a just settle
ment for the property and earning fosses suffered
by Japanese-Americans at that time? Here is onei
recommendation of President Truman's civil rights
message which cannot be legitimately disputed.
An "Evacuation Claims Bill" was unanimously
passed by the Senate and reported favorably by
the House Judiciary Committee in the 79th Con
gress, which adjourned before the House could
vote on it. But nothing has been done yet.
Do Americans of the majority group feel com
fortable about their unpaid debt to Sadao-—and
the family he left behind him?
Political Picture
Shaping Up Across
The Nation
WASHINGTON, — (A*)—While
Republicans in Idaho held a party
meeting to pick 11 delegates u>
the national convention, main pol
itical interests centered today on
a GOP primary two weeks off.
A stiff fight was shaping up in
the May 4 Ohio contest, where
Harold E. Stassen and Senator
Robert A. Taft are due to lock
horns. Taft suddenly abandoned
a scheduled speaking tour in Ver
mont to concentrate on the coming
battle in his home state.
The Idaho political event was
one of two on tap for Saturday.
The other was in Kentucky, where
Democrat John A. Whitaker is
unopposed in a special Congress
ional election for the seat of Earle
C. Clements, now the state’s gov
ernor.
Idaho’s GOP delegates are ex
pected to go to the Philadelphia
nominating convention without in
structions. But the Ohio elections
may test the strength of the Re
publican hopefuls who have slates
entered.
Stassen. who looms large in the
nationwide Republican race fol
lowing successful decisive victor
ies in Wisconsin and Nebraska,
has entered contests for 23 of O
hio’s 53 delegates.
In Cleveland, meanwhile, Taft
said of his chances in Ohio, where
Stassen’s supporters are claiming
10 to 12 votes: “Things are gen
erally favorable.”
At the same time, President
Truman, who is being opposed
within his own party for the dem
ocratic nomination, receive a com
mendation from the New York
state demoratic committee.
Though the committee made no
effort to instruct its 16 delegates
at-large it selected, its resolution
was considered as a sign that the
president may get a big share of
New York’s 98 convention votes.
24 Alaska Crippled
Children Will Be
Treated In Chicago
CHICAGO, —f/P)—Twenty-four
crippled children from Alaska will
be treated this-year at the home
for destitute crippled children in
Chicago, officials announced to
day.
The children, who will arrive
at the rate of two a month, are
from the Alaskan Crippled Child
ren’s service.
The project has been approved
by the commission of health of
•he U.S. interior department.
“The home for destitute crip
pled. children project is an ex
cellent way of helping meet the
health needs of Alaskan children”
said Ernest Gruening. governor of
Alaska, in commenting on the pro
gram.
The Alaskan children represent
the most difficult and complicated
cases in that territory. Under the
program, round-trip air transpor
tation will be provided.
Belgium Got 18,625
U. S. Autos Last Year
BRUSSELS, m — Belgium im
ported 46,765 motor-cars in 1947
against 10,754 in 1946, official sta
tistics show.
The United States supplied 18,
625 cars (3,407 in 1946) 10,101
were from Great Britain (3,824 in
1946) 14,862 from France (3,236
in 1946) and 3,177 from other
countries <287 in 1946).
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