™i NOME NUGGET
_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_
VOL. L No. 37 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1948 PER COPY — 15c
NEWS IN BRIEF
JERUSALEM (^)^Jewish girls
in Palestine are finding it danger
ous these days to have American
or British boy friends.
Jewish extremists are pouncing
on such girls and shaving their
heads.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (/P) — Hot
coke pouring from a blast furnace
pipe in a flaming flash killed at
least four men and burned 13
others at the Bethlehem Steel
Corp. plant Wednesday night.
WASHINGTON, </P) — A high
navy official said an American
plane sighted a foreign submarine
ten days ago off the Aleutians as
sumed to be Russian. The official
said foreign submarines have been
reported three times recently in
the Pacific, once within 200 miles
of San Francisco. He said a mer
chane vessel reported sighting a
periscope in the Johnston Island
Palmayra area some 800 miles
from Hawaii. A merchant vessel
also signted the submarine that
was off San Francisco. The offi
cial requested his name not be
used.
NEW YORK (/P)—Three mental
patients described by police as
“dangerous” escaped early today
from Manhattan state hospital on
Ward’s island in the East River.
One was recaptured soon after
wards.
A hospital guard was severely
beaten after the three men had
sawed through the steel bars of a
room.
SEATTLE, (/P) — Funeral serv
ices for Capt. Oluf B. Anderson,
83, retired Seattle-Alaska mariner
who died Tuesday, were to be held
today at 1 p.m.
Capt. Anderson commanded
passenger and freight ships be
tween Seattle and Alaskan ports
until his retirement 20 years ago.
NEW YORK, (/P)— A first-de-!
gree murder indictment was re
turned yesterday against Marko L.
Markovich, 65, charged with the
street shooting of a Catholic
schoolboy last week.
Markovich, quoted by authori
ties as saying he wanted “to kill
Catholics,” opened fire on a group
of Catholic school students, killing
Thomas Brady, 16, and wounding
six others. Three of the wounded
students still are hospitalized.
__________. _________________
SEATTLE, (IP) — The third of
eight unions negotiating with the
Washington Metal Trades, Inc.,
has voted to join in a strike sched
uled for April 8. *
The latest addition is the AFL
boilermaker union. A. F. O’Neil, i
chairman of the Seattle metal!
trades committee, said the union'
rejected a 10-cent wage increase
offered by the employers. The
union, he said, scaled its demands
down from 25 cents to 12Vfe.
WASHINGTON, {IP)—'The state
department said today it has re
ceived “reports of rumors for a
plot against the life of King Mihai
of Romania.
It is “taking measures” to pro
tect him against assassination, it
“Russia Is A
Friendly Nation”
—
WASHINGTON (JP) —Congres
sional indignation over the ship
ping of supplies to Russia drew
from President Truman yesterday
the observation that the U. S. S. R.
at the present time is a friendly
Ration.
Mr. Truman told a news con
ference that many of the ship
ments which have drawn fire on
Capitol Hill were contracted for
by the Soviets two years ago.
He said the commerce depart
ment is handling the situation and
he referred further questions to
that department.
After all, he said, Russia is at
the present time a friendly nation.
He spoke after Congress had
heard testimony that American
warplane engines and other sup
plies had been shipped to Russia
at a time of critical world tension.
Spurred by disclosures before
his House investigating commit
tee, Chairman Rizley (R.-Okla.)
told reporters these moves are un
der way:
1. Demand on the department
of commerce for a complete break
down of all U. S. materials sent to
Russia and her satellite nations.
2. An immediate check into re
ports that boxes and crates mark
ed for shipment to Russia “are ly
ing all the New York waterfront.”
3. A full-scale inquiry into the
operations of Moore-McCormack
Steamship Line of New York, de
scribed by a witness Wednesday
as the American firm handling all
shipments for AMTORG, the offi
(Continued on Page Five)
Thirteen Dead In
States Tornado
_ i
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. <£>)—
A hit and miss tornado bounced
across central and eastern Okla-,
homa last night, leaving at least
13 persons dead.
The storm hit mainly in farm
communities, striking near We
tunka, 75 miles east of Oklahoma i
City, Eufauwa, 40 miles east of j
Wetumka, Boynton, 20 miles south
of Muskogee, Checotah, a few
miles west of Fost Smith, Ark.
The tornado first was reported
at Tinker Field, Oklahoma City,
about 6 p.m. 84 planes were de
stroyed or damaged there *by the
twister. It moved gradually east
ward, finally hitting Sallisaw, near
the Arkansas border about 11 p.m.
It was the second storm within a
week to do major damage at Tin
ker Field. I
said.
Officials declined to say where
the reports came from, or what
protective steps have been taken.
The 26-year-old deposed king is
visiting here.
MANILA, (iP)—17 members of
the 1942 class of the Philippine
military academy were awarded
displomas in Baguio this week—
but only tearful relatives were
there to receive them.
The entire class is dead—killed
in action on Bataan or in guerril
la fighting, or perished in Japan
ese prison camps.
Soviets Seek To |
Control Govt. In
South Korea
—
(By Roy Roberts)
SEOUL, (/P)—South Korean po
litical leaders today were invited
to help establish a Soviet-spon
sored government of Korea*
The Russian controlled radio at
Pyongyang, headquarters of the
Russian occupation in North Ko
rea, invited leaders of rightist,
leftist and middle-of-the-road par
ties to a conference April 14. The
broadcast was repeated twice.
The United Nations has approv
ed plans for an election May 9 in
American administered South Ko
rea. It wanted to conduct a na
tionwide election, to give Korea
self government. The Russians re
fused to let a U. N. commission
even enter North Korea for pre
liminary discussions.
South Korean political leaders
have been sharply divided on the
U. N. election plan.
Three times today, the Pyong
yang radio broadcast its invitation
to South Korea. The invitation
was attributed to the people’s com
mittee of North Korea, which re
cently announced preparations to
set ub a Soviet-sponsored North
Korean government — compl e t e
with a red star and hammer flag,
and an army.
The invitations were directed
especially to South Korean politi
cians who oppose the U. N. elec
tion plan.
They were invited to meet at
Pyongyang April 14.
The invitation was extended
specifically to Kim Koo, chairman
of the Korean independence party,
and to other groups.
Kim Koo and other political
leaders are opposing plans for the
U. N. election on grounds it would
partition Korea.
The only step remaining in the
creation of a Soviet-sponsored
“Democratic peoples republic of
Korea” is the adoption of a con
stitution. That has been under dis
cussion in North Korea several
weeks. Final consideration was
postponed recently from mid
March to mid-April.
Truman Calls For
Truce Parley
WASHINGTON, (JP)—President
Truman proposed yesterday that
the United Nations call Arab and
Jewish leaders into a truce parley
to halt bloodshed in Palestine.
He said Warren Austin, Ameri-1
can delegate to the U. N., will put
the proposal before the U. N. se
curity council.
The President told a news con
ference the United States reversed
its original stand for partition of
Palestine because^ partition could J
net be enforced without American
troops.
Austin, American delegate to
U. N., announced the reversal last
Friday. He proposed a temporary
United Nations trusteeship over
Palestine.
Mr. Truman said the United
States proposed the trusteeship to
provide a government “to keep the
peace.”
rri m • m
Iriiman tries to
Settle Coal Strike
WASHINGTON, (^—President
Truman said today he will take
whatever steps are necessary—and
possible under the law—to settle
the coal strike.
He made that comment to a
news conference when asked
about the board he has appointed
to determine facts in the dispute.
The board was appointed, Mr.
Truman explained, when the fed
eral mediation and conciliation
service failed to get an agreement
between the coal industry and the
United Mine Workers.
The President said he is follow
ing the law when asked if he
plans any appeal to the coal min
ers to return to work.
The fact-finding board has un
til April 5 to make its report. The
President said he believes its
members will speed their decision.
“After that?” a reporter asked.
The President said when the
board reports he will take any ac
tion is necessary under the law.
After the board reports, the gov
ernment can go to the courts and
ask an order halting the strike.
The government was reported
drafting new coal savings orders.
Federal officials still hoped the
UMW chief John L. Lewis would
call his 400,000 soft coal diggers
back to work before the shortage
becomes acute. But they were not
counting on it.
Instead, they prepared to fol
low the cut in passenger and
freight service on coal burning
railroads with a similar order to
utilities to sJow down their plants.
Dimouts and brownouts to con
serve power possibly would result.
The same action were adopted in
previous mine strikes.
The freight order, effective next
Tuesday, reduces shipments 25
per cent. The interstate commerce
commission set up a priority sys
tem giving top transport rating to
food, fuels, medical supplies and
other essential items.
Identify Unlisted
Crash Victim
VANCOUVER, Wash. (/P>—1The
air force has identified the eighth
victim of the C-47 transport that
crashed north of here as Cpl. To
kuo Nitta, Lodi, Calif.
His body was found with that of
Pvt. Olin Ralph' Horn, Longview,
Wash., late Tuesday night several
hours after the six others were lo
cated in and near the shattered
plane near Davis Peak.
Lt. Patrick Toomey, casualty of
ficer of Fairfield-Suisun base,
Calif., said the air force has not
completed its study of how Cpl.
Nitta and Cpl. Herbert M. Fukui,
Tacoma, got aboard as extra pas
sengers. Their names were not
listed on the plane manifest when
the transport left California Sun
day for Portland.
The two survivors, Major John
B. Harding, Portland, and Pfc.
John M. Belmonte, East Boston,
Mass., were resting more comfort
ably. Harding suffered a broken
leg. Both men had badly frozen
feet.
Gen. Clav Not
Looking For War
FRANKFURT, Germany. (TP)—
Gen. Lucius D. Clay said yester
day he is “not the least bit ner
vous” about the military situation
in Germany.
“I am not expecting any confla
gration to break out tomorrow or
the next day by any means.” the
U. S. military governor told a
news conference.
Clay said he has no fear that
the Russians will close the borders
of Eastern Germany or the sup
ply highway from the British and
American zones to Berlin.
A German newsman said the
German people are afraid they
will be overrun by Russian troops.
Clay replied: “People everywhere
are afraid of war. Nobody as an
individual wants war. Let us hope
from that fact alone there will be
no war.”
Citizens, Congressmen, Airmen, Military
Testify To Need of Seawall At Nome
-
WASHINGTON. (JP) — Nome,
Alaska, is strategically important
to national defense and should be
protected from storms that threat
en its existence, army and air
force officers testified Wednesday.
Congressmen and Alaskans also
testified before a House public
works sub-committee considering
to authorize building a $1,837,000
seawall to protect the town.
Witnesses said that if Nome is
wiped out it would cost the gov
ernment more than $5,000,000 to
rehabilitate the harbor. They said
half of the town was wiped out by
past storms and fear the next
storm, possibly in October, may
finish its destruction.
Chairman Angell (R.-Ore.) of
the sub-committee told the other
members it is “pennywise and
pound foolish” not to protect the
Nome harbor and air corps base
back of it, when Siberia is only
150 miles away.
“The people of Nome and North
west Alaska realize they are in a
f » '■■■■■■ . , ■ ---
perilous position,” Frank Whaley,
Alaskan bush pilot testified. “Air
planes from Siberia can be over
Nome in six minutes.”
iRep. Bender (R.-Ohio) urged
immediate committee approval
saying Nome and the air corps
base are important in the national
defense picture.
Brig. Gen. Dale V. Gaffney of
the air corps testified the Nome
harbor and city are important to
the maintenance of the Nome air
base, which protest 1000 miles of
the Bering Sea shore line.
He said the base has to get its
supplies through the harbor and
that it “is absolutely essential to
the airport facilities.”
The air base at Nome is highly
important to national defense, he
added.
Grant R. Jackson, president of
the Miners and Merchants Bank
at Nome, testified Russia has a
submarine base on its side of the
Bering Sea and added he had been
(Continued on Page Eight)