m NOME NUGGET
_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS _
VOL. LII. No. 148 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1950_Per Copy—15c
NEWS IN BRIEF
DAGGETT, Calif. (^P) — This
Mojave Desert town’s residents
breathed more easily yesterday,
in more ways than one.
The danger was over, and the
air was cleared of potentially
deadly gas that mushroomed into
the sky in great pink clouds after
an explosion of hundreds of tons
of chlorinated lime at a Marine
Corps supply base near here Wed
nesday.
Five hundred persons left their
homes briefly after the blast, be
lieved caused by a spark from a
bulldozer traveling over a lime
supply dump.
Two infants were hospitalized
at neighboring Barstow and sev
eral firefighters were treated for
eye and lung irritation.
SEATTLE, (JP) — The Alaska
Communications System cableship
Basil O. Lenoir was proceeding to*
Ketchikan late Wednesday after
bending a propellor blade on a
submerged log.
The 600-ton powered barge put
into Prince Rupert, B. C., for re
pairs before leaving for Ketchi
kan. The Lenoir left here Dec. 1
for cable repair operations.
SAN FRANCISCO, (iP) — An
earthquake described as violent
by felt in the isolated Donner
Summit area of the Sierra at 5:25
a.m., yesterday.
Civil Aeronautics Author i t y
said the CAA airways station
there was shaken violently.
There was no report of damage,
however. The quake was felt as
far as Sacramento, Calif., to the
west and Reno, Nev., to the east.
WASHINGTON, (iP) — A rapid
build-up of the nation’s war plants
is essential to meet the serious
threat of a global conflict, secre
tary of defense Marshall has told
Congress.
Whether an all-out shooting war j
might rupt within the next few!
months was described by Marshall !
as very hard to answer.”
He said this country is doing all I
it can to avoid full-scale hostili
ties, but, he added, “We realize
that an all-out war can be initiat
ed by a single word from the other
side.”
I
FAIRBANKS, (TP)— By a 5 to 1
vote, Fairbanks voted this week
to lease land in the Weeks Field
subdivision for construction of a
S3,000,000 housing project.
Fifteen acres will be leased to
Cash Cole or assignees for 75
(Continued on Page Six)
DONT FORGET
YOUR DATE WITH BCG
In the Basement of the Hospital
Tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.
Saturday morning 10-12 a.m.
R.R. Yardworkers’
Sudden Strike
Spreads In East
CHICAGO, (JP) — A sudden,
crippling strike by railroad yard
workers spread yesterday from
Chicago to Washington and St.
Louis despite a federal court or
der to end the walkout.
Freight traffic was disrupted in
St. Louis and Chicago. Passenger,
mail and express service were af
fected in Washington.
The yardworkers* work stop
page curtailed passenger service
on eight rail lines serving the na
tion’s capital. A similar walkout
has tied up considerable freight
and hit some passenger traffic in
i Chicago rail crossroads of the na
I tion.
i
There had been a hint from
I chiefs of the Railroad Brother
hoods tha#t the strike might
spread. The first walkout, in Chi
cago, took 10,000 men out of the
yards Wednesday.
A federal judge Wednesday
night ordered the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen to end the one
day strike. The government, which
seized the nation’s carriers last
August after a strike threat stem
ming from a wage hour dispute,
said the stoppage was “seriously
j interfering with the war effort.”
The walkout, which the union
termed unauthorized, virtua 11 y
halted freight movement. It caused
some passenger train cancellations
and disrupted other industries.
Continuation of the stoppage
threatened a major delay in the
Christmas mails in Chicago, which
is a major transfer point fortrans
(Continued on Page Eight)
Poor Harry “Can’t
Understand”
HONOLULU, (JP) — President
Truman has written a letter say
ing ‘T can’t fcf rthe life of me see
why the Southerners would take
the the -attitude they do” in oppos
ing the Hawaii and Alaska state
hood bills.
The letter was written Nov. 30
to Edward Burken, legal counsel
for the Hawaii Statehood Com
mission and former Nebraska Sen
ator.
It was released by the statehood
commission.
The President’s letter, in reply
to one from Burke, said in part:
‘‘I am glad you liked the mes
sage on statehood for Hawaii and
Alaska. I can’t for the life of me
see why the Southerners would
take the attitude they do when
these two territories are of such
vital importance to the national
defense. If Alaska is properly de
veloped, it will support seven or
eight million people in luxury.”
Reds Starting
All-Out Air War
In Korean Fight
WASHINGTON, {&) — An Air
Force spokesman said yesterday
there are indications the commun
ist air force is starting to wage
all-out air war in Korea.
He said that increased enemy
jet fighter activities during the
last few days suggests “the enemy
may now intend to exploit fully
his air potential concommitnntly
with ihis ground successes.”
“The pattern now unfolded,” he
added, “may reveal a steady in
creasing tempo off air activity as
additional aircraft become avail
able from Communist China or
the Soviet Union.”
A dispatch from Korea yester
day said 24 Russian-made MIG-15
jet fighters and four American
jet Shooting Stars exchanged fire
near Sinuiju in Northwest Korea.
None of the American planes was
reported damaged. The U. S. pilofts
said one communist plane was hit.
(Continued on Page Six)
Savage Storm Off
French Coast
Cripples Ships
BREST, France, (jP) — At least
three ships — Dutch, English and
Greek—are in difficulty in a tem
pest off the coast of northwestern
France, the French naval station
said yesterday.
The 3,658 — ton Greek ship,
Agios Spyridon, is in the worst
shape, and can probably be con
sidered lost, the station said, add
ing that it has reports that rescue
ships have approached the vessel
and taken off at least two men
| and a woman.
The station said it also had
picked up signals of distress from
the 5,083 ton British ship, Blair
clove, and the Dutch coaster Kon
i inghsave, 493 tons, which was
drifing out of control.
The storm is so bad it has dis
rupted the radio signals, the sta
tion said.
Urgent calls for help came later
from the Swedish motorship Scan
dinavia. Messages received at Rot
terdam, the Netherland said the
3,506-ton vessel is facing serious
trouble in the Bay of Biscay.
Dirkzwagers Shipping Agency
said the Scandinavia reported wa
ter was pouring into her engine
room.
A Valencia radio broadcast
heard in Amsterdam said the
8,200-ton U. S. steamship Amer
ica Banker was afire and asking
for aid. But a later broadcast said
the distress call was cancelled af
ter the fire—in one of the ship’s
holds—was put out.
McCarthy-Pearson j
In Titlist Bout;
No Decision
/
WASHINGTON, (/P) — Physical
violence erupted between Senator
Joe McCarthy and columnist
Drew Pearson the other night. The
two had different versions and the
only acknowledged witness wasn’t
talking.
McCarthy, the Republican Sen
ator from Wisconsin, promised to
tell his colleagues something
i about Pearson yesterday. But he
| said he wouldn’t talk about their
! encounter.
1 The two are not buddies.' Mc
Carthy has been conducting a
' months-long campaign agai ns t
what he calls communist influ
enced in the state department and
elsewhere. Pearson has written
and broadcast critically of the
(Continued on Page Three)
Casualties Mount
In Korean War
WASHINGTON, {£>)—Announc
ed American casualties in the Ko
rean war rose to 33,878 yesterday,
an increase of 1,436 in a week.
Yesterday’s summary, issued by
the defense department, reported
5,870 deaths, of which 5,258 were
killed in action, 607 died of
wounds, and five are norw known
to be dead after previously being
reported missing in action.
It listed the wounded at 23,477
(including the 607 who later died).
Missing in action: 5,143.
The new totals are based on
n o t i f i cations to next-of-kin
through Dec. 8, but probably re
flect few at the losses suffered
when United Nations forces were
hit by the huge Chinese commun
ist offensive.
This is because of the time lag
resulting from the notification
procedure. The first effects of the
enemy offensive probably will be
gin to show in casualty reports a
week or twcr from now.
BULLETIN I
(Special to The Nugget)
WASHINGTON, (£>)—President
Truman will issue a proclamation
of national emergency tomorrow
high officials disclosed late to
day. They also said he will follow
up his major speech tonight on
world crisis with an executive or
der tomorrow setting up the Office
of Defense Mobilization under
Charles E. Wilson. The proclama
tion of emergency to accompany
this executive order.
The tightened controls over the
nation's economy will proceed un
der lines laid down in the procla
mation.
Korean Situation
At A Glance —
Thursday, December 14 ,1950
(By The Associated Press)
The U. S. Third Division aban
dons ORO in the critical Allied
northeast Korea beachhead. En
gineers blow bridges, forces pull
back toward Hamhung. An estim
ated 100,000 Chinese Reds menace
bridgehead. In biggest aerial dog
fight of war four American jets
tangle with 24* Soviet-built jets
over Sinuiju. One enemy plane re
ported hit. General MacArthur’s
headquarters says 8 to 12 North
Korean divisions now back in the
war. Only small engagements re
ported on the Eighth Army’s west
front.
At Lake Success the United Na
. i
tions general assembly are expect
ed to approve a cease-fire propos
al over Russia’s objection.
Friday, November 15, 1950
A fiercely attacking 100,000-man
Red Chinese army swarmed over
the blazing flatlands of the
dwindling Hungnam beachhead
today, attempting to drive United
Nations forces into the sea.
The Allies hit back with air,
tank and military support. The
Chinese losses in infantry and
cavalrymen were heavy. But still
they came on. Fighting continued
throughout the day and by night
fall was increasing in intensity.
American doughboys pulled
back into a smaller and smaller
perimeter, with their backs to the
Sea of Japan. The North Korean
high command said the whole U.
S. Tenth Corps was being evacu
ated by sea from Northwest Ko
rea.
The beachhead was the last
stand in the northeast for around
60,000 Allied troops assembled
there after a general retreat from
the icy mountainous hinterland.
(/P) correspondent Tom Lambert
with the U. S. Third Division re
ported the Chinese broke through
the outlying mountain barrier on
to the plains fringing the seashore.
One Third Division platoon was
lost in early fighting. Lambert
said the advance onto the beach
head’s flat plain poised a serious
(Continued on Page Two)
7 SHOPPING DAYS
TIU CHPISTMAS
2 Thrilling
Games
GIRLS HI vs. ALUMNI—7:00 P.M. Admission 50, Children 25 HIGH SCHOOL vs. C.A.P.-&00 P.M.