I
_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_
VOL. LIII No. 47_NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1951 _Per Copy—15^
MacArthur Speech
Splits Washington
Far East Policy
UNDATED, (£>) — MacArthur’s
fighting speech before Congress
yesterday has split Washington in
bitter controversy over Far East
ern policy that may continue on
into the 1952 presidential elections.
The controversy largely cen
tered around the 71-year-old gen
eral’s four-point win-the-war pro
gram. He said his views on meet
ing the intervention of Chinese
Communists by widening the base
of the conflict had in the past been
shared by most military men, in
cluding the U. S. Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
The Truman administration’s
reply was prompt. A spokesman
at the Pentagon said last night he
had been authorized by the White
House to declare that President
Truman's action in firing MacAr
thur “was based upon the unani
mous recommendations of the
joint chiefs of staff.” j
Gen. Omar Bradley, chairman
of the top military policy group,
told reporters at Chapel Hill, N.
C., that as advisers to the presi
dent the joint chiefs “render our
advice to him on a military point
of view.”
He added, without amplifica
• tion, that “the question of Gen
eral MacArthur’s relief is pri
marily a political one.” In a
(Continued on Page Five)
Largest New York Crowd
Welcomes Gen. MacArthur
NEW YORK, (iP>—A wild “wel
come home” ovation was given
Gen. Douglas MacArthur today
as he toured New York’s gaily
decorated streets in a hero’s ticker
tape parade.
Cheering throngs greeted him j
from the moment he drove out of!
his hotel driveway in a big open I
automobile at 11:06 a.m. j
Police estimated that 5,000,000
persons would see him before the j
three hour procession ended—the j
largest crowd ever in the history
of New York official reception^.
The general, smiling and wav
ing, wore his familiar crushed of
ficers cap with its “scrambled
eggs” visor and a long army over
coat.
Police had difficulty holding
the crowds back at some points.
“Hey General, Hey General,”
shouted excited youngsters.
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Alaska Railroad Trainmen
Demand $1 Hour Increase
ANCHORAGE, (/P) — Operating
personnel of the government
controlled Alaska Railroad yes
terday rejected a proposed interim
wage increase ranging from 18 to
20V£ cents an hour.
Representatives of the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen and
Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and Enginemen stood pat on
their demand for a $1 an hour
increase.
A formal letter to the Alaska
Railroad wage board said the $1
boost would bring wages up to
where they would reasonably com
pare with local prevailing wage
rates and living costs. '
GAASLAND STARTS
PRELIMINARY WORK
Clyde Hcrvik, superintendent of
the Gaasland Construction Co.,
who arrived to start work on the
company’s project at Tin City, is
busy with preliminary work be
fore the season operations start.
Material and equipment which
arrived here last fall must be
shipped north before actual con
struction starts he stated and he
advises those laborers who are
interested in working for his com
pany that hiring, for the greater
part of the work, will not start
until late in May or early June.
He cautions workers who are
now engaged in other work to
stay with their present work until
that time and not to come in from
the outlying villages for a month
or so.
SUPPLIES FOR BERING SEA
LORAN AND LIGHTHOUSE
STATIONS BEING LOADED
SEATTLE, (/P)—Groceries were
being loaded on shipboard today
for the men who take care of the
lonely lighthouses and loran sta
tions along the Aleutian islands
and the Bering Sea.
The groceries, along with other
stores for Coast Guard stations
on the western side of Alaska, will
leave Seattle next week on the
Sweetbriar, -a 180-foot combina
tion buoy tender and ice breaker.
The ship was being loaded at
Pier 91.
Lieut. Comdr. Norman A. Dre
her is master of the Sweetbriar,
which is making her first trip as
a supply ship. She replaces the1
Cutter Unalga, retired from serv
ice.
Little Hope For Men
Trapped in Submarine
PORTSMOUTH, England, (/P)—
A rescue ship made contact today
with an object which might be the
submarine Affray, trapped on the
bottom of the English Channel,
but the Admiralty said it had little
hope any of the 75 officers and
men aboard were still alive.
Asserts MacArthur Has
Documentary Proof
TOKYO, (/P)—A key staff of
ficer said today Gen. MacArthur
could document fully his speech
to Congress.
Asked if MacArthur could pro
vide proof of his remarks, the
officer replied:
“Of course, that will be the
easiest part of it.” He added:
“The big battle will come when
he appears before the Senate
Armed Services Committee to
bring out the details.”
The disputed point of whether
the joint chiefs of sUff had ex
pressed approval of MacArthur’s
views remained obscure. It was
generally felt, however, that Mac
Arthur would not have said scf if
he were unprepared to back up
his statement.
Key officers pointed out that
many of the meetings between
the visiting joint chiefs and Mac
Arthur were held privately. At
this headquarters only the gen
eral himself knew what had been
said.
Cab Operators Convicted
Violating Anti-Trust Law;
Liquor Trial Starts Next
ANCHORAGE, {ff)—Anchorage
liquor handlers accused of violat
ing the Sherman anti-trust law
went on trial in Federal Court
here yesterday shortly after a
jury had returned a verdict for
taxicab operators tried on similar
charges. •
The jury convicted the Anchor
age Cab Operator Association and
two Anchorage taxicab men, ac
cused by the government of fixing
prices to eliminate competition.
Another cab association, two
cab companies and seven individ
ual operators were found inno- j
j cent.
i
Conviction carries a maximum
| penalty of a year in jail and a !
$500 fine, or both,
j i
The jury returned its verdict
| after deliberating 28 hours.
Attorneys immediately began
selection of a jury for the trial of,
j liquor operators, similarly accused
j of anti-trust violations. Five cor
porations, five of their officers, 42
individuals and one association
are charged specifically with con
spiracy to “raise, fix and main
tain arbitrary, non-compeftitive
prices, uniform terms and condi
tions in sales of bottled alcoholic
beverages to consumers in An
chorage and vicinity . . .” The
trial is expected to last two
months. i
Two Tankers Collide In
Gulf of Mexico; One is
“Lost With All Hands”
NEW ORLEANS, (>P) — Two
tankers collided in the Gulf of
Mexico about 200 miles south of
Morgan City, La., early today and
one was beileved “lost with all
hands.”
The other was reported afire
fore and aft with *her first mate
dead and a number of crewmen
badly burned.
The lost vessel was a type T-2
Esso tanker that normally carries
a crew of 35 men, the Coast Guard
said. Name of the ship was not
immediately known.
The burning vessel was the
Esso Suez, 6ne of the new super
tankers of the Esso Standard Oil
Co., which normally carries about
48 men. The vessel was described
as a “super-tanker” of 26,500 tons,
capable of carrying 9,000,000 gal
lons of oil.
BARANOF SAILS FOR ALASKA
WITH THE FIRST CAPACITY
PASSENGER LIST OF YEAR
SEATTLE, {/?)—The first cap
acity passenger list of the year
for Alaska will sail this afternoon
on the SS Baranof of Alaska
Steamship Co. One hundred forty
five passengers are booked for
the voyage.
The Baranof, Capt. Carl Nilsen,
master, will call at Ketchikan,
Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau,
Seward, Excursion Inlet, Port
Ashton, Port San Juan and Sitka.
NOME’S FAMOUS GOLD RUSH HISTORY IS
DESCRIBED IN “WELCOME TO ALASKA”
A Nome street scene as seen by the artist ^of "Welcome To
Alaska/' recently published by the Alaska Salmon Institute.
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The colorful history of Nome is
brought out in the pamphlet
“Welcome To Alaska,” recently
published by the Alaska Salmon
Institute.
“Welcome To Alaska” stresses
the varied climate, wealth and in
dustrial opportunities of the Terri
tory. Although the pamphlet was
prepared primarily for newcom
ers, there is a great demdnd for
it among old-time residents who
are requesting copies for them
selves and for friends outside
Alaska.
Copies are being distributed on
planes, trains, steamships and in
hotels. The pamphlet is also ad
vertised in newspapers through
out the Territory and on Sam
Hayes’ broadcast, “The Weekly
Spectator.”
“Welcome To Alaska” includes
a brief history of Alaska which
mentions Nome during the gold
rush to the Yukon as a turbulent
city of ten thousand.
Nome’s famous gold rush his
tory is referred to again ip a
description of the city which is
accompanied by a street scene
sketch.
Any Alaska resident may re
ceive this pamphlet free of charge
by writing the Alaska Salmon In
stitute, Box 893, Ketchikan. The
Salmon Institute will also mail
j pamphlets to addresses outside
the Territory.
Sen. Vandenberg
Dies In Sleep
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (;P)—
Sen. Arthur H. Vandenberg, one
of the United States* most re
spected statesmen, is dead at 67.
The Michigan Republican, a for
eign policy expert whose advice
and leadership were sought by the
heads of both major parties, died
last night in his sleep after several
years of illness. He had under
gone several major operations in
the last two years.
Vandenberg’s death at his home
here meant the loss of one of the
founders of the United Nations
and one of Congress* foremost ad
vocates for a bi-partisan, unified
foreign policy in the Cold War
i with Russia.
With Vandenberg’s death the
Democratic majority in the Sen
ate became 49 to 46. The ex
pected Democratic appointment
will make it 50 to 46.
With the Senator’s death, was
disclosed a story of his self-sacri
fice in the nation’s interests.
It was only after death that
Vandenberg’s family disclosed
that he had had a heart ailment
i for 25 years and that he post
poned a necessary lung operation
for close to a year—from the fall
of 1948 to October, 1949.
President Truman Mourns
Passing of Vandenberg
WASHINGTON, (JP)—President
Truman today mourned the death
of Senator Vandenburg (R-Mich.)
as the passing erf “a patriot who
always subordinated partisan ad
vantage and personal interest to
the welfare of the nation.”
Vandenburg’s independence, the
President said in a statement,
“cost him dearly in everything
' save honor.”
Operation “Firestep”
Aggressor Forces
Have “Had It” At
Elmendorf Field
HEADQUARTERS, Alaskan
Command, Elmendorf Air Force
Base, Anchorage, Alaska, April
17 — The “aggressor” forces have
“had it” in the Elmendorf area.
Defending ground troops under
Col. Garnett Wilson, commander
of Fort Richardson, fought the
“enemy” to defeat south of El
mendorf Air Force Base yester
day, in exercise “Firestep.” The
mock battle ceased at 7 pjn. last
evening, after having raged since
2 o’clock in the afternoon.
Air action by both sides accom
panied the fighting, with a 57th
fight-interceptor squadron sup
porting the defenders. Field artil
lery, mortars and tanks blasted
the aggressors in the battle which
spelled security for Elmendorf
Air Force Base and appears ta
have put an end to ground action
in this vicinity.
The remainder of the terri
tory remains “all quiet,” but re
ports continue to trickle into
headquarters indicating a build
up of aggressor strength within,
enemy-held strongholds in west
ern Alaska.