Published every Friday at Kodiak, Alaska
Yearly Subscription Rate $8.00
Second class mail privileges authorized at Kodiak, Alaska
Send notices of undeliverable copies to:
THE ISLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY
Box 1307, Kodiak, Alaska
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use or republica
tion of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also the local news published herein.
John Salmine, Bob lies Publishers
Bill Mason, Editor
Karl Armstrong, Marine Editor
What To Print And What Not To Print
Elsewhere in today’s Kodiak Mirror is a letter to the editor
from J. P. Jacques, Manager, Kodiak Tracking Station, in reference
to a brief news story which appeared in last week’s paper.
To refresh the memory, this news item appeared on page 15
of the Sept. 28 edition:
CHINIAK TURNOVER
GETS UNDER WAY
Approximately 45 families will be affected by the change-over
in operations at Chiniak with Lockheed taking over the contract at
the instllation, replacing Philco Corp.
Some families, residing in Kodiak, are already moving, while
others will move in a period over the next six months. Still others
may be employed by Lockheed, it was reported.
Source of the information was not the manager of the station,
but came in a round-about way by parties involved and we printed
in that vein as an item of news about the area. No mention, as you
can see, was made of the type of operation involved.
Then, too, it was common knowledge in Kodiak that a number
of people connected with the project were leaving. Those people
were selling some of their possessions and telling friends of their
imminent departure. That information soon becomes public prop
erty whether it is intended to be or not.
We are as concerned as anyone with the security of our country
and doing our utmost to cooperate in keeping vital information
from enemy sources, and If we had felt that in any manner this
item would have or could have been used by an unfriendly power, it
most certainly would not have been printed.
On the other hand, no newspaper can exist on government
handouts, although the Lord knows we could publish a paper 10
times the size of the Mirror on the scores of nonsensical releases
coming from government bureaus and agencies, ranging from the
Department of Welfare to the Department of Commerce every week
—very few merit publishing, es any newspaperman can tell you.
We would be the last one to challenge the government’s right
to guard its security secrets in this highly technological age, and we
most certainly plan to cooperate with Mr. Jacques, who is manager
Of the Tracking Station, as well as the personnel at the Kodiak Nava*
Station who have been most cooperative in furnishing this newspa
per with newsworthy items.
But we know of no newspaper dependent solely on government
releases for its news of government activities.. There’s just too much
of their telling you what they feel you should know and upgrading
their cause. Any newspaper that did just that would be short-lived.
That is the type of newspaper residents of the U.S.S.R. are reading
today. We don’t want it here.
It was not a government agency which caught up with Billie
Sol Estes in his manipulations of agricultural department funds, nor
was it through the Department of Agriculture that he was tripped
up. It was because a weekly newspaper in his home-town of Pecos,
Texas, took it upon themselves to get the facts.
If we have published any material which can be construed as a
violation of the security of the area or nation, we are indeed sorry
and will be on guard in the future, but we trust the day will never
come when this or any other newspaper must clear all its informa
tion through a government agency.
And we would be most happy to have the two men who repre
seat the State of Alaska in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Ernest Gruening
and Sen. Bob Bartlett, pass judgment on our stand.—B.M.
SUNDAY SPECIALS
Pineapple Cream Pies. 800 Ea.
Date Nut Deluxe.500
Open Day & Nite
Phone 486-2600
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
It is requested that all future ar
ticles concerning the Kodiak Track
ing Station (Chiniak Air Force
Station) be cleared thru my office
prior to publication. I was quite
surprised to see the article you
printed in the September 28th is
sue of the Mirror; I had no prior
knowledge that the information
contained in this article was re
leased to your paper. The informa
tion contained in your article is
inaccurate, incomplete, premature
and was not released for public
dissemination.
The activities of the Kodiak
Tracking Station are classified and
in addition, release of inaccurate or
premature information may have
adverse effects on local people,
businesses, contractors and KTS
contractors. Political problems may
ensue for the same reasons.
A simple fact such as the num
ber of engineers a company em
ploys is, in certain circumstances,
classified information. The av
erage individual is not qualified to
make a determination of the classi
fication of information; previous
security experience on other pro
grams does not qualify an indi
vidual to make a classification
judgment on a new program with
out the proper indoctrination. In
formation which may be classified
in itself can be collated with other
non-classified information to ob
tain facts which would be harmful
to our country in the hands of the
enemy.
Your cooperation is solicited in
this matter for the maintenance of
security and the continuance of
good contractor, business, and po
litical relationships. I will be hap
py to supply you with approved
news releases as they occur.
Very truly yours,
J. P. Jacques
Manager, Kodiak
Tracking Station
Ferry Boat Port
Captain Checks
Local Applicants
Captain G. W. Mangan, port cap
tain of the Alaska State Ferry
System was in Kodiak Tuesday and
Wednesday and interviewed ap
proximately 20 applicants for jobs
aboard the state ferry boats while
here.
On Tuesday night, Captain Man
gan was guest speaker at the local
Democratic meeting, and devoted
his time describing the operations
of the ferry boats and the oppor
tunities for jobs aboard the ves
sels.
“We are most interested in ob
taining qualified resident Alas
kans for these jobs,” Mangan ad
vised. He pointed out that while
he was accepting applications for
jobs in the stewards department
“these will be handed over to the
concessionaire operating that
phase oi the operation.”
He said the first Southeastern
Alaska ferry would be in opera
tion by November 15th and the
other two within four months after
that date. Bids for the Kodiak ferry
boat construction will be called
“within the next two to three
weeks,” Mangan said. From 36 to
41 men will be required to man
the Kodiak ferry “depending on
the hours of operation.”
Mangan has been interviewing
prospective applicants in every
major state city. Persons in the
Kodiak area who are interested in
these jobs can contact the local
employment office he advised.
Read the classifieds for profit,
i ,e them for results.
VFW Department
Officers Arrive
In Kodiak, Oct. 8
Katmai Post No. 7056 of the Vet
erans of Foreign Wars will host
Vic Pattinson, Commander, De
partment of Alaska Veterans ot
Foreign Wars and Louis Fiorella,
Dept. Quartermaster-Adjutant
Service Officer will be in Kodiak
Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 8 and 9.
All VFW members are urged to
attend a meeting to be held at the
VFW hall at 8 p.m. Monday to wel
come the new Department officers.
Local members, veterans or
service personnel with questions
about GI loans, benefits, etc., will
find these two officers willing to
assist. They may be contacted at
the Kodiak Hotel or VFW Hall,
according to R. W. Read, Post Ad
jutant-QM.
Watch Tower Sets
3-Day Conference
The Watch Tower Society plans
to sponsor a circuit assembly of
Jehovah’s witnesses in Alaska Cir
cuit No. 1 on Oct. 19, 20 and 21,
it was announced by Hermon
Woodard, missionary for Jehovah’s
Witnesses in Kodiak.
The meetings will be held at the
A. J. Wendler Junior high school.
Principal speaker will be A. K.
Wagner, district minister from
Anchorage.
Hospital News
ADMISSIONS
Joseph Porter, Wayne Tunohun,
Neta Adonga. Marie Sheratine,
Moses Manutin, Vera Rastopsoff,
Mrs. Alice Aga of Larsen Bay.
discharges
Herman Kewan, Richard Marri
ott, Mrs. Ruth Vest, Joseph Porter,
Wayne Tunohun, Neta Adonga,
Marie Sheratine.
It pays to establish yourself with a bank, make it your head
quarters for all money matters. And when you need the boost
that a recommendation can provide, a good bank reference is
one of the most valuable assets you can possess.
• • t •
One thing the discovery of the North Pole revealed is that
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