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Published every Saturday at Kodiak, Alaska
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'«. / THE ISLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY
•. Box 1307, Kodiak, Alaska
'• ’ • Sig J. Digree, Editor and Publisher
• i ’■ Betha Digree, Executive Secretary
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
7^1 Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use or republica
«.m» of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also the local news published herein.
Religion And World Unrest
‘Can religious influence inspire
enough of a demand for a peace
ful solution to international con
flict, or has religious influence
declined to the point that it is
capable only of formulating our
final prayers?”
"This question was posed by R.E.
Needham, in the Jan. 16 issue of
the Polar Star,, the official publi
cation of the University of Alaska
st&de nt association. Stating that
the influence of religion has de
duced throughout the world in the
2t»*‘h century, the author voiced
th: opinion that this decline “has
oe* a concur-ent with the growth
of our technology aad the rise of
fifcorous scientific investigation.”
He goes cm to say: “The occurence
two world wars has demonstrat
ed the apparent inability of reli
gion to cope with the tremendous
problems of an increasingly com
plex civilization.”
The author pleads for the
recognition of “a new technology”
tjiat is capable of almost instan
taneous destruction of our society.
Two courses are open to us—the
discovery of a solution to stop it,
or the other alternative—so pray
that the end of our lives may be
mercifully quick.
Seeking a more positive alter
native, the author asks if this
should take the form of bigger
and better missiles. He doesn’t
think this will be an effective
ieterrent. Another alternative cit
ed is World Government hacked
by in International Police Force.
*
He holds to the belief a strong
United Nations could resolve in
ternational conflicts without war.
“While nationalistic feeling is part
of the difficulty, the chief obstacle
to the creation of strong world
government is international a
pathy* * he states.
There is no doubt in the mind
of this writer that international
apathy is the big factor. Apathy
is the destroyer of anything good,
for it breeds dullness and in-*
sensibility. We do not cotton to an
International police force, particu
larly, but we do believe in an
organization such as the United
Nations,, where representatives of
government can meet to discuss
problems of an international
nature.
To condemn religion as having
failed to influence leaders and
individuals, we believe, is wrong.
Apathy has, entered the picture
here, certainly, but in spite of it,
religion continues still to exert
its influence. Our concern, in this
present crisis, is the substituting
of another ideology for that of
religion. That ideology, coupled
with technological advancements,
is bringing war closer to us each
day. ! ,
Is that a reason for scrapping
religious beliefs, aping our
protagonist, and concentrating on
improved technology? We must
assuredly,- keep abreast in the
latter. But there is still the need
to temper,our judgment. Religion
plays its part there.
CIVIL DEFENSE MEETING
SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 29
A Civil Defense meeting, to be
heA at the City Hall at 8 p.m.
Thursday. January 29, was an
flounced . this week by Arthur
Brooks,. Civil Defense Director.
“All interested persons are urg
ed Jto attend the meeting,” stated
Brooks.
Here, There and Everywhere :
By SIG DIGREE
“A Strike!”
“Kodiak has gone under
ground!”
This isn’t the carpenter’s or the
fishermens union, or anything like
that. Rather its the Union of the
Alley Cats! Nor is there anything
subversive about it.. Rather its
adversive.
Instead of bombs being thrown,
it’s big round plastic balls. Men
and women hurl them with all
their might at ten maple pins.
Like a rifle shot, there is a sharp,
staccato report at the impact of
ball and pins. “Well done,” comes
from adversary and comrade alike
as all the pins fall.
You’ve guessed it—bowling has
come to Kodiak. You go down a
few steps, and a new world opens
up before you—six beautiful
alleys, new and shiny with their
ten pins, like so many well-drilled
soldiers, standing in formation, at
the other end.
The players, one by one, alert
and poised, send the ball on its
course—“A strike!” or maybe its
“A spare!” Whatever it is, its the
total score that counts.
Ladies and men get that wild
look in their eyes, as they start
the ball on its way. Many of them
offer a rusty swing, from being
away from the game these many
years—but as time goes on, no
doubt their games will improve,
and the champ of Kodiak, in the
mens and also in the womens divi
sion, will be crowned.
CHAMPS TO DEFEND
The first State Bowling Tourna
ment will take place in Anchorage
next month. The mainland bowlers
have been at it for years, however,
but Kodiak may not be able to
enter a contestant this year.'
In the women’s division, Barbara
Cells will be in there defending
her title as reigning Alaska Wo
men’s Match Game champion,
against Jan Pentecost, and about
50 other contestants. Qualifying
rounds will start Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.
The finals will start at 1 p.m.,
Feb. 22.
* * *
FERRY FROM FAIRYLAND
Elsewhere in this issue, my
friend “Tiny” Cieoski took me to
task for exploring the idea of a
ferry service to the mainland. He
presented some constructive ideas,
which in his opinion should be
done first by the new state, rather
than the ferry. That’s fine. We like
opinions, and as we said, we will
be glad to publish them, whether
SITE OF 196& DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION—This is an artist’s conception of the Los Angeles Memorial
Spowrts Arena, bow under construciioau A Democratic Party committee arnounced in New Orleans Jan. 18
ft h is recommended Los Angeles as thussite for the 1960 Democratic National Convention. A main consid
eration for choosing Los Angeles apparently was the arena which is to be completed in May. (AP Photo)
we agree with them or not. He
stated, though, that I inferred in
the editorial, it would cost little
or nothing to go by ferry. Read
that editorial again, “Tiny.”
* * *
“Tiny” also takes me to task for
indulging in a little “pipe dream
ing.” Since when has pipe dream
ing gone out of fashion? For it is
out of dreams that realities are
born. Some of the finest inven
tions we have, the modern, enjoy
able and practical items of every
day use were at one itme just a
dream. So with any project.
♦ * *
Two rumors that have been mak
ing the rounds this week proved
false. One concerned Gov. Egan,
whose death was reported, and the
other concerned the death of Capt.
Thye, former CO of the Coast
Guard Detachment here.
As Mark Twain once said: “The
reports of my death are greatly
exaggerated.”
A *
Here’s a little game I defy you
to play in Kodiak (unless you live
in one of the Aleutian homes).
Write down your house number
(stumped?)
If you get past that one:
Double it
Add five
Multiply by fifty
Add your age (Don’t cheat)
Add 365
Subtract 615
Answer: In the result you will
find that your house number is to
the left and your age to the right.
* * *
WISE SAYINGS
You’ve reached middle age when
it’s a doctor who tells you to slow
down instead of a policeman.
A bachelor is a man who can
pull his socks on from either end.
Poverty, they say, is no disgrace
—but that’s about all you can say
for it.
From the Gilcrafter
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
You asked for it. Quote from
your article of January 17th„ “re
straint imposed on you by a body
of water. Of course we can go any
time we want to providing we have
the fare”, unquote.
“Pipe dream” is a mild name
for the proposed ferry to Kodiak.
Where did the opium come from
or was it something brewed in the
basement that caused this costly
dream? In the first place, such a
service would have to be a State
subsidy, it being out of this world’
to expect a few rubbernecks to
make it a paying deal.
I have lived on this Island since
1939 and have yet to hear of any
one having the fare who could not
leave here. You give the impres
sion that with a ferry service one
would need little or no money.
Who would foot the bills for the
service . . . the State?
Our representatives and you
could think of any number of pay
ing projects. Our fisheries are
still a big deal, in spite of poor
packs in the last few years. We
will be taking control of them in
a year if we concentrate on the
problems that go along with the
responsibility.
If the State wants to go into the
boat business, why not start with
a fisheries research vessel? It
would be something constructive,
something that would help us now.
When such a time comes that
the Rubberneck trade warrants a
ferry service, and it will be a pay
ing deal, I think private enter
prise will be able and willing to
furnish such service.
Let's quit smoking that . . . pipe
and get down to the business of
running this State on a paying
basis now, taking care of the first
things first and leaving the others
to a time when we can afford to
subsidize.
Sincerely,
A.J. “Tiny” Cichoski
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A bank customer is as
much a part of our busi
ness as the directors, offi
cers and staff. Together,
we are a team which
makes the bank. I
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