VOLUME NO. VI.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA,
August 28, 1931
Legion Auxiliary Has Year
Of Constructive Effort
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The local Auxiliary Unit of
Peten j;ng Post No. 14, Ameri
can Legion, is rounding out a
very busy and eventful year of
service. Their official year start
ed la t October with the elec
tion of officers. Those serving
the Unit are, Mrs. Laura John
s in. President; Mrs Ann Dun
kelbergor, Vice President; Mrs.
Horn ra Archbold, secretary, Mrs
Edna Nelson, Treasurer; Mrs.
Sibyl Loclcen, Chaplain; M"s.
Minnie Dawes, Historian; and
Mrs. Ann Carlson, Sergeant-at
Arms. The standing committees
were appointed as follows, Mem
bership. Mrs. Ellen Hasbrouck
and *rEdna Nelson; Finance
Mrs. Pdna Nelson and Mrs. Sib/I
Locken; Publicity, Mrs. Jessie
Anderson and Mrs. Minnie
D' V.e ; Sickness, i\Irs. Ann Oun
kelberger and Mr.s Amy Rude;
Child Welfare, Mrs. Magnhild
Lee.
Different methods were tried
for rrisinc funds for the work
of the Unit, among which were a
s- :.fs of public d idge Parties.
This was the first trial of such
in Petersburg and was very suc
cessful from a social standpoint.
The price charged for partici
pating in the ph\v included a
T-.ht lunch and the parties were
well received.
Due to a change in the date
. or the annual Hope Chest Raf
ie, two came in the past .year’s
doings. Two beautiful cedar
chests filled with needlecraft
furnished by the members, were
raffled, one in November, 1930
an.I one on July 4th 1931 A food
sale and the Annual Poppy Sale
both proved successful.
Various welfare enterprises
were undertaken. The local
hospital was remembered by
subscriptions to magazines. The
collation Army Fui d to furnish
materials for a Sewing Class was
given a small sum and Alaska
Legion Officers
For 1932
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Commander, Ralph R. Reeser,
Fairbanks; 1st Vice Commander
Clyde R. Ellis, Cordova; 2nd Vice
Commander, Dwight A. Chase;
Ketchikan; Adjutant, J. T. Pe
trich, Juneau; Finance Officer,
M. H. Sides, Juneau; Service Oi
ficer, Claude Helge m, Juneau,
Judge-Advocate, Warren Taylor,
Cordova; Historian, Homer O.
Nordling, Juneau; Chaplain,
Rev. Bert Bingie, Cordova; Ser
geant-at-Arms, L. J. Chilberg,
Seward; Dept. Executive Com
mitteemen-at-Large, E. M. Pol
ley,'Juneau, Arthur W. Johnson,
Fairbanks; Delegates to National
Convention, Detroit, 1932, Dal
ton L. Barr, Cordova, Robert S.
Kelly, U. S. S. “Detroit ”
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LEGION COMMANDER MADE
INDIAN CHIEF
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Ralph T. O’Neil, national com
mander of the American Legion
was made Chief E-Mach-To
Ki-E, the only pale-face chieftan
of the Nez Perce Indians of Ida
ho recently. His adoption into
the tribe was a feature of the
Idaho Department Convention
of the American Legion.
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Arthur C. Peabody and Ralph
Dell, both of Buffalo, New Yons,
were suspended from duty. They
imbibed a wee bit of dry liquor
and are also accused of em
ploying a woman as a decoy to
provoke violators of tile prohi
bition laws and then of having
.arrested the inveigled violator.
patients at Morningside Asylum
jand the Orthopedic Hospital in
Seattle were given funds and
gifts. Several members were
.remembered on different occa
sions.
The Dug-Out or meeting place
of the Legion and Auxiliary
.was the recipient of much of the
! attention of the members who
jgave lreely to make it look in
citing anti comfortable. Among
the items furnished by the- Aux
iliary were: Curtains, dishes,
i chairs, a heater and a piano.
The activities above enumer
ated, together with the matters
incident to the par.', of he ess
I to the Annual Department Con
tention of the Auxiliary, which
I is in Petersburg fhis week, has
made a very busy and pleasant
year and the Unit has reason to
be proud of its accomplishment.
The names on the member
ship roll this year are:
Ames, Dagmar.
Anderson. Jessie
Archbold, Honey
Carlson. Ann I
Cornelius, Ruth
Dawes. Minnie
DeVeney, Neta
Dunkelberger, Ann
Harris, Nellie
Hasbrouck, Ellen
Holt, Anna
Hungerford, Florence
Isom, Edna *
Jchnston, Billie
Johnson, Laura
Lee, Magnhild
Locken, Sibyl
Martin, Ann
Mathiesen, May
?dichaelson, Frances
Miller, Frances
Nelson, Edna
Olson, Legia
Pearson, Myrtle
Rude, Amy
Sarff, Delia
Swanson, Amy
Swanson, Lillian.
Lomens Not Killing
Deer this Year
Reindeer production in North
ern Alaska will be confined
largely to the animals slaughter
ed by Eskimos and two smaller
corporations —W aechter Bros .
and Alaska Cold Storage—ac
cording to B. B. Mozee, General
Reindeer Superintendent, who
arrived in Juneau recently from!
Nome enroute to the states for
a thirty-day vacation.
The Lomen Reindeer Corpora
tion, heretofore the largest pro
ducer and exporter of reindeer
products, will not slaughter ani
mals this year, he said. It is ex
pected that the total production
will not exceed 5,000 carcasses.
Mr. Mozee announced the ap
pointment of Paul Stafford to ne
district superintendent, being in
charge of the Teller range unit
which comprises Teller, Wales,
Shismaref, Inman and Igloo
herds. He will make his head
quarters in Teller.
Mr. Stafford, who has been
connected for some time with
the animal husbandry section of
the Indian Service at Ft. Belk
nap, Mont., has had years o?
experience in range manage
ment and herd administration.
He is expected to be in Seattle
in a short time enroute to Teller
to take over his new position.
Mr. Mozee, who stopped off
! here to meet Governor Parks
j and confer with him aboqt
reindeer administration mat
ters, will proceed to Seattle as
i soon as the conference is fin
j ished.—Juneau Empire.
Legion Convention
Goes Over Big
! The Twelfth Annual Conven
Ition of the Alaska Department
of the American Legion and Le
gion Auxiliary convened in the
Sons of Norway Hall on Wednes
day morning. Following Flag
Salute, Mayor E. N. Ohmer gave
an address of welcome for the
Town of Petersburg and was fol
lowed by T. S. Elsemore .Vice
President of the local Chamber
of Commerce with greetings
from the business interests of
the town. Departmental Com
mander, J. A. Talbot, for the Le
Igion and Mrs. Laura Johnson.
President of the Petersburg Aux
iliary responded to the greet
ings. Miss Florence Tobin of
Ketchikan played ‘Spring Song,’
on the violin in a very pleasing
manner following which the
Commander made announce
ments relative to the convention.
The afternoon session was
taken up by the credentials
committee and H. Oyama pho
tographed the delegates in front
of the Legion Dug-Out. Juvius
Pluvius entered into the game
and spoiled the parade Wednes
day night as there was a danger
of the paraphernalia being
damaged. On this evening the
mixer at the Sons of Norway was
a large and happy affair with
every one out for a good time
New Discovery On Island
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Joe Jackson, prospector on
Chicagof Island recently brot,
samples of rich gold ore from a
vein uncovered between Hirst
Chicagof and Chicagof mines.
George B. Rice, Charles Gold
stein, Allen Shuttuck, Dr. W. W.
Council and Dr. Robert Simp
The strike is said to be one o'i
the best discovered in this sec
tion in several years.
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1
American Legion Convention J
Congrat-o-grams
Indianapolis, August 28, 1931
J. A. TALBOT, Commander American Legion of Alaska
Care of Depaitemnt Convention, HQ Petersburg, Alaska
Best wishres for a great convention stop Alaska has made
its best record of all time and I congratulate you most
heartily stop Only wish I could greet you personally bu<
want to take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude
ofr your contribution to outstanding National Legion mem
bership and to thank you for your loyalty during my admiu
istration.
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RALPH T. O’NEIL, NATIONAL COMMANDER,
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Indianapolis. August 26, 1931
J. T. Petrich, Department Adjutant American Legion,
Care Department Convention, IIQ Petersburg. Alaska
Today the American Legion stands at the peak of its twelve
years existence with greatest membership in its histor.v,
one million forry-two thousand six hundred seventy-four
stop Alaska has contributed in a substantial way to this
great achievement and for your local support we are grate
ful stop Best wishes for a successful convention.
JIM BARTON, NATIONAL ADJUTANT,
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Juneau, Alaska, August 26, 1931
Frederick Nelson, Petersburg Alaska
Regret I am unable to be present opening convention.
Please extend my best wishes to delegates stop Believe op
portunity for constructive work on part of American Legion
during next year greater than ever before.
GEORGE A. PARKS, GOVERNOR.
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Indianapolis, August 24, 1931
TOM PETRICH, DEPARTMENT ADJUTANT,
AMERICAN LEGION CONVENTION,
Petersburg, Alaska
Vour wire appreciated delighted Legion has such splendid
representation on Territorial Child Welfare Commission.
We stand ready to aid in every possible manner. We are
greatly appreciative tremenduous program of your Depart
ment Child Welfare Committee. All good wishes stop. Keep
me advised your Detroit representatives desire contact
them.
EMMA C. PUSCHER, NATIONAL DIRECTOR AMERICAN
LEGION WELFARE.
Court Frees Officer
Liqour Charge
Lieut. James A. Hirshfield,
first of the coast guardsmen to
be tried in Seattle on charges ot
neglect of duty, was acquitted
by the court.
Hirshfield, executive officer of
the cutter Tallapoosa,, was ac
cused of failing to report the
conduct of fellow officers of the
crew at a dance in Kodiak, June
19th.
The court-martial immediate
ly took up the case of Machin
ist Mate Z. R. Schoen, accused
of being intoxicated at the
dance. He also was quickly ac
quitted.
Capt. Eugene Banks, Jr., pres
ident of the court announced
that Lieut. Carl Bowman was to
be tried. Witnesses testified
during the session that liquor
was consumed before the dance.
Warrant Officer Lieut. Reginald
French was found in the street
after the dance, dazed and with
a severe scalp wound.
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Believe Amundsen
Clue Been Found
—x— i
Professor Paul McChanoff,
Russian meteorologist who was
passenger on the dirigible Graf
Zeppelin during its recent Arctic
cruise, has announced that he
believes that he may have photo
graphed the lost airplane ot
Captain Roald Amundsen.
Development of a picture ex
posed as the dirigible passed ov -
Sr southern Nova Zembla, re
vealed an airplane on the
ground. McChanoff said he be
lieved the plane was that of
Amundsen or other Soviet avi
ators lost in the hunt several
years ago for Gen. Umberto No
bile’s stranded group of dirig
ible explorers. The story will be
investigationo.
Threat of War
Must Be Heeded
“No matter how much we wish
permanent and universal peace,
we cannot secure it by wishing
nor by declaring war impassible.
There has been progress in that
direction, but that progress has
been tediously and patheticallj
slow. We must not deceive our
selves by believing the whoiC
world friendly to us just because
we are friendly to the whole
world.
“This is a country of free men
where every man is equal in op
portunity; and if equal in oppor •
tunity, fair play requires that he
shall be equal in obligation to all
other men. In other words, ev
ery American citizen who ex
pects to live under the flag and
share the advantages of its pro
tection must be, in' all fairness
and good sense, prepared to pro -
tect that flag with his lfie, his
liberty and his sacred honor.
“I am not a miitarist, nor are
the men of the American Legion
or the women of the American
Legion Auxiliary. But if to love
one’s country and to be willing
to serve her in peace or war is
militarism, then you and the
majority of Americans I know
are militarists, which after all
means that when the national
honor or life are at stake, you
love your country better than
yourself and are willing to die if
required to prove it.”
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Mixer Staged
By Auxiliary
The Petersburg Unit of the
Legion Auxiliary had the “Mix
?r” in hand. Wednesday night
md it was a happy affair with
everyone enjoying himself and
lerself to the last minute.
The affair opened with a com
nunity sing and it was not such
an effort to swing into the lilt
ing march-step tunes of the
3ays of 1918 when the Boys went
away marching to be soldiers.
The Petersburg Drum and
Bungle Corps lived up to its
name but lost first place to the
Petersburg Auxiliary which put
Qn several military band num ■
bers that would make Sousa’s
band turn green with envv.
Mop sticks, kitchen utensils,
coarse combs, fine combs and tin
cans can make Whiteman’s jazs
orchestra step to better the
number. Ketchikan, both or
ganizations put on a crystal
gazing .fortune telling stunt
that was misfortune for some
but in all a clever stunt. Juneau
Auxiliary started up another
spell of songs of days when
“Me and Maggie Were Younger’
and again the melodious voices
of the basso profoundos joined
in to swing back to those days
when it was fun to the boys tc
march away while those who
stayed home also fought to win
the war.
About 11 o’clock some one
tuned in KJR of Seattle on the
radio and the Texas brogue oi
Bert Cornelius floated in thru
the ether expressing his regrel
at being unable to be presenl
and wishing the convention ev
ery success. Special numbers
were played for various delegate:
and before long everyone’s in
ner man demanded attention s<
the Petersburg Unit brought or
a feed that would tame thi
wildest and wooliest of men
Yum ,yum, tasted like more
The crew of the Alert were alsi
present to enjoy the culinar
skill of the ladies of Petersburg
“Dance, my dogs are tirec
Yep, I’m goin’ to the next.”
“Place of American Legion in
In Politics, By Dr. Spencer
President M. Lyle Spencer of
the University of Washington,
speaking before the Washington
state convention of the Ameri
can Legion in which he opposed
the present compulsory military
system and he also took the Le
gion to task on other matters.
We herewith reprint excerpts
from his speech:
“In our own State of Wash
ton, the Legion is reported to
have had nine bills it was openly
sponsoring during the last ses
sion of the Legislature. And
when the question of optional
military drill came before the
faculty of the University ol
Washington last spring, I had a
personal letter from one of the
leading Legionaires in the state
advising me that if military drill
should be made optional at the
University he would exercise his
influence to have the state Le
gion come out with a strong puo
lie protest against the change
and attempt to muster public
opinion behind compulsory drill.
I had in mind writing this Le
gionaire in some such way as
Senator Borah replied to a Le
gion Post in Idaho, that I recog
nized the implied threat in the
letter, but that the issue of com
pulsory or optional military
training at the University would
be determined solely on the edu- j
2ational value of the drill, which
was the only way I then knew
or know now, to direct the
curriculum of a great university,
f did not make such a reply,
however, and am glad I did not
as I have an opportunity to pre
sent the problem in all of its
ramifications.
Arm in Defense
As I view all this discussion of
whether or not the Legion is in
politics, It seems to me that the ■
time has come for us all, the Le-1
gion and the public alike to re-'
cognize two things:
First, that the American Le
gion was founded to be unoffi
cially during peace times what
its members officially were dur
ing war—a defense arm of the
nation. As such, the Legion is
an agency whose work is to aid
in a conscious control of the evo
lution of American culture and
in safeguarding that _ culture
from overthrow, by hostile meth
ods or otherwise, by other civili
zations. If the members of th”
Legion have evidenced a readi
ness to die for their country,
they have a right to live for it
‘.but to indicate as forcefully as
i possible how they shall continue
.to live in it, so that neither they
nor their sons shall be called on
again to offer their lives for it.
Auxiliary Officers 1932
j Department President, Edith
(Sheelor, Juneau; 1st Vice Presi
dent, Grace Liebe, Cordova; 2nd
Vice President, Edna Polley;
| Dept. Secretary-Treasurer, Mrs.
Hazel Petrich; Chaplain, Mrs.
Anna Youl, Fairbanks; Ser
geant-at-Arms, Hertha Baker,
Fairbanks; Historian, Ellen Bar
ton, Ketchikan; National Execu
tive Committee: Laura Johnson
Petersburg, 1st Alternate, Editn
, Sheelor, Juneau, 2nd Alternate,
. Violet Swetman, Seward; Dept.
Executive Committee, Dolly
, Kaufman, Juneau, Mildred ClarR
t Juneau; Delegates to National
; Convention, Detroit 1931: Ann
Barr, Cordova, Florence O’Neil
Cordova, May Campbell, Wran
5 gell, Minnie Dawes, Petersburg
ir Mrs. A. L. Spaeth. Ketchikan
. Alice Lorang, Seward.
[. ..Fairbanks will be convcntioi
| city in 1932. v
i
Second, it is time also to re
cognize that no amount of re
solving, either at the time of th;
foundation of the Legion or now,
can rescue it from the disadvan -
tages that always accompany
the collective operations of hu
man beings.
Obligations Pointed Out
That is to say, it will be far
better for all concerned if we
abandon now the effort to evade
he issues that have arisen and
lecognize frankly that the Le
gion is in politics, that it cannot
\,e taken out of politics,’ that it
ought not to be taken out of po
litics, that it will be highly ad
vantageous for it to stay in poli
tics, that politics will be beneft
ed by its continued presence,
and that it is the duty and obli
gation of Legion commanders to
take the lead in declaring their
interest in politics to be a defi
nite and specific phase of Le
gion affairs.
While recognizing, however,
—proclaiming even the presence
of the Legion in politics, it is
necessary to analyze its purpos
es and determine what motives
will justify its presence in public
affairs. I distinguish three pur
poses that may motivate the Lo
gion in its political activities.
Partizan Politics Deplored
The first, oi course, may ce
termed partizan politics. This
is the phase of politics specific
ally prohibited by Article III of
our constitution. So far as I
know, the Legion has been clean
in this respect. Mr. Duffield in
bis Forum essay attempts to
make a case against the Legion
but it seems not to have succeed
ed. I have no interest in dis
cussing tms pna.se, except to say
that the Legion will fail miser
ably and deservedly if it per
mits itself to become affiliated
with any partisan group. It may
not be a political asset of any
party. Our founders were ab
solutely right in forbidding par
ticipation in this type of politics.
A second purpose of the Legio.i
in politics is self-interest. In
this respect the Legion has been
aggressive. I have been afraid
sometimes that it has been more
than aggressive—selfish even.
Others at least have thought so.
The Nation owes a genuine debt
to those who have suffered, and
who continue to suffer, as the
result cf the World War. Bat
to capitalie our patriotism for
selfish gain to those who have
suffered is beneath the dignity
of brave men who have the love
of their country that the organ
ization proclaims. Both the
Continued on Page 3
Takes Pictures
; Inside Stomach
Twenty seconds is all the time
needed to take eight stereosopic
views of the interior of the hu
man stomach with the new ap
paratus employed at the Leo
pold Bellan Hospital, Paris.
. The tiny camera, known as a
gastrophotor, is the result of five
years of research in the stomach
and intestinal service of Dr. A.
Becart.
j The photographs obtained can
reveal cancer at its beginning
and make easier the diagnosis
of different forms of gastritis.
Also', valuable indications before
and after surgical operations
may be obtained.
J -x
i, The dance tonight ends the
convention.