HE NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
63rd Year No. 84
NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, JULY 16, 1962
Per Copy 156
Woman Doctor
Blocks Marketing j
Of Defective Drug !
WASHINGTON (#> —A skeptical
woman doctor kept off the Ameri
can market a drug ultimately
blamed for thousands of birth mal
formations in Europe.
How and why Dr. Frances Old
ham Kelsey, a Food and Drug Ad
ministration officer blocked a mar
keting license here for Thalio
domide were detailed Sunday by
the Washington Post.
Here is the Post’s account:
In September 1960, Dr. Kelsey
received from the William S. Mor
rell Co. of Cincinnati a request for
permission to market the sedative
in the United States under the
name Kevadon.
The drug was being sold in Can
ada, Dr. Kelsey’s native country,
and in Europe with no harmful
side effects involved. Still, the 47
year-old medical officer regarded
its safety as unproved.
For the next year she kept de
clining to license the drug.
In November 1961, the firm
heard from Europe that Thalido
mide had been linked with mal
formations in babies born to
women who had used it when
pregnant. The Merrell Company
reported this promptly to Dr. Kel
sey and withdrew its application.
Subsequent investigations, parti
cularly in West Germany, estab
lished a link between the drug
and phocomelia, a malformation
that usually deprives its victims
of one arm, leaving rudimentary
fingers arising from a stub be
low the shoulder.
It is estimated that by the end
of next month the total of de
formed children born in West Ger
many will be 3,500 to 6,000.
Thalidomide—under its various
trade names—now has been gen
erally withdrawn from the market.
Dr. Kelsey was quoted as say
ing she thought it was “a peculiar
drug” and turned down repeated
requests to license it.
Churchill Going Home Soon
LONDON UD — Sir Winston
Churchill’s doctors said today he
is continuing to recover and has
been sitting up in a chair. Hos
pital sources said he will be sent
home soon if his improvment con
tinues.
MONKEYS AND HAMSTERS
DIE IN CAPSULES DURING
COSMIC RAY TESTS
PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. uei —
Two monkeys and four hamsters
exposed to cosmic rays were re
ported found dead after their cap
sule was parachuted into dense
bush country from a high-flying
U.S. research balloon Sunday.
The report came from a heli
copter crew that visited the site
a few hours after the cluster of
three capsules was released. There
was no immedite word on the
cause of death of the animals.
The experiment was to test the
effects of 50 per cent exposure to
the radiation that man is expected
to encounter in future journeys
into space.
Flower beetles, which are ex
tremely sensitive to cosmic radi
ation, also went in a separate cap
sule on the 1,800-mile ride at alti
tudes of up to 131,000 feet across
the North American continent that
began Saturday.
First reports from the wilder
ness area where the capsules fell
did not mention the insects’ fate.
A third capsule carried instru
ments.
MISSILE WORK STOPPAGE
COULD BRING ABOUT
ANTI-STRIKE LEGISLATION
WASHINGTON (/P) — Secretary j
of Labor Arthur Goldberg says
any work stoppages at the nation’s
missile plants could prompt him to
seek anti-strike legislation from
Congress.
“We cannot afford a strike in
our missile manufacturing plants,”
Goldberg said Sunday during a
radio and television program taped
with Sen. Kenneth Keating, <R
N.Y.), for use in New York.
Goldberg expressed hope for a
peaceful settlement of a dispute
between missile manufacturers and
two unions — the United Auto
Workers and the Machinists —
which threatens to end in a strike
July 23. About 125,000 workers at
five plants are involved.
AEROSPACE UNIONS
REACH AGREEMENT
ON 3-YEAR CONTRACT
LOS ANGELES UP> — Two aero
space unions reached agreement
today on a three-year contract
with Douglas Aircraft Co., just a
week before a scheduled nation
wide strike of missile and space
plants.
Union sources said the agree
ment may be used as a pattern
setter for the entire industry.
Terms of the settlement will go
to union members at the test sites
and missile bases involved within
the next few days for ratification.
Details were not disclosed im
mediately.
An unconfirmed report said one
factor involved was said to be the
company’s offer to greater union
security through on agency shop,
whereby the equivalent dues
would be collected from nonmem
bers.
The unions had set a July 23
strike deadline against the aero
space industry. In addition to
Douglas, companies involved are
North American, Ryan, Aerojet
General, Lockheed and General
Dynamics.
WIDOW OF AIR SECTY.
TALBOTT SUICIDES
NEW YORK UP>—Margaret Tal
bott. socialite widow of Harold E.
Talbott, Secretary of the Air Force
in the Eisenhower administration,
plunged 12 stories to her death
Sunday from a bedroom window
of her Manhattan apartment.
Mrs. Talbott, 62, left five notes,
police said. Four were addressed
to servants. The fifth, apparently
to her family, told them of her
continuing depression over the
death of her husband five years
ago.
Talbott, 68, died March 2, 1957,
in Palm Beach, Fla., of a cerebral
hemorrhage. He served as Air
Force Secretary under President
Eisenhower from 1953 to 1955,
when he resigned following a Sen
ate probe into his private business
affairs.
Mrs. Talbott’s body, clad in neg
ligee and a house coat, was found
in a rear courtyard shortly after
dawn. A maid in an adjoining
building had heard the impact
and called police.
SEES TAX CUT COMING
NEW YORK Uft—H. Ladd Plum
ley, president of the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, says the outlook is
good for an immediate cut in fed
eral taxes.
Plumley, appearing Sunday night
on a television program, said he
based his prediction on what he
termed a growing realization that
a tax cut is needed to put new life
into the economy.
Khrushchev
Believes Berlin
Is The Key
MOSCOW L'P — Soviet Premier
Khrushchev believes Berlin i.s the
key question today and must be
solved by getting Western troops
out, but he will not set any time
limit for agreement on the city’s
future.
He also told a group of visiting
American editors in a free-wheel
ing Kremlin interview Friday that
America’s high - altitude nuclear
blast would not help find a way to
counter the Soviet’s global rockets.
“I am not boasting,” he said to
ward the end of the two-hour and
30 minute interview, “but we act
ually have a global rocket which
cannot be destroyed by any anti
rocket means, and I know, if any
one does, what antirocket means
are, because we do have them.”
The premier devoted 37 minutes
to talking about Berlin as he sat
around the green - baize covered
table in his office conference room
with the 12 editors who have been
on a three-week tour.
The editors recalled Khrushchev
saying Berlin was the key obstacle
to relaxing international tension.
But the official Russian tran
script, released today, toned this
down to “one of the main ob
stacles.”
At Khrushchev’s request, publi
cation of the interview was held
up until the transcript could be
made ready.
TROUBLE ON THE
RED FRONTIER
TOKYO UPl — Red China today
accused India of most fanatic ag
gressive activities and charged a
string of three new Indian outposts
has been set up in the disputed
frontier area of Ladakh.
‘•The Indian side will make a
fatal mistake if it should think
that China is flabby and can be
bullied,” said a Peiping broadcast
of a new note handed to the In
dian embassy today.
New Delhi military sources said
the Chinese withdrew to a distance
of a little more than 200 yards
from the post late last week after
having approached to within 15
yards at places. India claims the
post is 10 miles west of even the
boundary claimed by Red China.
Peiping claimed it was 10 miles
inside Red China.
STEPOVICH COMES OUT
FOR MORE ELECTED
STATE OFFICIALS
FAIRBANKS (£> — In a forth
right proposal this weekend Mike
Stepovich, Republican candidate
for governor asserted that he be
lieved the number of elected of
fices in Alaska should be increased
in order to return more control of
the government of Alaska to the
people.
“Today,” said Stepovich, “our
constitution provides for the elec
tion of only the governor and sec
retary of state. All other offices
are filled by appointment.”
The local attorney went on to
propose that the attorney general
be elected by the people and fur
ther that the justices of the sup
reme court and judges of the sup
erior court be elected on a non
partisan basis, thus providing a
safeguard for the individual rights
of our people, and also an effec
tive check and balance system, pro
viding for an adequate separation
of our law enforcement and judi
ciary from the administrative
branch of government.
ARGENTINE MODEL IS
CHOSEN MISS UNIVERSE
MIAMI BEACH. Fla. & — Miss
Universe could have danced all
night, but she didn't. She had to
be in her room at 1 a.m.
Norma Beateiz Nolan, the 24
year-old brunette model from Ar
gentina who has never had a date
without a chaperone, formally op
ened her reign at the coronation
ball in Miami Beach’s swank Fon
tainbleau Hotel.
She had a date—and more than
1,000 escorts—at the ball, includ
ing consular officials from the 50
nations represented at the week
long pageant.
The smoky - eyed brunette daz
zled the glittering crowd in a
white evening gown that clung to
her 35-25-36 figure, and a new
white fur that cost the pageant
SI 0,000.
The 5-foot-6!/2 inch beauty
weighs 120 pounds. Her grand
father was Irish and her mother
was Italian.
She speaks Spanish and Italian,
and this is what she said after she
found out Saturday night that she
was the new Miss Universe: "I
do not speak Engish. I am very
happy.”
IKE, JUST LIKE ANY
TOURIST, LOSES PASSPORT
WASHINGTON OP-—Like mam
an American tourist preparing t<
go abroad former President Eisen
hower ran into trouble over hi
passport.
He found he didn’t have one.
The passport was discoveret
missing last week when the for
mer president and his wife were
packing for Europe at their Gettys
burg, Pa., farm. Two photographs
of Eisenhower and the proper pa
pers were rushed to county office.
The Eisenhowers planned origi
nally to sail for France at midnight
Thursday on a French liner. A
crewman strike caused them to
switch to the Queen Elizabeth
sailing Wednesday.
Never Forgel the Bottles . . .
MANCHESTER, N.H. (£» — The
manager of a state liquor store
here says patrons forget just about
everything but their bottles.
Frank Fove said Friday someone
walked out of his store a few days
ago and left a dental plate.
And not too long ago. a mother
made out her order slip, got it
filled and walked out. A short
time later she returned, embar
rassed. She had forgotten her five
year old child.
But, said Foye, “They never for
get their bottles.”
Xl5 TESTS SKIP-GLIDE
RETURN TO EARTH
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE,
Calif. — XI5 pilot Joe Walker
streaked aloft today at more than
five times the speed of sound, then
skip - glided back to earth in a
seiies of roller-coaster dips return
ing spacecraft someday may copy.
The powerful little rocket plane
ordinarily comes in from space in
a long shallow glide, but Walker
was experimenting with methods
of braking descent speeds.
After streaking to an estimated
altitude of 105,000 feet at speeds
up to about 3,7000 mph, the vet
eran Space Agency pilot nosed
over for a series of seven down
the-stairs hops.
In the final two of these man
euvers, Walker slowed his speed
from 2,200 mph to 1,100 mph in
51 seconds. The upcoming Dyna
soar space glider is expected tc
use similar maneuvers in return
ing from orbit.
First Borough
Election Set
For October 1
JUNEAU UP>-—Secretary of State
Hugh Wade today set Oet. 2 as the
date for Alaska’s first borough in
corporation election, to determine
whether a second class borough
shall be established in the Bristol
Bay area.
The proposed borough would en
compass some 1.200 square miles
of land and would include the com
munities of Naknek. South Nak
nek. and King Salmon. There are
some 1.000 persons living within
the boundaries of the proposed
borough.
While they are deciding whether
a second class borough should be
established, voters will also deter
mine whether they want an elected
borough chairman or an appointed
borough manager, if a borough is
incorporated.
They will also select a borough
chairman, five borough assembly
men and five borough school board
members, each of whom will serve
a three-year term.
Nominations for borough chair
man, assemblyman and school
board members will be made by
petition. The petitions must be
. filed with Wade’s office no later
, than 5 p.m.. AST, Sept. 4.
The petitions for candidates for
; each position must carry the sup
porting signatures of at least 50
qualified voters.
STRONG EARTHQUAKE
IN GULF OF ALASKA
WESTON. Mass. UP — A strong
earthquake, which the Boston Col
lege seismograph station’s Father
Francis J. Donohoe, spotted in the
Gulf of Alaska, was recorded by
the station today.
Father Donohoe said it occurred
3,500 miles northwest of Boston,
in the Gulf of Alaska, south of
Kodiak Island.
SITKA 0P>—The U.S. Coast and
Geodetic Survey seismograph re
corded what was described as a
•‘medium-sized’’ earthquake at 4:48
a.m. today.
Police in Sitka and Juneau said
they had received no calls.
The quake was also recorded at
the University of Washington in
Seattle.
Dr. Ernest Kaarsebrg, the seis
mologist, said the tremor had an
intensity of 5-6 on the Mercalli
scale of 12. He said it apparently
originated 1,900 miles from Seattle
in the Aleutian Trench, a breed
ing ground for quakes.
FRAII. . . . BUT TOUGH . . .
SALT LAKE CITY UPV—Twelve
year-old Keith Henry Davis might
look frail but he survived 3!5
days in the Uinta Mountains of
northeastern LTtah.
It snowed, the temperature drop
ped below freezing, and there was
a violent thunderstorm.
At night Keith walked and ran
to keep warm. In the day, he slept
and looked for his camp. He ate,
raw, the few fish he caught.
Keith was with a group of Boy
Scouts on a fishing party 80 miles
east of here last Thursday when
he got lost.
His father and hundreds of oth
ers searched day and night for the
next three days. Two of the men
found him Sunday.
A helicopter flew young Keith
to a Salt Lake City hospital. He
suffered from exposure and slight
dehydration but the hospital said
his condition was good.