Alaska anil National Security
Following is an excerpt of a speech by Sen. E. L. Bartlett in the
U.S. Senate made on Jan. 18, 1962, on the subject of Alaska and
National Security.”
At the Diomede Islands in Bering Strait, Russia stands only 3
miles from America’s borders. The continental land areas of the two
most powerful nations on earth are separated by only 50 miles of
open water—a barrier so negligible that, in the days before the Iron
Curtain was dropped, the Eskimos of both continents traveled across
the winter ice to visit one another.
Alaska’s position within sight of the Soviet Union is critically
important to the national security under today’s defense conditions.
Many people fail to appreciate Alaska’s strategic position simply
because they are used to looking at the wrong maps. On the Merca
tor projection, familiar to school children, Alaska is remote and
isolated. But on the Polar projection that shows the image of the
world in the air and missile age, Alaska is at the heart of the j
geopolitical picture. It is a shield against air and missile attack from
Russia. It is a sword ready to strike back against unprovoked attack.
Alaska is not a 586,000 sauare mile icebox—it is a land in which
man can and does live and flourish. It is a rich land, with warm
summers and winters that are cold but no colder than the winters
of European Russia. It is a land in which substantial military efforts
are feasible—and under today’s strategic conditions, it is essential that
such efforts be made in this northermost of America’s bastions.
Alaska’s position in the passive defense of the United States is
well known. The early warning stations of the DEW line ring the
Alaska coast and stretch out along the Aleutian chain. The BMEWS
station at Clear complements the stations in Greenland and the United
Kingdom to give the Nation the maximum possible notice of strategic
missile attack.
U.S. funds spent on defense in Alaska remain in Alaska; the only
political considerations are those which are identified with the best
interests of the United States; and if our weapons systems—wherever
they are located—become targets for enemy attacks, those attacks, if
the weapons are located in Alaska, will not affect major friendly
population centers.
But these are secondary advantages of locating our counterattack
weapons systems in the 49th State. The primary advantage is the
fact that Alaska by Polar trajectory is thousands of miles closer
to Eurasia than is any location in the continental United States. This
reduced distance improves accuracy and thereby the effectiveness of
missile-borne weapons. It might permit the use of somewhat less
sophisticated weapons. It would give each weapon a wider target
selection and thus increase the flexibility of our counterattack capa
bilities. It does not appear reasonable to place ICBM installations on
costly real estate in the southwest United States when the same in
stallations might as easily be placed on public lands 2,500 miles
closer to the target.
Alaska’s importance in military operation is not limited to the
possibility of its use as a missile platform. It is an unequaled training
area for ground combat forces. The 1062 USARAL winter maneuvers
will be held in a maneuver area 160 miles long. There is substantially
no practical limit to the size of maneuver and training areas avail
able in Alaska. It would be entirely feasible to conduct full-scale
field Army maneuvers in the State, without conflict with civilian
activities. And the training which the U.S. soldier receives in Alaska,
summer as well as winter, is the kind of training he needs for most
of the fighting he may be called upon to do in most of the world.
In virgin wilderness, in summer heat and winter cold, the soldier
trained in Alaska learns to take care of himself under hardship.
Since the Communist bloc lies largely in regions in which cold
weather is a major environmental factor, the Army should emphasize
the kind of training which the American soldier receives in Alaska
today. Serious consideration should be given to establishing at least
one training division in Alaska in the early future.
The Navy also has a stake in Alaska. Freon Alaska bases, die
United States can dominate the Pacific Coast of Siberia from which
the Soviet Union in time of war might interdict American use of the
Pacific Ocean. From Alaska, the United States can dominate equally
effectively the Arctic Ocean which today has become an arena for
deployment of strategic undersea weapons systems.
On land, in the air and space, and on the seas, Alaska is a factor
of primary importance in today’s strategic picture.
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Chamber Notes
In the absence of the president
of the Chamber of Commerce,
Pearse Walsh, the vice president,
Frank Couch, manager of the
N.C. Co., presided at the Chamber
meeting last Monday noon.
Wm. Munz was welcomed back,
having been on vacation, which
took him as far as Mexico.
A picture of the State Voca
tional School was presented, show
ing what it might look like when
completed. The plan calls for a
three-stage construction. The first
| stage will be for 140 students and
a staff of 20 persons. When finally
completed the proeet will have
a staff of 32 persons, it was stated
in the recent report and probably
could handle around 500 students.
The school is to be enlarged as
needed.
Several responses were re
ceived from military officials in !
Washington, D.C., to letters sent i
them concerning the lengthening ;
of the airfield to accommodate
jet planes, so that it can be used j
as an alternate field when the |
interior of Alaska is socked in
for air traffic, as happened twice
this winter.
At the suggestion of Bob Har
wood, a hearty round of applause
was given retiring president, Don
Hoover, for his good work the
past year.
Atty. Gen. Kennedy Asks
Japanese Students to Join
In Fight Against Poverty
OSAKA, Japan — U.S. Atty.
Gen. Robert F. Kennedy chal
lenged Japan’s youth today to
join in a world-wide fight against
poverty, ignorance and disease.
“As young people, we can do
battle together as brothers to
make great progress,’’ Kennedy
told students at a petroleum in
stitute in the heart of Japan’s
teeming industrial area.
Enthusiastic students mobbed
Kennedy when he arrived, reach
ing to shake his hand and shout
ing hello. Everywhere Kennedy
went on this second leg of his
six-day visit to Japan he re
ceived a warm, friendly welcome..
Kennedy questioned the stu
dents a«: the Petroleum Institute
closely about their studies and
told them:
“You have the responsibility to
help in the fight that has to be
fought by all young people
throughout the world against
poverty, ignorance and disease.”
Debate Establishment
State Power Authority
JUNEAU CD — The Senate
wrangled for more than an hour I
today over a bill to establish a
state power authority, and then
postponed further action on the
measure until tomorrow.
Sens. Brad Phillips and Vance
Phillips carried the opposition to
the measure, contending the bill
would permit the state to get into
the power generating and distri
buting business.
Vance Phillips argued:
“This would just add another
board and drive the cost of state
government up.
“We have private capital in
Alaska now competing for our
power business. What do you want
to do, start handicapping them
with needless regulation and drive
these companies and their mil- ;
lions out?” i
Sen. W. O. Smith said the bill ;
merely gave the power authority '
the right to survey overall power
needs of the state, a study he
said was long overdue.
Sen. Lester Bronson told the
Senate that some private power <
companies needed regulation.
“When I first went to Nome,”
Bronson said, “the power facilities 1
were privately owned and elec- '
tricity was 25 cents a kilowat <
hour. Now, under city operation, •
power has dropped to 10 cents a
kilowatt hour.”
The average dollar bill gets so
battered it has to be taken out of
circulation after eight months.
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA
SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT
NO. 62-i P
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE
OF
WILLIE NAYAKIK, Deceased.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
undersigned, Steve Hopson, was on the
27th day of January, 1962, by an order
of the above-entitled Court appointed
Administrator of the Estate of Willie
Nayakik, deceased; that he there-upon
qualified as such administrator in the
manner required by law, and all creditors
of and persons having claims against
the said decedent are hereby required to
present their claims, with the necessary
vouchers, within six (6) months from
the date hereof, to the undersigned at
the office of his attorney Thomas J.
Balone, Box 111, Nome, Alaska, which
office the undersigned hereby designates
as his place of business in all matters
connected with the said estate.
DATED at Barrow, Alaska this 5th
day of February, 1962.
STEVE HOPSON.
By Thomas J. Balone
Pub: Feb. 7, 14. 21, 26, 1962.
Mineral Resources Revolving
Fund Provided In House Bill
JUNEAU UP) — Companion bills
providing for the creation of a
mineral resource revolving fund
were introduced by Rep. Harold
Strandberg in the House today.
Te first bill provides for cre
ation of the fund and the second
appropriates $200,000 to carry out
the intent of the fund.
The fund would be used to pur
chase minerals produced in Alas
ka for resale or stockpiling.
Approve Resolutions
JUNEAU UP) — The Alaska
State Senate gave its approval
to a resolution yesterday, SJR33,
which calls for deepening the
channel at Nome, extending the
jetties and stationing a modem,
suction-type dredge in the area.
Another resolution approved,
SCR 18, asks that Alaskans be
given preference when employes
are hired for the new Marine
Highway system.
Arrivals & Departures
From Fairbanks: C. Downs,
Dick Able, Erwin Frederickson,
Joe Noone, Wm. Green, Bill Munz,
Mel Personett.
To Fairbanks: Alex Oyuimftk,
Carl Swanson, Alberta McVeigh,
Mrs. R. Lee, E. Jameyson, Delbert
Obruck, James Jensen, Andrew
Kunayak, Edward Nakarauk.
From Kotzebue: Tom Smith,
Pearl Smith, Jack Hoogendom.
To Kotzebue: James St. Amour,
Donald Hinish, D. Clark, David
Rogers.
Fine Job Printing At The Hogget
NOTICE
TO ALL DRIVERS
Your attention is invited to City
Ordinance 18-IS (4) "The operator
shall turn his vehicle on any
street so as to proceed in the op
posite direction only ■* * street
corner or intersection, and than
not cross from one side of the
street to the other in midblock-"
"18-15 (5) An operator intend
ing to turn his vehicle at any
corner or intersection shall cause
it to approach the point of turn
ing on the right side of the street
as far as practicable, and in turn
ing shall keep it as close as prac
ticable to the right side of the
corner or intersection."
Robert Oliver,
Chief of Police
TELL ME
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