NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 15
NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1963
Per Copy 15*
Canadian Defense
Minister Resigns:
Cabinet May Fall
By MAX HARRELSON
OTTAWA UP) — The Canadian
cabinet fell apart today. Defense
Minister Douglas Harkness, an ad
vocate of nuclear weapons for Can
ada, resigned and indicated disso
lution of parliament is near.
Such dissolution would bring
April elections, with Prime Min
ister John Diefenbaker seeking to
restore his Conservative Party to
a clear-cut majority in parliament.
Harkness in resigning said he
found his and Diefenbaker’s views
were irreconcilable.
“It has become quite obvious
during the last few days that your
views and mine as to the course
we should pursue for the acquisi
tion of nuclear weapons for our
armed forces are not capable of
reconciliation. Thus it is with a
great deal of regret that I now find
I must tender my resignation as
Minister of Defense.”
Harkness said he sent the resig
nation to the Prime Minister on
Sunday, along with a memoran
dum saying he intended to make
the resignation public today and
later speak in the House of Com
mons. He then hinted the Diefen
baker cabinet had been discussing
dissolution of parliament.
Lester Pearson, leader of the op
position Liberal Party, said Hark
ness had “taken the only honor
able course open to him.”
Pearson precipitated the politi
cal dispute over nuclear weapons
in a speech.Jan. 12. While opposed
to nuclear weapons, Pearson de
clared Canada should live up to its
commitments and accept them both
for North American Defense and
for the North Atlantic Treaty Or
ganization.
Sen. Keating Proves His
Charges of Soviet Missile
Buildup In Cuba
WASHINGTON — Sen. Ken
neth Keating, a man with a satchel
full of information, is keeping the
Kennedy administration hopping
overtime with his charges of a So
viet arms buildup in Cuba.
For more than six months the
white - haired, ruddy - faced New
York Republican, has been rising
in the Senate to announce ominous
Communist developments in Cuba.
Time and again the Pentagon and
State Department have challenged
his information, only to have to
concede later that Keating was at
least basically right.
Sunday night Keating claimed in
a television interview that total
Soviet military strength—soldiers,
weapons and equipment—is now
10 times greater than it was esti
mated to be last July 1, even con
ceding that Soviet offensive mis
siles have been removed from the
island.
Assistant Secretary of State Ed
win Martin, who appeared on ABC
“Issues and Answers” with Keat
ing, cautioned that estimates of
Soviet troops in Cuba last July
were not too accurate but said
Keating’s claim “is within the
range of possibility.”
Last week Keating told the Sen
ate he believes there is ‘The very
real possibility” that the Soviets
either hope to return missiles to
the island or have missiles left
• there “and need only to wheel
than out of caves.”
A
Senate Bill Would
Create Gold
Development Board
JUNEAU — Legislation creat
ing a gold development board to
encourage gold mining in Alaska
was introduced in the Senate today
by five Democrats.
Under the provisions of the mea
sure, the seven - member board
would work within the Depart
ment of Natural Resources. The
members would be appointed by
the governor for five-year terms,
subject to legislative confirmation.
They would receive only per
diem and travel expenses.
Four would represent the four
major senatorial districts. Three
would be selected from the state
at large.
The bill further stipulates that
four members of the board would
have to have experience, knowl
edge and training in geology or
mining and at least one of these
four would have to be a member
of the United Mine Workers of
America.
Of the remaining three mem
bers, two would have to have a
business or financial background,
while at least one would have to
be a member of the Alaska bar.
All seven would have to have at
least five years residency in
Alaska.
The sponsors of the bill were
Sens. Eben Hopson, A1 Owen,
Neil Foster and Lester Bronson.
Constellation Crash
Takes Four Lives
SAN FRANCISCO UP)— A Slick
Airways Constellation carrying
classified Navy cargo crashed Sun
day in an instrument landing at
fog-shrouded San Francisco Inter
national Airport and exploded in
flames, killing four of the eight
men aboard.
The huge, four-engine ship made
a normal instrument approach and
then dug its left wing into the
ground at the edge of the runway,
skidding into a half-moon arc that
ended 300 yards away. The plane
burst into flames.
A spokesman for Slick Airways
said the craft was carrying classi
fied cargo for Alameda Naval Air
Station across San Francisco Bay.
The cargo was presumed destroyed.
Seventy firemen battled for two
hours against the flames before the
four bodies could be recovered.
Most of Alaska is Clear
Most of Alaska was clear and
cold today with temperatures in
the interior and Arctic slope plung
ing well below the zero mark.
Cloudy skies were reported over
the Southeast Panhandle, the Al
eutian Islands and sections of the
west coast.
There was little precipitation ex
cept for snow in the northern por
tion of the Panhandle, and rain
in the south.
Overnight temperatures ranged
from 56 degrees below zero at
North way to 34 at Annette.
FLOODLIGHTS FOR SKATERS
Due to the unusual ice conditions
on Bering Sea, the North Star has
announced that starting tonight it
will have flood lights for the
skaters and a bonfire back of the
Seaview Room.
The miles of clear skating ice
in the roadstead punctuated here
and there with a picturesque ice
berg is a phenomenon which does
not occur very often, nor last very
long in this part of the country
as the drifting snow soon covers
the ice. All skaters should take ad
vantage of the opportunity while
it lasts.
Europe Still In
Grip Of
Little Ice Age
LONDON — Europeans shiv
ered on in their little ice age today
with no sign of early relief from
the freeze.
Europe’s unofficial death toll
climbed to at least 539 as fresh dis
aster struck. In Spain’s Canary Is
lands, off the northwest coast of
Africa, a town hall collapsed dur
ing a storm, killing 23 persons.
Fresh blizzards dumped 15 - foot
snowdrifts in Britain’s Kent
County. Snowplows were unable to
get through to some villages. Main
British highways began to crack.
Officials said this would add
millions of dollars to the snow
clearing bill, which stands at 20
million pounds—$56 million.
London’s Water Board, plagued
by thousands of burst pipes, took
up the idea of an enterprising pri
vate plumber and started thawing
pipes by sending a huge electric
charge through the pipes.
West German temperatures av
eraged about 5 degrees. The Rhine
was still blocked to shipping.
Snow was reported from Mar
seille and along the Mediterranean
coast. Traffic on highways through
out France was snarled.
I “Food Addict” Dies at
Age of 38 Years,
Weighing 740 Pounds
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. UP) —Two
weeks ago, when Charles Stein
metz weighed 670 pounds, he said:
“I haven’t got much time left. I
crave food like an alcoholic craves
alcohol.”
Steinmetz, 38, died Sunday in a
hospital. Doctors said he weighed
740 pounds at death—a gain of 70
pounds in two weeks.
Steinmetz complained of lung
congestion Saturday. It took 16 men
to load him into the rear of a de
livery truck for the trip to the
hospital. Cause of death awaited
the outcome of an autopsy.
Steinmetz, who was 68 inches
tall and 76 inches around, said
each pound he gained brought him
nearer to death, but he couldn't
stop. “Other people smoke or
drink when they worry. I find my
self a chicken.”
At the age of 8, Steinmetz was
underweight. He started gaining
rapidly in his late teens. He work
ed 16 years as a typist, retiring
on a medical pension in 1959 when
he reached 585 pounds.
He said doctors told him there
was nothing organically wrong.
“I have no health problem, no
diabetic trouble—just overeating,”
he said.
Nine Fishermen Rope
Themselves Together,
But Three Lose Lives
GULFPORT, Miss. UP> — Six of
nine fisherman who tied them
selves together and leaped into a
boiling sea when their trawler sank
told today of the ordeal which
claimed the lives of three com
panions.
They were in the Gulf of Mexico
about 40 minutes before a Coast ,
Guard cutter, hampered by 25
foot waves, could pull them to
safety. ]
In all, eight men lashed together :
with a rope were hoisted from the
Gulf about 25 miles offshore Sun
day by the Coast Guard cutter
Nike.
Two of the eight were dead. The
body of a ninth crewman, who had
been knocked off the line during
the rescue operation, was recover
ed several hours later.
Republicans Organize State House
Predicts House Will
Provide 20-20 Vision
Legislation for Alaska
JUNEAU UP—Members of both
parties, after a week of strife
which finally placed control of the
House in Republican hands today,
pledged themselves to work to
gether for the good of Alaska.
Rep. Bruce Kendall of Anchor
age, who was elected Speaker, said
he believed this legislature, des
pite the 20-20 split in the lower
chamber, would be a great one.
“I honestly believe that the
House, with its 20-20 split, will
provide 20-20 vision for the future
of Alaska. I honestly and serious
ly believe that this legislature will
go down in history as a states
man’s legislature.
“I will conduct the chair at all
times in an extremely fair manner.
“I’m still in a state of shock,
but I am humbly appreciative of
the confidence that has been ex
pressed in me.”
Democratic floor leader John L.
Rader of Anchorage said that
while he was disappointed that
the Democrats did not gain con
trol, he was glad to see that the
responsibility for the business of
the House had been placed with a
| single party.
♦>
“In a way, we feel that this is
a Democratic victory in our prin
ciple of clearly placing the respon
sibility in government.”
Throughout the week, the Re
publicans had urged a coalition or
ganization, while the Democrats
had advocated the principle of one
party or the other taking control.
“I am happy that this is finally
resolved,” said Rep. Harold Strand
berg, R-Anch. “I know both par
ties will now join together in work
ing on a non-partisan basis.”
I Rep. Warren A. Taylor of Fair
banks, who has served as Speaker
of the House during the past two
legislatures, said:
“Now we can get on with en
acting legislation which will carry
on the functions of the state.”
Freshman Democratic Rep. Jos
eph Josephson of Anchorage said
that by electing Kendall speaker,
and giving the Republicans con
trol, the “least desirable alterna
tive has been rejected.
“The least desirable alternative
was a coalition, which would have
made it impossible for the public
to know which party bears the re
sponsibility for the flow of busi
ness in the House.”
One Killed, 19 Injured In
Forced Landing of
Air Force C131 Transport
HILL AIR FORCE BASE. Utah
Uft—One person, a flight engineer,
was killed and 19 injured when an
Air Force transport plane crashed
shortly after takeoff early today.
One of those aboard the two- (
engine C131 was Maj. Gen. Don
Coupland, commander of the Og
den Air Materiel Area. He suffered
cuts and bruises about the face.
Survivors said one of the en
gines caught fire. The pilot feath
ered the propeller and made a
crash landing, picking an unin
habited spot where oak brush and
soft earth cushioned the crash.
The man killed, making the
flight as a flight engineer instruc
tor, checked the passengers to
make sure their safety belts were
fastened and then headed back to
the pilot’s compartment. He was
on his feet when the plane crashed
and was thrown against the wind
shield.
Bruce Kendall Elected
Speaker By 22-17 Vote
By VIRGINIA SIMS
Associated Press Staff Writer
JUNEAU (/P — The Republican
party won control of Alaska’s State
House of Representatives today.
Bruce Kendall, an Anchorage
Republican who served as minor
ity leader in the lower chamber*
for the past four years, was
named Speaker of the House on a
secret ballot.
Kendall received 22 votes to 17
for Juneau Democrat Dora M.
Sweeney, who has been serving as
Speaker pro tern in the House since
Friday afternoon.
The 40th vote was cast simply
for “Democrat.”
The secret ballot, by which ev
ery member of the House wrote in
the name of his own choice for
Speaker, broke a deadlock which
has tied up the lower chamber
since last Monday.
There was no debate preceding
the balloting, which began at 10:50
a.m. this morning.
Kendall was elected on the first
ballot.
The House was tardy getting
underway because of early mor
ning caucuses by both parties.
I The House had agreed during a
marathon session Saturday night
and early Sunday morning to give
the secret “scatter gun” method of
voting without nominations a try,
a proposal made by the Democrats.
The Saturday night-Sunday mor
ning session didn’t break off until
3:15 a.m. yesterday.
The Democrat’s proposal called
for all members of the House to
write the name of their choice for*
speaker on a secret ballot. There
would be no nominations for the
speakership from the floor.
If no one received the necessary
21 votes after five secret ballots,
the whole thing would be called
off, and the House would go back
to looking for another solution.
The party of the speaker select
ed would be the party to organize
the House and name committee
chairmen, who would be the ma
jority members of their commit
tees. Each party, however, would
be permitted to decide which of
their members would serve on the
various committees.
S.E. Republicans Choose
Joseph McLean of Juneau
To Take Engstrom Seat
JUNEAU UPl— Southeast Alaska
Republicans recommended to Gov.
Egan today that he appoint Joseph
A. McLean of Juneau to replace
the late Elton E. Engstrom in the
state Senate.
McLean’s name was the only one
submitted to Egan, although Re
publicans from the precinct, House
district and Senate district levels
considered 10 other persons for
the job.
McLean, an attorney and owner
of an insurance agency here, is a
life-long Alaskan. He served in the
1955 session of the territorial leg
islature, as Republican minority
leader in the House.
Married and the father of four
children, the 45-year-old McLean
has been active in Republican
party politics for many years.
In submitting McLean’s name
to Egan, Southeast Republicans
said they had accepted and con
sidered all names submitted to the
party as potential replacements for
Engstrom, who died last Wednes
day night after a short illness.