THE
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 32
NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1963
Per Copy 15C
U.S. Rejects
Soviet Charges of
Shooting Incident
WASHINGTON Ul) — The Unit
ed States today formally rejected
Soviet charges that U.S. warships
fired on a Soviet trawler some 70
miles east of Norfolk, Va., last
Friday.
The State Department made
public a note, delivered last night
to the Soviet Embassy, saying that
after a thorough investigation it
was determined that no U.S. Naval
vessel in the general area en
gaged in any firing when any sur
face vessel or aircraft could be en
dangered.
It said no cruisers were among
the UJS. naval vessels in the area
as had been charged by the Soviet
Union.
The note acknowledged that six
U.S. destroyers were engaged in
gunnery exercises within an estab
lished and recognized area used
for many years for gunnery and
other exercises by ships of the
U.S. Navy.
It said a destroyer nearest the
location of the alleged incident
within the indicated time period
conducted anti-aircraft firing prac
tice against a target towed by an
airplane, firing in easterly and
westerly directions with ammuni
tion having a maximum range of
seven miles. The destroyer was
10 miles southwest of the location
of the alleged incident, the U.S.
note said.
The Soviet complaint had al
leged that some dummy shells fell
as close as 190 feet from the Soviet
vessel and endangered it.
“Before and during the firing
practice, clearance of the range
was established in accordance with
normal safety procedures and no
other surface vessels were within
12 miles of the destroyer at the
time of the firing.”
Nome Unemployment Rate 47.3%
JUNEAU (j'P) — Labor Commis
sioner Gil Johnson said today
Alaska’s insured unemployment
rate for the week ending March
9 was 17.0, unchanged from the
rate of the previous week.
The insured unemployment rate
by area included Anchorage, 17.1
per cent; Fairbanks, 14.8; Juneau,
19.3; Ketchikan, 14.4; Nome, 47.3;
Petersburg, 34.2, and Sitka, 5.9.
CONGO ASKS FOR HELP
TO RESTRAIN ITS ARMY
LEOPOLDVILLE, The Congo UP>
— The Congo has called on the
United States and five other na
tions to help restrain its poorly
disciplined army.
Government sources said Pre
mier Cyrille Adoula relayed the
request through U.N. Secretary
General U Thant to the United
States, Canada, Belgium, Italy,
Norway and Israel. Government
sources said the United States was
asked to give logistic support only.
It was reported the United
States, Belgium, Israel and Italy
have indicated they will help.
Draft Act Goes to JFK
WASHINGTON UF> — Congress
sent to President Kennedy today
legislation extending the military
draft for four more years.
The Senate, with a chorus of
“ayes” on a voice vote, completed
action on the bill passed last Mon
day by the House.
Not a voice or question was
raised against it before the Senate
vote.
Legislature Urged to
Give Support to CAP
JUNEAU Uf) — An Anchorage
businessman who, with his wife
and two pilot-guides were recent
ly rescued from an ice floe in the
Chukchi Sea, urged the legislature
today to give its undivided support
to the financial needs of the Civil
Air Patrol.
The appeal came in a telegram
from Harold Paddock of Anchor
age to Senate President Frank Per
atrovich.
Paddock said the experience and
knowledge of Civil Air Patrol
members in Kotzebue “prevented
us from becoming victims of Arctic
sub-zero temperatures.”
The Civil Air Patrol, which flew
rescue and search missions involv
ing some 4,000 to 5,000 hours of
air time last year in Alaska, re
quested an appropriation of $63,
000 for fiscal 1964. This figure
was trimmed to $32,000 before the
proposed budget was handed to
the legislature.
Col. Jim Carter of Anchorage,
CAP Wing Commander in Alaska,
said that the CAP is the only or
ganization in the state which is
geared for over-land search and
rescue work, after the Air Force
disbanded this phase of its rescue
work.
Pinball Machine
Operation Would Only
Pay Off In Free Plays
JUNEAU Uf)—Legislation which
would permit the operation of
pinball machines in Alaska, with
winnings to consist only of free
plays, was introduced today by
the Senate Rules Committee, by
request.
Sen. Lester Bronson, chairman of
the committee, said the measure
is similar to a gambling tolerance
bill approved by the Washington
State legislature this year.
Under the provisions of the Rules
Committee measure, which Bronson
said was introduced at the request
of the pinball industry, only those
machines now in Alaska would be
permitted to operate, if properly
registered and not in violation of
the U.S. code.
Bronson said the measure “in no
way can be construed as a gamb
ling bill.”
If the bill is not approved, Bron
son said, many small businesses
in the state “are going to be
forced to close” and there will be
a “tax loss for many of our com
munities.”
Political subdivisions receive
a share of the state tax on coin
operated devices.
$221,000 for Technician
Training at U of Alaska
JUNEAU Wl — Gov. Wm. Egan
said today a federal allocation of
$221,497 has been made for an
electronic technician training
course at the University of Alaska,
which will prepare 40 Alaskans
for employment in the field.
The course was approved under
the provisions of the Federal Man
power Development, Training and
Automation Act of 1962. The fed
eral funds will be contributed over
a period of two years.
The training will be conducted
by the University of Alaska, start
ing June 3. The students, to be
selected by the State Employment
Service, will spend 48 weeks in
training.
Graduates of the course will be
eligible for jobs calling for the
maintenance and repair of elec
tronic equipment.
Soviets Fall Behind
In Promise of
Troop Movement
WASHINGTON ifft — The So
viet Union appears to have fallen
behind in fulfillment of its prom
ise to get several thousand troops
out of Cuba by mid-March but
indications are that a large group
will be leaving Havana this week
end.
The U.S. government is keeping
a close watch on the situation. For
the past several days normally in
formative officials have declined
to discuss numbers of troops which
have left Cuba so far. The problem
appears to be one of analyzing
and checking intelligence reports
to determine exactly what has hap
pened.
According to the best informa
tion available in official quarters
here, the situation presently is
this:
Since the removal promise was
made to the United States Feb. 18,
about 1,800 or 1,900 persons have
left Cuba on four Soviet ships. The
latest of those vessels to sail left
Havana Sunday. It was reported
by the Soviet Communist party
newspaper Pravda to be carrying
aviation mechanics, artillery ex
perts, engineering troops and tank
soldiers.
Another Soviet ship is in Ha
vana Harbor and there are reports
in the Cuban capital it will depart
this weekend with about 2,000 So
viet military specialists.
So far as U.S. authorities arc
concerned the number of people
who have sailed on Soviet ships
during the past four weeks —
around 1,800 or 1,900—is consider
ed fairly definite but the identi
fication of those departing is by
no means certain. For example, it
is assumed here many undoubted
ly were Soviets, but some could
have been Cubans going to the
Soviet Union. Some could also
have been Soviet civilian advisers
to the Castro government.
Polaris Sub Depot Ship
Proteus Heads for Home
HOLY LOCH, Scotland UP> —
America’s Polaris submarine depot
ship Proteus sailed for home to
cheers and tears today — a sharp
contrast to the boos that greeted
its arrival.
Two years ago, the Proteus
sailed into Holy Loch. Noisy de
monstratiors sailed out to shout
abuse. Local Scots said most of
the demonstrators were from Eng
land.
Today groups of Scottish and
American women waved, sang and
wept as the 18,000-ton ship head
ed for Charleston, S.C.
The American women were
wives of Proteus men.
A total of 130 officers and sail
ors from the depot ship have
married Scottish girls.
"MUKTUK" MARSTON
NAMED OFFICIAL GREETER
JUNEAU — The appointment
of Col. M. R. (Muktuk) Marston
of Anchorage as an official Good
will Ambassador for Alaska and
an official greeter at Anchorage
International Airport was an
nounced today by Gov. Wm. Egan.
Egan said Marston, who will re
ceive no remuneration for his
work, will start the assignment
this weekend in connection with
the third annual International
Airlines Ski Festival at Mt.
Alyeska near Anchorage.
Minnesota Governorship
Is Still Congested Case
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Final
rulings on questioned ballots in
the Minnesota governor recount
case today gave Democrat Karl
Rolvaag a lead of 91 votes over
Republican Gov. Elmer Andersen.
However, Andersen attorneys
have challenged the validity of the
recount and the decision will not
become final until this issue is
decided by the three-judge court.
Andersen’s attorneys argued the
original canvass, which gave An
dersen a 142-vote lead, in the Nov.
6 election, must be presumed cor
rect until proved otherwise. They
said for Rolvaag had failed to
prove the recount was any more
dependable than the original
count.
Crimson Bears Down
Ravens 55-52 in First Test
EIELSON UP) — The Southeastern
Alaska High School basketball
champions from Juneau-Douglas
have been noted this year for com
ing from behind to win, but sel
dom has a team come from so
far back in such little time to
win going away as they did last
night in the first of three games
for the Alaska title at Eielson
AFB.
Playing the Eielson Ravens, the
Crimson Bears were trailing Eiel
son by 17 points with 12 minutes
to go, 41-24, but won the firs
leg on the road to another cham
pionship 55 to 52.
—
Robert Stevenson and
Levi Browning Named
To Commissioner Posts
JUNEAU UPi — Gov. Wm. Egan
today announced the appointment
of Robert Stevenson as Commis
sioner of Revenue and Col. Levi
Browning as Commissioner of
is a quiet place, surrounded by
cotton field and stock farms. It
got its name by sheer chance. The
town had to submit three names
when it applied for its post of
fice, and someone suggested kid
dingly'- that the third choice be
Shamrock, for luck. It turned out
the other two names were already
in use in Texas.
nectiui ctiiu wt'Ucue.
Browning a former commander
of the Air Force hospital at Elmen
dorf Air Force Base replaces Paul
Winsor, who resigned early this
year to accept a Bureau of Indian
Affairs post in the midwest.
Stevenson has been acting Com
missioner of Revenue since the
resignation last year of Peter
Gatz.
Both appointments are subject
to legislative approval.
Browning, 58, will take over his
new post about April 20, after re
tiring from the Air Force. He has
served 26 years in the Army and
Air Force medical service.
The new commissioner of Health
and Welfare has served two tours
of duty in Alaska.
A graduate of the University of
Illinois, Browning served his
junior and senior residences at
Milwaukee County General Hos
pital at Wauwatosa, Wis.
In appointing Browning, Egan
said the new commissioner, during
his tours of duty in Alaska, “gain
ed valuable experience and know
ledge as to Alaska’s health and wel
fare problems.”
He is married. He and his wife.
Sara, have no children.
Egan said Henry Harmon, who
has been serving as acting Com
missioner of Health and Welfare
since Winsor’s resignation, will re
turn to his old post as Deputy
Commissioner.
A former Territorial Tax Com
missioner, Stevenson has been
serving as acting State Commis
sioner of Revenue since March 1
of last year.
Stevenson, 43, first came to Alas
ka with the Army Signal Corps
in 1942.
GREEN BEER . . .
NEW ORLEANS UFi — Even the
beer will be green when the
Algiers Irish Assn, celebrates St.
Patrick’s Day at its annual dinner
Sunday.
The dinner, to follow a parade
through the Irish Channel area of
the city, will include corned beef
and green cabbage, Irish potatoes
and green-colored beer.
Communications Link
Between U.S. and Kremlin
Stressed at Geneva Talks
GENEVA iff — The United
States said today a direct, secret
communications link between
Washington and the Kremlin would
greatly reduce the danger of acci
dental nuclear war.
U.S. Ambassador Charles Stelle
told the 17-nation disarmament
conference it should discuss the
establishment of such a link as a
matter of urgency.
The proposal was first made to
the conference last year but has
never come up for discussion as
the delegates concentrated on a
treaty to ban nuclear tests.
Faced with deadlock on this is
sue, delegates decided to move on
to a discussion of general dis
armament and other measures to
reduce the risk of war.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
Continued fair. Low tonight -10,
high tomorrow 15. In the last 24
hours: High of 14, low of -11. Max.
Winds 29 mph from the NNE.
Sunrise at 6:21 a.m., sunset at
6:02 p.m. Temps, a year ago to
day: High of 3, low -16.
Irish Will Live
It Up In Texas
SHAMROCK, Tex. {£*> — A bit
of Ireland comes alive in the Texas
Panhandle Saturday when Sham
rock throws the biggest St. Pat
rick’s Day celebration in its
history.
This town of 3,000 virtually has
been covered in green and white
banners and bunting. The weekly
newspaper has been printed with
green ink and the menu for the
big kickoff banquet is in Gaelic.
Shiny green top hats are every
where, and shamrocks by the thou
sands will be flown in from Ire
land.
All male citizens are required
to have a donegal (Irish-style)
beard, or carry a “shaving permit”
with them at all times.
Thirty-six hours of continuous
entertainment has been planned,
centering around a two-mile long
parade down Main Street.
As one resident put it: “Every
body in this town is involved in
St. Patrick's Day. We start pre
paring in the middle of January.”
The fete began when the Sham
rock band director decided in 1935
that the town should take ad
vantage of its name and put on an
annual Irish celebration. Each
I' year things have gotten bigger.
About 40,000 visitors from sur
rounding counties are expected
for the fun Saturday, with plenty
of tourists stopping off for the
i night.
1 The rest of the year Shamrock