THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
“ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME”
VOL. LXXVIII.. NO. 11,898
JUNEAU, ALASKA, TUESDAY. AUGUST 28, 1951
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
Red Plane
Made Fake
Raid: Ridgway
'Unidentified' Plane
Flew Over Area, Says
U. N Commander
By DON HUTH
"TOKYO, Aug. 28—UFi—The United
Nations command charged today
that the Communists sent one of
their own planes through the mo
tions of bombing Kaesong last Wed
nesday and then blamed the Allies
for the attack.
The charge was contained in a
bulletin released by the Public In
formation Office at Gen. Matthew
B. Ridgway's headquarters as the
U.N. Commander studied a Com
munist note that could shatter hopes
of a truce in Korea.
"There is as yet no indication
as to the nature of the reply Gen
eral Ridgway wil make to the
latest Communist letter,” the Pub
lic Information office said.
The Reds offered to resume truce
talks — which they broke off last
Thursday — on certain conditions.
Primarily, they want Ridgway to
say a U.N. plane bombed the Kae
song neutral area Wednesday.
He has already said no U.N. plane
was even in the area. He told the
Communists they manufactured the
incident.
Less than 24 hours after the Reds
rejected this, Ridgway's public in
formation office restated the same
position in detail.
Unknown Plane
It said no U.N. planes were in
the area at the time of the attack
but that an unidentified plane was.
It added^ '
“It is beyond doubt that this
was a Communist aircraft.
“All evidence established the
clear conclusion that on the night
of Aug. 22 the Communists per
petrated a deliberate fraud.”
The release' said there ’were ho
bomb craters, no bomb- fragments,
“no evidence on the ground of a
United Nations command air at
tack.”
The Reds asked Ridgway to make
a new investigation of their evidence
of the asserted bombing. To this,
the public information office com
mented the Reds have had time to
prepare “more convincing evidence
of a bombing.”
“Transparent”
“The original evidence was so
transparent as to Immediately indi
cate the fraudulent nature of the
bombing charge,” the release said,
“but this defect in the evidence
could be cured.
“Should the investigation be re
opened it is probable that much
more convincing evidence of a
bombing attack would be presented.”
Officials at general headquarters
said it was virtually unthinkable
that Ridgway would retract his
charge that the entire incident was
a frameup.
TheWashington
Merry - Go - Round
By DREW PEARSON
Editors Note: wtih this column,
Drew Pearson concludes his re
porting on Europe and will go
on a two-week vacation. During
his absence the column will be
written by distinguished guests—
the chairman of the atomic en
ergy commission, members of the
cabinet, of Congress and others.
The Bell Syndicate
MUNICH. — At this writing it
looks as if the Czech Communists
had adopted the same strategy
toward the “winds of freedom”
operation as the U. S. Army did
toward the Japanese balloons of
death which floated all the way
across the Pacific during the war.
What the army was afraid of
was that the Japs would realize
how successfully their balloons
were getting across the vast 5,000
mile stretch of the Pacific; there
fore, the balloons’ arrival was one
of the most carefully censored
pieces of news of the entire war.
The army adopted this policy
even though it risked the lives of
many Americans who did not know
that the balloons carried bombs.
And as a result, five children and
the wife of Rev. Archie Mitchell
of Bly, Ore., while on a picnic,
went to examine a strange ball
oon in a tree and were killed.
Adoption of the same policy of
silence by the Czech government
means either that the Commun
ists don’t want us to know that
the balloons have been hitting
their target; or else Prague is
frantically consulting Moscow as
(Continued on Page 4)
Korean War Map
Ik
Solid arrows on map show areas of limited offensives by United Na
tions forces in Korea as Reds broke off cease-fire talks over alleged
l1. N. air attack on Kaesong. Opens arrows indicate Red forces.
Scuth Korean forces (1), backed bv fire from IT. S. warships, ended
a five-day successful fight for thain of hills in east central Korea.
On central front (2), Allies repulsed an attack on positions north
of Kumhwa. To the west of the old “Iron Triangle,” northwest of
Yonchon (3), Communist troops were object of a heavy artillery
barrage. Iff) Wireplioto Map.
Korea 'a Blessing
In Disguise,' Says
Marine Corps Head
NEW YORK, Aug. 28—IM—The
Korean war was a “blessing in dis
guise,” says Marine Ccrps Comman
dant Clifton B. Cates, because of its
effect on U.S. national defense.
The human sacrifices in Korea,
he adds, “contributed a considerable
amount to the defense of America,
because if we hadn't had Korea —
God help us if we had started a
I war.”
I Gen. Cates, addressing the 52nd
' national encampment of the Vet
jierafis 61 Foreign Wars, said yesler
I day the United States is “four times
as strong” now as when the Korean
war started 14 months ago.
Wash-out Repaired
On Alaska Highway;
Road Open to Traffic
The Alaska Highway, w’hich was
reported closed from Haines Junc
tion to the Canadian-American
border last week is now open to
traffic, A. P. Ghiglione, commis
sioner of the Alaska Road Com
mission, said today.
Heavy rains caused a trestle to
wash out over the Donjek river at
Mile 1130. Ghiglione, in a tele
phone conversation late yesterday
with Lt. Col. J. S. Beeman, senior
highway engineer of the North
west Highway System, was advised
that repairs have been completed
and the ejntire highway from
Haines to Fairbanks is in good
condition.
Thursday Hearing
Will Decide Fish
Season Extension
Whether to extend the commer
cial fishing season beyond the
scheduled closing date of Sept. 3
will be discussed at a meeting in
the Fish and Wildlife Service of
fice Thursday afternoon at 2
o’clock.
This was announced today by
C. Howard Baltzo, assistant reg
ional director of the service who
will preside at the meeting.
All interested persons are invi
ted to attend.
Fish and Wildlife officials, as
well as packers and the Canned
Salmon Industry have been mak
ing surveys of the late run of
pinks and their findings will be
considered.
Seton' Thompsan, head of the
Alaska fisheries for the service,
will be ir Juneau to assist at the
meeting, k'e is at present in the
Prince of Wales area watching
the fish run.
CONCERT ASSOCIATION
WILL HAVE MEETING AT
ELKS HALL TONIGHT
Ticket sale plans for the Juneau
Douglas Concert Association will
be made tonight at a meeting of
interested Channelites in the Elks
Hall.
The meeting has been called for
8 o'clock, and Mrs. John McCor
mick, president has asked that ev
! eryone interested in making a
I success of the 1951-52 concert
season attend.
Ships Diverting
From Seward as
Concilation Begins
SEWARD, Alaska, Aug. 28—(8V
A government conciliator started
conferences here yesterday in an
attempt to end the waterfront strike
in this shipping gateway to Alaska.
Albin L. Peterson, of the Seattle
office of the federal conciliation ser
vice, conferred first with Frank
Setterston of the Northern Steve
doring Commpany.
The strike started Saturday
against the firm.
It was called by the Seward locals
; of tlie Interiifitfc5naJl C0ngShdfemenrs
and Warehousemen’s Union (Ind)
in support of a demand for an in
crease in the 15 percent pay dif
ferential for the higher Alaska cost
of living.
The 15 percent is above the Pac
ific coast scale. The union com
mittee contended the Seward cost
of living index is actually 46 per
cent above the western states.
Termed Illegal
The management has withheld
comment on the strike, except to
label it an illegal action. The union
leaders have denied it.
1 Seward is the main port for the
“rail belt” cities, such as Anchor
age and Fairbanks, but army-built
Whittier is an alternate. Longshore
equipment, jitneys and lifts have
been shipped from here, presumably
; to Whittier.
The pasenger ship 8.S. Alaska
of the Alaska Steamship Company
was diverted to Whittier yester
day. It was there today.
Southbound passengers were leav
ing Seward for Whittier by train.
Contractors’ supplies have been
affected materially by the strike
This is the main port of entry for
| them.
In an emergency, ships can by
pass Whittier and go directly to An
chorage, also. Some ships have un
loaded there this year to avoid the
congestion of the Seward docks, but
it takes a long loop around Kenai
Peninsula to get into Cook Inlet.
Couldn't They Make
A Longshoreman
Out of Him!
• SEWARD, Aug. 28—l/f>—This
• Alaska railroad port city was so
• quiet last night, as a result; of
• the waterfront strike, that a
• black bear ambled down the
• main street of the business dis
• trict.
• It investigated the railroad
• depot and dock, then took to
• the hills after a watchman took
• a shot at it.
• WEATHER REPORT
• (U. S. WEATHER BUREAU
• Temperatures for 34-Hour Period
• ending 6:20 o'clock this morning
• At Airport—Maximum, 67;
• minimum, 41.
• FORECAST
• (Juneau and Vicinity)
• Fair tonight and Wednes
• day. Lowest temperature to
• night about 46 degrees and
• highest Wednesday near 70.
•
• PRECIPITATION
• (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a m. today
• At Airport — None;
• since July 1—5.52 inches.
• •••••••••<
Truman Asks Better
Law Enforcement
In Alaska
100 More Deputy Mar
shals Urged-Wants Cor
dova* Road Connection
By Frank W. Vatlle
WASHINUGTON, Aug. 28—Ut)-^
President Truman has asked gov
ernment agencies to prepare a pro
gram to improve law enforcement in
Alaska.
Delegate Bartlett of Alaska told
reporters the question was a major
topic in his 20-mlnute meeting with
the President at the White Housei
today.
Bartlett said the President rdj,'
ferred to a recent Department off
Justice report urging 100 more,
deputies for the four U. S. Marsh- ,
als in the Territory.
Despite a doubling of its popula
tion Alaska has 11 fewer deputies
than it had 20 years ago, the Deie-i
gate said. , !
Wants Program
He added the President told hipi
he has asked the Secretaries of Ag
riculture and Interior and the At-v
torney General to submit a program
to improve law enforcement in the
Territory.
The President was outspoken,
Bartlett said. In behalf of Immed
iate construction of a highway
link between Cordova and the
Richardson Highway.
“Mr. Truman got out an atlas
and went over the road in detail,
referring to the mineral possibilities
of the area," the Delegate declared.
Bartlett added he urged the Pre
sident to give his personal attention
to the Alaska Public Works program
which the Delegate described as far
! less effective than had been hoped.”
Now in its third five years, the
program has received appropriations
of only $16,000,000 of the $70,000,000
originally authorized for it, Bart
lett said.
The Delegate is leaving tonight
for Alaska.
The Interior Department is trying
t to work out means of keeping the
Richardson Highway and Alaska’s
other key transportation routes open
next winter.
James P. Davis, director of the
department’s division of territor
ies, told a reporter that winter i
maintenance of the Richardson
highway is ‘‘still in discussion
among the various departments."
Davis said plans for the main
tenance have been made, but act
ual methods of doing the work
with the funds that will be avail
able have not been yet completed.
"We are giving the problem care
ful consideration, and have been
discussing it with the military au
thorities,” Davis said.
Sumner Strait
Pink Run Good;
West Coast Poor
Outer Summer Strait, Tuxekan
and Tebenkof, are beginning to
make a good showing for the late
run of pinks but the west coast is
poor. This was the word brought
to Juneau today by C. Howard Balt
zo, assistant regional director of the
Fish and Wildlife Service.
Baltzo, with Seton Thompson,
chief of the Alaska division of fish
eries for the service, and Frank
Hynes, fisheries management sup
ervisor, made an aerial survey oi
southeastern Alaska fishing area?
over the weekend.
He said seiners in west coast
waters off Cape Addington are at
a virtual standstill, as far as fish
ing goes.
The west and east coasts of Prince
of Wales Island are as bad, Baltzt
reported but added that Thompson
and Hynes are aboard the service
vessel Brandt in that area watching
to see if a run materializes.
He said that numerous requests
are already coming in for an ex
tension of the season beyond Sept.
3, when it is scheduled to close.
Baranof and Chichagof district;
seem to have had their late runs
Baltzo said. The only exception ir
that area is a run into Sisters Lakt
which appears excellent. “The rest
of the area is disappointing." he
said.
He pointed out that one of thr
brilliant features of the year i;
the excellent cohoe run. ‘ It has been
very profitable for trollers and gill
netters.
“So many fish have been available
that canneries have been buying
them for canning, which is unusual
Cohoes are generally sold to cold
storages and shipped south frozen.”
GOES TO SEATTLE
Charles W. Peters price executive
with the Territorial Office of Price
Stabilization, left today for Se
attle to attend a hearing in regard
> to celling prices on canned salmon.
Largest Piece of Wreckage
--VT--Tr
T
Resour workers look over the largest piece of wreckage founil after a UAL OOiB air liner, enroute from
Cbirrago to Oakland with 50 persons. Including six crewmen aboard, crashrtl and burned against a bill
pear Oakland, t'allf.. In th'o early morning fog. iff) Wirephoto.
Territorial Navy
Bide in Calm Waters;
Vouchers Are Paid
It’s “heave ho” and calm waters
igaln Xor Alaska's “navy”—the M/V
Ohilkoot.
The snag it hit two weeks ago in
rerrltorial Auditor Neil Moore’s of
fice when two vouchers against it
were disallowed, has been blasted
md the payments approved.
One was for a $2,800 insurance
jrea»gi.gi and tlie, pt h er *690 in li nes
against the owners of the barge.
Both had been submitted by the of
fice of the Territorial highway en
gineer under which the vessel op
?rates a ferry service between Ju
aeau, Haines and on some trips,
Bkagway.
Moore had disallowed the insur
ance voucher because, he said at
,he time, the premium payment had
lot been prorated. The policy had
seen taken out May 9, 1951 to run
me year. The Territory did not
ouy the barge until June 9. Form
er owners, Robert Sommers, Steve
Homer and associates had paid $900
3f a $3,700 total for two policies
covering insurance on the boat and
liability for passengers and freight.
Upon being presented with a new
voucher containing specific data on
payments, Moore ordered the $2,800
paid.
“As to the $600 in fines against
the ‘owners’ of the vessel” Moore
said, “I could not honor that
voucher until I was sure what
agreement had been made with
Sommers and Homer at the time
of the purchase.”
He said he had not been shown
the purchase agreement until after
he disallowed the voucher.
"It appears,” lie said, “the form
er owners agreed to knock the $600
off the purchase price if the Ter
ritory would pay it. The Territor
ial road b^ard, handling the trans
action, consented but neglected to
indicate any such information on
the voucher or to inform me of
such an agreement made. I felt it
my duty to disallow the voucher
until I was Informed of the facts.”
Moore said that Monday Terri
torial Treasurer Henry Roden had
brought the agreement in for him to
read. Today Moore ordered the $600
fine paid.
The fine was levied by the Coast
Guard on June 4 against the owners
bf the vessel, who were at the time,
Sommers and Homer, for carrying
freight from Seattle to Juneau
without proper certificate.
Stock Quotations
NEW YORK, Aug. 28—Clos
ing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
stock today is 2%, American Can
116, American Tel. and Tel. 160
Anaconda 46*4, pouglas Aircraft
53, General Electric 59General
Motors 49H, Goodyear 94, Kennecott
794s, Libby, McNeill and Libby 9,
Northern Pacific 48 '4. Standard Oil
of California 51, Twentieth Century
Fox 19'i', U. 8. Steel 41 ,. Pound
2.79 15/16, Canadian Exchange 94 50.
Sales today were 1,270,000 shares.
Averages today were as follows:
industrials 26558, rails 7902, Util
ities 44.66.
SOMMERS RETURN
Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Sommers re
turned from a pleasure trip into the
Interior during the past month.
They visited Atlin, Whitehorse, Fair
banks, Anchorage and Seward,
Indian Attorneys Bias!
Alaska Panel; 'Confiscation
Without Compensation'
By FRANK W. VAILLE '*
WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 — (fl —
Indian representatives have bitterly
attacked n proposed bill to set up
a special Alaska panel within the
Indian Claims Commission. ^ _>_
Sponsors contend “the bill would
provide an orderly procedure lor
settling the disputed title to Alaska
land.
But two witnesses( Japes E. Curry
attorney for the Alaska Native
Brotherhood and National emigres;
of American Indians, and Mrs. Hull
Bronson, executive director of the
Indian Congress, differed with tliai
interpretation yesterday.
Appearing before the House In
dian Affairs subcommittee, they
centered their attacks on a single
clause which would prohibit any
claimant from being awarded “ex
clusive rights in coastal waters
beyond the low water mark."
Mrs. Bronson asserted the phrase
amounted to “confiscation without
compensation” of the Indian claims
to water and fishing rights.
Adverse
Curry agreed, declaring it was
“perfectly clear that the main pur
pose of the bill is not to settle —
but to settle adversely" the Indian
claims.
He contended that ample oppor
tunity is available under present
law to settle the Indian claims.
“This bill," he asserted, “is an
attempt to take the most import
ant part of the Indian lands
without ever a court hearing."
1 The limitation was objected t<
also by the Forest Service but it
different fashion.
Tidelands Timber
C. M. Granger, assistant chief ol
the Forest Service, .urged -the. Com
mltter study elf'srty the effeet
which granting tidelands claim'
might have on the ability of thf
service to get its timber to market.
Most forest service timber in
Alaska, hr said, grows down to the
shoreline and is most easily moved
by water. Lack of assured use
of tidelands might tie up the
timber movement.
But Granger, along with Dillot
S. Myer, Commissioner of India)
Affairs, and Delegate Bartlett oi
Alaska, sponsor of the bill, urged its
approval with amendments. Such e
law is necessary, they contended, to
permit the continued development ol
the territory.
“Sham and Delusion'’
Shortly after Chairman Morri
(D-Okla) expressed his intent ol
doing “everything possible" to hold
hearings on the bill in key Alaska
cities, Curry stoutly protested that
such hearings would be a "sham
and delusion” unless the Indian?
were given the right to choose their
own counsel.
Contracts for legal counsel pre
sently are subject to approval b:
the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Morris indicated the Alaska hear
ings probably would be held in Oc
tober.
Judge Refuses to
Slop Waterfront
Screening Program
' SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 28—(A*)—
Federal District Judge Edward P.
Murphy refused yesterday to stop
the waterfront security screening
program. This program is Intended
to keep Comunists and of her sub
versives away from the docks.
Richard Gladsteln, a left wing
lawyer,, had asked a hearing on a
temporary injunction to prevent the
Coast Guard from requiring full
security clearance as a condition of
maritime employment. The regula
tion is scheduled to go into effect
Sept. 1.
Ship Movements
Baranof due southbound Sunday
afternoon.
Princess Norah in port, sailing for
Skagway at 11:30 p.m. Scheduled
southbound Friday morning.
MRS. BKANTNER TO
ENTERTAIN SEWING
CIRCLE AUG. 30
Mrs. John Brantner, 534 East St.
will entertain the sewing circle of
the Lutheran Ladies Aid Society1
this Thursday at 8 p.m. Members
and friends are invited to come pre
pared to sew for the coming baz
aar.
$8 Million
Engineer Corps
Bids Awarded
ANCHORAGE, Aug. 28— -
(Special)—Activity of the Corps o
Engineers contract market continue
with two huge contracts totalini
nearly eight million dollars beinf
awarded by Colonel L. E. Seeman
Alaska District Engineer.
Contract for the construction o
two airmen’s barracks at Elmendor
Air Force Base went to L. E. Bald
win Inc., of Seattle, who last weel
underbid all six other competitivi
bidders with a low $3,481,400 to wli
this award.
The spcond contract for construc
tion and installation of outside ut
ilities at Eielson Air Force Base ir
the amount of $3,492,460 was award
ed to Joint-bidders Lytle, Oreen
Birch and Boespflug.
Official notice to proceed witl
construction has been given to the«
Iowa. Montana, and Washingtoi
firms.
LORAIN RETURNS
S. H. Lorain, director, U. S. Bur
eau of Mines here, returned yester
day from a two week’s trip into thi
Interior where he had visited th<
bureau’s exploration operations ai
Golden Zone in the Alaska Range
cinnibar properties in the Kusko
kwim, and tin deposits on the Sew
ard Peninsula.
Sevenlh Plane
Crash Kills 5
One Badly Injured
When Float Craft Hits
During Seldovia Takeoff
ANCHORAGE, Aug. 28—An
Alaska Airlines float plane crashed
during, a take-off at Seldovia yes
terday, killing the pilot and four
passengers.
The Civil Aeronautics Administra
tion said the dead were Tex Hlck
erson, pilot of the Travelalr, Mrs.
Jack Edelman and her son, Jackie,
both of Seldovia. Johnnie Alex
nnd Art Haugen.
Shirley Edelman. daughter of the
dead woman was seriously injured,
the CAA said. The hometowns of
Alex and Haugen were not avail
able here.
The fatal accident was the sev
enth In a series which started July
20 when a Korean airlift plane with
38 aboard disappeared on a flight
to Tokyo.
Crashed Plane
Circling Too Low,
Says Federal Report
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 28——
Federal investigators say initial sur
veys indicate the United Airlines
DC-6 which crashed near here Fri
day was circling too low. Fifty per
sons died in the flaming wreck.
A Civil Aeronautics Board official,
who asked he not be Identified, said
the plane apparently was swinging
in a wide arc as it approached Oak
land airport for h landing.
"Apparently the crash was a mat
ter of altitude while circling," the
unnamed official said. "He was in
the proper maneuvering area."
Canadian Forest
fire Kilts t.Mves '
70 from Homes
VANCOUVER, B. C.. Aug. 28—1/0
—Forest flames, swept by a 50-mile
an-hour wind, cut a path six to
seven miles across Cracroft Island
yesterday.
A logger was dead, three logging
operations were wiped out and 70
women and children had to be ev
acuated from a camp.
Cracroft Island is at the north
east corner of Vancouver Island,
where forest fire* have taken a
heavy toll in the last three weeks.
The logger was killed when struck
by a snag as he and other workers
were trying to save valuable mach
inery.
The blaze had been brought under
control and then it ran wild as the
50-mile-an-hour gale swept the is
land.
Forestry officials said the damage
will amount to thousands of dollars.
Explosion in
Dentist's Chair
Kills Youth
WATERLOO, la., Aug. 2«——
An accidental explosion which oc
curred while he was being given
an anesthetic in a dentist's office
brought death to Owen Hindal, 20
yesterday, Hindal died of a burned
throat and ruptured lungs. Dr.
George Poster, the dentist, said
he did not know what caused the
explosion.
lack Reported
3esl in 48 Years
SEATTLE, Aug. 28—UR—Fraser
river's sockeye pack has surpassed
my full season pack in the past
iij years, the state department of
Fisheries reported today.
Dy August 18. Puget Sound can
neries haik packed 180,278 cases
and Canadian plants had packed
an estmated 85,000 cases. This ex
; eeds any annual pack since 1903
when the total was 372,020 cases.
The Fisheries Department attri
buted the big increase to the ex
tensive rehabilitation program of
the International Pacific Salmon
Commission.
MRS. TOM DYER RETURNS
PROM ANCHORAGE VISIT
Mrs. Tom Dyer returned to Ju
neau Friday after visiting her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy G. South
worth, in Anchorage for the past
six weeks. Illness of her mother
had called Mrs. Dyer to the west
ward town.