The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, August 4, 1949, Page 1

VOL. LXXIIIL, NO. 11,264 Hawaii Dock Dispute May Tie U, AMERICAN COMMANDERS REACH AGREEMENT WITH SCANDINAVIAN NATIONS 'LONGSHORE STRIKE IS POSSIBLE ILWU Official Says Pacific Coast Stevedores Can Walk Out HONOLULU, Aug. 4—(®—The threat to spread Hawaii's 96-day dock tieup to the mainland bal-| looned today. A union spokesman said CIO Pacific Coast longshore- men can walk out to support the strikers. The reason, said Robert W. Mc- Elrath, is that the West Coast contract never has been ratified by the rank and file of the Interna- tional Longshoremen’s and Ware- housemen’s Union. He is the ILWU press spokesman here. ILWU headquarters in San Fran- cisco has advised the Pacific Coast contract will not be ratified “if Hawaii employers and their agents in the Territorial government con- tinue with their st,rlkebreukmg pro- gram,” McElrath said. Coast longshoremen, he sald in a radio address last night, have worked under a ‘“back to work” memorandum since Dec. 6, 1948. That was the date of signing a contract endihg a 99-day West Coast dock strike. This memorandum, McElrath asserted, was to be effective until the ILWU membership approved or rejected the general contract. Meanwhile, all negotiations to end the Hawaii tieup were at a standstill. The Hawaii Legislature, in the midst of effort to pass a bill aimed at ending the strike by putting the government in the stevedoring busi- ness, recessed until Friday. Both House and Senate yesterday bowed to Gov. Ingram M. Stain- back’s last minute plea to modify a House-approved bill banning the use of strikers or management employees. They, passed resolutions to give the Governor a free hana in hiring workers. TRACT RESIDENTS WARNED 10 BOIL DRINKING WATER Bacteriological tests made 'by the Alaska Department of Health on water samples from the Seatter Tract water system have shown this supply to be contaminated, Dr. C. .C. Carter, City Health Officer amnounced today. Dr. Carter recom- mended that all persons served by the Seatter Tract system boil their drinking water until further noti- fication. The Washington Merry - Go-Round By DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1949, by Bell Syndicate, Inc.) ASHINGTON—President Tru- man strongly indicated he would issue a directive to the Munitions Board to stockpile more Amex;icnn— produced strategic metals after listening to protests from a group of western - Congressmen, Who charged that 87 per cent of our metal stockpile came from abroad. However, he ggve his visitors, led by Representatives Walter Granger | of Utah and Clair Engle of Cali- fornia, a brief scare by asserting: “There was a request of $500,000,000 for the Munition Board in the bud- get. If you fellows hadn't cut 1t out, we wouldn’t be in this diffi- culty now.” This brough a friendly chal- lenge from Granger, who said he didn't remember any such cut. “Well, if I'm wrong and that money is still in the budget, then I'd be inclined to issue a directive "THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” JUNEAU, ALASKA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1949 TERRITORY WILL GET $1,000,000 LOAN MEMBER A SSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS (zechs HurI More Charges af Roman Catholic Church NATIONAL EVENTS (By The Associated Press) ed today in London they reached a complete understanding with Britain, Norway and Denmark on a mutual defense plan. man for the U. S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said: “We are going home, I am sure, with a very much bet- ter understanding of the situation than when we left.” The US. commanders are on a 10-day tour of Western Europe to discuss defense plans of North At- lantic treaty countries. The con- ferences are held in strict secrecy. Norway and Denmark both were War II. Norway borders on Rus- sia in the north. Atlantic pact framers say the pact is entirely de- fensive, act in preparation for war against the Soviet Union. The Norwegian commanders say they are seeking military equipment Britain and are exchanging ideas on military training. The American chiefs, Gen. Omar Bradley, Army; Adm. Louis Den- feld, Navy; and Gen. Hoyt S. Van- denberg, Air Force, planned to go to Paris later today. Jailed Priest Is Only First A Czechoslovakian Army news- paper said the jailing of a Roman Czech government is only the start of the government's fight against SUMMARY OF TODAY’'S INTER- | American commanders announc- | have | Adm. Louis E. Denfeld, spokes-‘ overrun by the Germans in World | Russia contends it is an from both the United States and Catholic priest by the Communist; cree. ‘The official Prague radio an- nounced last night that Rev. Alois Fajstl has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment for treason. The priest was accused of refusing | to administer the last sacrament to a sick old woman until she handed in her Communist party member- ship card. The priest denied the charge. The Army newspaper Obrana Li- du said: “This just sentence must be a decisive proof to the Vatican that we are not afraid of its de- crees and that we shall be merciless ‘m the defense of our people’s dem- ocratic regime.” In Rome, a Vatican informant said the Czech trial may have been “a Communist trick to try to dis- credit the church and its faithful.” Vatican spokesmen have said the excommunication decree acts on the | consciences of wayward Catholics .| and requires no overt act to put it into effect. Catholic authorities at Prague re- ported several new arrests of priests, and Rome reports quoted an unofficial Vatican source as saying clashes between Catholics and Czechoslovak police have occurred at four places in devoutly Catholic Slovakia. In one such clash, the Vatican said, one person was killed and many others were wounded by police while trying to protect a .priest from arrest. The source gave no date. Red Koreans Invade South Reports reaching Seoul, capital of non-Communist South Korea, said Communist border guards numbering 6,000 men have struck capture of a rich rice growing pen- insula. American troops have been withdrawn from South Korea. SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Aug. 4—» —A suit to collect a three-quarter million dollar judgment against the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union was filed in Superior Court here today. The suit was filed by the Juneau Spruce Corporation of Juneau, Alaska, in connection with an award by a Federal court jury at Juneau last May 20, in a civil damage suit filed under the Taft-Hartley Act. The action filed here seeks to collect a judgment for $750,000 plus $10,467.55 damages as the result of a jurisdictional dispute between two QIO unions in Alaska. The Juneau Spruce Corporation had a collective bargaining agree- ment with the International Woodworkers of America. When government contracts were can- celled at the end of the war, the company tried to ship its lumber to Canada and the United States by barge, which were loaded by its employees affiliated with the IWA. The ILWU demanded that the loading be done by ILWU mem- bers and when the company re- fused, the ILWU picketed the Ju- neau mill and refused to unload barges of the company's lumber in any west coast port which the longshoremen’s union controlled. The Juneau mill was closed a year as a result of the picketing and the Federal Court enjoined further picketing at the request ot the National Lator Relations Board on May 15, 1949. In Juneau, company attorney N. C. Banfield explained that the suit to collect the judgment was filed in California in order to tie up union property and funds pending — |the union’s appeal to higher courts. (Continued on Page Four) This will make it possible for an JUNEAU SPRUCE FILES SUIT IN CALIFORNIA TO COLLECT ILWU MONEY immediate collection of the judg- ment if the lowér court's verdict is sustained. STEAMER MOVEMENTS Pringess Norah due southbound Friday at 8 am. Princess Louise scheduled to ar- rive from Vancouver Saturday. Coastal Monarch due to from Seattle Saturday. Baranof scheduled to sail from Seattle Saturday. Aleutian scheduled to southbound next Sunday. sail arrive COUNCIL TO MEET TOMORROW NIGHT Many details of various muni- cipal concerns will occupy members of the Juneau City Council at the regular meeting tomorrow night at 8 o’'clock. Discussion is expected on the rate increases asked by the Juneau Wat- er Company, and there are a num- ber of matters for consideration in connection with the city prop- erty sale for which a court order was signed Monday. This will be of specified parcels on which taxes are delinquent and unpaid. TRAIL WORK TO BE FINISHED BY WEEKEND Hikers wondering about trail con- ditions for weekend outings can be assured that those in the vicinity or Youngs Bay and Bear Creek will ? shape, according to R. L. Davln of the Admiralty Division, U. 8. Forest Service. A crew in charge of John LaHaie is maintaining trails in those ar- eas this week, the Vatican's excommunication de- acress the border at three points| and their object seems to be the| TRUMAN AGAINST AID CUT WASHINGTON, Aug. 4—(@®— President Truman today opposed any reduction in the $1,450,000,000 he has asked for arming foreign countries, but he said he doesn’t care anything about having blank- check powers. / The foreign arms bill pending in Congress would permit the Presi- dent to send weapons to any country whose arming he thinks would help the United States. When asked about this clause at his news conference, Mr. Trus man said he doesn't particularly care whether it remains in the bill. He said all he wants is to see that European Pact countries are prop- erly taken care of. He also said the bill ought to be passed as quickly as possible in the manner in which it was sent to Congress. The President also discussed Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, China, excise taxes, a loan to Mexico and other matters. MRS. F.D.R. Offers to QUIT Concerning Mrs. Roosevelt, a re- porter asked whether it is true that she has offered to resign as a mems ber of the U.S. delegation to thé: United Nations because of a dif- ference with Francis Cardinal | Spellman over federal aid to edu- | cation, Mg, Truman replied that Mrs Roosevelt offered to resign—as she does every year—just to give him a free hand to appom}. anyong he wants. But he said she’s going back to the United Nations in her same job. The President said Mrs. Roose- velt expressed no reason for her offer. He said he thought it was inly her customary politness, and noted that she made her annual offer at the usual time. The President announced that the State Department is publish- ing tomorrow a volume on United States relations with China, par- ticularly during the last five years. He said his main purpose in ask- ing the Secretary of State to pub- lish this record at this time is to insure that our Far Eastern policy shall be based on informed and intelligent public opinion. He said the role of this gov- ernment in its relations with China has been subject to considerable misrepresentation, distortion and misunderstanding. A short time after Mr. Truman spoke out, a group of Senators moved to earmark $175,000,000 ot the administration’s $1,4€0,000,000 arms program for military aid to non-Communist China. Senator Knowland (R-Calif) in- troduced an amendment to the arms bill calling for an American mission to direct the program. When a reporter asked if Mr. Truman sees any improvement in the economic situation, he grinned and said that all he knows is what he reads in the papers. He added that even the Wall Street Journal says there has been an improve- ment. TAX REPEALS UNDER STUDY What about the possible repeal of wartime excise taxes (on things like transportation fares, luggage, jewelry and theatre admissions)? The President replied this subject will require a great deal of research by experts and it will be at least the next session of Congress be- fore anything will be done about them. A reporter asked if it is true that a loan to Mexico has been re- fused because of a Mexical refusal to pay certain past claims, Mr Truman said the United States has not refused to make a loan to Mexico, that it is stilt under con- sideration, and that he is hopeful it will be worked out. Concerning a bill recently passed by Congress to give the Secretary of Defense more power to unify the Armed Forces, Mr. Truman said he is having it analyzed and he | will probably sign it if it is in the ‘Uorm he thinks it Is,” Draft Will Expire On June 25th Army Will Not Ask for Ex- tension of Peacefime Selective Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 4—®P— Senators told Army Secretary Gor- don Gray today that the peacetime draft act probably will be allowed to die next June 25 unless defense officials anticipate an emergency. Chairman Tydings (D-Md) of the Armed Services Committee said this was a subject of a secret ses- sion with Secretary Gray and Gen- eral J. Lawton Collins, Vice Chiet of Staff for the Army. After the conference, from which even committee members were ex- cluded, Tydings said no action on selective service appears necessary at this session. He said Congress would meet again next January— in time to consider an extension or revision. Last year, after much dispute, Congress enacted a peacetime selec- tive service act. Under it men from 19 through 25 years were subject to draft for 21 months. No draft calls have been made since January of this year because volunteers have more than filled quotas for the armed services. FISHERMEN HAVE ONE DAY CLOSING IN PUGET SOUND BELLINGHAM, Aug. 4—M®— Puget Sound fishermen mended their nets, . restocked their larders and ‘otherwise passed the time to- day as the International Pacific Fisheries Commission ordered a one-day halt in U.S. salmon fish- ing. The closure was ordered to equal- ize the Canadian and U.S sockeye salmon catch and to avold ex- tended closed seasons on the U.S. side, said Alvin Anderson, Wash- ington Director of Fisheries and 1 Commission member. Purse seiners and reef netters halted fishing last midnight; gill- netters stopped at 6 a.m. today. former group may resume at a.m, tomorrow and continue unti midnight, while gillnetters may fish again from 6 am. tomorrow until 6 am. Saturday. The final deadlines set by the commission mark the regular week- 2nd closing. Dates for the end ot the season have not been set. Anderson said U.S. fishermen are 100,000 sockeye salmon ahead of the Canadians despite a strik2 that delayed the start of fishing. Addition of many boats in from Alaska has increased the fleet to 256 craft, atout 20 percent over last year, Anderson said an extended clo- sure would have been necessary after Aug. 10 if today’s order hadn't been issued. The later date, he said, would. have caught the “pink” salmon run at its peak. STOCK .QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, Aug. 4—®—Clos- ing quotation on Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 3'x, American Can 90%, Anaconda 28%, Curtiss- Wright 8, International Harvest- er 24%, Kennecott 48'%, U. 8. Steel 22%, Pound $4.027%. Sales today were 910,00 shares. ities 36.29. FISH LANDINGS Landed from the Ruby Pitzpatrick) were 42,000 pounds of | black cod. Going to the Alaska Coast Fisheries were. 21,000 pounds| of salmon from the Carol Ann (Art Mantyla), New York | Central 10, Northern Pacific 13'%,| (Larry | Federal Govt Claims Con-| rol of Tidelands for De- velopment of Seaweed By VERN HAUGLAND. WASHINGTON, Aug. 4—®—The| | seaweed beds off Alaska belong fo| the Federal government, the Inter- | ior Department said today. Anyone wanting to harvest them must get permission of Congress— and probably would bump into op- position by the fishing indust In response to a query from would-be promoter of an Alaskan seaweed industry, Assistant Interior Secretary Willlam E. Warne asked Solicitor Mastin G. White for an opinion. ‘White's reply: 1. The Federal government, not the ‘Territorial government, has title and control over the tidelands, waters and the lands of the Con- ’| tinental Shelf off Alaska. 2. If Alaska should become a state, title to the tidelands and land beneath navigable inland wat- ers would pass to the state. Owner- ship of lands of the Continental Shelf off Alaska would not be af- fected. 3. Seaweed growing on U. 8. lands in Alaska is U. S. property and can be disposed of only pursu- ant to an authorization from Con- gress. No Provisions Made “No statutory provision for its disposal has been enacted,” White said. “There is no authority at the present time to permit the cutting of the seaweed beds in Alaskan Territorial waters for commercial purposes. “It follows that the cutting and taking of seaweed by any person for such purposes would ke an un- authorized action.” The National Economic and So- cial Planning Association has ean- INTERIOR DEPARTMENT BANS PROPOSED NEW INDUSTRY FOR ALASKA al the lands beneath navigable inland | mnlc"l that Pacific Coast shallow | | waters could produce each year a| | seaweed crop worth about $160,000,- ‘000 as fertilizer, and that more ‘than one-fourth is the | Alaska. 1 It estimated the size and po- tential production of the Pacific Coast beds at 390 square miles con- | taining 2,266,000 tons of potassium | chloride including: Pudget Sound, five square miles, 20,000 tons: SE Alaska, 141'% square miles, 598,000 tons; Southwest Alaska, 18 square | miles, 136,000 tons. 1 Primary product of the seaweeds fare the alginates used as a stabil- izing agent in face creams, shaving creams, hand lotions, ice creams, and in the manufacture of explo- sives. share of Many Difficulties An Interior Department official who asked that his name be with- held sald an Alaska seaweed in- dustry would have to overcome these hurdles: 1. High production and trans- portation costs. ; 4 2. A seaweed quality apparently considerably lower than that of the California beds. 3. The fact that Alaskan sea- weed beds are used for spawning purposes and hiding places by cer« tain species of fish, No fish are known to breed in the California seaweed areas. The Fish and Wildlife Service has indicated that, since Alaska herring lay their eggs on the kelp leaves, it is opposed to disturbimg the beds. Some experts say that mown seaweed beds grow back In four to six months, and that they are best harvested in the spring. The Fish and Wildlife Service has made it known that it would prefer thorough research precede any attempt to develop the Alaska | seaweed resources. It has sald also that it is more interested, at present, in funds for further research in the utilization of 600,000 tons of fish waste pro- duced by Alaskan canneries each year. NEWS BRIEFS A Soviet zone court has sentenc- ed 31 former Nazi storm troopers to prison terms ranging from one year to life, A Russian announce- ment says the men were accused of maltreating Communist party officials just after Adolf Hitler took over the German government. Britain’s Prime Minister, Clem- ent Attlee, is off the sick list today. An official spokesman said Attlee had quite recovered” from a cold which had confined him to his country home since last Saturday. Princess Elizabeth'’s husband is going back to sea. The Royal Navy today ordered Prince Phillip to ac- tive duty in‘the Mediterranean as cer of the destroyer flotilla leader HMS Chequers. The United States Public Health ing down. Totals are still going | up—but the rate is a bit slower now. In the week that ended July 30th, there were close to 2,000 new cases. | From now on, June 14th will be the official Flag Day. President Truman signed legislation today-— but the kids won’t be able to take the day off . . . holiday. 4 ALASKA AIRLINES GETS PARTIAL (AA SUSPENSION TODAY first lieutenant and executive offi-, Service finds some evidence that; Averages day were as mllows:l‘he spread of pclio may be slow- industrials 177.06, rails 4484, util-| it's not a lagal\kan village of Nenana, ending the WASHINGTON, Aug. 4—®—The Civil Aeronautics -Administration today directed a partial suspension of the operations of Alaska Air- lines, Inc., based on alleged viola- tions of safety regulations. Alaska Airlines, tased at Anchor- age, holds operating permits as a scheduled air line within Alaskan Territory, and as a non-scheduled carrier of both passengers and ‘reight elsewhere. wis% e CAR action. ¢ —F effective Aug. 8, will temporarily suspend all ot the line’'s non-scheduled operations and will limit flights over its sched- uled routes to daylight hours for a period of seven days. The CAA announcement said the company had accepted these condi- tions and had offered to settle the matter of alleged past violations of regulations by payment of a lump sum fine of $20,000. The CAA said it was considering this offer, but had made no final decision. TANANA RIVER FLOOD THREAT IS NOW OVER FAIRBANKS, Aug. 4—(®—The Tanana River was reported re- ceding today at the Central Alas- p West Coast SEATTLE BANKERS 10 LOAN Territorial Treasurer Henry Roden Succeeds in Al- tempt fo Get Finances SEATTLE, Au{ 4—(P—Alaska Territorial Treasurer Henry Roden announced today that a million dol- lar bank lcan for Alaska is virtu- ally assured. He said the only remaiming bar- rier is getting private guarantors for the 3 per cent interest which will be invqlved. He said 15 private citizens will be asked to guarantee $1,000 in- terest each, pending action by the Territorial Legislature. He said there was no doubt that the 15 can be found and he is confident the legislature will vote at its next sesslon to pay the interest and relieve the individuals of their re- sponsibility. Roden said he ‘would be one of the 15, Roden said tne loan will be from the Seattle Trust and Bulnul Bank. He said the precedent of Terri~ torfal borrowing without advance Jeglslation had been set by the legislature, he said, later approved the Territory's assumption” of the interest. The Treasurer said he airmailed an outline of the plan to the Board of Administration, of which the Governor, Ernest Gruening, and other Territorial officers are mem- bers, last night, He said “I am sure they will agree to.it.” Roden will fly north tomorrow. Roden has been here about two weeks on the financing problem, due to the Alaska General Fund being deep in the red. He said the court challenges of three new Alaska tax laws was not a major barrier; that he soon convinced the bankers that was not a problem, but “the main trouble was clearing it with the lawyers.” Roden said there would be am- ple funds available before January 15 for paying off the borrowsd sum. He expressed the belief that the receipts for liquor, income and other taxes would be ample. In Juneau, acting on a tele- graphic request from Treasurer Roden, Governor Gruening called a meeting of the Territorial Board of Administration this morning, to make certain preparations in an- ticipation of Roden’s return to- morrow. DEAD LADD FIELD . SOLDIER IS NAMED FAIRBANKS, Aug. 4—®—The Ladd Air Force Base today identi- fied as Sgt. James F. Hartigan, 21, the soldier who took his own |life Sunday night. Investigators said he shot him- self fatally and attributed his ac- |tions to despondency over separa- tion from his wife, Dolores. The lat- ter lives at 630 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia. The sergeant came here in June. % ® ® 0 & 9w o 0o 0 o0 WEATHER REPORT (U. 8. WEATHER BUREAU (This data is for 24-hour pe- riod ending 7:30 am. PST. In Juneau—Maximum, 65; minimum, 47. At Afrport—Maximum, 62; minimum, 47. FORECAST (Juness and Vieinity) Variable cloudiness tonight and Priday; lowest tonight near 48 degrees. Highest on Friday about 67. PRECIPITATION (Past 2¢ hours ending 7:30 a.m. today In Juneau — .07 inches; since Aug. 1, 159 inches; since July 1, 6.88 inches. At Alrport — .02 inches; since Aug. 1, .71 inches; since July 1, 483 inches. immediate threat of a flood, ©000000°%0000000000000000 ‘00000'060.'