The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, September 23, 1949, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LXXIIL, NO. 11,306 ARMS AID PLEDGED BY 15524 VOTE Senate Am;r;;al of Over- seas Program Is Victory for Administration By DON WHITEHEAD WASHINGTON, Sept. 23—P— The administration chalked up an important victory in foreign policy today on the strength of the Sen- mte's 55 to 24 approval of an over- 5eas'arms program. The Senate reached its decision late yesterday to rearm friendly nations after beating down two moves to make a $200,000,000 cut in the $1,314,010,000 arms bill. The measure came through the Senate with only two minor changes. This was in part a per- sonal triumph for Senator Con- nally (D-Tex) and Senator Van- denberg (R-Mich), the two party leaders in foreign affairs who led the fight for the aid program. Nineteen Republicans joined 36 Democrats in voting for passage. Ten Democrats and 14 Republicans voted against it. In the debate, Senator Taft (R- Ohio) contended that the program contemplates arming every nation in the world that might be opposed to Russia. This, he said, “is likely to incite Russia to war.” But Vandenberg argued that the goal is “stopping aggression before it reaches us.” The Senate’s vote pledged Con- gress to a foreign arms program since the House already has ap- proved a similar military aid bill. The amount of money to be authorized remains in doubt. The House voted $869,505,000 to carry out the arms plan—which is $444,505,000 less than the Senate figure. Senate and House memoers ‘will work out their differences in conference. TRIAL OF HARRY BRIDGES NOW SET FOR NOVEMBER 14 (By Associated Press) A trial date of November 14th has keen set for Harry Bridges of the Longshoremen’s Union, A San Francisco judge set the date despite protests from the attorney for Bridges. The government charges that Bridges fraudulently concealed membership in the Communist party when he applied for Ameri- can citizenship. FROM KAKE Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnson and family of Kake are guests at the Baranof. SITKA VISITORS Mrs. Carl Karpenstein and Mrs. E. W. Van Horn of Sitka are guests at the Baranof. The Washington Merry - Go-Round By \DREW PEARSON (Copyright, (1949, by Bell @yndicate, Inc.) NGTON— British econo- mic czar| Sir Stafford Cripps and Foreign ]dinister Bevin attended a National | Press Club luncheon while in Washington where Cripps, who controls | Britain’s economy with a vice-like | grip, told in detail of British /sacrifices because of the dollar /shortage. g “Jug/, to give you an example of the sncrifices we are making,” said Cripps, “both Mr. Bevin and I have given up tobacco as our part of /the program to savg dollars.” Whereupon Bevin, furning to his uncheon companion, /'whispered: “That’s not the ‘case at all. The fact is I gave up smoking because I coudin’t stand the bloody awful tobacco Cripps has been buying.” Note—I1 order to save dollars the Britis% have been partly shunning North Carolina tobacco and turning to their African colonies. CAPITAL NEWS CAPSULES G.O.P. wasn't a southern Democrat, but a midwest Republican who stopped Blocks Civil Rights— It ALASKA PAY OWNWAY! TWO DEBATE Senator Davis and Interior Department Official Disagree Violently WASHINGTON, Sept. 23—P— James P. Davis, Director of Ter- ritories for the Interior Depart- ment, says Alaska will pay its own way administratively one of these days. [Senator Elmer Thomas (D-Okla), as a member of the Senate Appro- priations Committee, disagrees. The differing. opinions are high- lighted in the committee's report of recent testimony on supplemen- tal appropriations just made pub- de. ISLANDS GOVERNMENT In discussing an Interior Depart- ment request for funds to provide 1 civilian government for Guam,! American Samoa and the Pacific Trust Territory, Thomas asked,; ‘Are you planning to build up| organizations that will immediately | begin to bombard the Congress for| admission into statehood?” “There was no such thought in- volved for these small Davis replied. Thomas: “Which (of all the Pa-| sific areas) pay enough taxes into| the Federal Government to meet the obligations which we appropri- ate back to them.” | HAWAII BREAKS EVEN Davis: “On a comparable basis| with states, only Hawaii does. The sthers represent a considerable out- ay. I think we may look forward - Alaska reaching that status some ! day.” Thomas: “From what source inj Alaska?” | Davis: “The development of in-| dustry and mining.” Thomas: “Have you been Alaska?” in Davis: “Yes.” i Thomas: “Where could we de-| velop any agricultural interests?” Davis: ‘“The agricultural produc- tion would ke largely of the locali character supplying local markets.” | H AGRICULTURE HERE Thomas: “The soil up there thaws down only seven inches in the summer and all they can raise is vegetables and 85 percent of that is water and it cannot be trans- ported and has to be consumed im- mediately or*dehydrated.” i Davis: “I think mining and fish- ing and timber development are possibilities.” ‘To which Thomas replied: “The | fishing has already been exploited to an unusual degree.” i PULP? MINERALS? | “The timber in Ketchikan—there | is a big fight in Congress now in authorizing that timber. I think we: have some pulp up there. “As for minerals—any person that has any interest in minerals is already up there. The big copper mines are already depleted. I have covered Alaska and I would like| to have somebody tell me what we can look forward to in Alaska. “Whenever I hear somebody telling a young man to go to Alaska and settle down to make a living, I look at him askance. It does have a military value and a mining value and a fishing value. But these things are [eing developed to the ultimate as far as I know.” SECOND REWARD OF $500 OFFERED FOR MISSING MAN FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Sept. 23— (P—Another $500 reward was offer- ed today for finding Howard Siva- don, missing Ladd Air Force base employee. R He is believed to have strayed from his hunting party in the Liv- engood area north of here Septem- ber 4. His union recently offer- up a $500 reward. Today’s sum was put up by his son, Howard, Jr. Another son, John, a University of Alaska stu- dent, is now searching the Liven- good area.. Another searching par- ‘ty is farther north. Food is being dropped by pri- vate planes to the searching par- e e (Continued on Page Four) ties. islands,” | fdevelopmem and had no plans |change policy because of it. Ache- IS MADE BY VISHINSKY Soviet Foreign Minister Makes No Mention AtomicExplosion NEW YORK, Sept. viet Foreign Minister Andrei Vishinsky talked today on the Big Fivée powers establishing a peace pact among themseives. He made no mention of an atomic explosion in the Soviet Union in his general policy address to the United Nations Assembly. Vishinsky prefaced his peace pro- posal with his usual slashing at- tack on the Western powers. He charged the United States and Britain are leading plans for an aggressive war. ‘Then he introduced a formal res- olution by which the assembly would express the desire for Russia, the United States, Britain, China 23.—M—So- pact among themselves. Vishinsky said not a word about President Truman's announcement in Washington that there is evi- dence of an atemic explosion in the Soviet Union. He also tock no notice of a de- claration by Secretary of State Dean Acheson that the United States had expected such an atomic to son held a news conference just before Vishinsky spoke. The Vishinsky speech was far less fiery than his “war-monger” blast in the 1947 assembly which provoked boos from the gallery. The speech was ope of the short- est major efforts in Vishinsky’s career. It was the first speech delegates recalled that he had end- ed on such a peaceful note. AUTHOR THOMAS INJURED IN FAL NEW YORK, Sept. 23—(P—Lowell Thomas, 57, author, newscaster and traveller, was seriously injured when thrown from a horse in a steep mountain pass in the Hima- layas, his office said today. The extent of his injuries could not be immediately learned but his office said the Army Air Force had been asked to rescue him from the tiny mountain village of Gyantse. GOP LEADERS IN 2-DAY CONFERENCE (By Associated Press) Raepublican leaders are holding a two-day conference in Sioux City, Iowa. Out of the conference they hope to get a program, which will appeal to the farmer, one which might win back for the G.O.P. some of .the farm votes that, went to President Truman in the last elec- tion. In a statement issued by the G.O.P. chairman, Guy Gabrielson, says the Brannan farm plan has been, in Gabrielson’s words, “con- cocted by labor politicians.” FROM SITKA Frank Wright, Jr., and J. J. Con- way of Bitka, are guests at the Baranof Hotel. FROM PORTLAND Mrs. Hope Willilams of Portland is registered at the Baranof. FROM ANCHORAGE Jack Henrickson of Anchorage is a guest at the Baranof® Y. | and France to conclude a peace | WHEN HORSEBACK JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1949 ATOMIC EXPLOSION REPORTED IN RUSSIA Floating Air Force Base At North Pole Is Planned Next Spring, Says Balchen OSLO, Norway, Sept. 23—(®—The ———| | ‘U.S. Air Force is going to establish | a base on the ice at the North Pole | + | next spring. | Col. Bernt Balchen, here after & | flight over the Arctic, disclosed the | plans yesterday to newsmen. He ‘snld the air rescue base would give | | American fliers experience in the Polar regions. Balchen said there wouldn't be |any difficulty landing ski-equipped | transport planes at the North Pole. | At least 10 percent of the polar ice| is always suitable for landing, he| declared. °* | But the base will float on ice,} | and will have to be moved at inter- | vals, Balchen said. The ice drifts | slowly away from the pole, and the | tase will drift with it. USSR Had Secrefof | - AtomBomb YearsAgo Vishinsky Made Remark that Indicates So- viet Broke Monopoly (By the Associated Press) The Russians and their Com- munist allies in Europe have thiown out repeated hints that the US.S.R. jhas broken the secret of atomic { bomz production. A year ago Andrei Y. Vishinsky, Soviet Foreign Minister proclaimed | in Paris that the United States no longer had a monopoly on the deadliest weapon in the history of | warfare, Vishinsky, then Deputy Foreign Minister, made this remark Oct. 1, 1948, in a United Nations address: | | “It is & mistake to think that there is just one state which has a monopoly over atomic energy and the atom bomb. It is useless to think of such a thing. . . . i Almost a year before that, Vish- | insky's predecessor as Foreign Min- ister, V. M. Molotov, dropped a suggestion only a bit less broad.| The secret of the atomic bomb, he d, “has’ceased to exist.” Samedo Soir, a Pans weekly newspaper, said July 26: 1 “The USSR. has the atom| bomb.” The Paris newspaper said that on July 10, United States detecting | devices had “revealed without pos-| sible doubt that the Russians had| atom Gombs exploded in their fa: away Asian territories.” BOY OWES LIFE, SIGHT TO GIFTS | FROM FAIRBANKS | FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Sept. 23— (P—A 13-year-old boy, who doctors say owes his life and remaining eyesight to the generosity of Fair- banks' residents, was enroute today | to Ogden, Utah, to attend school. The boy, Nordell Carrol, was op- erated upon for a brain tumor last year after local residents dug up| more than $4,000 to pay costs of the surgery. The operaton saved eyesight. Remaining money was set aside in a fund for the boy's use. Mem- bers of the Lions’ Club, who spear- headed the original drive, voted to allot $1500 from the fund for a year’s schooling. While in Ogden, the boy will live with relatives—Mrs. James Beverly and Mrs. Eugene Cook. STEAMER MOVEMFXTS Denali from Seattle due Sunday Aleutian scheduled to sail from Seattle tomorrow. Princess Louise scheduled to sall !from Vancouver September 29. + Steamer Alaska is scheduled to arrive at 8 o'clock tonight and sails south at 11 p, m, his life and a small portion of his|ning MEMBER A SSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS ATOMIC ENERGY CONTROL Explosi ofirings Forth . Need for Infernational . Agreement Says Lie NEW YORK, Sept. 23.—(#—U. N. Secretary- General Trygve Lie sald‘ today President Truman's an- nouncement shows more than ever the need for international agree- ment on atomic energy. Informed that Mr. Truman had | announced the United States has evidence of an atomic explosion in the Soviet Union, Lie made this comment : “If it is true that they have the atomic bomb, it shows how in- dispensable international agreement is.” The Truman announcement cre- ated a stir in the 59-nation assem- bly. The highest U. N. officials first learned of the President's state- ment while presiding over a ses- sion devoted to national policy statements in the assembly. Reporters sent a note with the news to Assembly President Carlos | P. Romulo on the rostrum of the big hall in Flushing Meadow Park. Lie, sitting beside him, left the dais after the note drrived. A. A. Arutiunian, ranking dele- gate on the assembly floor when the announcement was made, said: “I have heard this news from the President for the first time.” “Is it true that the Soviet Union has the atomic bomb?” he was ask- ed. “f have no comment,” Arutiunian replied. Asked if the President’s”announ- cement was a surprise, Arutiunian laughed and said: “There is no surprise under the sun.” Asked if that was a confirmation, he laughed and 'said: “It' is merely a general comment. It is an old Russian saying.” Air Defense Planning fo Be Speeded Phases of I)Eélopmenl of Atomic Air Warfare Are Explained By JAMES J. STREBIG Associated Press. Aviation Writer WASHINGTON, Sept. 23—(P— President Truman’s disclosure that Russia may have an atom bomb appears likely to speed up air de- fense planning without changing | ts direction. ‘This coumtry’s military leaders have long based their thinking on the possibility of Russia’s having the atom bomb. They gave 1952 as the date the bomb probably will be ready for military use by a foreign power. ‘Today's announcement indicates Russia may be well ahead of the estimated schedule, Among defense officials, especially air speciausis this news is considered likely to hasten the development of these phases of atomic air warfare plan- 1. The United States must push its interceptor fighter program. 2. It must push the program for a radar detection screen. This pro- gram is barely underway in con- nection with the billion-doliar 15- year plan for an electric airways and air traffic control system, now scheduled for completion in 1963. 3. It must push development of ground-to-air interceptor missiles to be used in defense against enemy bombers and missiles. 4. Intelligence efforts to deter- mine possible enemy progress on afrcraft and missiles able to deliver an atom bom/s, and on development of launchifig bases, must be stepped up. 5. It may be necessary to tighten control of international aircraft crossing the nation’s border. EXPLOSION EVIDENCE IS GIVEN Radiation - Detection In- struments Probably Recorded Incident By FRANK CAREY (Associated Press Science Reporter) WASHINGTON, Sept. 23. —(®— The evidence of an atomic explo- sion in Russia probably was picked up by radiation-detection instru- ments—or just possibly by earth- quake recording devices. While neither President Truman nor the Atomic Energy Commission offers an explanation of how the U. S. got wind of the explosion reported by the White House, these | are known facts: 1. Atomic scientists have instru- ments, such as Geiger counters, for spotting rays coming from the ground or in the atmosphere. But how far radiation from an| atomic explosion can be detected | has never been made public. +2. Earthquake-recording instru- ments called “selsmographs” are; able to record disturbances in lhe} earth’s crust. But this must be remembered: An atomic bomb ex-{ plosion doesn’t begin to compare with the enefgy of an earthquake. Thus, if seismographs actually did record evidence of an explosion in Russia, they necessarily would have had to be quite close to the scene, Detection by radiation-spotting instruments is by far the mo!tI likely possibility. Concelvably—although there is no | official word to back this—airplanes | bearing such deviees might have been operating close to Russian Territory. If so, airborne particles of radioactive dust might have come within the range of these in- strumenpts. EDITOR GIVES HIS OPINION ON EXPLOSION CHICAGO, Sept. 23.—#— The editor of the bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said today that if there was an atomic explosion in the U. S.S.R., “that explosion was caused by an atomic bomb.” President Truman, in a state- ment issued in Washington, said,| “we have evidence that within re- cent weeks an atomic explosion occurred in the U. 8. 8. R.” Eugene Rai witch, Bulletin ed- itor, said no Atomic explosion can be made on A small scale. Any explosion would have to be of a magnitude of the atomic bomb the! U. S. used on Japan, he added. The reason, he added, is that a certain critical amount of enrich- ed uranium or plutonium must be assembled before it will explode.! When that critical amount is ob- tained, 4t is In effect an atomic bomb. ® & & & o e 0 o WFATHER REPORT (U. 8. WEATHER BUREAU) (This data is for 24-hour pe- riod endipg 7:30 am. PST.) In Juneau—Maximum, 55; minimum, 48. At Airport—Maximum, 49; minimum, 45. FORECAST (Jumesu and Vielnity) Cloudy with intermittent rain and occasional fog to- night and Saturday. Lowest temperature tonight around 47; highest Saturday near 54. ®ee 00000 PRECIPITATION (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a.m. today City of Juneau—2.10 inches; since Sept. 1, 8.19 inches; since July 1, 192 inches. At the Alrport-—1.54 inches; since Sept. 1, 5.03 inches; since July 1, 15,61 inches. ® 0 0 0w s 000 FROM FAIRBANKS Dr. A. J. Schaible of Fairbanks is a guest at the Baranof. nation | By ERNEST B. VACCARO ‘WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 —(P— | United States has evidence of a re- cent atomic explosion in Russia— news indicating the Communists at long last have learned to make an A-bomb. President Truman disclosed this in a statement today. He then held an hour-long session with his cab- inet about it. Mr. Truman said the development smphasizes the necessity for “truly, effective, enforcable international contrel of atomic energy.” The United States has sought that through the United Nations, but has been unable to get to- get togethenr with Russia on how it should be carried out. With a note of reassurance to the American people, the President said the probability that some other might develop an atomic bomb “has always been taken into account by us.” London Conference Quickly after the White House announcement came, word from the British government in London that it also has evidence of an atomic explosion in Russia. In Washington, the word swept swiftly around government depart- ments and through Congress. At the Pentagon—headquarters of the military services—there were signs of some excitement, but no officlals would discuss the matter. A spokesman for the Atomic En- ergy Commission, in reply to quer- jes, saild: “We have nothing to sdy.” Reporters pressed Secretary of Defense Johnson for more infor- mation when he left the Cabinet meeting. Cabinet Informed “Have we made any change in the disposition of our forces since this happened?” a reporter asked. “No,” Johnson replied. “Does the Cabinet know any more about this than is contained in the President’s statement?” “The Cabinet knows all about it,” Johnson said. “It was fully in- formed.” “Do you have reason to believe this was the first atomic explosion in Russia?” Johnson was asked. He smiled, shook bis head, and refused to answer. Committee Called At the Capitol, Senator McMahon (D-Conn), chairman of the joint congressional committee on atomic energy, called. a meeting of the committee behind closed doors. In a Senate speech only yesterday McMahon said that if Russia had the atomic bomb she could send the bombs to American ports on tramp steamers and blow up 35,- 1000,000 people. There was no official hint as to; how the United States obtained its! evidence of the atomic explosion in Russia. Explosion Recorded 5 But it is known that American scientists have been ready with delicate instruments for months to irecord an atomic explosion any- where in the world. The President's disclosure came at a time that British, Canadian and American experts are discus- sing problems of the interchange of atomic information and the supply of uranium available to them. Uranium is the key element in making atomic bombs. ‘The most recent official estimate of .when Russia might be able to produce atomic weapons came from ; President Truman’s air policy com- | mission. Bomb Production That group, headed by Thomas K. Finletter, reported on Dec. 30,} 1947, “It would be safe to assume that possibly hostile powers will not be producing atomic weap- ons in substantial quantities be- fore the end of 1952."_ The*commission added: i “We point out that this does not| assume that such powers may not have a few atomic weapons prior to that date.” Last March 22, Dr. David Bradley, atomic medical scientist, said Rus- sia not only has the atomic bomb secret but “may already be manu-| facturing atomic weapons.” Bradley, author of the book “No| Hide,” a report on the ! Place to President Makes Sartling Statement Indicafing Work Of Communists; Hour-long Session of Cabinet Is Held 1948 Bikini atomic tests, said the belief that the United States has a monopoly of atomie knowledge is one of the “jour fatal delusions” which leave Americans unready for a possible atomic war, U. 8. Delusicns Bradley listed the “four delus- ions” as: 1. “The myth of the ‘secret'—tho idea that we possess and can keep the secret of making atomic bombs."” 2. The delusion know-how.” “This is at Lest a very temporary advantage. Anyone who can make (an atomic) pile can make pluton- fum. An industralized Russia, aid- ed by captured German scientists, may already be manufacturing atomic weapons.” 3. The delusion that -atomic weapons are absolute’ weapons. “They are not. They have clear limitations and obvious strategic and tactical uses.” . ¢ 4. “The last equally absurd, equal- ly dangerous delusion’ is the current etfort to play down the bomb—that atomic -weapons are really of no great account.” Bradley was addressing the U. 8. Conference of Mayors here. of “industrial Something To Explode On the point of whether the ex- plosion means the Russians have the atomic bomb, one military man, unwilling to be quoted by ston, you had to havé something that exploded—call it a bomb, a test or whatever you want.” A somewhat similar view was ex- pressed in Chicago by Eugene Rab- inowitch, editor of the bulletin of the Atomic Sclentist, a military man in at the Lps Alamos stage. He was referring to the date of July 16, 1945, when the U. 8. test bomb was exploded in the New Mexico desert. That was three weeks prior to dropping the first bomb on Japan. Repercussions The impact of the news was cer- tain to be felt around the world and to have major international political repercussions. In the recent years of the “cold war” between East and West, some high world figures have taken the view that American possession of the A-bomb was the major reason why the Soviets had not been even more aggressive than they have been. Charles Ross, presidential press secretary, indicated that Mr. Tru- man had no immediate plans for any elaboration on the bare an- nouncement. 4 g White House Inquirers. Among the callers at the. White House after the Cabinet meeting were Gen. J. Lawton Collins, Army Chief of Staff and Brig. Gen, Frank L. Howley, former comman- dant of the U. S. sector in Berlin. Atomic Energy Commission offi« cials met with the Senate-House Atomic Committée at the capitol.. - After the session, Senator 'Me- Mahon said: “There is no question in my mind but that a man-made:! atomic explosion has occurred the USSR.” Dr. Robert Openheimer, chairman of“the AEC’s Advisory Board and one of those who played a big part in developing the U. S. atomic bomb, told reporters: “I am very glad we know the facts.” STOCK QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, Sept. 23.—(P—Clos- ing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 3%, American Can 94%, Anaconda 27, Curtiss- Wright 7%, International Harvest- er 25%, Kennecott 46, New York Central 10%, Northern Pacific 13%, U. 8. Steel 23%, Pound $2.80%. Sales today were 1,290,000 shares. Averages today are as follows: industrials 181.30, rails 47.78, util- ities 38.19. FROM SEATTLE Dewey Anderson, Paul Otto, and Virgll Baker of Seattle are regis- tered at the Baranof.