davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Nome nugget., 1963-02-06
Chamber Meeting News

 from the Midnight Sun Council spoke before the noon meeting Of the Chamber of Commerce Mon- day and expressed his regrets that there wasn't campOree held this year during his visit as he had looked forward to the event so that he could get pictures for the Boy Scout Magazine.
 To try to explain that the cam poree was postponed because 1t has been too warm in Nome to build igloos and tunnels will be hard for stateside people to under stand, he stated, considering the cold weather which is being ex perienced in the lower 48.
 He stated that he hoped to bring a group of 36 boys from Fairbanks, Eielson and Richardson next sum- mer to visit the Unalakleet Scout encampment and the Nome Scout encampment. He also hoped that at least four boys from Nome will be able to attend the Lost Lake Camp at Fairbanks.
 He told of the good impression made at the camp last year by Willie Hoogendorn who completed all his active requirements for Eagle Scout and will be able to complete the rest from his wheel chair, to attain the goal of Eagle Scout.
 Bob Harwood reported that the Jaycee project of getting basket ball backboards for the armory has progressed satisfactorily and the backboards have been ordered and are enroute somewhere.
 Judge Hubert Gilbert was vel comed back and reported on his vacation which took him to his daughters home for the holidays and then south to Mexico. While relaxing there he and his wife en- joyed running into Mir. and Mrs Art McVeigh, who were also va cationing.
 Also welcomed back from vaca ton were Virgil Vochoska who hae taken trip home, and Ellen Null vihill who had been on business trip.
 Bertha Stedje gave a short sum- mary of her 17 months abroad five of which were spent with the Laplanders and one year in Copen- hagen and two weeks in Green land, where she made comparative studies with Teller Eskimos. She also told of the American Lutheran Church which has been established in Copenhagen and which is an English speaking church for the 2,OOO Americans who reside there. There also is an English speaking Lutheran Church in Oslo, she stated. Miss Stedje is stationed at Teller Mission.
The Nome nugget., 1963-02-06

disqualification and care of indi- gents.
 Capital Construction S8 Million
 The capital construction budget, insofar as general funds monies are concerned, was begged at $8,- 589,8OO, with another $2,926,800 to come from special funds and recov- cries. Last years total capital con- struction budget amounted to $6,- 885,210 from the general fund and S361 500 from special funds and recoveries.
 In new wrinkle, Egan's budget also outlined for legislators com plete listing of federal funds the state estimates it will receive dur ing fiscal 1864 and will be author ized to spend under various federal programs.
 He pointed out that when the federal monies are considered, the overall program administered by the state government amounts to $15O,OO4, ,OOO, including federal monies amounting to $59,063, 200.
 Egan said the estimated general fund balance at the end of the current fiscal year would be $27,- 74O,535. Estimated general fund revenues for fiscal 1864, he said, would be $66,657, ,281, leaving the total estimated funds available for expenditure during fiscal 1864 of $94, ,397 ,816.
 1865 Balance of SIS Million
 With the proposed expenditures for operating and capital construc- ton programs of $78,972, ,0OO during fiscal 1864, Egan said, the state should head into fiscal 1865 with an estimated general fund balance of $15, 5,425,818.
 Egan said education would take the biggest chunk of the recom- mended general fund budget for fiscal 1864, s22,634, 300, or 28.67 per cent of the total budget.
 "In compiling the executive bud get," Egan said, "All members o1 the administration were thorough ly mindful of the states economic position at the present time.
 ". The budget review com mittee and I carefully review ed every dollar of proposed re- quests.
 "Many needed and highly desir- able programs were eliminated. | We reduced the departments re- quests for appropriations by more than $11 million"
 Drop In State Income Tax Egan said the administration also
The Nome nugget., 1963-02-06
By WARD SIMS Associated Press Staff Writer

JUNEAU R Gov William A. Egan Tuesday presented the legis- lature with a budget proposing general fund expenditures of $78,- 972,OOO during fiscal 1864.
 The figure is $13,2O2,020 higher than the general fund budget un- der which the state is operating for the current fiscal year, which ends next June 30.
 Revenues from special funds and recoveries will boost the total ex- penditure of state funds by $11,- 968,8OO. In this category are funds from such sources as fish and game licenses and court receipts. Supplemental Appropriation
 Egan said he would also submit supplemental appropriation bills adding up to $1,050,2O7.
 Our budget total is high, there is no denying it, particularly when compared with the scope of gov- ernmental operation prior to state hood" Egan said.
 'sBut, it is not more than we, as people, can afford without imposition of heavy taxation. It is not more than we, as people, can afford if we are to provide needed present day services and carefully plan for a progressive future"
 Egan's budget included monies from the general fund for opera ting expenses amounting to $70,- 382,200, an increase of $11 ,497, ,43O from the general fund operating budget for fiscal 1863.
 Increased Costs
 The governor said increases re- lated to expanding state programs account for $8,297, ,OOO of that hike He outlined these increased costs as:
 Increased school enrolment $9OO,OOO; Alaska Psychiatrict h. stitute, $82O,OOO; Marine Highway operations, $9SO,OOO; Highway ad- ministration, $934,OOO; Highway maintenance, $2,132, ,OOO; Univer- sity of Alaska, $1,3OO,O00; State judiciary, $668,OO0; Debt service $263, ,OOO; and the added cost in fiscal 1864 of the 1962-1963 salary increase for state employees, $300,- 900.
 Egan said all other continuing state programs account for the re- maining $3,2OO,OO0. He attributed this increased cost to such items as prisoner care, judicial costs and
The Nome nugget., 1963-02-06
Reaction Generally
 Favorable Toward
 Egan's 1904 Budget

JUNEAU P-Reaction was gen. orally favorable from both sides of the political aisle to Gov. Egan's proposed budget of S789 million.
 If anything, Egan's Democratic party leaders were a little more critical over the size of the figure than the Republicans.
 Both sides, however, promised line-by-line scrutiny.
 "It's not too much of a sur prise," said Rep Harold Strand berg, Anchorage Republican, who served on the House Finance Com mittee last year and is likely to get the nod for it's chairmanship this year.
 ''The figure seems extremely large to me-" said Sen. Howard Bradshaw, Sitka Democrat, who heads the Senate Finance Commit tee.
 Inclusion in this years budget of a listing of all federal funds the state estimates it will receive for various progams drew highly fa- vorable comment.
 ''I think the bright spot in the speech was not it's context of fig ures and amounts, but that the chief executive finally recognized that we must know how every pro- gram is integrated with federal funds of one sort or another" said Sen. John Coghill, Nenana Repub- lican, who has served on the Fin- ance Committee since statehood.
 "The growth in the cost of our state government seems to be ex- ceeding our growth in population, percentagewise," said Rep. Mor- gan Reed, Skagway Democrat.
 The message was praised by Sen- ate President Frank Peratrovich as "complete and fully substantiated.' y
 "The governors budget message apparently established plateau o1 proposed spending, in that the to. tai amount equals that of last years general appropriation bill plus the sizeable supplements that were necessary" said Rep. Wm. Boardman of Ketchikan, Republi- can majority leader.
 "If this is true, it is certainly encouraging and should pave the way for a stabilization in the tax picture and, in fact, possible reduc- ton in the state income tax, pro- viding the federal income tax is reduced"
 q am most certainly concerned with the $79 million figure that the governor presented" said Rep. Robert Blodgett, Teller Democrat, who has served on the House Fin ance Committee for the past four years.
 However, my primary interest is in a balanced budget, and I am sure Egan's budget is sound one"
 "It is obvious from the size of the budget that there is no SPA million surplus as we were led to believe during the election cam paign," said Sen. Vance Phillips, Mountain View Republican.
The Nome nugget., 1963-02-06
Egan Presents Budget Proposing Spending of s7&92OOo

hospitalization and care of indi-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
Reds on Defensive

Effective patrolling and am
bushing puts the Communists
on the defensive and prevents
them from increasing the tenn
pc Of the guerrilla activities.
Most of the coastal and CEN
trail highland areas are in this
clear-and-hold phase, and the
operations are being extended
sout Inward and toward the
mountainous boarders of Laos
and Cambodia.
In the deep south, down in
the delta, the government has
not progressed to clear and
hold. They are in what the mil
itary call a "search-and-des-
troy" phase.
The government hangs on to
major towns and chaSes the
Wet Cong along the canals and
rivers and into the wamps.
Basically, the government is
reacting to Communist raiding
As more white areas are add
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
Strogetic HomIets

The governments appeal Is
liberation" from Wet Cong in
reference, and self government
and economic aid. The strate-
gic hamlets are supposed to
provide the means.
In the areas that are neither
pure Wet Cong nor white"
many of the people have to put
up with both of the unwanted
authorities.
When the government des-
cendS on an area 1t fortifies ex-
istin g villages-that is, rings
them with sharpened bamboo
fences and guardposts, organ
ICES a home guard and installs
a village government, a school
and a dispensary. If existing
villages are not properly locat-
ed, the government builds new
fortified villages and moves the
people to them.
Seventy per cent of the peo-
pie concentrated in aim o S
10000 of these hamlets.
It's Just ike the frontier fort
towns of the old West-or as
one colonel points out-like the
farm villages that evolved in
Germany during the Hundred
Years War and still exist.
Concentrating the people
separates them from the Wet
Cong. This protects them and
also cuts off the Wet Conc
from its source of food, recruits
and money.
1t forces the Communists to
raise food back in the woods OF
swamps or make raids on the
villages. The raids, of course
tend to ALLEVIATE the people, ano
they bring the Wet Cong out
where they can be shot at.
With the people reasonably
secure and isolated, the troops
try to harass the Wet Cong
Patrols are sent into Wet Cong
areas, and ambushes are sci
along roads or trails.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
More Land Pushed

The population Is expanding,
so the hamletS will naturally
expand in mum Der and will
push farther into the voids, the
mountain and swamp areas Of
Wet Nam. The government
must make a deliberate effort
to settle these areas, particu-
larly along the border, in order
to secure the country.
The Wet Cong-or some 9TH
er kind Of foreign or native
nationalist" will no doubt
continue to haunt the unpopu-
lated areas, but they won't be
able to menace the country.
To keep them from infiltrat-
ing far, the government must
take tight control over the
m ovement of all people and
important goods. The govern
ment will have to keep track Of
the location of each individual,
each bag of rice, each box Of
antibiotics, each typewriter so
that n either individuals nor
strategic materials can be d.
verted to insurgents.
The government will have to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15

learn to decentralize. The pro-
vince &C hiefs" and village
councils will have to be given
real local political power.
All this adds up to q genuine
political revolution.
How is the revolution going2
Poorly.
American civilian officials in
Wet Nam tend to believe that
the revolution is falling and
that the war therefore will fail.
Even high and loyal members
Of the Diem government are
gloomy.
Some Of these people will
say, in private, that President
Diem has made two serious er-
rors. Most important, he has
alienated many Of the young
people by breaking up demon
STATIONS in a brutal manner
and closing schools.
This puts the youth Of the
nation-the future Of the ma
tion-on the other side Of the
fence, though not necessarily
in the Wet Cong camp.
Secondly, President Diem
has alienated many Wet Nam
csc and foreign friends through
his handling Of the Buddhist
problem. Even If this is largly
a political rather than religious
movement. he has been unnec-
essarily harsh, some Wet Nam
csc officials believe.
The Diem government is
here to stay, in the foreseeable
future however. American in
telligence, it can be said, has
found no sign Of an incipient
coup. It's Diem or nothing.
In the bars of Saigon the fell
lows who watch the burnings
and take the beatings are likely
to say. "Okay, then nothing"
But out in the boondocks the
American a dvisers will say,
Don't give up yet. We're max
ing progress"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15

men and equipment to 90 onto
the offensive, and we're doing
1t.
Strategic hamlets are COM
ing along. They're on schedule
In January there were none in
my area. now we have many
successful ones.
We're exporting more rice.
That means the farmers can
grow in more safety and that
more Of the markets and trans
portation routes are secure.
I'VE can drive more roads
than when I came.
When I came there were no
elected village councils, there
was no direct American MILL
tary aid, there was no overall
military plan, there was no
management program on the
economic side. Now all Of these
things exist.
THE VIC are building in the
far south. We don't even patrol
to the tip Of the delta. They
bring in new weapons and men
and they build their organiza-
ton. We're not ready to really
go after them, but we've turned
the corner. We will 60 after
them soon.
"There'll never be a victory
The war will Just peter out
some day."
Supposing it does peter out
some day. Surprising the gov
eminent doesn't collapse, there
Is no coup or II there is one the
new governme emit is sound.
What then2
The government and tn e
Americans are beginning to
think ahead, som ething in
these terms:
The strategic hamlets must
be turned into permanent,
viable towns. 1t will take a lot
Of sound government action,
economically and politically, to
do this.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15

VIC. Some villager-aHd this
takes a lot Of guts-will come
up to an AVN officer and ask
to see him in private. He'll tell
him there are some VIC down
the road or a raid is planned,
and the AVN go get them.
IF the VIC ever catch the In
former he'll die slowly. That's
why you have to protect the
people before they'll tell you
anything. They're telling more
and more.
Sometimes we build a ham,
let and no one stays in 1t but
the women and children. The
men are with the VIC. That
means we're spending our mo-
ney to build dependent hous-
ing areas for the VIC.
THE AVN still scatters its
troops too much trying to de-
fend power lines and outposts
that can't be defended. When
they consolidate and move out
gradually they make solid pro-
gress and they can defen d
what they have.
when I came here 10
ago 1t was rs per cent
VIC. and no government effort
to push them out and no forces
or equipment If they had tried.
Now they're moving pretty well
into the dangerous areas.
II used to take a whole COM
pany as escort when I went
down that road. Now I take
only a platoon.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15

off. There's a big difference
from last year.
They used to force the peo-
pie into the strategic hamlets.
Now they don't have to use
force and some even more in
against VIC opposition. People
come and ask for strategic
hamlets now. They realize the
government is better than the
VIC and better than the govern
ment used to be.
THE children used to hide
when I came into a village.
Now they love me. give them
candy. The older people smile
and wave.
There's less thatch con-
struction here now, more tile
and cinderblocks. Some tile
factories have started up in the
villages. We've taught them to
grow cash crops and they set
up little vegetable stands. They
are clearing thickets and
planting more.
I'VE like the VIC to make
those big attacks. We usually
beat them. They attacked two
Ranger battallions recently
guess they thought they would
be an easy mark. But we beat
them badly"
A similar question-a n dan
swer session in the lower delta
will bring replies like these:
I'VE can't starve out the VIC
down here. They grow two rice
crops a year in their areas and
they can scoop fish out Of the
canals and rivers. We Just have
to keep chasing them.
THE Self Defense Corps and
Civil Guard are taking over
more of the area and freeing
more AVN for patrolling. This
helps.
1.-The VIC can still hit isolated
outposts. We're going to consol-
idate, though, and then do
more patrolling. We have the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
Just How Peaceful?

Just how peaceful these pro-
vinces are is debatable. Officers
report that nowhere in Wet
Nam can a traveller drive down
a road or a farmer work his
field and be completely conf
dent Of his safety.
The basic counteroffensive
technique is the "clear-and-
hold" operation which has been
used in guerrilla wars for GEN.
turtles. Government forces will
move into an area, kill, capture
or chase the Wet Cong, and
then dig In for a permanent
stay.
The basic device for protect
ing people who do not live In a
town is the strategic hamlet. "
These also are the historic
solution to guerrilla-war prob
lens.
The hamlets-lightly forth
fied villages-concentrate the
population into more easily de-
Tended and supervised units.
Most Of the people in the
Wet Nam countryside, as far as
American observers can tell
don't care for either the gov
eminent or the Communist in,
surgents. They merely want Il
farm or trade, raise families
and avoid taxes.
The Wet Cong interrupt tn,
people 5 work, draft" thu
young men and collect taxes
all In the name Of a happier
future under Communism anc
Of a pure, native nationalism.
The government interferes
too. drafts the youth and COL
lectS taxes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
Reds Still Get Gear

The Wet Cong reaction to all
this has been to ease off where
the going is tough and build up
where 1t is easy.
Communist leaders an d
equipm emit still come down
from North Wet Nam-more by
sea now and less by the jungle
trails through Laos and Cam
bodia.
Communist numbers remain
about the same year in, year
out, fair weather or foul. There
are about $4,000 to $4,000
hard-core Wet Cong, opposed
by 100000 government soldiers,
l75,000 of whom are HON e.
guardsmen of some kind.
This is not an unreasonable
ratio Of government and Red
troops. In a guerrilla war a
handful Of infiltrators can &C.
cupy the time of hundreds of
soldiers-just as one deter
mined gunman can tie a small
police force in knots until he is
caught.
Some of the Wet Cong sup
plies come from Red Chin a.
They include rifles and ma
chine guns, mortars and small
artillery. Other Wet Cong arms
come from the United States
captured in raids on govern
ment outposts.
/ American officers say there
is no serious shortage Of RED
arms in southern Wet Nam.
All this is Just a broad-brush
picture Of the war. The real
question Of who is winning can
be determined only by looking
at the details.
Let's look again at the key
province of Bihn Duong. (That
d., incidentally, is pro-
nounced like a az, so it is Bin
Zu-ong" province.)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
Answers Summarized

Here Is a composite of the
answers given by a half-dozen
officers who have been respon-
Sible for advising government
forces in parts of the province
for four months to one year to
questions about progress in.
their individual areas:
Were building hamlets in
former VIC CViet Cong areas.
One was a fiasco. They tried to
Jump deep into VIC territory,
and they couldn't protect it.
When they go slow building
hamlets along the roads and
don't Jump more than a few
kilometers they work out pretty
we'll.
There are more large-s scale
VIC encounters, but there are
m ore government operations,
so it balances out. We kill more
VIC than we lose.
THE AVN Army of Wet
Nam, pronounced 'ArvenO SOL
diers are improving. Individ-
ually he is a good soldier.
Good discipline. Usually he
stands his ground and fights.
Sometimes he gets real agrees
sive. Some of them are tigers.
But sometimes they make con-
tact with the VIC, dig in, shoot
blind and call for reinforce
ment.
THE home guard is taking
over more of the territory. This
frees the ArVNs to push into
VIC territory.
"ArVN commanders are be-
ginning to learn that the local
people are important. This war
is going to depend on which
side can bring in a workable
1 government, sanitation,
schools-all the civic a ction'
stuff. The commanders don't
seem to have real compassion
for the people, but they are
learning it pays off. One asked
me the other day to teach him
some of baby-kissing political
stuff that I use.
IF you get the people, they
bring in intelligence about the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
Now They Love Me-

Il used to be able to drive a
few kilometers down that road.
The rest was literally dug up
by the VIC and full of mines. By
the end of October, I plan to
drive across the whole pro-
Wholesome of 1t without es-
cort.
THE incidents are dropping
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15
Wet Nam: u. S. Advisers See Progress
Continued From Page Al

Continued Prom Page Al
lem has affected military oper-
atoms In their areas.
A few Wet Namese troop units
were diverted to special duty
enforcing martial law for q
brief stretch. Otherwise the
American advisers find no in
dication the Wet Nsmese SOL
diers are bothered by the grue-
some suicides. the jailings or
the beatings Of Buddhist
monks.
Il don't know what they may
be thinking" an officer said,
but If they're upset they don't
show It."
The interviews included off,
GERS from as far north as Plei-
ku and as far south as An
Xuyen province IN the delta.
They concentrated on OFFICERS
from the two trouble spots
the great Mekong Delta area to
the south and the Binh Duong
province Just a few miles north
Of Saigon.
The provinces to the north
and central areas are now the
most p peaceful in Wet Nam.
They had first priority in the
governments campaign, and
the Communists chose to back
off slowly rather than stand
and fight.
Some whole provinces in the
north are now labeled white
provinces" by the government.
That is, they are substantially
cleared Of Wet Cong, and the
government is putting more
emphasis on economic and pol
itical development, less on mill
e., -, .y.ar,K l1v,r
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-15

ed in the north more troops
and equipment will be shifted
into the delta. Presumably then
the government will progress to
clear-and-hold down there.
Already one division has
been moved from the north to
the south, and this month the
lower delta defense was reor-
ganized to permit government
forces to do less ducking and
rnore searching