European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse A cold War thaw emerges in Alaska and Siberia byh Alspencer new York times Jim Stimpfle s friends Houghl him a Little eccentric when to stood on Ai Ocky Beach income Alaska a Lew years ago with j Breed blowing from the East and is leased helium balloons in Hopes thai the shaving Cream chewing tobacco and other gilts Iney Cariad would reach Siberia now Stimple s friends regard him As a Man of vision for his untiring of forms o establish contacts with the soviet people who live Only a Lew Hundred Miles away on the other Side of the Bering Strait. Stir Nofle a 40-year-old Nome real estate Salesman belongs to a diverse group of alaskans ranging trom gov. Steve Cowper o business owners fishermen academicians and just Plain dreamers. Usually working independently and Tor different goals Hoy Havo enjoyed remarkable Success recently in prying open the soviet Union s Back door. I m excited at what s said Waller j. Hickel a Lormer Alaska governor and Secretary of tha Interior under president Ninon. We re seeing genuine Progress in alaskan siberian relations. Good things Are Starling to Nickel said. Hickel. 63. Is a millionaire Anchorage hotel owner who counts among his friends analogy f. Dobrynin the Lormer ambassador to the United Stales sent into retirement from his Post As senior soviet foreign policy adviser at last week s politburo shakeup. Changes overseen by Mikhail 3 Gorbachev including a Genera thawing in relations with she United slates Are behind the in cent successes in opening doors Between Alaska and Siberia. A Friendship flight left Nome on june 13 for a Daylong visit to Iho siberian port City of prov Deniya. 220 Miles across the Bering sea. The Alaska airlines flight suggested and energetically pushed by Stimpfle carried 62 dignitaries. Eskimos hoping to see siberian relatives academicians and reporters. They spent he Day greeting townspeople who were astonished to see americans in the Chu Kolisky Peninsula Community of 4,500 people. The Day before the Ili Ghl the soviets. Acting extraordinarily quickly granted permission to an Alaska air National guard c-130 to enter soviet airspace to search Tor seven lost Walrus Hunters. The Hunters from the Alaska Eskimo Village of Gambill on is. Lawrence Island turned up in Unseld slates territory june 23 alter teaching an american research vessel by radio. Thai the permission was granted especially with so Little red tape was nothing Short of said Cowper whose office made the the soviets recently agreed to open the Bering sea ports of prov Deniya. Kort and oktyabrsky to United states hashing vessels. Their Crews will be allowed to buy supplies make repair and obtain permits to fish in soviet Waters. Ami Thompson executive director of the Alaska crab coalition said the ports would be important to american crab fishermen who expected to be allowed into soviet crab grounds by years end under an agreement still being negotiated. Hundreds of townspeople at the Aleutian Community of dutch Harbor gave a party Lor about 600 soviet sailors on june 9. It was astonishing Yel virtually unnoticed by the press said Gunnar Knapp economist with University of Alaska s Institute of social and economic research Knapp. Who is an expert on alaskan siberian relations said when hundreds of russian sailors can come ashore in Alaska to get drunk with the whole town of dutch Harbor this represents a Stagni Lical improvement in warming relations Between Siberia and Alaska Are enhancing the climate Lor join scientific educational and cultural exchanges Knapp said. Exchanges under Way Range from joint studies of the health of Polar bears and walruses which Migrate Between the two countries to a medical study of the it Leils on humans of Winter darkness and cold. Knapp said Moscow might be seeking not Only better relations with the United states but also a reduced Public appetite or a bigger military presence in Alaska which already has army and air Force bases and a naval presence. Sen. Ted Stevens. A Alaska is pushing for a buildup of forces especially of the Navy whatever the reason the changes have been striking. The Soviel far East As russians Call Eastern Siberia 1 has been closed and shrouded in mystery for years Knapp said. This makes the sudden openness we re seeing now All the More the official View from Washington is similar. We think what s happening Between Alaska and Siberia is incredible in Many ways considering How Long Siberia has been closed to foreigners said Edward Salazar. An officer on the slate department s soviet desk. Salazar noted that private citizens were behind Many incidents. This is something that should to held up As an example of How private initiative can enhance the course of soviet and american relations he said. Things have been a lot worse. The seizure of the Frieda k by the soviets in september 1934 is often considered a Benchmark of How bad Border relations have been. The Supply ship based in Homer Alaska accidentally strayed a Low Miles into Soviel Waters near big Diomede Island in the Bering sea the vessel and Crew of have were seized by a Soviel Warsop and towed to pro Vidonis where they were held Foi a week. Page 14 the stars and stripes saturday of
