Russian sailors danced in this remote American outpost during a shore-leave blowout celebrating the recent U.S.-Soviet fisheries agreement. More than 600 Soviet sailors, many clutching fistfuls of dollars, arrived late Tuesday in this Aleutian Island town of about 1,900 people 800 miles southwest of Anchorage. They were treated to rock music, mounds of food and gallons of various beverages, welcome sights and sounds for Soviet sailors who had been at sea more than six months. ``This is the first time I meet Americans,'' said Alexander Cherkov, first mate aboard the vessel Semiozernoye. ``Americans are very nice people.'' ``These people are real people,'' an American fisherman who identified himself only as Captain America slurred as he staggered off, his arms around two Soviet seamen. ``Just like you and me. Can you believe it?'' The party was held partly to celebrate the fisheries agreement President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed during last week's Moscow summit meeting. The agreement allows U.S. vessels to fish in Soviet waters and use Soviet ports, and joint fishing and conservation in the North Pacific. Soviet seamen have been coming here for the past three years or so, but Mayor Paul Fuhs said he could not remember when more Soviets had visited at one time. ``This is great, just great,'' said a beaming Fuhs, who also played with one of the rock bands. ``Where else could this happen?'' Fuhs finished the evening with a red carnation tucked behind his ear. ``It was one of those nights,'' he said. As the party picked up steam, a Soviet maritime officer in full uniform tried to make his way across the windblown town dock jammed with hundreds of dancing people, but was beseiged by giggling children. He stopped, put down his coat and began playing games with them. Soviet sailors showered toys, candy and other gifts on any child in sight. Americans and Soviets struggled to converse, and traded pins, hats and anything else not nailed down. While music blared from the rusty flatbed trailer that served as a bandstand, the Soviets showed old flickering black-and-while films of Lenin and Soyuz space launches on a screen dangling from the side of a ship. Soviet sailors lined up to have their pictures taken with police officers. Off to the side, a young Soviet seaman quietly played a guitar for an American girl. By night's end, the sailors had to help one another back aboard their vessels; many townspeople were in no better shape. ``The party was a success,'' Harbormaster Gary Daily said early Wednesday. ``Everybody seems to have survived.'' ``This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to Soviet-American relations,'' said Dianna Matthias, lead observer of the Soviet fleet for the National Marine Fisheries Service. ``I never, never again want to hear that these people and Americans can't get along.'' ``I love these guys,'' said Ed Cameron, a fisherman from Tacoma, Wash. ``This is the fishermen's summit. ... I could never raise a hand or gun to any of them. If we ever have a war with them, I'll be a conscientious objector.'' The Soviets started coming ashore at Dutch Harbor for crew rests around 1985, said Mark Dudley, Dutch Harbor manager of Maritime Resources Co. International, a joint U.S.-Soviet fishing venture. ``Word spread like wildfire in the Soviet fleet,'' Dudley said, yelling to be heard over the music. ``And every year after that there have been more and more calls.'' He said his company expects its Soviet vessels to make about 30 port calls by year's end. Town officials said they expect perhaps 10 additional Soviet ships. Each ship's crew is given up to $20,000 to spend here, Dudley said. The sailors come ashore to buy American and Japanese goods. Before the party, they descended on stores to stock up on such goods as music tapes, portable radio-tape decks, solar powered watches, ice cream and gum _ lots of gum. ``My kids call it hooba booba,'' said Alexander Mokhov, captain of the Mys Chassavoi, a 285-foot fish processor. ``They want nothing else. If the gum sticks to your hair, they know it is good gum.''
