rl Air4igau Batty
Seventy-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
:a4
Where Opinions Are Free, 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MICH.
Truth Will Prevail
NEWS PHONE: 764-0552
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1968
NIGHT EDITOR: RICHARD WINTIER
1 '
./ ...
C s {
q s .( r a Wt
{+yl
!11Y
r} ~ '
"S. t,"
The Student Vote:
Catalyst for Change?
,
,? r', , . S
i
E L
}
t
1'
+. 2
i
C
d
HEUNPRECEDENTED Democratic vic-
tory in the City Council election in the
traditionally Republican Second Ward
served stunning notice that students are
at last coming of age as a political force
in city government.
The historic reversal was engineered
by a strong student turn-out for Demo-
crat Len Quenon in the first and second
precincts where the bulk of student
housing is located.
Quenon's one-vote victory dealt a
sharp blow to incumbent Jim Riecker and
all other second ward citizens who have
so long tried to stifle, rather than stimu-
late, progressive reforms in Ann Arbor.
NFORTUNATELY all that Monday's
election promises is a City Council
which will begin where the tired and
worn council left off. For each political
party lost a seat and gained one.
As a result, the Republican majority
on council will continue to prevail
seven-to-four on most issues. However,
the Democratic minority. will probably
merge to form coalitions with liberal Re-
publicans on matters of fiscal reform and
social programs.
But what must be underlined is that
the election has not overturned council
tradition and transformed it into a dy-
namic advocate of social reform.
If the new council wishes to make
history in Ann Arbor where its pre-
decessor has failed, city administrators
must launch a special, concerted effort
to mold and enact legislation in the cru-
cial areas where the city is lagging.
FIRST, COUNCIL must enact stringent
building codes and reform the De-
partment of Safety Engineering. The
city's apartment dwellers have too long
been at the mercy of Ann Arbor's
wealthy landlords. Even if present build-
ing codes were being enforced to their
full extent, it would be, in many cases,
still profitable for landlords to break the
law.
The city must also develop a broad
mass transit system. The present mud-
died operation leaves students and the
poor of Ann Arbor virtually immobile.
If necessary, city subsidy must be
used for an effective transportation
system.
A city income tax must be instituted to
replace property taxes as the city's ma-
jor source of revenue. The present sys-
tem places unfair burden on apartment
dwellers who pay the taxes in the form
of higher rent.
Furthermore council must press for-
ward with sincere and powerful pro-
grams to combat the racial prejudice
which threatens to rock Ann Arbor's
placid summer with violence. The so-
called "All-American City" can no longer
pretend to mollify black and white
hatreds with nothing but token human
relations commissions.
BUT CITY COUNCIL alone cannot re-
make Ann Arbor. In a town where
students play such a major social and
economic role, government must recog-
nize them as a legitimate and powerful
voice in local affairs.
The large-scale student participation
in Monday's council election hopefully
will act as a catalyst to put Ann Arbor
on the road to meaningful municipal
change.
-DANIEL ZWERDLING
M°CAR
. "t~} t r 1 r-
"'AW) CoMuE ON, (aEN E --E MY (A~~oosE."
Lamne Duc:Sila Hawk
Johnson Decision:
Calling the Bluff
By JIM NEUBACHER
SO LYNDON JOHNSON won't run again.
Now you've had two days of hashing it over with everyone in Pol.
Sci. 414, and in your dorm, and you realize that it doesn't mean the
war's over, and that if you're in med school, you better stay there, even
if you really want to be an artist.
But you know what Lyndon Johnson really did Sunday night?
He called the bluff of every man in the house. And he did it at a time
when the stakes were high, and the pot was full.
Sen. Eugene McCarthy, who faced Johnson directly yesterday in
the Wisconsin primary, was the big loser in the deal. The announce-
ment of non-candidacy by Johnson, coming two days before the elec-
tion, took a lot of the steam out of the McCarthy campaign, and spot-
lighted Sen. Robert Kennedy as the frontrunner for the Democratic
nomination.
A WIN in yesterday's election will mean much less to McCarthy
forces now. He ran against a lame duck. His other major opponent
was not on the ballot, and even gave him his support:
At the same time, Johnson, by halting the bombing of North
Vietnam, and actively seeking negotiations with Hanoi, through the
Geneva machinery, through Britain, and through the Soviet Union, has
taken the step that McCarthy claimed was necessary. McCarthy must
now hang on the outcome.
If the bombing pause brings no results, or even an outright refus-
al to negotiate reasonably from Hanoi, the basis of the McCarthy
campaign will be destroyed. Already, yesterday, a Hanoi newspaper
gave indications that the bomb halt will not lead to any sort of mean-
ingful talks, unless additional steps are taken.
And if negotiations are successful, and help to win peace, he
might be able to take pride in knowing that he helped to bring it
about indirectly, but still his campaign will be baseless, and his source
of conflict with the administration will be gone. It is hard to campaign
against an opponent, against an administration, that does what you
recommend, and does not fight back.
JOHNSON has called the bluff of the academic community also.
Here, in our extremely rarefied atmosphere, which is certainly much
different than the atmosphere surrounding the rest of American so-
ciety, most feel certain that Johnson's move for peace is too little,
and too late, and thus, continue to press for immediate and total
withdrawal.
But why, then, if, a bombing halt is too little, too late, did Sen.
McCarthy and Sen. Kennedy win over the campuses of the nation,
when neither has come out with a proposal stronger than the
action Johnson has now implemented? The Senators did not declare
themselves in support of immediate withdrawal, or in favor of a firm
rejection of the policies which have put us in the position we are in.
Neither Senator has proposed concrete ideas as ofyet for avoiding
this sort of involvement in the years to come.
Only yesterday, Robert Kennedy congratulated Johnson on taking
the "first step for peace." Yet he remains the darling of many who
call Johnson's move too little, too late.
Johnson has also called the bluff of many of those who espoused
the credo of "anyone but LBJ". Many of these people, now-having no
one to sink their venom into, are faced with the hard task of picking
their favorite, and working constructively for him.
This sort of positive action is hard for many who rely on negativ-
ism for the stimulus and source of their political thinking; who would
rather criticize everybody than support anybody. And some people,
seeing the impending Kennedy-Nixon choice in the fall, are repulsed.
Maybe they are not so turned off as by a Johnson-Nixon choice, but
they are still not pleased with their options.
BY WITHDRAWING from the race, Johnson has made everyone
stop and think about the alternatives left, and about Lyndon Baines
Johnson. He can no longer be accused of political motives for every
action he takes, and every inaction he is part of. Yet some would
even go so far as to call his stunning statement of non-candidacy an
attempt to salvage a place in history while he still may.
Now Johnson is free to a great extent. The pressure is off. He
may call for a bomb halt without having to be bound to past words
that will haunt him at election time, and without worrying about
accusations of selling out to the doves.
He may also follow what he perceives to be good military strategy
and send more troops to Vietnam without being accused of trying to
appease the hawks. It is not a question of votes any more.
FINALLY, HE HAS called the bluff of those who have wailed so
loud and long about the "death" of the democratic system, and its
failure to work in this modern day.
Lyndon Johnson's withdrawal is sure testimony to the effect the
process of popular will can have on events. Of course Johnson was a
politically and personally strong man. He was able to stand up in
spite of the pressure from all sides for a long time. But the over-
whelming frustration of the American people, and their desire for
concrete, express action brought men like McCarthy to the forefront,
thus forcing Lyndon Johnson to relinquish the power given him back
when times were different.
Most of all, It should be hoped that Johnson's move stimulates
some thought in the circles of middle class, liberal Americans who
supported Johnson in 1964, but are rejecting him now. It is time for
Americans to realize what they are rejecting; not a man, but a policy
and a credo and way of thought common to Johnson and millions
like him. They elected not only a man, in 1964, but also a. Great
Society, andi a world policeman. But only the man is bowing out now.
NOW, IN 1968, with this resignation of the man, too many will
sit back feeling that the credo is gone with him, and will be shocked
to find it again in the White House on January 21, 1969 in a new form.
And now they will use the resignation of Lyndon Johnson as an
outmoded form of national defense mechanism for the national ego.
Americans will be easily convinced to blame the "bad" years of the
Johnson Presidency on the man, letting themselves be brainwashed
into thinking the formula was right, but they just got the rotten apple
in 1964. Will Americans let themselves think that? You bet they will
,
1*
Vietnam: A Time-Worn Plea
SWINGING temporarily from Western
Europe and Northern China, the focus
of international power politics has ap,
parently now centered on Southeast Asia.
Secretary of State DeanAcheson recent-
ly crystallized this rapidly developing
problem with the curt warning to Chi-
nese Communists that any attempt at
aggression against Southeast Asia "would
violate the interests of the United
States."
But just where do these American "in-
terests" lie and are they worth the risk
of precipitating another world cataclysm?
Apparently Acheson was speaking pri-
marily of French-controlled republic of
Vietnam (French Indochina), located in
the southeast corner of the Asiatic main-
land.. Both the United States and Britain
are reported considering sending aid -
both financial and military-to the little
country which stands between the Chi-
nese Communists and the rich mineral
deposits of Malaya and Indonesia.
But Vietnam, itself, is already split in-
ternally. In the northern sector a strong
Red force led by Communist Ho Chi
Minh is battling with the forces of the
pro-French Bao Dal government for con-
trol of the republic.
Hubert
EARLY RETURNS from Wisconsin in-
dicate that Vice-President Hubert
Humphrey -- if he's lucky - will receive
about 200 write-in votes in the Democra-
tic primary.
As the Vice-President seriously pon-
ders his presidential candidacy in the
weeks ahead, we hope he will conjecture
on the meaning of this veritable outpour-
ing of support for him in a state where
he got over 40 per cent of the primary
votes eight years ago.
The vote must be regarded as an indi-
cateion of the massive ability President
Johnson has to pass his own remaining
popularity to the man who is his chief
cheerleader for Vietnam.
We are sure that the Vice-President
asks himself now and again "What ever
happened to Hubert?" As he delves for
an answer, we can only hope that he will
look back on some of his more syrupy ut-
terances about . that war in Southeast .
jAsia.
--W.s.
ON THE SURFACE, then, it would seem
that Mr. Acheson's American "in-
terests" do include financial support for
the Bao Dai government, which might
serve as another block in the path' of the
rising tide of Communism. Many observ-
ers have reported, however, that the Bao
Dai government is opposed even by the
anti-Communist citizens of Vietnam-
on the grounds that it is nothing more
than a French puppet dominated by the
French army stationed in the country
designed only to perpetuate France's
Asiatic colonial interests.
In an effort to rally the support of its
critics and to throw off the bonds of
French domination, the Bao Dai govern-
ment two weeks ago appealed to the
United States directly - without French
supervision. Paris officials, however, have
insisted that all aid must be handled by
themselves, claiming that the Bao Dai
government is incapable of administer-
ing an aid program.
If the United States should give aid
directly to the Bao Dai government it
could quite possibly instill a feeling of
loyalty to the Western world in the minds
of the anti-Communist Vietnam peoples
and could substantially extend the Tru-
man program of aid to underdeveloped
countries of the world,
IF, HOWEVER, the aid is given to Paris
officials to administer as they chose,
it will only perpetuate a decadent and
collasping French colonial empire. Cer-
tainly the American "interests" of which
Mr. Acheson speaks do not include the
perpetuation of such a colonial system
designed to subjugate dependent coun-
tries in the interests of a greedy mother
country.
-JIM BROWN, The Daily,
Tuesday, March 28, 1950
Resistance
DESPITE THE excitement of the past
few days, the brutal war in Vietnam
continues.
Today is a Day of Resistance when
young men in demonstrations across the
country will turn in their draft cards.
Since the first Day of Resistance last
October more than 2,000 young men have
taken this dramatic step.
By HOWARD KOHN
THE HAWK is Dead . . . or is
he?
Straight-eyed Lyndon Johnson's
90 per cent bombing halt of North
Vietnam has been widely inter-
preted as a signal for the end of
the draft threat.
It has been hailed as the first
step toward negotiated peace.
More than anyone, Johnson
wants peace. That is certain.
Johnson is keenly aware that aca-
demia will brand a black-Z on
him in the history books if he
does not stop the conflict during
his administration.
He has convinced himself that
he will go down in history as the
man who brought peace to South-
east Asia. He can not and will
not simply walk away from a tra-
gic and immoral war without try-
ing to prove himself and his poli-
cies.
The bombing halt, w h i c h
actually meant only reconcentra-
ted and intensified air strikes on
the supply lines and on the south-
ern panhandle of the North
around the demilitarized zone,
can hardly be called a "meaning-
ful" concession. At least, it is un-
likely that Hanoi will think it is.
IF JOHNSON is serious about a,
negotiated peace, he will have to
make pride-swallowing contradic-
tions and concessions of his Viet-
nam policy right and left before
Hanoi can be lured to the con-
ference table.
But the Texan's own history
and character belie that hope.
It seems much more likely that
Johnson will follow his battle-
tested line.
The Texan is a politician, a
smart politician.
In a matter of weeks Senators
McCarthy and Kennedy will be
tearing at each other with the
barbs of highly superficial issues,
while Vice President Humphrey
waits cagily stage right.
PUBLIC DISSENT will have
been placated. McCarthy and
Kennedy will have misfired much
of their anti-administration am-
munition.
Assuming that Hanoi will re-
ject the bombing halt as a mean-
ingless political ploy, there will be
no reciprocal de-escalation.
Pointing out that he has now
offered what "peacedom" has.
been preaching and been refused
(enter Humphrey), Johnson will
see, no moral obligation to en-
danger American lives with this
foolish waste of time.
And because he has a self-
impdsed time limit on the war.
(Jan., 1969), Johnson will take
quick, precise steps. He will have
an additional 200-300,000 infan-
trymen mobilized, ready and set to
go.
Because he can not win a war
of attrition in time, Johnson will
be pressured to use reckless and
ruthless maneuvers.
If he has any serious intent-
ions of helping a pro-Johnson
Presidential candidate, he may
have to show marked improve-
ment in the military situation by
August.
BUT EVEN if he has irrevocably
divorced himself from party
politics, it is conceivable that he
will trump up an excuse to in-
vade the North and crush Hanoi.
Johnson the Hawk is still loose
and powerful.
Within his administration he
has isolated himself from all
channels of advice except for yes-
men like Abe Fortas, Orville Free-
man and Clark Clifford.
HE STILL sits perched, still
commands the military and more
than ever does not have to an-
swer to public opinion.
It's a bird, it's a hawk. It's a
lame-duck.
Swoosh.
It's a ...
0>
et
"This Should Be A Great Year For
Us Sportsmen In The Cities"
:6
Letters: LBJ Critics Give No Programs
To the Editor:
AT PRESIDENT Fleming's In-
auguration we heard it said
that there are a thousand ways
for a president to lose and no way
to win. Be he president of a uni-
versity, corporation, or president of
a country it is a thankless job.
IWe would like to personally
commend President Johnson for
a move which is certainly coura-
geous and laudable. Here we seek
to agree with Governor Kerner in
saying that truly no man has
worked harder for the goals of
American Democracysand peace
than President Johnson.
First of all we deem it of im-
portance that President Johnson
was not the man who got us into
the war in Vietnam. For a point
of information, the war in Vietnam
I !-, in exVistence druirinL7 President
s...
the President is the object of de-
bunkers.
THE OFFICE of president is a
multiplex of cumbersome respon-
sibilities. The President himself
most not only fulfill his job but
must also represent the American
ideal. The present focus is on
peace. We hear McCarthy, Kenne-
dy, and Nixon all calling for peace
movements. However, how is this
peace to be attained without let-
ting the North Vietnamese step all
over the South Vietnamese? We
have not heard any substantive
answers.
In conclusion we would like to
see the solution to the problems of
war, civil disorder, and economic
prosperity rather than merely
complaints as to how things are
being done. .
some important considerations.
An increase in funds to the Uni-
versitp will not save money for
anyone except out-of-state stu-
dents. There are only two sources
of public money, unless someone
finds a way to pull it out of the
air: increasing taxes or taking it
from other state agencies.
Would the members of SGC be
willing to renounce their student
status in the tax structure and
pay taxes on the same basis as
everyone else? It hardly seems so.
Five years from now these same
people will probably be grumbling
about the exhorbitant taxes they're
paying. State funds come from
taxes, and taxes ultimately come
from our own pockets. If the Uni-
versity budget requires a $14.5 mil-
lion increase to retain the present
out-of-state tuition, then obvious-
becoming aware of the needs of
others beside one's self. and seeing
how one fits in the total picture.
With this in mind, it is not a bad
idea to organize a trip to Lansing.
If the members of SGC will put
off the decision to request more
money from the State Legislature
until after they get the facts, they
just might find out that there
isn't an unlimited supply of money
in this world.
--Marty Tapley, '69
Sports Writers
To the Editor:
BILL McFALL and Dave Weir.
in March 27 and 28 Daily ar-
ticles, show that they are not ex-
actly on top of things in the
world of sports. When a sports
writer does not even have the facts
ctroiL&ht in what heiwrites about.
that the man is very knowledg%;-
able about other happenings in
sports.
Concerning Ohio State's show-
ing in the recent NCAA basketball
tournament McFall writes: "With
Ohio State figured to go two or
maybe three games in the tourney,
many heads turned as the Bucks
kept right on winning. They kept
on until North Carolina, eventual
finalist and second place finisher,
beat them."
The facts are, however, that no
one picked Ohio State to win more
than one game and they did win
only two East Tennessee and, yes,
Kentucky) before meeting and
losing to North Carolina. Had they
won three games they would have
been in the finals against UCLA.
Weir writes: "In a few weeks, a
series of elimination bouts will de-