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October 04, 1967 - Image 4

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The Michigan Daily, 1967-10-04

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Seventy-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom
EDrED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
. UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

ROGER RAPOPORT:
Truth, Justice, and The A

sere Opinions Are Free, 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MICHt.
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.

NIGHT EDITOR: W. REXFORD BENOIT1

r

E ngin Council's Proposal:
Distorting Apportioning

ENGINEERING COUNCIL'S recommen-
dation last week that representatives
to the campus student government be
chosen by the individual colleges rather
than elected at large would not, as in-
tended, make the organization more rep-
resentative. The proposal would actual-
ly create a more disproportional struc-
ture than before.
The plan is based on the philosophy
that students enrolled in colleges other
than Literature, Science and the Arts
have traditionally been denied fair rep-
resentation in both Student Government
Council and Graduate Assembly. As Gene
DeF'ouw, one of the chief proponents, of
the plan, points out, the literary college is
the largest on campus, and other stu-
dents may "hate to have to adhere to
rules we have had no say in Mnaking."
But in. the light of past SGC .elections,
the lack of future engineers, musicians,
artists and business administrators in
student government is more a product of
these groups' own apathy than any wild
electoral enthusiasm on the part of the
literary college.
LAST YEAR, for example, two engineer-
ing students were among the 17 can-,
didates for five Council seats. They ran
14th and 15th respectively, polling about
500 votes apiece, while the winning can-
didates each received over 1100 votes.
But this is hardly evidence of discrimi-
nation against engineering students. If
the College of Engineering had been par-

ticularly eager to demonstrate its intense
political interest, its 4000-odd potential
voters could easily have swung the elec-
tion any way they saw fit. That this
did not in fact; occur indicates at least
as much political apathy on the part of
engineering students as everyone else.
And even because all Council members
are from the literary college does not
mean that their interests, classmates and
constituency are the same. A mechanical
physics major, for example, would have
more in common with an undergraduate
engineer than with a fellow literary col-
lege student majoring in English. Sim-
ilarly, the English maj or mighthfind a
great deal in common with fellow human-
ists in the MusicSchool or the College
of Architecture and Design.
BLUT MOST IMPORTANT are matters
that student government at the Uni-
versity deals with. Of all the recent issues.
brought up by SGC and Graduate As-
sembly, not one-from the rent-strike
against the University's married student
housing to the-proposed SGC-Mobile -
has been of more concern to students of
one college than of another.
Choosing representatives on the basis
of school would serve no useful purpose.
It would only allow student politicians
from the apparently more apathetic col-
leges-such as engineering-to capital-
ize on voters whom they could not other-
wise woo in an at-large election.
-JENNY STILLER

A PRESIDENTIAL TEAM of distinguished American
physicians has brought back cheery news from the
Vietnam battlefield. The group headed by Dr. F. J. K.
Blasingame, executive vice-president of the American
Medical Association, reported to President Johnson that
those pictures of hapless Vietnamese children burned by
napalm are misleading. Actually, the kids were burned
through the misuse of gasoline in stoves, not U.S. chem-
icals.
According- to the presidential team there "is no
justification for the undue emphasis . . placed by the
press upon civilian burns caused by napalm."
"A greater number of burns appeared to be caused
by the careless use of gasoline in stoves which were not
intended for gasoline. Probably most burns occurred from
this source."
Among other encouraging conclusions reached by the
Blasingame team were:
* there are less than 75,000 civilian casualties an-
nually in Vietnam.
* "civilian casualties due to (American) military
actions are often an unavoidable and regrettable part of
war, whereas the Viet Cong terror attacks amount to
deliberate murder and mayhem."
And the committee added it is
* "not convinced that construction of additional
facilities is necessary to give adequate care to civilian war-
related casualties."

THE PRESIDENT'S SIX-MAN team should be con-
gratulated for finding this silvery lining in the Vietnam-
ese cloud. In these anxious days people rarely look on
the brighter side of life.
The President would do well to hire this group on as
a permanent investigating team and put them to work on
other unsavory situations. Consider, for example, how
their report might look on the recent Detroit race riot:
"Generally we found press accounts of the Detroit
riot greatly exaggerated the gravity of the situation.
While there were 43 fatalities, the news media chose to
ignore the fact that the rioting prompted a vast reduc-
tion in the number of traffic accidents. The week's events
kept many reckless drivers off the highways.
"Moreover, police noted that crime on the streets
dropped drastically during the period. There was a sharp
curb in the number of rapes, prostitution arrests, nar-
cotics violations and lost dogs.
"Fire department officials indicate that many of the
fires were ndt set by arsonists but by lightning and
smoking in bed.
"And Housing officials note that many of the build-
ings that did burn down were dilapidated eye sores to
begin with. A number of them were substandard and in
violation of the city housing code. Their removal has
made way for the construction of new parks in the riot
area.
"Officials also n'ote that the rioting has prompted
a great increase in tourism in Detroit. Sightseers have

Lmerican Way
crowded into the 12th St. area, prompting big business
in the area. Moreover there is talk of setting a Grey Line
sightseeing tour of the region as well as a new 12th St.
Cafe where waiters would dress in National Guard
uniforms."
OR CONSIDER HOW the commission might report
civil-rights violence in the South:
"Our investigation shows thzat reports of lynchings in
the backwoods counties have been misconstrued. The
majority of the victims were injured while doing rope
climbing on oak trees as part of the President's physical
fitness program.
"In many cases we found that shooting incidents had
no racial overtones as charged. For example, the shoot-
ing of Nego marcher James Meredith at Hernando, Mis-
sissippi, was actually a hunting accident. Mr. Meredith
was marching through Hernando on the opening day of
the Mississippi snipe season. He was wounded by, near-
sighted hunter."
All this may sound a bit implausible, but tell us, Dr.
Blasingame, how many families in Vietnam have gasoline
stoves.
* * *
CLOSER TO HOME a sign of the times should not be
neglected: Michigan State University has closed its dairy
and begun purchasing milk from an outside supplier.
There weren't enough cows to meet demand at the bur-
geoning school.

4
4

4

Letters: Arguing With Acheson on Vietnam

America in Crisis' Teach-In

To the Editor.
Mr. Acheson (Daily, Oct. 3) was
as objective as any American
in his position could have been.
He interpreted events in the light
of American interest. As a re-
tired statesman, he practiced
skillful evasion of responsibility
for some of the events of the past
which have significant implica-
tion to the present, e.g. the U.S.
involvement in the two-Vietnam
policy. I wish to point out some
inconsistencies which must be
made clear, inconsistencies cir-
cumstantial to Mr. Acheson's past
position.
First, Mr. Acheson stated that
negotiations are incoherent with
communism as evidenced in
Korea, and thus such are not
likely to occur in Vietnam. He
went on to state that China will
not involve herself militarily,
which 'is unlike the case in Korea.
Thus, in a sense, Vietnam is like
Korea, and unlike Korea, which-
ever way American interests see
it best.
Furthermore Who refused to
negotiate in the true sense of
the word when the U.S.S. Mad-
dox ventured within the 12-mile
limit to provoke the Tonkin Gulf
retaliation? When Kosygin and
DeGaulle proposed a settlement
and when U Thant appealed "to
the great American people" in
February of 1965? When, in March
of the same year, the NFL and
the Government of North Viet-
nam displayed willingness to ne-
gotiate with its proposals of a
settlement patterned after Gen-
eva? When Hanoi's willingness
to negotiate was confirmed by
England's William Warbey, by the
Soviet Union's Dobrynin, and by
Marshal Tito? When Fanfani and

LaPira announced Hanoi's inten-
tion to negotiate? When the Ron-
ning Mission of 1966 favored ne-
gotions with a pause in bombing
of the north? - and the many
other instances where Hanoi and
the NLF were within grasp of
the conference table?
MR. ACHESON gave an explan-
ation,grotesquely inconsistent, why
the North Vietnamese,.are fight-
ing. He inferred that the north
was jealous of the flourishing
Americanreconstruction in the
south and the goodness that re-
sulted.
If conditions were so good, then
they the numerous rebellions
within the south? The people re-
belled against rule by oppression
and the reign of terror, the
farmers against the exorbitant
back rent, the general populus
against irrational social decress
and general social injustice.
I respect a man of Mr. Ache-
son's stature, but I was truly dis-
appointed that highly educated
and diplomatically experienced as
he is, he is not able to view the
matter of Vietnam creatively and
at the same time, rationally.
-Tuan A. Le '71
John Birch
To the Editor:
FEEL I MUST take exception to
the opinions presented by Mrs.
Julia Veetion (Letters, Sept. 30).,
Four other students and I were
leafletting outside the Ann Arbor
High School Auditorium for forty-
five minutes before the Birch So-
society program began, and there
were, by actual count, six other
students who entered. One of these
six was a Daily reporter (not

Roger Rapoport, by the way). I
could hardly call this display of
student interest "so great."
As for Mr. Gary Allen's "excel-
lent speech," it was very typical
of the far right-full of paranoic
fear of "Communism" which caus-
ed a gross distortion of whatever
factual material he started with.
Besides calling names and mak-
ing fun of "pinko Commie beat-
niks," he pointed out conclusive
evidence of the "Communist con-
spiracy"-Dr. Martin Luther King
wears elevator shoes.
We do need to hear more "sen-
sible speeches," but I really
couldn't recommend the John
Birch Society as the place to find
them..
-Jay Callahan, '69
Power Crazy
To the Editor:
I would say, contrary to Miss
Kennedy's naive editorial (Daily,
Sept. 29) Panhel has rather good
insight into the affairs of the
University and Student Govern-
ment Council. Miss Kennedy
thinks Panhel's resolution ques-
tioning the right of SGC to }give
the students the power to make
our own regulations might "slow
down establishment of student
conduct r u le s in dormitory
houses.
Panhel's resolution will do just
the opposite.
It is the student power crazy
majority of SGC which has ruin-
ed any chances of students get-
ting a real say in the regulations
that govern us. By repeatedly,
brutally craming their wants
down the throats of the admin-
istration, they have accomplished
very little for the students and are

doing a great disservice by mak-
ing foes rather than friends of
the administration
Panhel's resolution, I hope, will
show the administration there are
some Wlear-thinking students who
are mature enough to realize
adults should try to compromise
and work out differences rather
than make rigid demands and
throw temper tantrums when,
their demands aren't met.
I HAVE ALWAYS considered
SGC to be a link between the
students and the administration.

-- _
;, ;; ( ='= ij
1yt ij
I
\
lip " Y.i

I sure have been disillusioned!
I wish the elected representives
would realize they should try to
represent the majority student
opinion as well as that of the
minority. If they can't abide by
the majority opinion, they should
withdraw from the student body,
to paraphrase Miss Kennedy.
Panhel, along ; with the minor-
ity view of SGC, are trying to
make SGC a more affective or-
ganization and I hope for the
sakes of the students and the ad-
ministration that they sigcceed.
-Avil Lynne Hanning BA '69

A RARE OPPORTUNITY awaits all
members of the University commu-
nity this evening with the Teach-In on
"America in Crisis."
Departing from the schedule of speech-
es and panels that have highlighted the
week so far, tonight's program focuses
on debate and discussion of "the Viet-
nam war, the ghetto uprisings and the
third world revolution." The speakers
include economist Gunnar Myrdal, a
guest for the University's Voices of Civili-
zation program, as well as Prof. Staugh-
ton Lynd, a major New Left spokesman;
Carl Oglesby, past president of Students
for a Democratic Society; Rev. Albert

Cleague, leader of the Detroit Ghetto Or-
ganizing Movement, plus a number of
University faculty members and others.
This University initiated the teach-in
concept over two years ago, and since
then debate on college campuses over na-
tional and international issues has ex-
ploded with a hundred other teach-ins
and conferences.
The planners of tonight's affair, em-
bracing a wide array of campus organi-
zations of different political leanings, are
anticipating an exciting intellectual
event. Make sure you are a part of it.
-ROBERT KLIVANS
Editorial Director

't
J
"t

p

nn r I.. S . ,tih..sj....w~s-'sa. .,

Galluping Bobby's Poll Vault

"Ah wish somebody'd ask to marry HER...!'

4

T E LEADERSHIP vacuum created by
the Johnson administration within
the Democratic Party is a sorry side-
light to a most discouraging four years.
.The emergence of Bobby Kennedy as
LBJ's undisputed heir apparent, while
certainly not surprising, does depict the
moribund quality of the Democratic Par-
ty.
The latest indication of the extent of
the RFK charisma was a recent reading
of the heart and soul of Americana by
that most sensitive of barometers, the
indefatigable Gallup Poll.
This month's attempt to make politics
an exact science revealed that 51 per
cent of those lucky enough to be queried
wanted the Democrats to nominate next
year New York's hyper-youthful junior
senator and a resolute 39 per cent stood
staunchly behind this nation's awe-in-'
spiring Commander-in-Chief.
'l'he paily is a member of the Associated Press and
Collegiate Press Service.
Fall and winter subscription rate: $4.50 per term by
carrier ($5 by mail); $8.00 for regular academic school
year ($9 by mail).
Daily except Monday during regular academic school
year.
Daily except Sunday and Monday during regular
summer session.
Second class, postage paid at Ann Arbor, Michigan,
420 Maynard St, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104.
itorat itaf j
ROGER RAPOPORT, Editor
MEREDITH EIKER, Managing Editor
MICHAEL HEFFER ROBERT KLIVANS
City Editor Editorial Director
SUSAN ELAN ... ........Associate Managing Editor
STEPHEN FIRSHEIN ......Associate Managing Editor
LAURENCE MEDOW ...... Associate Managing Editor
JOHN LOTTIER ........ Associate Editorial Director
RONALD KLEMPNER .... Associate Editorial Director
SUSAN SCHNEPP .............. Personnel Director.
NEIL SHISTER ............... Magazine Editor

While this poll indicated Kennedy's
pervasive popularity among the perambu-
lator generation, the result should not
be misinterpreted as a harbinger of a
1968 Bobby boom. While the baby boom
begins to vote next year, the curly-coiffed
senator will shrewdly delay his updated
children's crusade until politically more
propitious 1972.
THE DANGER of such engulfing Ken-
nedy enthusiasm is that Bobby will
increasingly be viewed by disillusioned
doves and desperate Democrats alike as
a sort of political Sir Lancelot-who will
returnthe ravished Republic to the Cam-
elot of the Cuban Crisis.
Even if the current scion of the Ken-
nedy clan were to risk rupturing the
Democratic Party and then go one to
rout the redoubtable Richard Nixon, the
Kennedy's personal patsy, the country's
foreign policy would continue to founder
among the shoals and eddies of late Cold
War semi-militant anti-Communism.
Most of the masses are too mesmerized
to realize that beneath that outdated
hairdo lies the head of a veteran cold
warrior. The myths of martyrdom have
obscured the harsh realities of that earl-
ier Kennedy Administration in which
Bobby played secretary of state when not
studying law and wiretapping.
Few liberal critics of the war in Viet-
nam choose to recall that it was Presi-
dent Kennedy's stress on fighting "brush-
fire wars," as much as Lyndon Johnson's
style, which is responsible for our tragic
involvement in Southeast Asia.
And when the balance of terror pos-
tulates of midcentury brought the world
to the brink of nuclear holocaust over
the missiles in Cuba, Attorney General
Kennedy was one of a valiant band of
hardliners who gallantly refused to blink.

.:TODAY AND TOMORROW " . . by WALTER LIPPMANN .:
Thne President and the General--I

4

First of a Two-Part Series
WE ALL KNOW that Gen. De-
Gaulle and President John-
son have very little in common.
They are wholly different in tem-
perament and in the personal
style of their lives. They have
quite different ideologies, and in
background and in outlook they
belong to different cultural and
historical epochs. Yet while I was
in Europe this summer I came to
recognize a highly significant sim-
ilarity in their current experience.
Both have staked their hopes
and their ambitions on playing a
role in world affairs, and, wheth-
er they meant to, they have had
to do this at the expense of the
domestic needs of their own peo-
pie. Both are now beginning to
suffer the consequences of engag-
ing themselves in attempts to set
the world in order while they ne-
glected the disorders at home. For
this neglect they are paying with
a loss of popular confidence. Nei-
ther has a majority of his people
behind him any longer.
The essential fact-that world
problems have been given priority
over domestic problems-can be
seen even more vividly in France
than in this country. For at least
until the summer of this year,
DeGaulle's foreign policy, unlike
Mr. Johnson's, w a s popular
among the French.
The great majority from the
right to the left approved of his
attitude toward the Vietnamese
war, and with only some criticism
of mean and measures the great
majority liked his resistance
against American political and ec-
onomic domination and superior-
ity.

cial reform, but each individual
person's probable position in the
Gaullist succession.
Thus, there is a general feeling
of having come to the end of an
historical epoch, with no one
able to foresee when the end will
actually come and what will come
after it. That kind of uncertain-
ty makes men nervous and mel-
ancholy.
THIS, I THINK, is the key to
what has been happening, that
the general and the Gaullists feel
the term of their authority is lim-
ited and that they no longer have
what they had in the period after
the Gaullist restoration of 1958-
the feeling not only of holding su-
preme power in France, but also
of having unlimited time to exer-
cise that power.
I feel the recent controversial
changes in De Gaulle's foreign
policy are due in the main to a de-
sire to achieve his historical ob-
jectives, which used to be far-
reaching and distant, in the few
years of power which he may still
have before him. This foreshort-
ening of the time span is the un
derlying reason, I think, of the
miscalculations of his recent for-
eign policy. His ultimate aims
have not changed things greatly.
Thus, the general's basic con-
viction that the United States is
too powerful for the good of the
world has been there a long time.
But now it has become more in-
tense. Moreover, he feels that he
must do something .about it in a
hurry.
His policy for correcting the sit-
uation has been to correct the bal-
lance by throwing the weight of
France into the scales against the
U~nited Sate.That is_ T think.

4

What Do These Men Have in Common?

The reason for De Gaulle's de-
cline lies in the fact that modern
Frenchmen are finding it harder
and harder to live successfully
and agreeably with the modern
technological revolution: with the
automobile which is choking the
French cities and with the me-
chanical, the engineering, the me-
dical and the agricultural innova-
tions that are changing the cus-
tomary French life.
THE GREAT IMPULSE behind
the Gaullist restoration in 1958
sprang from a wide general con-
viction that the French parlia-
mentary system was incapable of
agreeing on the measures which
would adapt France to the mo-
dern age.
l r,- T~- tt l' - nnl rgrlVi t'4771'

they were told by the President,
that with a big bipartisan major-.
ity operated by a master of the
legislative process the urgent and
neglected problems of the United
States could be dealt with.
But, as we know, DeGaulle,
who had had little experience with
and little interest in the grubby
material problems of his people,
made it his first task to reorder
things in Europe and even to at-
tempt to tamper with the balance
of power in the world.
While he was doing this, De-
Gaulle's constituents went into
spasms of irritation because it was
so difficult to park their cars and
because there were such blockades
of traffic and because it was so
difficult to have a telephone in-

Ho Chi Minh in South Vietnam
he would have struck at the heart
of world revolution everywhere.
But for both President Johnson
and Gen. De Gaulle, this putting
of foreign policy ahead of domes-
tic needs has resulted in the fact
that neither any longer commands
a majority of his people.
THE ATTITUDE of President
De Gaulle's regime has changed
greatly during the past year -
noticeably since the elections last,
March showed the government no
longer commands a popular ma-
jority. The temper of Gaullism re-
quires overwhelming national sup-
port. It is not there now.
Recently, I was talking to a
member of the regime, and I said

4

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