"How is it, Gentlemen, not having the old Nixon to kick around anymore ?" Seventy-eight years of editorial freedom Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under auth6rity of Board in Control of Student Publications I 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich. News Phone: 764-0552 Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily exp ress the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1968 NIGHT EDITOR: PHILIP BLOCK 'The truth about Tear Gas' _ _ _ .. ._ The Czech crisis trough R ussan eyes LAW ENFORCEMENT agencies through- out the U.S. are building up their stocks of tear gas and training in its use. Police officers are following advice 'like that in the FBI's riot control manual, which concludes that chemical agents are the most effective, humane means of temporarily neutralizing a m o b, while minimizing personal injury., But many are wondering which kind of agent to get. The older CN ("tear gas") ? Or the m o r e powerful irritant agent CS? The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders has indicated in its re- port that CS has been found by the mili- tary to be considerably more effective and safer than CN. The Commission has ex- pressed an opinion that the only current- ly available alternative to using CS is ap- plying potentially' lethal force, and has strongly recommended the use of CS be- fore rifles or bayonets. ALTHOUGH Lake Erie makes both agents, we recommend CS. Simply stated ... CS is the most apt to stop a riot so it can't restart! Though all rioters will run out of a cloud of either agent, the big difference is this . . After 10 minutes or so of "recovery" in fresh air, determined rioters may have forgotten the effects of CN to the point where they're ready to start trouble, again, a block or two away. But if they've. had a dose of CS, sthey're through for the day. (And maybe for the year.) CS has extremely sobering effects on a lawbreak- er, including burning sensations and the feeling he can't breathe. These, added to the tears, are so psychologically demoral- izing, even in memory, that wild horses couldn't drag him back. ANOTHER point: CS grenades, properly used, are almost impossible to throw back. It would be difficult to find even a fanatic with the nerve to pick one up, without a mask. Yet, according to a large body of im- pressive evidence, CS has proven extreme- ly safe. More and more police depart- ments are switching from CN to CS. And in our experience, not one has wanted to switch back. Send for an authorative article on the subject; which we' have reprinted with the permission of Ordnance magazine. LAKE ERIE Chemical has been the lead- er in CS, the first to introduce it to commercial markets in the U.S. in 1962. We continue to of fer either CS or CN in all Lake Erie grenades and projectiles. Your Lake Erie distributor will take fast action to supply your needs. Lake Erie Chemical is a member of Smith & Wesson's growing Law Enforce- ment Group, manufacturers whose aims and products all share one characteristic: dedication to the professionalism of the American police officer and to the pro- tection of the public he serves. The Group now includes, in addition to Smith & We~son and Lake Erie: Gen- eral Ordance Equipment Corp. (Chemical Mace); Stephenson Co. ("Speedalyzer" radar, Breathalyzer, Minuteman resusci- tators); and Dominator Company (elec- tronic sirens, radar). -Advertisement of LAKE ERIE CHEMICAL DIVISION SMITH AND WESSON By MARK E .SCHREIBER! DESPITE WEEKS of Russian pressure on dissident Czecho- slovakia, few in the West expected the Soviet invasion of that coun- try on August 20-21. For a trav- eler in Russia before that date the attack was not surprising. In ways it could have been anti- cipated by Soviet popular opinion' Mass attitudes on international re- lations follow government dictum in contemporary Russia. If many people there have a strong, uni- form ;response on a delivate issue. then the population has been ade- quately prepared for further offi-- cial action along that line. From July 7 to August 8, I with a small group of American college students on an exchange program touring major cities, rural areas. and youth camps in the Soviet Union. We had number of dis- cussions with workers and stu- dents. Some of these were spon- taneous and individual, and others formally arranged by Sputnik. the youth branch of the Soviet tourist agency Intourist. In many instances the topic of our talks focused on their feelings tward the reforms in Czechoslovakia. The discussions were not a eandom sample of opinion. In some meet- ings with Komsomol (a govern- ment sponsored youth o ganiza- tion) members we were cautioned beforehand to expect a rigid )a ty line. In more open situations we were able to get some impnn!ession of what a university student, fac- tory manager or peasant in Rus- sia might think about the issueus and a fortiori what their govern- ment might want to do about it. THE RUSSIANS we met were dead-set against the Czech liberal- ization program. Their opposition ranged from deep skepticism to vilifying criticism. There were some that had a real emotional commitment against the reform efforts. But I can only remember one time where a Russian, an en- gineering student from Moscow, said, "Let's wait and see, and give Czechoslovakia a chance." He was then shouted down by his com- rades. This is not to say that the So- viet people had a clear under- standing or much information about recent events.in Czechoslo- vakia. The "Czech reforms" were usually spoken of in general, con- notative terms. The reforms were seen to have several programmatic elements: expanded trade and re- lations with Western countries. particularly West G e r m a n y; growth of other political parties which would dominate the Com- munist Party; and elimination of censorship restrictions which al- lowed anti-Soviet literature. (Little or no mention was made of in- creased freedom to travel, mass participation in the political pro- cess, or domestic economic chan- ges away from the Stalinist, heavy-industry model). Besides this, everyone seemed to knpw what the Czech program meant and they did not think it necessary to elaborate. Hostility by Russian people to the reforms were based on two arguments. First, and most im- portantly, they charged that West Germany was becoming increas- -1-'-J . lingers with the thoughts if lost husbands, wives, children and friends. More than 20 millions Russians died in World War II, and the memories live with many, many people. Nor does the Soviet state let them forget. In every city, town, and village, monuments abound. Massive placards Pnd posters which link Russian growth to German defeat, dot the major urban areas. There is no area of art, literature or social education which does not have some pointed reminders of the "Gilea Patriotic War." Well-publicized zrticles about the successes of the NDP party, reinforce the spectre of a resurgent, neo-fascist West Ger- many. If West Germany is encroacl)g on a Communist bloc nation, this is seen as a direct threat to Russia. And the average Russian will sup- port his government's intervention to halt that threat. The second principal argument was that Czechoslovakia was being led, or proceeding voluntarily "down the road from socialism to capitalism." This idea was less often and less sincerely invoked. Those who arguedalong this line were mostly students, exercising their intellect, or hardline Com- munist group leaders. Bourgeois counter-revolutionaries were said to exist in Czechoslovakia since that country did not undergo a through, purging revolution. The peaceful transfer of power in 1948 had allowed these subversive ele- ments to persist. Political, rather than economic evidence, initialy was used: the provision for other, non-Communist parties and anti- Soviet articles appea'ri'ng. in the Czech press. Some derogatory ref- \ erences were made to private en- terprise and managerial autonomy in Czech factories, well as expand- ed foreign trade. The consequence of this "deca- dence" was projected into inter- national terms: 'Czechoslovakia's obligation to the Communist bloc.. While every country should have its own road to socialism, '"each bloc nation is dependent on each other and what on does intimate- ly affects the others." If the trend in Czechoslovakia is toward capi- talism, then she weakens the en- tire bloc, through upsetting ti ade balances, military alignments, etc. This was a general, ideological argument, but one about which the people who voiced it had scant information. Even the students knew very little about the nature and extent of Czech-Soviet trade relations. In most cases, they seemed to overestimate Czecho- slovakia's economic significance to Russia. But to these Soviets it was implicit that somehow Czecno- slovakia was very important to the rest of the Communist world. oddly enough, very few of them expressed apprehension that the capitalist reforms would spread to. other bloc nations, which seemed to be their government's prime concern. THESE CRITICISMS of the Russian arguments are not intend- ed to reduce their importan e. In- adequate and false informaton, incomplete reasoning, and emo- tional response characterize the at- titudes of most mass publics. Basic measures are more indicative: the Czech agricultural students, tnei Russian hosts, and our America group-a lazy summer evening i late July on an excursion boa along the Volga river. After th usual condemnation of 9merca policy in Vietnam, the (iscussio settled on the Czech reforms. Tlh heavy-set Russian leader, who ha served in the battle of 3talingrai began the-indictment. He imue diately charged that Czechoslo vakia was subverting the Cemmu nist party and instituting capitali modifications. The Czech youths yere at fir hesitant to respond. Finally, wit broken Russian prose and nervou hands, one student made a dg fense, He said that he thoug that there should be other poli ical parties in Czechoslovakia. H felt that some people should bi allowed to privately operate ente prists for the sake of efficienc The Czech stated that Russia trade agreements were forced o Czechoslovakia, and done soa her expense., Cited was the ex ample. of low-grade iron ore shi ped from the Soviet Union i Czechoslovakia. This ore had b undergo several costly stages4 refinement beforesit could even b used. The student concluded b suggesting that Czechoslovak: might have been better off if Rus sia had allowed them to accept th Marshall Plan. The Soviets in th room were noticably annoyed. OUR YOUNG Sputnik gui then took the floor.'He first ask if Russia should have intervene in Hungary in 1956, to which the were indecisive responses. He the inquired where the arms for th Hungarian revolt came from. N one seemed quite sure. He sa there wasdirect evidence the arm were supplied by West German His comrades agreed, and th Czechs were stood mute. Should Soviet forces been use to halt the German conspiracy Hungary? "Da i nyet?" ("Yes no"), the Russian repeated se' eral times. The Czechs were shaken an confused. To answer "No", wou brand them as fascist symp thizers, the worst of crimes. T1 respond, "'Yes", gives assent b analogy to the future take-over their country. SO THE CZECHS waiver against the strength (illogicala it might have been) of the cha lenge. They were caught in t dilemma of no choice, where a, direction spelled defeat.The di cussion broke off here withoi resolution. The Russians left t gether, angered at the Czechs' i solence, resistance, and appare unwillingness to refute fascis It was clear to us by early A gust that a number of segmen in Soviet society were against t reforms in Czechoslovakia. Wh then did these people think wou happen? Most of the Russia were uncertain about what the government was going to d When asked whether the Sovi Union would invade as in Hu gary, they usually hedged and si cerely remarked that they did n want to see another war. The invasion of Czechoslovak has.come and past. For the ave age Russian, the news (if he g it) uulr nnt h hckina n _mark levin A liberal dilemma WHAT HUBERT HUMPHREY has done to liberalism on the national political scene, the University's so-called faculty liberals may suc- ceed in doing on the academic scene. Humphrey and his wide variety of friends have undermined liberal- ism as a viable political approach to the problems of America. And the narrowness and intransigence of those who pride themselves on being faculty liberals may seriously undermine those liberal students who are initially taking a non-confrontation approach to academic reform. Humphrey can no longer be considered a liberal except by those cynics who begin their analysis with the assumption that liberalism is a barren approach to change. Humphrey can only be considered a conservative whose duplicity and opportunism is unforgivable. AND SO FOR the faculty. They too can protect their vested interests and resist efforts to open their tight-fisted control of the University. And if this is the case they too must, be reclassified as conservatives. To allow these conservatives to cast themselves as liberals. in this meaningful game of nomenclature is deceitful. Otherwise, the sin- cerety and intensity of the efforts of real liberals are wrongly degraded. How the faculty will react to proposed reform of the academic decision-making process is very uncertain. They still may prove to be more than, nominal liberals, An objective overview of the current situation would convince any liberal that change is necessary even at the expense of his own power. The disenfranchisement of the student can not be defended on any but elitist grounds. OUR POLITICALLY sophisticated faculty certainly must realize liberalism means more than the encouragement of change only to the point where one's self-interests are challenges,. as in the case of Humphrey. They must realize that above all liberalism requires an active commitment to changing those institutions within society which are insensitive to the popular will or intolerant of cetain group interests. And so the faculty liberals, who have been so free in their cri- ticism of the administration when ,it has refused to share its power, must go through the agonizing reappraisal all liberals in ppitioWSa of power face when their interests are challenged. 'The success of, efforts to give students power over acadernic decisions which profoundly affect their lives depends on whether the faculty intends to live up to its rhetoric. To defeat these efforts is to insure the continuation of confrontation politics, an approach alien and potentially dangerous to the university environment. All this is relevant now because the history departnient has offered students an invaluable opportunity to achieve meaningful academic reform by calling a series of student-faculty forums. The philosophy and ecohiomics 'departments are soon to follow suit. And it is up to the men of these departments to' decide whether meningful r change can be achieved from within the system. n21 n WHAT PROPOSALS students will make is unclear. To beg n with, t many students are not convinced that institutionalized student power e is necessary to insure that professors will be concerned with taching n in addition to other more personally rewarding academic chorus That )n n student opinion and concerns can not be filtered into the'acagiemc d decision-making process without institutional power for many remains d, to be seen, e_ In addition, many students are unwilling to take the responsibility - which such power brings. - I strongly feel that institutionalized power is essential. It, can be st argued that this particular history department is sensitive to student needs. And this is true to a limited degree. This department has st granted tenure to professors whose chief virtue is teaching. Under': .h graduate education has not been severely neglected as in other depart- s ments of the University. But what has happened to proposals to increase the credit hours t available for 400 4and 500 level courses? Why are concetration re- [e quirements so arbitrarily set? Why can't students outside the honors lecollege be exposed to seminar teaching? Why was they trimester 1.n- e tituted with so little concern for the student? y. kn IT CAN BE ARGUED that some of these are college- or University- n wide decisions. But almost no decisions affecting academics can le at made in this institution without at least the acquiesence of the - departments. pr A permanent institutionalized student-faculty committee to con- to sider academic planning on the departmental level would for instance to bring forth new programs and new approaches to instruction. It might of also insure that the University would not continue to drift, reacting to y society's needs only after they are pressed upon the institution. is A permanent student representative o4~ tenure committee would s- guarantee that dry scholars whose interest in teaching is minimal e would get minimal consideration when up for tenure. Tenure appoint- e ments now are made many times as a result of a, particular depart- rment's concern with the status of a certain scholar regardless of'his approach to teaching. de How can undergraduate students remain apathetic about academic d decisions when those decisions allow the finest professors in many d departments to avoid teaching on the undergraduate lev? Student re silence allows these inequities to continue undisturbed. If that is the n condition under which this particular high-status professor has been e hired, his services can be reinquished. o OUR CONCERNS are not being looked after and only bur con- y. tinued vigilance can assure they will ,be looked after. Mireover, the he only persons who I want to look after my interests are my elected representatives. Even benevolent paternalism insultingly implied that I eq am not capable of looking after my own interests.. in In the short run the progress students can make in improving the or multiversity may not be immediately apparent. But we have a rbspon- v- sibility to the universities of this country since they shape the minds and orientations of the future leaders of our society. 3d Universities must turn out sensitive, deep-thinking human beings ld who feel a responsibilty toward their society. Quality education can a- insure this. by THE NOTORIOUSLY liberal history faculty can react to student of concerns in two ways. They can view student proposals as sincere efforts to achieve necessary change through established channels, a ed reaffirmation of their stated beliefs. Or they can provincially reject as those demands as an unwarranted intrusion into their private sanctums. Ll My faith in liberalism as a meaningful approach to chan'ge; not a he hollow jargon, leads me to believe that the faculty will choose the first iy alternative. But again 'my faith in liberalism led me falsely to believe ut that Hubert Humphrey would not remain silent, while the Johnson o- administration systematically destroyed Vietnam. Student counselors: THESupplement, in T'HE HONORS COLLEGE program of student counseling represents a com- mendable effort to h e lp students cut through bureaucratic red tape and plan a program of interesting and relevant courses. At the same time, student coun- seling should not be seen as a substitute for improved faculty counseling. Under the program, 25 upperclass Hon- ors students a d v i s e any student who seeks their counsel and sign election cards for 'ionors students with less than junior standing. The idea is to enable students to circumvent the time-consum- ing and frustrating 'process of arranging an appointment with faculty counselors who are often unavailable, who in many instances are not in a good position to appraise the teaching abilities of their colleagues, and who always have more counseling appointments than they can adequately handle. But counseling serves (or ideally should serve) a variety of needs. For the student with1 a rough idea of where he is headed academically, for the student who merely seeks information about specific courses, student counseling may m e a n an im- provement over faculty counseling. tot replacement cannot find a path at all? Many under- graduates in the literary college 1 a c k either occupational or academic goals. Many see no relevance in their academic work in terms of how they hope to live their lives. For them there -is no easy an- swer: not the existing misconceived sys- tem of in-again out-again, 13' people in the waiting line, h a 1 f-an-hour behind schedule faculty counseling. And prob- ably not a system of student counseling, despite its obvious merits for the more goal-directed.' These lost students will ultimately have to solve their own problems. They will have to do the thinking and solving. Yet faculty members, w i t h their academic and personal maturity, could (a n d to some extent now do) attempt to help such individuals find an approach to resolving their philosophical and spiritual malaise. CURRENTLY few professors h a v e the time or inclination to do that kind of counseling. And the one danger of an ex- tensive student counseling system lies in the enticement it will present students to bypass faculty counseling altogether. At least two things should be d o n e. 04,, -- - -A f nl -~%i t ni . - - -, m n- nt M. u- ts he at Id ns ir 0. et n- n- ot ia r- ot ad Letters to. the,. Editor. in our apartment, did it become -Donuts reality. T To ie zaor: "PRESIDENT and Mrs. Flem- ing, I'm so glad that you could come." I found myself saying last Saturday as the distinguished cou- ple came down the narrow corri- dor to our apartment. When President Fleming's sec- retary called to say that he had accepted the invitation to o U r post-game open-house, my room- mates and I =were surprised, and GOOEY DONUT in one )aztd and punch cup in other, President and Mrs. Fleming displayed a keen interest in each individual and an o p e n - h e a'r t e d frie.ndliness throughout. As they were leaving, we felt that we had met thie true president of our university -- a president seldom seeui by Daily reporters in their descriptions of "a mixture of mediation and bur-