I Don't Quite Know How To Tell You This -=" ~Iw i~igan Baitj Sity-Ninth Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN When Opinions Are Free UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Truth Wil Prevail" STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MIicH. * Phone No 2-3241 CONCERNED WITH SELF: 'Silent Generation' Tag Justified, Group Says Editorials printed in The Michigan Dail) express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This inust be noted in all reprints. I ESDAY DECEMBER 3, 1958 NIGHT EDITOR: BARTON HUTHWAITE Wishful Thinking, Not Returns, Counts Nixon Out for '60 A FAVORITE PASTIME of Democrats who consider themselves upholders of the "en- lightened, liberal" tradition in American politics is laying Vice-President Richard Nixon to poli- tical rest. It is very bothersome to them, of course, that he has twice been chosen Vice-President of the United States by the electorate-the second time with the clear possibility that he might succeed to the highest office in the land. But this is easily forgotten and editorial writers and cartoonists of Democratic persua- sion gleefully pounce oh their typewriters and grab their pens and India ink whenever an election in which Vice-President Nixon cam- paigns results in a Democratic victory. Since he has campaigned in practically every recent election of any importance, it is easy for' them to find material. A S A RESULT of the Democratic sweep in Alaska, the newspaper and magazine read- ers of the nation have been treated to a raft of analyses, cartoons, and editorials declaring that the election there has "put Nixon on political ice." Not that any editorials will ever put any damper on the irrepressible Mr. Nixon. But so many obvious overstatements and overdrawn coniclusions should not go uncorrected. Logically, if one follows the reasoning of the editorials, anyone who campaigned ener- getically in any area for any candidate would bear the mark of the no-confidence vote if that candidate were defeated. Thus the Democrats who stumped New York for Averell Harriman, or Pennsylvania for George Leader, or Arizona for Ernest McFarland were obviously "put on the political ice" by the results of the Nov. 4 election when all went down to defeat. Since this included such bright lights of the Democratic party as Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts, Harry Truman, and Eleanor Roosevelt, it would seem that some of the party's chief spokesmen have been discredited -if one follows the logic of the editorialists. ALASKA CAN BEST be compared to Rhode Island in its voting pattern. It has long favored the Democratic party-this was partly responsible for its admission as a state. Hawaii --where the Republicans often prevail-was not admitted by the last Democratic Congress. Thus a Democratic victory in Alaska was ex- pected by political experts and predicted by political polls. The only race where a GOP candidate was expected to do well was for the Senate seat contested by Republican Mike Step- ovich and Democrat Ernest Gruening. The race was close, as predicted. Thus the conclusions voiced over and over again by editorialists that the Democratic vic- tory in Alaska was a "personal defeat" for Vice-President Nixon is so ridiculous it barely warrants consideration. Like so many other non-journalistic Demo- crats, the editorial writers and cartoonists are indulging in wishful thinking. They are in- wardly wishing that Vice-President Nixon was not quite so popular, not quite so effective a campaigner, and not quite so certain to win the Republican nomination for President in 1960. -CHARLES STEGMEIR By LANE VANDERSLICE Daily Staff Writer "THE Silent Generation." "The No-Nonsense Kids." "The Careful Young Men," "The Found Generation." "The Company Men," "The Generation Without Heroes," .. . These tags are evidence of how thoughtful people have seen to- day's college student. How much truth is there in these tags? Are they just tags, or do they really characterize American college stu- dents? The closest thing to a definitive answer that has been given so far is a study made by a group called the Commission on the College Student. The commission is a part of the American Council on Edu- cation, a highly respected educa- tional agency which has pinpoint- ed many of the problems and characteristics of American edu- cation. s * * THE COMMISSION'S answer: in large measure, these tags fit American college students. Inso- far as a generation can be char- acterized, this college generation is "the silent generation," "the no-nonsense kids" according to the committee's information. But the committee cautioned that the underlying reality - the college students themselves - be remembered as diverse and com- plex, not just as tags. The com- posite picture, the committee warned, is not a true likeness of any individual. And for people worried, as many are, about the unfavorable Impli- cations of "silent", "careful" or any of the other tags, the com- mittee suggested that there are often good reasons for the silence and the carefulness. TODAY'S STUDENTS are most concerned with knowing them- selves and finding thereby a se- cure place in an uncertain world, the commission said, "Uncertain about the future of the world, their country and themselves, they are inclined to restrict their search to areas which, if they are no less complex, are at least easier to en- compass in thought." The result, the commission pointed out, is a self centeredness that has given rise to many of the apathetic labels. Success for today's college stu- dent is not what it was for their fathers, the commission says, al- though students' standards of suc- cess are still materialistic. The job is a means to an end, not an ena in itself to college students. Students' plans include an early marriage, three or four children, a happy home, leisure for social ac- tivities, sports and the develop- ment of a hobby or two, a modest amount of activity in the public affairs of the community. Their job must be secure, fit their capa- bilities, must be enjoyable and satisfying, and provide sufficient means for them to carry out the rest of their plans. College stu- dents generally do not aim beyond this, the commission says. DIRECTLY related to this is the emphasis students place on grades. A good academic record will help get a better job or a graduate scholarship, students But Mother .. . THE DAUGHTER of a flour-mill owner last week blasted away over 2,500 years of rigid tradition in Japan, and simultaneously taught the Western "democracies" an ironic lesson. Commoner Michiko Shoda, almost reluctant herself, is to become the wife of Crown Prince Akihito, accompanied by the nearly unanimous joy of the citizens of that country, and over almost no serious objections. The betrothal represents a more-than-brilli- ant report card for Japan's lesson in democ- racy, forcibly taught them by their former enemies since the war's end. But as such, it is a tribute much more to the student than to the And wipe that smug look off your face, America. For though you may be free of the taints of royalty, you are still tacitly upholding an aristocracy peculiarly your own. And it is just as virulent adisease as that suffered by "less democratic" countries. PICTURE A WELL-BRED American boy, heir to the throne of a mammoth corporation, making his declaration to his parents. She's a lovely girl, mother. No, she isn't one of THE Crandalls. As a matter of fact, her parents were both immigrants, and of course their English isn't very good, but they're very No, she didn't go to college, but she's ... Yes, they are very poor, but she's working for Yes, working. But mother ... And so it goes. In areas other than Ann Arbor, "Blue Book Blues" has a very different connotation, but the percentage of those who flunk out is just as high, and the tension is just as great. It's a pity, of course. But then, the United States hasn't reached the level of dermocracy the Japanese have at- tained. -SUSAN HOLTZER CAPITAL COMMENTARY: The Dema By WILLI WASHINGTON -- One of the about what most men most - arresting personal dra- possible not to comme mas of Washington is that of operation." Secretary of State John Foster Never once since h Dulles, whose permanent residence about holding his puls is in the eye of the hurricane. Never once has he ask Various observers may ration- on grounds of health ally dislike Dulles or some of his very hard world that policies as Secretary of State. But him. nobody "in possession of the facts" He is the oldest mer -which, by the way, is just the Cabinet -now in his' kind of large, dustily legalistic and yet he makes fa phrase Dulles himself would use-- mands upon himself it could reasonably deny two things: than do any two of tl 1) This Secretary of State has Just now, these d what are inelegantly called guts piling high about him to a degree that few men in recent sians are glowering at public life have surpassed. True, position in Germany, it may seem a't times a rather tire- its nastiest meaning is some, quibbling sort of courage; * Mr. Dulles is not one to read from DULLES IS MAKIN the large print when the fine in this infinitely trick print is available, and in a sense making 2) This Secretary of State, of the whole allied We whose endless travels about the are the biggest of it world would long ago have left He is walking a highv limp and exhausted the average wire. His problem is man of 30, has a physical industry up any of our vital i so great as to be fatiguing even to not, on the other hand watch. , , * thing that would mak sible for the Russiai TWO YEARS AGO this very back without losing f month Dulles all but crawled on In all this, he is ca hands and knees from the hospital, buckets of water on where he had undergone an un- tailored shoulders. O pleasant thing -surgery for in- buckets represents th4 pestinal cancer. He returned to his the Russians themselv nanifold duties stolidly silent the Congress-to whi nds on Dulles AM S. WHITE find it im- nt on-"my as he gone se in public. ked quarter, i, from the t surrounds ember of the 71st year - r more de- n every way ;he others. emands are . The Rus- the Western and crisis in s in the air. CG our policy ky business; g the policy est since we its partners. and swaying not to give nterests but d, to do any- ke it impos- 6s to draw ace. rrying three his soberly ne of these e Allies, one ves, and one ch, with its huge new Democratic majorities, Dulles must pay far more heed than ever before. How adroitly he is swaying with these buckets was well illustrated by a recent Dulles press confer- ence. This the Secretary held, on the day usually reserved for the President's own press conference, while President Eisenhower him- self was on holiday in Georgia. * * * HERE DULLES grappled with explosive questions like an old Army sapper removing land mines.. He spoke of the Russians without animosity or threats. His manner toward them, rather, was that of a corporation lawyer dealing with a rude and irresponsible but dan- gerous witness in an anti-trust suit-firm, but careful and coolly detached. The Secretary has been often-- and sometimes fairly-accused of "brinksmanship," of an unduly threatening line. Whatever the past, this is in no sense his line now. ,It is now hardly possible, even for an observer never exactly enchanted with Dulles, not to feel some sense of security that our latest crisis, given all present cir- cumstances, is in the hands of this possibly uncomfortably right- eous but undoubtedly tough and supple man. (Copyright 1958, by Uniteds Feature Syndicate, Inc.) feel, and so they plug for high marks. The emphasis on grades and honor points, "an artificial sys- tem of academic bookkeeping," by both the students and colleges is wrong, and should be changed, the commission said. "The system tends to defeat the educative purpose by establishing different goals for student and teacher, While the teacher is con- cerned with the body of knowl- edge to be mastered, the students' concern under this system be- comes necessarily the acquisition of honor points and credits, with mastery of course content a poor second." There have been significant changes in student attitudes to- ward college, the commission found. COLLEGE students want more responsibility for their own lives and less of the protective atmos- phere that has marked American colleges. The commission said that stu- dents are increasingly interested in the purposes and plans of their colleges, especially in curriculum and building planning. And more and more activities such as the fraternity party or a pep rally find themselves in com- petition for college students' time with lectures, discussions or con- certs. Because college students have changed is no cause for despair, the commission said, "but rather is an Important challenge to those entrusted with their educations" HURRAH: Shoutingyl Sent iment "WHAT WOUM you consider the greatest spectator sport in the nation?" Frank Skeffing- ton asks his sportswriting neph- ew. "Basketball" answers the youth; "Nope" replies Skeffing- ton with Irish assurance, "Pol- tic." But it's more than politicas that makes "The Last Hurrah" such a fine spectator sport; it is simply a lovely picture. Surely there is nothing more fascinating than a wholesome, un- scrupulous rogue. Make the rogue lovable and charming, let him be Irish, hire Spencer Tracy to por- tray him and you've some idea of Frank Skeffington. But just an idea. It also seems that Frank grew up in slums, be- came five-times mayor of Boston, is sacrosanct in his generosity and friendship, easily charms all who meet him, spouts his Irish wit everywhere and beats down every blueblood, bigot and bad guy in the city. Yes, it seems that the town's leading citizens rather resent this roguish, broguish ingrate who's usurped their Yankee power. What could be more endearing? FOR THOSE who think that warmth should be left in the in- cubator, this is a picture to miss. If you laugh at the hurtling baby carriage on the steps of Odessa, if family reunions, happy mothers, Thanksgiving and a sentimental populace bring forth your molt cynical grin, strenuously avoId "The Last Hurrah" but .. . "Promise 'em what they) want and .give 'em' what they'll settle for" trumpets Skeffington. "How can you thank a man for a mil- lion laughs?" he asks his buffoon- like buddy on his deathbed. "Skip the blarney" says the old lady who attends ,every 'wake in Boston ("It's nice to have a hobby" says Skeffington) but the blarney can't be skipped for it's the whole pic- ture. When he loses the final election he announces his candidacy for Governor, walks slowly home and shrugs before the picture of his dead wife. And on his deathbed he falls back immobile, eyes shut. His bitterest enemy, already danc- ing on his grave, says, "I know that if he had to do it again he would have done it very much dif- ferently." The oppossum-like Skef- fington slowly lifts his eyelids, ap- pears to wink, and murmurs "Like hell I would." -Eli Zaretsky DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN The Daily Official Bulletin is an official publication of The Univer- sity of Michigan for which The Michigan Daily assumes no edi- torial responsibility. Notices should be sent in TYPEWRITTEN form to Room 3519 Administration Build- ing, before 2 p.m. the day preceding publication. Notices forrSunday Daily due at 2:00 p.m., Friday OR APPARENTLY, in the matter hard, I'm-no-better-than-you-are cy, the pupil outshines the master. of cold, democ- In England, cradle of democracy, a former king 'can testify that his country has not yet reached the point of liberality just shown by Japan. A lovely but unmarried princess can. similarly give testimony that an Army officer just was not good enough for her. .1 INTERPRETING THE NEWS: Rightists Threaten Democracy By J. M. ROBERTS Associated Press News Analyst FEARS FOR THE FUTURE of the democracy in France are now being more widely ex- pressed than ever because of the number of rightists elected to Parliament after bundling themselves in Charles de Gaulle's coattails. The leader himself, Whose election to the presidency is expected to be little more than a, formality, is depicted as embarrassed. His gerrymandering of election districts and voting regulations designed to wipe out the Communists not only accomplished his purpose, but also wiped out many moderates and social- ists who are among the natural leaders of France. Jacques Soustelle, propelled into the leading role in Parliament through his leadership of a wide variety of rightist elements who volun- tarily grouped themselves around him and tried to assume the aura of de Gaulle, was known during the Fourth Republic as a wrecker of parliaments, WHIE SOUSTELLE himself is not rabid, and while no one is expected to offer a frontal challenge to de Gaulle, many of those who wrapped themselves In the Soustelle-de Gaulle banner are extremists. In particular, many of them stand for impo- sition of complete integration on Algeria as against de Gaulle's own desire to devise a workable association with the Arabs. Thus the majority bloc is itself divided, a situation which has become a commonplace in French politics. The question is how much this will affect the stability toward which de Gaulle is directing his efforts. The rightist bloc can hardly be called a party, and any program it may have is yet to develop. SOME ARE expressing the fear that it will be capable of interfering with civil liberties- especially strikes-and with freedom of the press in the name of stability, if a sufficient crisis arises. De Gaulle, of course, will have the power no other president has had to rule Parliament under the threat of dissolution. If he did not already have it under the new constitution, his popularity would give it to him. But there is wonderment as to how many of the new rightist deputies, having proclaimed their fealty to de Gaulle in order to be elected, will now live up to it. There also is wonderment as to the under- cover pressures which may be built up by the fact that one-fifth of the nation's voters-some Communists and the rest protest voters who chose the communist ticket as their means of expression-will have only one fifty-fourth of the seats in Parliament. New Books at the Library Cantril. Hadley - The Politics of Despair; N.Y., Basic Books, 1958. URBAN RENEWAL: Tempers Punctuate Normal City Council Calm By PHILIP MUNCK Daily Staf Writer WHATEVER his alleged faults as Ann Arbor's mayor, Prof. Sam- uel T. Eldersveld of the political science department is a strong chairman at City Council meet- ings. Monday night his biggest con- tribution to Council proceedings came when he told various mem- bers to "quit stalling and delaying on this question (Urban Renewal) ." When he did this he challenged City Council members opposed to the project (principally Council- men Carl Brauer, Russel Burns and George Keebler) to let the votedecide the issue. ** s THE DEBATE in the Council meeting underscored much of the smoldering opposition and support of the bill. There was shouting, pounding on desks and, almost, name-calling heard in the usually quiet council chamber. The most heated moments of the evening came during the de- bates on the first reading of the proposed building code and adop- tion of a urban renewal resolution. Councilman Brauer began his speech on the building code which would have brought the city's standards up to the level required by the Urban Renewal program, He said the building code was a "horrible encroachment on private liberty and . . . our private rights." their present rooms they could brought up two weeks ago he said, move to one of the "many rooms advertised in the newspaper - when it is being printed." He said this is "the American way" of settling the issue. Councilmen Lloyd Ives and Flor- ence Crane told the Council that it was not possible for everyone who wants rooms to get them. * * * AT THIS POINT Councilman Richard Dennard jumped up and shouted to Brauer, "Could I get one of those rooms - could I? You're talking about what you can get but I can't. You just sit here and talk about reading newspapers but I can't get one of those rooms. "If you can find two dozen of them I know people who'd fill them." Dennard is a Negro from the Urban Renewal project's ward. Tempers flared again during the debate on giving the city adminis- trator an order to file application for an urban renewal loan. It started with a list of ques- tions by Keebler on where the money would come from, why there is no master development plan for the city as a whole and ending up with words to the effect that the people in the area are opposed to changes in their homes. He said, in effect, that if people like things the way they are, they shouldn't be forced to change. At this Councilman Ives asked Keebler if he were "intimating that people living in delapidated housing" don't want their home improved. Keebler replied, "Yes." Ives asked, "If I could show you a majority of the people have signed a petition in favor of this, would it influence your decision?" "I always consider both sides of the question," Keebler said, "I have proof that 80 per cent of the people are for it," Ives snapped back, AT THIS POINT Mayor Elders- veld told the council to collectively make up their minds and vote one way or the other but to quit "stalling." But for all this the council put cff decision until tomorrow night at a public hearing. The relative value of this hearing is doubtful. As usual the opponents of the plan will be there in full force with little representation from the supporters. And for all this, the vote will probably be 7 to 3 in favor of the proposal-the same as it would have been if it had been taken last night. The issue of filing an application 461 .1 . - - --- - , - -- - - % [4rjt~ga 514n atly Editorial Staff RICHARD TAUB, Editor LEL KRAFT JO >rial Director HN WEICHER City Editor DAVID TAR Associate Editor TALE CANTOR ..,.... ,,.. Personnei Director EAN WILLOUGHBY.... Associate Editorial Director EATA JORGENSON .... .. Associate City Editor LIZABETH ERSKINE.... Associate Personnel Director .LAN JONES ,,,,.,..,.... Sports Editor ARL SEMAN , Associate Sports Editor I COLEMAN.Sp... .Asciata Snorts Editor r 'r1. f1-:' /e:;