&w Miiigan &itg Sixty-Ninth Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * Phone xo 2-3241 'hen Opinions Are Fre Truth Will Prevail" Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. HURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1958 NIGHT EDITOR: JOAN KAATZ Panbellenic Honor Code' Needs Careful Reevaluation "I Don't Think They Want Me In There" (tkf -S -C TORRE CASE: Freedom of Press Not Unmixed Blessing By RALPH LANGER Daily Staff Writer FREEDOM OF THE PRESS often arouses much emotional response from "patriots" and often a case involving the term is automatically attacked. The latest of these has apparently gone against the writer, perhaps justly so. Marie Torre. a television columnist for the New York Herald Trib- une, lost her legal fight to get a contempt conviction reversed. The Su- preme Court refused to hear Miss Torre's contention that if she were forced to name her source it would violate the constitutional guairan- tee of freedom of the press. S m s :MISS TORRE quoted a Columbia Broadcasting System executive PANHELLENIC Association might do well to stand back and take a long look at the rushing restrictions now in effect. In 1956, when SGC changed formal rushing from fall to spring, Panhel was forced to change the regulations concerning contact be- tween affiliated and independent women on campus. Some of the purposes in moving the rushing period from fall to spring were to let the pros- pective rushees get "acquainted" with the housds-i.e. to help them learn what each house was like and not enter the rushing situation blindly; to give them a chance to adjust to the University itself before having to decide whether or not they wanted to rush or pledge. In order to achieve these two aims and to allow for free contact among all students, thus avoiding irritations and problems arising from a strict set of rules on independent affiliate relations, Panhellenic set up an "honor code,,' The code puts all sorority women 'on their honor not to pre-rush independent women from the beginning of registration in Septem- ber until formal rushing begins in February, 1958." PRE-RUSHING is defined as "affiliated wom- en influencing an independent woman in her attitude toward a given house, persuading an independent woman to join a given house, and notifying an independent woman that a given house would like to pledge her." The code lets each womangmake her owny A PENNY HERE, a penny there - and you wind up with a $5 fine for obstructing justice. The student who, apparently overwhelmed with the spirit of Christmas, braved Saturday's cold and snow to help out his fellow man by extending their parking meter time found to his dismay and monetary loss that such action is not looked upon kindly by local authorities. Whatever his motives, they certainly could not have been the intentional and malicious obstruction of the due processes of law, but good intentions seemingly count for nothing. Who says it's Christmas? Don't reveal any misguided attempt to promote "peace on earth, good will toward man" -- Big Brother may be final interpretation of what is and what is not right. Last year, with fairly effective communica- tion and much stress on trust between sorori- ties, affiliated women restricted themselves to a degree-and in general the code worked out satisfactorily. This year conditions have deteriorated, par- tially because there is no real threat to a sorority that wants to ignore the code entirely. There is only a monetary fine. But, it is not necessary to pay a fine, merely making a more liberal interpretation of the code suffices. CONTACT BETWEEN old friends is not lim- ited. This means that sorority women can entertain in their houses, as personal guests, any person they met before school started this fall. The loophole of what each affiliate regards as an "old" friend is growing larger and larger as the year progresses. Even though a house does no actual entertaining, a prospective rushee cannot help but be influenced in her attitude toward a house if she knows the people. This influence is defined as part of pre-rushing and constitutes a violation. Because of this loophole, there is no effective way of restricting pre-rushing. Unless it can be absolutely proven that an independent woman is rushing and is invited to a house, knowing no one in that house before sclool started, violations of the code will go un- punished . . . but not unnoticed. Questions about the wisdom of inviting "old" friends into sororities have met little opposi- tion. In fact it seems common practice to have many such friends over. In some cases the old frends are legitimate, but in many they are not. THE ENTIRE situation does little for Panhel- lenic or the campus. Not only does it make Panhel look bad-ideals of "cooperation" and unification in striving "toward similar and mutual goals" are being ignored, but it also places too much emphasis on rushing, too early in the year. Rushing is an abnormal situation anyway. Why bring its pressures and worries early? The "Panhellenic sisterhoodl" and the code they set up based on faith does not allow for internal rivalry and "code-bending." There should be a little moire demonstration of the faith and mutual trust and respect implied by the code. --ELIZABETH ERSKINE Associate Personnel Director W re 4 . , ... ., as saying that actress Judy Garland "terribly fat." and "couldn't make up her mind about anything." Miss Torre did not name the exec- utive.a In the resulting suit. Miss Gar- land sued C.B.S. for $1,393.333. During the trial Miss Torre was asked to identify the source of her information. She refused. This is not new. Reporters have been refusing to name confiden- tial news sources for a long time. Some of them have gone to jail, as will Miss Torre if the court does not modify the 10-day sentence imposed. Although some states have sta- tutory protection for newsmen, most do not. This is an indication of judicial reluctaice to extend the privilege of source immunity to occupational fields. Some, priests, doctors, and lawyers, have this privilege, at least to some de- gree. Reporters have typically held to their word and not revealed confidences although the court may hold them in continuing con- tempt, according to Prof. John Reed, of the Law School. Prof. Reed said, however, that a couple of episodes of this nature may re. suit in sufficient pressure to get the New York Legislature to adopt statutory protection for newsmen. DESPITE the obvious advan- tages for newsmen possessing this immunity there are certain dan- gers to society as well. One is that an individual might take advan- tage of this immunity to make any kind of statement and escape re- sponsibility by refusing to name his source. Another is that courts are then hampered in their search for jus- tice. This is the primary and prob- ably most valid argument ad- vanced by the judicial group. It is a valid one, had "an inferiority complex," was There is a need for certain amounts of information obtained by reporters to be disclosed to the court in order to further justice. The ideal system would be one in which relevant information is re- quired and vice versa. This is now the case to some degree. Courts do not, at present, demand disclosure of information merely for information's sake. And in other cases the punishment is merely token . . . to indicate that the court can demand' information but that the reporter's rights are also respected to some extent. THE DEFENSE in the Torre case has contended that a great part of the news, such as political, economic and scientific news, is communicated to reporters only upon the condition that the source not be disclosed. Therefore, disclo- sure of the source means imme- diate withdrawal of sources will- ing to talk. UNFORTUNATELY this speci- fic case is a poor example. Miss Torre isn't exactly a governmental reporter who requires protection. She is a gossip columnist who prints occasionally uncomplimen- tary statements about public per- sonalities. Protection of a person's right to make these kinds of state- ments is not guaranteed constitu- tionally, and probably shouldn't be. In addition, the million and a third dollars suit is aimed at C.B.S., not the Herald Tribune. In other words, Miss Torre's story could cost the network a fortune, even though she is not one of their employees, but a columnist who merely said, "somebody over there told me but I'm not going to name him." 46o4?9W PiE 4.Ht4Vt1ToM GERMAN ELECTIONS: Willie Brandt Gains Wide Support By REINHOLD ENSZ Associated Press Foreign Correspondent BERLIN (P)-Willy Brandt, the two-fisted Socialist Mayor of West Berlin, hates Communism- and his citizens love him for it. Faithful to their 44-year-old mayor, the West Berliners in Sun- day's election gave the Reds their worst walloping and the Socialists their biggest majority. "We will never bow to Com- munism," declared Brandt, key- noting his administration's policy for the next four years. Then the 190-pound dynamo bolted out of election headquarters and got busy telling politicians and ordinary folk how to steel themselves for the cold war battle with the Reds. -* * * 'BRANDT IS JUST the man we nteed for the troubles ahead." That's -not a Socialist supporter talking. It's a member of the oppo- sition Christian Democrats, Deputy Mayor Franz Amrehn, who adds: The Christian Democrats will help him no matter if we are in opposi- tion or in coalition." In the eyes of many West Ber- liners, Brandt has taken on the heroic stature , of Ernst Reuter, Socialist Mayor who brought West Berlin through the Russian block- ade of 1948-49. With his youth, forceful person- ality and popularity, many politi- cians are beginning to eye Brandt as a possible successor to Chan- cellor Konrad Adenauer - if West Germany goes Socialist. Brandt is no parlor pink Marx- ist. Friends and enemies know him as a hard-headed realist. Despite his Socialist beliefs, the Mayor is one of the first to credit free enter- prise as the key factor in restoring West Berlin as a symbol of free- dom. * S * BRANDT HAS MADE some neu- tralist Socialites unhappy by show- ing appreciatin for West Ger- many's membership in the Atlantic Alliance. Brandt, born Dec. 18, 1913, the son of a poor worker in the Baltic port city of Luebeck, started hat- ing and battling totalitarianism at the age of 7. As a young socialist stalwart, he slugged it out with Nazi toughs in street fighting. With Hitler firmly in power, Brandt skipped out one hop ahead of the Gestapo and went to Nor- way aboard a fishing vessel. Controversy swirls around his World War II record. Political foes accuse him of fighting with the Norwegian Army against the Ger- man invasion. Brandt admits to Red Cross work, but denies taking up arms against his countrymen. While studying at the University of Oslo and working as a journal- ist, the young exile dropped his real name, Herbert Frahm, and became Willy Brandt. He took on Norwegian citizenship. After Ger- many surrendered, Brandt re- turned to Berlin to become a press attache in the Norwegian Military Mission. HIS METEORIC ascent to politi- readopted German citizenship in cal power began soon after he re adopted German citizenship in 1947. He won a seat in the West German Parliament and bounced into West Berlin politics as a city legislator. In 1948, Brandt married Rut Hansen, a slim beautiful Norwe- gian girl he had courted in Scan- dinavia. The Brandts live quietly in a two-family suburban house with two sons, Peter 11, and Lars, 7, Norwegian is spoken often in the home. The furnishings, in pleasant pastel shades, reflect the Scandinavian influence. "I see very little of Willy these days," says Mrs. Brandt wistfully. Obviously, the Communists wish they could say the same. INTERPRETING THE NEWS: Mao Runs Chinese Risk --KATHLEEN MOORE TODAY AND TOMORROW: Be fore Congress Meets Dy WALTER LIPPMANiNi By J. M. ROBERTS Associated Press News Analyst PEOPLE familiar with Chinese character and Chinese tradi- tions are convinced that Mao Tse Tung will not make his new com- mune system stick indefinitely. Stalin tried it with the Russian peasants who were accustomed to being giround down by their land- lords and the royal overseers, and he couldn't do it. There is no reason to believe that Mao will fare any better with a highly individualistic people who SINCE THE ELECTIONS, the same issue, though in different forms, has risen in both of the two parties. It is the perennial and fundamental issue of who shall pre- dominate-Congressional leaders or the leaders who represent the State Houses and the parties in the big pivotal states. The political interests of the two sorts of politicians are not identical, and personal interests play a very big part in political alignments. Owing to the rule of seniority and the one- party system in the Southern states and in some Northern states, the prime interest of the Congressional leaders is to hold their places in Congress. If possible, they would, of course, like to control Congress. But in any event their main object must be to keep their own seats, Winning the Presidency and with it the big pivotal states is not a paramount and vital interest for the senior Congressional leaders. On the other hand, in the pivotal states the governors and the candidates for the Senate and the House have a prime interest in win- ning the Presidential election. It can happen, as in New York this year, that a state election runs contrary to the tide of the national elec- tions. But that is the exception rather than the rule. IN THE DEMOCRATIC party, the conflict of interest is centered on the rules of Congress, on the right to filibuster in the Senate and in the House on the ability of the committees, especially the Rules Committee, to suffocate legislation which, if it came to a vote, might command a majority. The Congressional lead- ers have more power if the rules restrain the majorities which might otherwise prevail, not only on questions of civil rights but also on welfare measures. The leaders who are based on the states want to loosen the rules in order to win the votes of the large urban and suburban masses in the pivotal states. They are interested in the White House and in the candidate for President, and the national leaders of the parties work with them. The same conflict exists in the Republican Party, and it takes the form of an issue between the "savers" and the "spenders." Broadly speaking, the .spenders comprise the Republi- cans who hope to carry their own states and to elect another Republican. President. They are strongly disposed to rally to Mr. Rocke- feller. The savers have their present champion in President Eisenhower, though on the record he is no °saver-as compared with former Sec- retary Humphrey. Vice-President Nixon is in a quandry. He knows that the next President is almost certain to be cast in the image of a progressive spender. He himself is deeply in- volved with the professional politicians who are known as unprogressive. Although the conflict can be described in terms of spenders and savers, it would be mis- leading, I think, to suppose that, as between Rockefeller and Nixon for example, the issue is between the Left and the Right. Even now, there are already signs that a movement is building up behind Rockefeller which is essen- tially like that which brought about the nomi- nation of Wilkie, Dewey, and Eisenhower, and defeated Taft who was the great representative of the Congressional Republicans. A movement of this kind gets its momentum from very pow- erful corporations and financial institutions centered in the big cities of the pivotal states. It is a movement designed to elect, not merely to nominate, a Republican. We shall be hearing a lot more of It. HAT GOES ON in the coming session of Congress will, of course, deeply affect each of the two parties. If the Eisenhower budget and his legislative program are vulnerable on the question of defense and if they look reac- tionary to the mass of the people in the pivotal states, Mr. Nixon's quandry will become even more acute. Mr. Rockefeller's position will grow stronger. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers Cite Obligation, Offer Suggestions- Obligation . . . To the Editor: THE APPEARANCE of "Sigma Kappa" in your headlines Tuesday morning indicates to me the height of rudeness on the part of our so-called "campus leaders." Foi- more than two years now we have been awakened to Sigma Kappa and personally I am be- coming rather tired of it. But if I am gettingtired of this issue, how about the girls themselves? Most of us in fraternities have enough problems of our own with- out worrying about whether we will be officially alive tomorrow. The continuance of this issue makes me wonder if there are not some "leaders" who are out to kill Sigma Kappa-one way or an- other. It seems quite unfair to penalize, Sigma Kappa during another very important rush by imposing this unnecessary situation upon them. The University Administration's ruling appeared to be the logical and just conclusion, but now, un- fortunately, some people apparent- ly desire to drag the 626 Oxford co-eds over the proverbial fire once again. In my opinion the Student Gov- ernment Council has, if nothing else, a moral obligation not only to Sigma Kappa, but to the cam- pus, to accept the Administration's decision and thereby allow the girls to rush on equal status with the other sororities. --John W. Hubbard Suggestions . " Under any kind of rational scru- tiny, his editorial dissolves into bad cliches and liquid metaphors. He stuffs a little straw man full o "conformity and mediocrity" and then makes him go "sloshing," "surging" and "washing" through "messy situations," "quagmires" and the like. Mr. Langer succeeded in his critical objective only by offering up himself as an example of how a liberal education can completely miss its target. Let me offer a few suggestions for meeting the general problem of editorial content: 1) Give us some "white space" on the editorial page occasionally. Confess in public that now and then you don't have anything to say. Go off and read a book with the time you would otherwise spend spinning out copy to fill the space. 2) Get a little outside help. An- nounce a forthcoming editorial "theme" and invite contributions from outside the immediate family of staffers. 3) Within the family, don't let seniority bury competence. 4) Give soine thought to crank letters like this. -Robert E. Barnes Instructor in Sociology Information . . To the Editor: HOW LUCKY you at the Univer- sity of Michigan are to have one of the best hospitals in the world. Visiting it on Thursday morning. I was delighted to see how kind the director, the doctors and the nurses were. The way they Approaching nearer, I came across a very serious mistake which is worth checking as soon as possible. He was identified as "an Arabian physician" which is a mistake. I mentioned it to the director who kindly promised me to check it right away. Unfortunately, many of those who have visited the hos- pital so far may have already got the wrong impression about the identity of this famous Iranian. So, as a citizen of Iran, I feel the duty to write a little about it. Avicenna, the great philosopher and physician, was born in the north of Iran in980 A.D. He lived in Iran and died in Iran. His tomb, built in Hamadan, a city of Iran, is the shrine of scientists and scholars. We celebrated his Sen imore Says. milleniary (according to lunar reckoning) in 1951, at which many doctors, as representatives of thei nations, from all countries includ- ing the USA, were present. I have never heard him claimed to be "an Arabian physician," even by Arabs. I think this mistake has occurred because Avicenna wrote his books in Arabic. It will be relevant t% mention here that in those days Arabic was the religious and some- times the literary language of Per- sians. To show theit intelligence and skill, many of our scholars and scientists wrote their publica- tions in that language. --Nematollah Riazi-Kermani (EDITOR'S NOTE: Letters to the Editor must be signed, in good taste, and not more than 300 words hi length. The Daily reserves the right to edit or withhold letters from pub- heation) for centuries have let the world revolvet around the family and its garden plot, rather than vice versa. * * . MAO IS TRYING to take mil- lions of people away' from their homes and villages and resettle them in barracks on the job. Wives work at assigned tasks, teams do the housekeeping, and there are no more private gardens. "Individuality has absolutely no place," says the Peoples Daily, Communist Party mouthpiece. "No longer does one find the phenom- enon in which workers are mem- bers of the working class only when theyare working and free people when they are off duty, Now there is all-round party lead.- ership over the production, life and education of the worker masses." That does not sound like the end of individualism in China, but the beginning of the end of Mao and the Communists. Chinese Nationalists believe that nothing the Communists could have done would have built up so much revulsion-and eventually so much revolution - against them- selves. Stalin and his successors had to yield in the matter of garden plot ownership and turn progressively toward more "capitalistic" practi- ces. Mao had to do the same thing several years ago with regard to private loans for farming and home development. Why his party now reverses itself again, ignoring both its own and Russia's lessons, is not clear, The Red development program needs the work, all right, and regimentation appears superfici- ally to be a fine way to get it. But the Kremlin learned that to really get the work the Communist soci- ety has to pay for it just like any other. 14.1 * " Editorial Staff RICHARD TAUB, Editor AEL KRAFT JO orial Director **~ ~ ~ A ~ -- I 4,> , '9 4~,,;< ~ ,\'\ DAILY OFFICIAL HN WEICHER City Editor DAVID TARR Associate Editor ALE CANTOR ........ Personnel Director AN WILLOUGHBY...... Associate Editorial Director LAN JONES ...,.. ,. Sports Editor EATA JORGENSON ....... Associate City Editor JIZABETH ERSKiNE....Associate Personnel Director LRL RISEMAN.. .,.......Associate Sports Editor COLEMAN .. ....... .,Associate Sports Editor BULLETIN The Daily Official Bulletin is an official publication of The Univer- sity of Michigan for which Tni Michigan Daily assumes no edi- torial responsibility. 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