1 sundcy dcfily What is a con 1nisnaist? One who hath yearninys For equal division of anequial earnings. -Ebenezer Elliott iber 5 Night Editor: Judy Sorosohn April 6, 1969 The Society: Keeping the gunpowder dry Are our leaders plotting to let Vietnam go Communist? ... then why don't they let our boys win that war? I By JIM NEUBACHER AN ANTI-WAR organization in Ann Arbor without any students? Secret or non-existent membership lists. Anti-bureaucracy. An almost paranoid fear of the government echelons and the bureaucrats who control America's foreign policymaking. Ann Arbor's John Birch Society is officed in the second story of an old brown building on Liberty Street, cour- tesy of Donald E. Van Curler. "Section leader" of the Ann Arbor Society, Van Curler is a professional ar- chitect. The Liberty Street offices are decorated with his drawings and sket- ches. In his inner office hang numer- ous shingles and framed citations. One certifies Van Curler as a lifetime member of the National Rifle Associa- tion. NEXT DOOR TO Van Curler's busi- ness office is a branch of the Amer- ican Opinion Library. The AOL is full of books'and pamphlets printed or endors- ed by the Society: Masters of Deceit by PBI Director J. Edgar Hoover outlines the "Red Peril" facing Americans. The Great Prison Break "documents" the ways in which the Supreme Court has allowed .criminals to run uncheck- ed. A number of books explain in de- tail how George Wallace stands up for America. On a large table, small pamphlets selling for 15c, some for a quarter, claim to tell "The truth about Vietnam" and even "More truth about Vietnam". Donald E. Van Curler is a tall, hand- some man. His wavy black hair softens the harshness of his clean cut, solid features. Like anyone with firm, con- troversial political views, he is happy to expound on them, to argue, to be de- fensive and self-assured at the same time. SO, DONALD VAN CURLER, what is the John Birch Society? Seated at his desk in his inner of- flce, he reaches behind him and pulls out a pamphlet entitled, "What is the John Birch Society?" by R o b e r t Welch, founder of the Society. I glanced at it briefly and stuck it n my notebook, for later reading. When I did read' it later, I was struck by the similarity of the phrasing used there to that used by Van Curler during our two- hour discussion. Van Curler does his homework. "We all follow a certain set of prin- ciples,", he says. "We don't get together in conventions. Our principles don't change. Nobody in the Society wants political power. Simply, we have set out to save a civilzatioh." Birch members genuinely believe that "civilization" is in danger in Amer- ica. In the pamphlet by, Welch the pur- poses of the society are listed: - To combat more effectively the evil forces which now threaten our freedom; - To prevail upon fellow citizens to start pulling themselves out of the deep- ening morass of collectivism . . - To restore the spiritual sense of values and the enobling aspirations on which our Western civilization has been built. The long range objective of the So- ciety has been summarized as "e s s government, more responsibility, and a better world." Despite the rhetoric of its pamphlets and its members' speeches, it is not be- ing unfair to the John Birch Society to say that everything it stands for is ulti- mately based on anti-Communism. ".... it is the grip of the Communist conspiracy, which engages out atten- tion so urgeitly today. Stopping the Communists and destroying t h e i r conspiracy, or at least breaking its grip on our government, and shat- tering its power, within the United States, not only must occupy t h e most important spot in all of our thinking: it is -the driving danger' which should determine our thoughts today about almost everything else, and most of our actions, for the for- seeable future." All the literature of the JBS is simi- larly peppered with parapoid illusions to the Communist "conspiracy". AND WHERE is the Society's energy being focused in this anti-Commun- ist fight? The Vietnam War. "We're opposed to the war, as it's Johnson and Nixon," Van Curler says, "I can only look at the results.", VAN CURLER has his own plan for winning the war, guaranteed to work if it can get past the "politicians." It included a naval blockade of Hai- phong Harbor in North Vietnam, and the cessation of all trade with the Sov- iet Union. The last point is important because Van Curler claims the U.S. is cur- rently sending gunpower, General Elec- tric engines, radar equipment, and other hardware to the Soviet Union and other Communist Bloc nations. He hammers home an argument based on the fact that America has lifted export restri- tions to European Communist nati ns, and thus has allowed the Russians to gather resources to supply money and equipment to North Vietnam. Trade with Eastern European Nations is a tender issue to the Society. In Washtenaw County, and all across the country, an auxiliary organization, the TRAIN Committee, has been organized to fight against those who allow trade with the communist bloc nations to go on during the war. TRAIN - To Regain American Inde- pendence Now - has organized a peti- tion drive protesting the "treason" in- herent In the trade with the East. In the petition's conclusion, TRAIN interpolates that "'None dare call it treason', at least we don't, because we are in no position to identify the traitor. " But the Constitution very clearly does, (Article III, Section 3)." TRAIN committees across the nation have sent nearly'1,100,000 copies of the petition to Washington, its spokesren say. They call it the largest petition drive in history, and brag about the power of the pen they hold. "Do you think you could get 50,000 letters to your congressman in, a 72-hour period?" they ask. TRAIN 'HAS inaugurated "educa- tional" efforts, examining the ~pur- poses and conduct of United S t a t e s foreign police, hosting a series of speeches open to the public.I One, for example, held last October during the height of the presidential campaign, featured Sgt. Tom flollings- worth, a former Green Beret. Accord- ing to the advertising, Hollingsworth had spent "forty-nine months in t h e Communist infested jungles of South- east Asia.' The topic? "We Want To Win In Vietnam!" The audience was treated to a polish- ed political speech, from. a man who had given the same rock 'em sock 'em talk on the dangers of world commun- ism in 24 states of the Union - 36 times in Indiana alone. He warmed up his audience by warn- ing ,that while they were free to ask questions, they should understand. he could not get onto "top secret" topics. "They don't call Spock and -,Car- michael and Brown's actions treason," he said, "but they'd shot me for sure if I revealed classified information. Hollingsworth talked about the atro- cities of the INietnam War, all pom- mitted by the Viet Cong. Hollingsworth also defended the use of napalm by American troops. "We tell them about a napalming raid three days in advance," he said. "We're involved in this war up to our necks, and if they don't get out, that's tough." Hollingsworth went on to the "take- over timetable now being followed by the Commies. "1973, my friends. In 1973 they plan to complete their take-over of our coun- try. "It was originally planned for earlier in this decadie. But the Vietnam War has for'ced them to reschedule it." ACCORDING to Hollingsworth, the plan goes like this: 1) Divide the people: Hollingsworth claims the Communists are responsible for inflaming the racial strife in this country. He admits that it has always been a problem, but says it was pur- posely made worse by Communist rev- olutionaries to take advantage of the turmoil. 2) Create the appearance of popular support for rights for Negroes: Hol- lingsworth called publicized civil rights workers, like Viola Liuzzo, (killed by white Southern racists in the early 60's), "props" for the Communists. 3) Neutralize the opposition: Hol- lingsworth claims that revolution is the name being given to the dissent in the streets of our cities 'so that when the 1973 takeover cdfnes, the enemy can "claim they-are prisoners of war when 'we put them in jail." Hollingsworth refrained from calling all of the Chicago Convention demon- strators Communists.' He simply de- manded that "we ask ourselves why we let kids in Chicago tear up te city when they aren't old enough to vote." Hollingsworth also said that gun con- trol laws were being proposed by Com- munists to "neutralize" Americans. "They are slowly but surely passing haws that neutralize us. Free speech? You've got equal time laws. The right to bear arms? You've got gun registration laws. The right to dispose of your prop- ert? You've got fair housing laws." 4) Precipitate mob violence: Just'look around you," he says. "Look at your college campuses today." 5) Create the semblance of a revolu- tion: Hollingworth says that when this is accomplished, the Communists can turn it into a real revolution when- ever they're ready. YET, HE IS not afraid of this omni- present plot. "Collectively, (and here Hollingsworth stops to apologize for inadverta'ntly using that word) we can come up with the solution," he tells his audience. Hollingsworth ended with a political pitch. "Train doesn't support anyone officially," he says, "We're an educa- tional organization. But I'll tell you, on November 5 I'm voting for George Wal- lace. General LeMay? You couldn't have a better man in the office." Ringing applaus from a standing audience of 70 announces the end of his speech. A yosing prayer is given by a Chi- nese minister, formerly from Peking ("which I left because the Communists do not allow religious freedom.") "Dear Lord, save us from Communism, save our nation from Communism, save the world from Communism. Amen." i A I Marty Washington, '69, and Koren Lyons, '71 Third World Iook:~ Tisis the dawcning of an age Sgt. Thomas Hollingsworth By LORNA CHEROT NEW BREED INC is black capitalism. Specializing in African dress, New Breed now has stores in Harlem, Detroit, Oakland, Bridge- port, Washington, San Francisco and Los An- geles. New Breed is an all-black business, founded by Jacing Benning and Howard Davis, with its own wholesalers, factories and retailers. Black designers do all the creating.: Because the black fashion field in America does not have an onerous tradition, black de- signers are free to express themselves outside the normal patterns of fashion-setting. Many of their creations are extensions of historical Afri- can styles cued to 1969 consumers. To a certain extent New Breed has predicted its business on the black search for a cultural identity.. "Black is Beautiful" reads an adver- tisement. But a Harlem shopowner claims that the fashions are equally popular among black and white. He credits white sales to the new middle- class fad of "black awareness" - from soul food to soul music to Afro-dress, - vicarious living.. However, he believes that New Breed fash- ions in clothing, jewelry and household furnish- ings will not be a passing phase, like the granny dress was, among blacks. IF YOU'VE become disenchanted with s u c h Western propagandist ,notions as something green and something yellow at every meal, tired of white levis, maroon pea coats, red berets and six-foot scarfs - try the Third World look. In Ann Arbor two small boutiques, Parapher- nalia and Medina Shop, carry the New Breed line of clothing. Medina also has the Yurgat line, which in- cludes threads from Africa, the Middle E a s t, India, South America, Mexico and Poland - threads which are dazzling to the eyes, confus- ing to the mind and depressing to the pocket- book. For the man who is still bound to the "es- tablishment" there are dashiki suits in business- man grey or chestnut brown. For a lighter, springier mood, there are dash- ik~i shirts that look like burlap but are actually soft cotton - made especially not to chafe or irritate the skin. One has blue, red and green stripes merging together for an optical illusory effect. Red and black snowflake stars peer out from behind the stripes. For the hipper types there are embroidered dashiki shirts in mood colors like burgundy wine, soulful black, sizzling orange, or dreamy char- truse. tlE DASHIKI dress has varying shades of gold and orange, with puffed sleeves, which contour to the waist. Another optical-illusion- type-spiffy number h a s, a series of triangular hearts engulfing each other so that it appears to be a shawl over the dress. The orange-red, blue-green hearts are cast on a background of rich pine green. For inclement weather there are Moroccan dilaba and Polish shika. The shika are made of wool, surlan, sheepskin and fur. For at home entertaining, .the Persian prints are excellent. They too appear to be made from burlap, but they are actually cotton that fee~s as if it was just washed in Ivory Snow. If you don't want to clutter your walls with the latest in Op or Pop art, you can return to the rustic and cavelike atmosphere of the prim- itive era. Hang the hide of a Swedish reindeer and a burlap tapestry fringed in orange with an antelope-headed witch doctor in the center on the walls. Let a miniature panther (Rumplestilt- skin) sleep on an Indian numda rug embroidered with elephants, birds, lions and deer. AND IF YOU just want something to marvel at, try the jewelry. Instead of writing to her hometown society column or sending out nuptial announcements, a girl can wear Indian wedding bells. They're on a gold chain; and each link is a daisy-shap- ed flower with an orange stone in the center. On the ends of the chain are tasslelike bells that jangle. Around the top of the bells are the same "daisy" stones. 'Phn ha,.n ic he ii rlp h',nnri" 4T is A' generally being fought," says Van Cur- ler. "I can thoroughly understand why young people wouldn't want to fight over there. I wouldn't want to go over there myself." Why? - Van Curler talks with an almost bitter voice as he describes how the American government has betrayed -its fighting men to the Communists in Southeast Asia. "Our government won't let our soldiers win the war," he says. However, Van qurler does not favor withdrawal. Although he says that "We shouldn't have been in Vietnam to be- gin with," he believes that abandoning Vietnam now would only put the Com- munists in the Saigon government. "Besides," he adds, "why should we turn over everything we've built there to the enemy?" Does 'Van Curler think the U.S. is "not letting our soldiers win the war" because it wants to turn Vietnam over the the North? r "I can't read what's in the hearts of *p fl *1 t / Sculpture: A shining example Mark Sedgeman is a sculptor, A 1 965 graduate of the University's Art School, he has since taught and worked as an artist in Ann Arbor. Included among his many projects was the design and execution of the costumes and sets for two productions by the. department of comparative literature: The Blacks in 1966 and Intermezzo in 1967. Although pre- sehted with opportunities to work else- where, he has chosen to remain in Ann Arbor; which he feels is close to the artistic "mainstream." His latest piece, a massive stainless steel sculpture named Cantata, was put up recently in front of a car-wash on Packard just east of Platt Rd. "Cantata is really my first big piece in a finished medium," Sedge- man allows. "I've done things nearly that size in plaster, but working in stainless is really quite expensive. I "''; _i