Channel Crossing
(011jrmidligan Baill
Seventy-First Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
"Where Opinions Are Free UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
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Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily ex press the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1961 NIGHT EDITOR: JUDITH OPPENHEIM
CINEMA GUILD:
Mexican Movie Proves
Hollywood Rides Again
WHEN A FILM is made in Hollywood, based on an American best-
seller, shot in cinemascope and stars big-name actors, one expects,
and might even be willing to play along with a plot line, acting and
moral that are pretty predictable.
But when a movie is billed as "the most telling social document of
our time," directed by "one of the most compelling and original talents
of out time,"-and isn't-one is quite likely to balk. And so he does.
Bunuel's "This Strange Passion," though made in Mexico by a
"master craftsman . . . a great humanistic artist," is, plain and simple,
a Hollywood movie. Picture to yourself the following plot: man (hand-
some, rich) falls in love with fiancee of friend. Man marries friend's
fiancee, whereupon the bride discovers that the man is an egomaniac
and fantastically possessive. Sound familiar? But wait-the woman
(Gloria) is willing to put up with the man (Francisco), because "he is
4 1
U.S., Britain
Compromise Principles
THE POSSIBILITY that Britain may re-
.turn to Formosa a Chinese Nationalist con-
demned to death for his political opinions is
frightening and disillusioning.
Wang Shou-Kang said Wednesday he flew
to London from the United States because the
FBI was trying to send him back to Formosa
to face execution.:
He was granted temporary asylum by British
authorities, but there was no promise that he
would be permitted to stay in England per-
manently.
The problem of whether to grant extradi-
tion, particularly on the international level
is always a serious one, its gravity depending
upon the nature of the crime the fugitive is
supposed to have committed and the punish-
ment he may face as 1a result of it.
The problem becomes a particularly in-
oneirad
useless
T HE WAR OVER BERLIN which President
Kennedy now seems to feel is imminent has
caused him to request more money for defense
- perhaps justly so.
On the other hand he says, "We must keep
down all expenditures not thoroughly justified."
A look at the civil defense program for which
the President has asked an additional $207
million shows where such a reduction might
be possible.
Fundamental to our current civil defense
plans is Conelrad. In the event of an enemy
attack this amazing radio system will broad-
cast vital information on how to treat radia- .
tion sickness with aspirin and bottled water.
However, even more wonderful than the service
it wil? render- is the way it works. Since it
broadcasts from a different point every thirty
seconds, theoretically no enemy bomber would
be able to obliterate a city by homing in on
commercial radio signals as planes did in
World War II.
THE ONLY Ti-ING WRONG with all this is
that super-sonic missiles are guided by in-
ertial guidance systems and not rock and roll.
It might then be said that Conelrad falls into
the class of "not thoroughly justified" ex-
penditures. Perhaps the President can see his
way clear to reducing the $207 million program
by the cost of one outdated radio transmission
network.
-LEE SCLAR
volved moral one when the act committed by
the person seeking asylulm is not a crime in
the country to which he has fled.
FREE SPEECH, in both Britain and the
United States, is an old and cherished
right which (so we are told) our soldiers die
to defend in every war the Western powers
fight.
But free speech as a self-evident right does
not simply mean free speech for those lucky
enough to be born in a democratic society. it
means free speech as an ideal for all people
everywhere.
The United States and Britain would doubt-
less be the first to expound this principle if
the fugitive condemned to death had escaped
from some country behind the iron or bamboo
curtain. Nothing would give us a greater feel-
ing of self-righteousness than being able to
proclaim that we had saved an, innocent victim
of a totalitarian regime from a brutal death.
THE PROBLEM ARISES when the political
culprit has escaped from an ally nation-
particularly Formosa, since Chiang's feelings
are always hurt at the slightest intimation that
we are not ready to plunge all our resources
into a nuclear holocaust to prevent his little
island from being swallowed up by the Red
Chinese mainland.
If the FBI. intended to return Wang it was
probably because We were, as usual, so con-
cerned about what leaders of other govern-
ments are thinking about us that we were
willing to compromise our principles and re-
turn him rather than risk Chiang's displeasure.
This is a cowardly and hypocritical thing to
do. These are times when, more than ever be-
fore, it is necessary to reaffirm basic ideals
and guarantee that they will not be sacrificed
entirely in the all-out drive for prestige and
political supremacy. If our ideals are to be
thrown to the winds every time it is politically
prudent, then they are not worth defending
and the political prudence is unnecessary..
Wang should be given credit for having the
courage to voice his opinions, regardless of'
what they are, and should be permitted to
remain in the United States or Britain as long
as it is not safe for him to return to Formosa.
It should be a well-known fact that the
United States and Britain welcome any poli-
tical refugees whose opinions have exposed
them to danger in their own countries. The
inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty
may have become a platitude, but if the United
States and the free world are to survive, it
must remain true.
-JUDITH OPPENHEIM
INCOMING FRESHMEN:
Seminars Advisable
Economic Policy Questionable
JUDGED from the ec'nomic point of view
alone, President Kennedy was able to ask
Congress for approximately $3.5 billion in ad-
ditional defense appropriations without at the
same time demanding compensatory tax in-
creases only because the country has not yet
fully recovered from the recession and still
has an appreciable amount of unused human
'and material resources.
If Congress approves the President's re-
quest, as seems likely, there will be an in-
creased measure of government pump priming,
which should speed up the march toward full
employment.
BUT CLEARLY there are severe economics
problems that may arise, even in the near
future. The possible problem area that needs
to be watched most closely for the present is
the position of the dollar on world markets.
The new rise in British interest rates may at-
tract sizable amounts of short-term capital
from this country to London. This, combined
with the prospective increase in American de-
fense spending abroad, might encourage an-
other speculative raid against the dollar such
as occurred last October.
A more serious area of concern, however, con-
sists of the prospects further ahead. The pos-
sibility exists that Soviet moves may yet re-
quire far more drastic mobilization measures
than those just announced.
ALTERNATIVELY, the economic stimulus
supplied by the prospective large budgetary
deficit for this fiscal year may bring us to a
full employment situation comparatively quick-
ly, with upward pressures on prices and wages,
threatening a new inflationary spiral.
On either of these alternatives, or a com-
bination of them, the appropriate economic
policy would be quite the reverse of that which
the President is now taking. But he clearly in-
dicated that he is prepared to resort to either
sharply increased taxation or direct controls
or both should they be necessary under changed
economic conditions. We trust that serious ad-
vance planning for any such eventuality is now
vigorously in progress in Washinton.
-NEW YORK TIMES
By MICHAEL OLINICK
Daily Staff Writer
ADJUSTMENT to college level
work proves a challenge to al-
most every freshman, and a great
many of them don't make it in
time for first semester grades.
The University of Chicago un-
folded a plan last week to make
the transition from high school
to university a little easier. It
will require a summer reading
program of all new students.
Freshmen who enroll this Sep-
tember have already been asked
to read one book from each of
two lists. During freshman orien-
tation, they will discuss these
books at a student-facu.lty forum,
and in an essay written for the
required composition course.
One list of the books, concern-
ing higher education, includes
Cardinal Newman's "Idea of a
University," Mark Van Doren's
"Liberal Education," Alfred North
Whitehead's "Education in the
Age of Science," R. H. Garrison's
"The Adventure of Learning in
College" and Edward D. Eddy's
"Colleges for Our Land and Time."
The other list concerns nation-
al problems and contains "Out of
My Life and Thought" by Albert
Schweitzer, "The Status Seekers"
by Vance Packard, "The Ugly
American" by W. J. Lederer and
Eugene Burdick and "Goals for
Americans" by the President's
Commission on National Goals.
*~ * *
SUCH A PROGRAM could find
easy application within the Uni-
versity. Incoming freshmen might
be assigned the readings by resi-
dence halls with the seminars tak-
ing place in the quadrangle or
house lounges.
Such a procedure would have
the added advantage of securing
some of the ideals the residence
halls are seeking. The living units
wouldtake onsthe atmosphereof
educational institutions and the
freshman would look upon his
campus home as more than a hard
bed in a small room with bad
food.
The faculty associates assigned
to each residence hall house could
take an active part in this house
activity - something which is
quite rare now.
The seminars would be close
to the student, they would give
him the opportunity to meet the
other members of his house quick-
Support
"APART from East Germany, the
poorest and least successful,
the satellites are solidly behind
Premier Khrushchev in his present
attitude towards Germany.
".' . .The Poles, the Czechs and
the Hungarians fear and hate the
Germans to an extent which we
cannot even begin to comprehend
. . . And the Russians, who suf-
fered less but only relatively, at
the hands of the Germans are not
far behind.
* * *
ly, and, provide natural subjects,
for later "bullsessions."
IF the residence halls are not
selected for the program, other
possibilities still exist. The orien-
tation office could work through
Student Government Council's
Reading and Discussion Program,
mailing out out the seminar lists
to all prospective freshmen. The
seminars could be held during ori-
entation week, and perhaps made
voluntary if need be.
Seminars on educational goals
would force the freshman to an-
alyze and evaluate his reasons for
attending college, a practice often
postponed until graduation or
even beyond. The more thinking
and reading about education-its
limitations and demands-that he
does before he comes to the Uni-
versity, the better off a student
will be when he arrives.
Reading contemporary accounts
of major societal problems by
authors with strong and often
controversial opinions may prove
a new experience for most high
school graduates. The vast ma-
jority of their previous textbooks
have all contained soothing,
America-Is-The-Best accounts of
history and social sciences. ,
While a good argument could
be made that the University has
no obligation to prepare its in-
coming students to do the re-
quired work, that it acknowledges
they can by admitting them, the
facilities for establishing a pro-
gram similar to Chicago's already
exist, if the University wants to
use them. The cost would not be
high, but the returns-in better
students and better residence halls
-would certainly be worthwhile.
U.S. Image
Abroad
"WHAT MAKES the most mis-
chief (for the United States)
abroad is an attitude of ours that
is uniquely American but which
the rest of the world views as
verging on the bubblehead.
"This is the attitude that every
problem can be quickly settled or
solved if everybody would only go
about things the way we Ameri-
cans do.
"The American view that every
situation is a problem that can be
solved with money or a gimmick,
with a smart idea or with propa-
ganda, with good will or with
teamwork, is the very opposite of
the civilized world view.
"THIS VIEW is that every prob-
lem is a situation which can be
solved, or rather dissolved, only
by the efforts (generally over de-
cades) of, patient and dedicated
men. It believes that time solves
more problems than all the world's
statesmen, diplomats and elec-
torates.
"In truth, it is a rather more
realistic view than our own. It is
the historical view - the one
view on which the American Giant
is still shaky and without which
he will never become a fully ma-
ture, fully responsible world power.
* * *
THERE CAN INDEED be
no question but that while the
image of the good American Giant
includes in good measure the vir-
tues of courage, resourcefulness,
generosity, imagination, it is some-
what shy of the one virtue ut-
terly necessary to world leader-
ship. It is the virtue Soviet Russia
possesses in abundance: patience."
-Clare Boothe Luce
lonely" and she feels sorry for him.
But finally, he tries (to the ac-
companimenthof throbbing back-
ground music) to kill her and
eventually, thank goodness, she
gathers up the nerve to leave him.
He races around madly with homi-
cidal thoughts (more throbs), goes
a bit mad, &nd winds up-get this
-a monk in Colombia, visited by
Gloria, who has married her early
love (from whom Francisco stole
her), and her new son, named
Francisco.
And so we fade out, as Francisco
goes off muttering in the court-
yard that lie was right all along.
THE ONLY departure this re-
viewer can see from standard pat-
tern is the very end. Hollywood
might have had Francisco com-
pletely humbled as a monk, having
found peace. That way one can
feel that he is still a bit nutty.
But is this ending a "calm coda,"'
compared to "Tolstoy's epilogue to
'War and Peace'?" Come, come,
Cinema Guild! Surely this is not
the meat that is offered us be-
tween "The Bicycle Thief" and'
"Pather Panchali," movies that
are social documents, that do show
a bit of "humanistic artistry."
But even all this might have
been forgiven (many things are
possible) if the movie had at least
lived up to the description of
"more thrilling than any Hitch-.
cock opus." Hitchcock, after all,
(though perhaps nt of late) has
presented movies of fine tension
and drama, and to better those
would be at least some achieve-
ment. However, even this conso-
lation has been gainsaid, for "This
Strange Passion" does not fill the
bill in terms of the suspense or
outright excitement thatbuilds up
involuntarily in the observer as a
well-made thriller unloads.
WELL, perhaps Senor Bunuel
was too busy with his "refined
psychological insights" to be con-
cerned with suspense; but in any
case, the *result was that little
excitement was generated.
Whether Francisco killed Gloria
or whether he became a monk (or
both) did not seem a matter of
great importance, since either
would have fitted a fairly stand-
ardized mode of plot line.
Far more entertaining was a
short called "Day Dreams," star-
ring a Charles Laughton and Elsa
Lanchester of at least thirty years.
ago.
"Pather Panchali"-next at the
Cinema Guild-has been billed as
something like "thebest pieceof
folklore since 'Nanook of the
North'." How strange these bill-
boards be!
-Mark Slobin
Choice
" BELIEVE the moral losses of
expediency always far out-
weigh the temporary gains. And
I believe that every drop of blood
saved through expediency will be
paid for by twenty drawn by the
sword."
-Wendell Willkie
QUESTION:,
Red Chinese
Policy
TOYKO (IP) - To the non-Com-
munist nations in the Far
East today, the Berlin crisis raises
a critical question: "What will Red
China do if war breaks out in the
West?"
A Chinese Nationalist official
said Communist-created trouble
in the Orient is certain.
South Korean newspapers said
the West was obligated to West
Berlin, and called for unity among
the anti-Communist countries.
In neutralist Indonesia, the pro-
government newspaper, Merdeka,
said the situation is causing "great
anxiety."
* * *
POTENTIALLY, there are three
motivations that could impel Red
China to unleash its armed might
in the event of war over Berlin,
They are:
1 To divert public attention
from the dangerous problems that
have arisen in metropolitan China.
Food shortages - and probably
famine in great areas - have
forced Peiping to buy huge quan-
tities of wheat from abroad. Red
officials admit having failed to
achieve some of their announced
agricultural and industrial goals.
2) To force the United States
to divide its armed forces by at-
tacking America's allies in the
Far East. In varying degrees, South
Korea, South Vietnam, and For-
mosa - held by the Nationlist
Chinese - are all dependent on
American military power for pro-
tection.
3) To further their own expan-
sionist policies. In the past, vast
areas of Southeast Asia were poli-
tical vassals of China. Some ob-
servers believe Communist China
is' moving to restore that pattern.
Even in'Indonesia, officials express
concern.
* * *
WATCHING FOR REACTION in
Peiping to the tension over Berlin,
observers in the Orient noted par-
ticularly a statement by the Com-
munist news agency, New China.
It said. "The noose around its (the
American) neck is tightening."
In Toyko, the government issued
a statement backing President
Kennedy's pronouncements on
Berlin. It went far beyond any
expression made heretofore by a
Japanese administration.,
"We concur in the view of the
United States that peace and free-
dom cannot be attained by words
alone, and that a 'peace treaty'
does not automatically bring peace
in Germany," the statement said
in part.
There was no reaction to this
from the Japanese Socialists or
leftist groups which, in the past,
often have been critical of Japan's
close ties with the United States.
i
INTERPRETING THE NEWS:
Allies Unclear on Berlin Negotiations
Small Victory in Viet Nam
THERE ARE some scattered, inconclusive but
encouraging signs that the South Viet
Namese villager is beginning to resist Com-
munist Viet Cong guerrilla intimidation.
Heretofore, the rural farmers have been in
the middle of the savage nighttime war, have
been hurt by it, but have not in many cases
taken an active role in it. To use an analogy
familiar to Western eyes, the villager has re-
sembled the neighborhood storekeeper beset by
Editorial Staff
MICHAEL BURNS ......................... Co-Editor
SUSAN FARRELL .,........................Co-Editor
DAVE KIMBALL .......................Sports Editor
RUTH EVENHU IS ............... . . . Night Editor
MICHAEL OLINICK....................Night Editor
JUDITH OPPENHEIM ...................Night Editor
brutal "protection" salesmen who nevertheless
does not trust the police and politicians from
the city enough to cooperate with them.
FOR YEARS thoughtful Western political
visitors have urged the Diem government
to make South Viet Nam's army and rural ad-
ministrators more useful to the village popu-
lation. Their position has been that if the Viet
Namese peasant could feel the government was
interested in things touching his everyday life
(other than just tax collection) he would be
a more willing participant in the extremely
difficult task of locating and stamping out
guerrilla raiders.
Recent reports tell of several instances in
which village headmen and farmers have helped
army detachments discover the timing and
routes of Viet Cong hit-and-run attacks. Sev-
eral important Viet Namese Communist lead-
ers have been captured. A crack Viet Cong
By J. M. ROBERTS
Associated Press News Analyst
NEARLY ALL THE COMMENT
in the United States and
abroad on President Kennedy's
speech Tuesday night has included
references to his effort to keep
the door open for negotiation even
while taking a very firm stand
about Berlin.
But neither Kennedy nor anyone
else has come up with a very clear
outline of just what is to be
negotiated. Kennedy would be will-
ing to negotiate Soviet requests
but not " Soviet demands. But
there is not suggestion of any-
thing the Soviets might request
which the West is prepared to
give.
Kennedy mentioned Soviet fear
of a revived Germany, and possible
guarantees of security in that
quarter. That fear is very real,
and has been real since long be-
fore the attack of 20 years ago
this summer. But it is not a major
figure in the Soviet equation of
action, which is for positive ex-
pansionism rather than negative
Germany, and the Soviet Union
might be expected to follow suit
as they followed the NATO pact
with the Warsaw pact.) And the
East German puppets may start
substituting for the Russians in
stamping travel permits between
West Germany and West Berlin.
If they then watch carefully to
avoid provocations, as seems at
least possible and perhaps likely,
the realities will remain unchang-
ed, the agitation will continue,
but the crisis will have lost its
edge. Khrushchev will have es-
caped the shadow of his cwn
ultimatum. There will be con-
tinued Communist pushing around
the world but, unless the Chinese
Reds start it, no punching.
** *
THE THOUGHT sounds reason-
able, in the light of the dangers
to everyone which Kennedy has
underlined and which Khrushchev
has himself recognized.
There have been suggestions
that Moscow might accept some
other political but largely tech-
nical concessions in return for a
lessening of Berlin tension.
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