u m3irian aily,
Seventy-Sixth Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
Boondoggle in the Balanced Budget
0
Where Opinions Are Free. 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MICH.
Truth Will Prevail
NEWS PHONE: 764-0552
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the inidividual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1966
NIGHT EDITOR: JOHN MEREDITH
h,
The Twisted War Morality
Degrades Education
BEFORE HIS RECENT Far Eastern tour,
Vice-President Humphrey stopped at
Ypsilanti to deliver a talk addressed pri-
marily to high school students. "Stay in
school" was the essence of the speech.
In a significantly related development,
it was reported yesterday that University
of Chicago sociologist Dr. Arthur Barron
concluded, on the basis of an extensive
study, that 16-year-olds in a typical mid-
dle class suburb were gearing their aca-
demic careers more to a materialist fu-
ture than to true scholarship. "These
kids believe they have bought an insur-
ance policy on life and that the prem-
iums are grades and good behavior," he,
said. Dr. Barron went on to express his
fear that "genuine intellectuality is being
lost in the shuffle."
The viewpoints of both the Vice-Presi-
dent and the sociologist ordinarly would
be taken as meaningful and necessary
comments on the current social situation.
Upon close analysis, however, one discov-
ers that, in the present context, the two
opinions have a frightening shallow ring.
Both men have failed to take into account
the consequences of an immoral and un
declared; war in Vdiet Nam, a war fought
in support of rotating militarist dictator-
ships (i.e., "freedom"). Both men are
blind to a certain Gen. Hershey, who has
told us that the Army will pull college
men out of school (especially the ex-
pendable humanities majors who haven't
been concerned enough with grades or
materialistic futures) to provide manpow-
er for this war.
TWO YEARS AGO, the idea that one
should stay in school and that grades
are very poor excuses for learning would;
have struck us as mundanely virtuous.
Today, in a very real sense, they are mis-
directed. How can the administration in
one breath advocate the "stay in school"
doctrine and then proceed to yank'stu-
dents from the academic communities?
Why should students try for genuine in-
tellectual achievement over vacuous
grades, when it is the latter rather than
the former that is being used as the cri-
terion for draft status?
A new, twisted morality of the special
value of grades and of the futility of
staying in school has beset us. As the
war syndrome pervades our lives, this tor-
tured brand of morality will penetrate
more and more into the fabric of Ameri-
can society. One must not preach for-
mer virtues lest they conflict with the
larger, more encompassing war ideology
and strategy.
sICE-PRESIDENT HUMPHREY and Dr.
Barron were, unfortunately, not con-
sistent with the war mentality. To really
agree with the administration's militarist
policies and all their ramifications is to
be unjust and consistently so.
-JOSEPH LITVEN
IT'S PRETTY CLEAR now that
the new federal budget made a
boondoggle of the University's loan
program.
When President Johnson reveal-
ed his budget on January 25, he
could not have known the conse-
quences it would have for univer-
sity loan programs across the
country. The education section of
that budget featured a "shift"
from the well-established NDEA
loan plan financed by the federal
government, to a privately financ-
ed plan guaranteed by the fed-
eral government.
In terms of budget slashing, the
President cut $150 million from
expenditures, $70 million of which
he used to start an opportunity
awards program (part of the 1965
Higher Education Act).
Theoretically, it was a clever
move. The students still got their
loans (with slightly higher inter-
est rates), the colleges and univer-
sities maintained their programs,
the banks were relieved of any
risk, and the poverty program's
liberal cynics were satisfied that
the opportunities program would
help those who really needed the
money. Most important, Johnson
saved himself 80 million dollars
at a time when the costs of the
Viet Nam war were rising, and,
with them, the threat of infla-
tion.
Perfect.
UNFORTUNATELY, it didn't
work out that way. Two rather
significant: aspects of the ad-
ministration's strategy f ai1e d.
First, the schools do not main-
tain their programs, and what is
happening to the University's is
a good example.
Last year, its services totalled
$1.5 million. Today, no one knows
for sure how much it can offer.
The situation has been described
as "critical" by a loan department
source. The reasons for the con-
fusion are readily apparent.
The University (and for that
matter, the other schools in the
program) had no idea that the
switch to the private plan was
coming. In fact, the education ex-
perts in Washington had never
informed them that the change
was in the offing, and it was
likely that they didn't know them-
selves.
AS LATE as November, the ad-
ministration sent its education
people to conferences around the
country to explain the provisions
of the Higher Education Act, pass-
ed in late November, and urged
the universities to send in appli-
cations for the new programs
along with the NDEA.
Administrators from the Uni-
versity participated in such a
conference in Chicago on Novem-
ber 4. They received their appli-
cation forms for the new pro-
grams and the NDEA shortly aft-
er, and even made direct contact
with Washington in early Decem-
ber to clarify the filing procedure.
At no time was it hinted that the
NDEA would not continue as us-
ual.
SECOND, students are not get-
ting their loans because the Uni-
versity cannot make any commit-
ments at this time.
One reason is that, in Michi-
gan, several state laws will have
to be changed to comply with the
administrative rules of the new
program. There is no chance of.
getting banks to accept loans un-
T he Associales
by carney and wOlter
der the new law unless they have
a 100 per cent guarantee of re-
payment. At this time the Michi-
gan Higher Education Assistance
Authority, which would administer
the money from the government,
is only allowed to make an 80 per
cent guarantee under the present
state program of privately financ-
ed loans. Bill No. 1.
Also, credit unions and savings
and loan associations-needed for
this financing-are now ineligible
as lenders. Bill No. 2. Finally, uni-
versities, which are also now in-
eligible as lenders, would not have
to wait for the banks and the
federal government to act, if they
were eligible to lend this money,
and could start the program with
some legal assurance of funds and
cooperation. Bill No. 3.
A measure to remedy this sit-'
uation is now in the works in the
state Legislature, but still has not
been formally written and may
take some time to pass. Until the
laws are changed, the University
cannot give assurances of funds
to anyone, especially enterprising
freshmen.
ANOTHER PROBLEM, and one
that perhaps cannot be remedied,
is getting the banks to cooperate
with the new program: the risk
is great and the profit minimal.
Recent publicity, justified or not,
about "coffee can" administration
of the loans and delinquency in
repayment, has not enhanced the
reputation of loan programs as far
as the banks are concerned.
In states that do not have a
higher education authority to pro-
vide some guarantees, the prob-
lem is compounded, because the
banks will not give loans to in-
dividual students under an, as yet.
poorly defined federal program. It
seems that, in addition to their
other oversights ,the federal gov-
ernment neglected to educate lo-
cal banks about the program. It
was content to merely contact the
lobbyist for the banks' national or-
ganization.
THE WHOLE SITUATION is
complicated by the fact that there
are also many "unknowns" left in
the Washington aspect of the pro-
gram. First, the exact amount of
money coming from the federal
government won't be fixed for two
months, which leaves the univer-
sities wondering what happens to
the $30 million left in the NDEA
and what their grants will be un-
der the Opportunity Awards Pro-
gram.
And, to scale the heights of
absurdity, it's possible that Con-
gress will go over the head of the
President and reappropriate the
original $180 million of the NDEA
and, thereby, reestablish the pro-
gram.
THE CHAOS, created by federal
bungling of the switch from the
NDEA to a privately financed pro-
gram, could have been averted in
several ways. The NDEA program
could have been phased-out, in-
stead of being essentially elimi-
nated (as it is with only $30 mil-
lion remaining in appropriations).
Or, the program could have been
enacted now, to go into effect
in 1967, providing time 'for or-
ganization and publicity.
Also, the federal government
could have informed the universi-
ties of its intentions. Even for the
Higher Education Act of 1965,
which did not include the plan for
private financing, they held their
information conference on No-
vember 4. barely three weeks be-
fore the bill was passed.
In addition, a massive publicity
push aimed at the local banks,
similar to that which preceded the
enaction of the NDEA program,
was needed to give the plan' legi-
timacy and reassure the banks.
Finally, sufficient time should
have been allowed to set up the
new program. It is ridiculous to
expect to build a $70 million pro-
gram in a few months, especially
when universities usually finalize
their allocation of the money long
before it is actually distributed in
the fall.
WITH ALL the uncertainties
and confusions surrounding the
privately financed loan program,
perhaps the most merciful thing
one can say is that it has some
chance of success. This is only pos-
sible, however, if some extensive
publicity and information work is
done, and done quickly, for the
benefit of the universities and the
banks. Until then, many students
in need of financial aid to con-
tinue their. education, have no
guarantee of assistance and may
not even receive any funds at all.
* * *
THIS COLUMN will continue to
be written by The Daily's two
associate editorial directors, Rob-
ert Carney and Charlotte Wolter;
hence The Associates. We figure
there's a better chance that the
column will survive the next two
semesters if we work together. Aft-
er all, we're only associates.
4
A'
Our Allies Are Letting Us
'Go It Alone"
Playing with Fire
LAST SUNDAY'S, FIRE in Hinsdale and
Green Houses points to a number of
careless and dangerous practices regard-
ing fire safety in the residence halls.
Lack of inspection and - poor judgment
are evident- after even a cursory inspec-
tion of the present system.
Exits, vital in the event of a major fire,
are locked overnight. As the situation
now stands, over 500 residents on the
north side of East Quad would have only
one exit if a fire broke out at any time
after 1 a.m. If that exit were blocked by
fire, the only way out would be through
the basement, which can be reached by
only one doorway.
Fire alarms are nothing but a joke, at
best, and a definite hazard, at worst.
Even if all the possible exits were open
it would take at least 10 minutes to clear
the building after a fire is first discov-
ered. When an alarm is pulled, the only
place it rings is the housemothers' apart-
ments.
THE HOUSEMOTHER then inspects the
situation, and determines if, in real-
ity, there is a fire. If there is, she uses a
special key to set off the general alarm.
The job is not completed, though. The fire
department must still be called.
Only then does evacuation begin. If
there is no housemother, then there can
be no evacuation. The results, in such an
instance, are obvious.
The staircases are openly -constructed
and fire doors are sorely lacking, provid-
ing an excellent means of ventilation
for any fire. Extinguishers haven't been
inspected in a year and a half, six months
more than the required time. At least one
hose is starting to rot.
Certainly regular building inspection is
warranted. If there is any evidence of
inferior construction, a close analysis of
wiring, plumbing, and construction should
be undertaken; leading, if necessary, to a
complete overhaul of the buildings.
THE POSSIBILITY of dangerous acci-
dents is already very high. As much
care as possible should be taken to see
that students don't become insurance sta-
tistics. It is the University's duty, as a
landlord, to see that its buildings are not
the source of impending disaster.
-DAVID SMITH
T HIS WEEK Gen. Charles de
Gaulle held a press conference
on Monday, and on Tuesday the
British government published its
defense review. The two docu-
ments give us a glimpse of how
our two leading Allies now see
our role in the world.
Gen. De Gaulle's view is, that
the postwar'mission of the United
States as the protector of Western
Europe has been successfully ac-
complished. The threat of war
with the Soviet Union has sub-
sided to a degree where under the
cover of our nuclear deterrent-
but without our guidance, control
or command of European forces-
European diplomacy can deal suc-
cessfully with East-West relations.
If I understand correctly Gen.
De Gaulle's present position, it is
that as the integrated military
establishment is no longer neces-
sary it has become a danger to
Europe. For as the United States
is increasingly involved in extra-
European conflicts it will be
tempted. to draw on its military
forces and utilize its facilities in
Europe. If these are integrated
forces and facilities, Europeans
will be involved in wars in which
the Europeans have no voice.
THE DEFENSE REVIEW is an
attempt to reconcile all of Brit-
ain's remaining commitments in
Europe, Africa and Asia with the
economic facts of British life. The
Wilson government has decided
that the condition of the British
balance of payments does not per-
mit Britain to spend more than
about 6 per cent of the gross na-
tional product for defense. This
amounts to 2 billion pounds ($5.6
billion) per year at 1964 prices.
Tlgis basic conclusion assumes,
of course, that the standard of
living of the people of the United
Kingdom cannot be reduced any
further in order to pay for a larger
military force. And, in turn, this
Today
ati
Tomorrow
By WALTER LIPPMANN
assumption rests on another: that
not only the security and freedom
of Great Britain itself, but her
far-flung external commitments
as well can be maintained-the
world situation being what it is-
by the reduced defense budget.
The world situation which makes
this possible is that the U.S. gov-
erinent seems willing to have
passed along to it the onus and
the burden in the non-European
world which Britain no longer feels
she can afford.
THE NET RESULT is that we
are left alone among the global
esponsibilities which we have
taken upon ourselves. That is the
stark meaning of what has been
decided and- declared in Paris and
in London. Secretary Dean Rusk's
interpretation of our many trea-
ties is that they are not just col-
lective security pacts which oper-
ate collectively, but also direct and
single commitments of the United
States.
Fron Paris and London we have
now been told that if the Rusk
doctrine is indeed U.S. policy we
shall have to pay the whole cost
of trying to make it work.
The Rusk doctrine, as expound-
ed to the Senate in the recent
hearings, is the reductio ad ab-
surdum of the loose generalities
of the Truman doctrine and the
pactomania of Secretary John
Foster Dulles.
THOUGH THEY DIFFER in
form and style, there is an under-
lying assumption about the state
of the world which Paris and
London share. It is that patience
and firmness have paid off in our
dealings with the Soviet Union and
that they will pay off with Red
China. Neither Paris nor' London
is prepared or intends to resist
China on the Asian mainland, and
insofar as we choose to do that
they are leaving us alone.
Thus, our problem is how, hon-
orably and humanely, to disengage
ourselves militarily, not from the
Pacific and Asia, but from the
Asian mainland
If and when this can be done,
the risk of an intolerable war with
China will have been obviated, and
the prestige, the power and the
influence of the United States in
the world will be increased. For it
will then rest not on the quag-
mire of Viet Nam, but on the
islands and the sea which our
fleet commands
(c), 1966, The, Washringwton Pbst Co.
4
'a
*
*
00
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
English majors Cite Academic Injustice.
To the Editor:
BRUCE WASSERSTEN'S article
"A Long Way To Go," (Feb.
20, 1966) raises several issues of
major importance to every student
in the University. In decrying the
lack of student voice in matters
of curriculum and faculty, Mr.
Wasserstein speaks for all of us'
when he says: "If the University
does not decide appointments only
on, the basis of publications, it
would seem logical that the people
who have been taught by a man
should judge how good a teacher
he is."
While it would seem "logical"
that the outstanding teacher
would be appointed and promoted
on the basis of his teaching abil-
ity, the actual policy of the Uni-
versity appears to be the illogical
opposite. The real issue at stake
is who pays the price for the loss
of the exceptional teacher?
For one completely illogical ex-
ample, we can turn to the English
department for a recent illustra-
tion. As many students are aware,
some of the best literature courses
in the past few years have been
taught by a young Instructor who
was working toward his Ph.D.
HIS CLASSES were by majority
opinion taught on a high level of
excellence, combining insight with
instruction and knowledge with
understanding. His enthusiasm for
his subject and his interest in his
students made his classes a rare
oasis in the academic wasteland.
And where is this very gifted
and talented teacher now that
he has finished his Ph.D.? Log-
ically, we would expect to find him
in the English department teach-
ing advanced courses in his spe-
cialty.
But, quite illogically, we find
him teaching literature to future
engineers who undoubtedly need
it, but who will benefit from his
unique abilities far less than the
English majors in the literary
college.
WHO ACTUALLY PAYS the
price for the loss of an outstanding
teacher such as this one? The
T.C. and lee.Carving
LET US, AS A UNIVERSITY, give thanks
to those.sterling young gentlemen
who have done their part to add color to
this institution. At last we have proof for
all the world that we do not have Red
tendencies; we tend more to the Orange.
We will Orange in the streets, we will
Orange on .the sidewalks, we will Orange
in the face of Winter Weekend ... but we
digress.
For those of you who have missed this.
display of youthful exuberance, we refer
to the omnipresent "T.C." But what does
all this mean, you fondly ask. Do these
letters stand for Total Chaos? Triumph-
ant Crayon? Or perhaps the long feared,
Acting Editorial Staff
MARK R. KILLINGSWORTH, Editor
BRUCE WASSERSTEIN, Executive Editor
CLARENCE FANTO HARVEY WASSERMAN
Managing Editor Editorial Director
JOHN MEREDITH........Associate Managing Editor
LEONARD PRATT ........ Associate Managing Editor
BABETTE COHN...............Personnel Director
CHARLOTTE WOLTER .... Associate Editoral Director
ROBERT CARNEY .........Associate Editorial Director
ROBERT MOORE .. ........Magazine Editor
CHARLES VETZNER ......,...........Sports Editor
JAMES LaSOVAGE............Associate Sports Editor
JAMES TINDALL..........Associate Sports Editor
GIL SAMBERG .............. Assistant Sports Editor
MSU infiltration in the shape of the
Terrifying Cow?
NO, THIS IS NOT the answer we seek;
let us give credit where credit is due.
"T.C." refers to that fine domestic group,
the Tin Circle, an elite drinking frater-
nity dedicated to the pursuit of wine,
women and more wine.
Early this week, T.C. issued its bids.
In honor of this event, the Grand Wiz-
ards, as it were, commissioned the Uni-
versity's first outdoor fresco. The letters
T.C. erupt along the front wall of the
UGLI, across the windows of the Fish-
bowl, on the Diag and on several posters.
In their headlong pursuit of the aes-
thetic, unfortunately, these workers of
the brush have lost sight of the practi-
cal. True, the thought of expense is far
from the mind of one caught up in the
raptures of creative effort. But, the Uni-
versity, tied as it is to monetary consid-
erations, cannot regard its physical plant
as the midwest branch of the Sistine
Chapel.
THE ADMINISTRATION must lay aside
the trivial matters of overcrowding,
legislative battles and potential student
riots to send forth from its tunnels that
seldom seen troop of sandblasters, side-
walkscrapers and window washers.
Ctron-elr inemno-h this will h hlabor of
4p
University? No, too big and too
indifferent. The English depart-
ment? Ultimately, we hope. The
students? Of course! It's only
"logical.
-Concerned English Majors
Fishbowl Fascism
To the Editor:
rrIS IS AN INCIDENT of Facs-
ism in the Fishbowl which I
was involved in and witness to.
It concerns Winter Weekend and
the Young Socialist Alliance
(YSA) tables and, signs of Feb.,
24 and 25.
On Thursday, Feb. 24, there was
a minor squabble and some light,
violence in the Fishbowl between
the people staffing the Winter
Weekend table and the YSA table.
The controversy centered around
two signs on the wall of the
Fishbowl.
A young man from the Winter
Weekend table came over to us
and demanded that we take down
our sign advertising a strike on.
the DelanodGrape Pickers' Strike
and a CBS documentary, "Harvest
of Shame," because it covered part
of their huge Winter Weekend
sign.
WE HAD LITTLE chance to re-
spond to his request because his
next move was to rip it down and
keep - it to himself. Immediately
about four men from around the
YSA table got up and took the
sign away with as little force as
possible.
We told him we had permission
to have a sign and a table exact-
ly where we were, and then pro-
ceeded to put back our sign. In
doing so, there was a rash act
of revenge done, in that part of
their Winter Weekend sign was
pulled off the wall where our sign
was supposed to be. The whole
incident then evolved into one of
name-calling and crazy argu-
that if they didn't want their
sign covered they could move it
all over to where itshould have
been in the first place; a move
which they felt was not worth
the bother. Most of us were then
under theimpressionthat the in-
cident was settled and things could
now return to "normal." But the
net day proved differently.
On Friday, there was again a
Winter Weekend table and sign
alongside the YSA table and sign.
At this time there were very few
people in the Fishbowl. Ed Sabin,
Grad, and myself were the only
ones staffing the YSA table when
about eight boys strolled up to
our table and asked which litera-
ture was free.
After I told them what was free,
they proceeded to pick it all up
and began to walk of f with it,
leaving the table partially bare.
AT THIS I immediately in-
formed them that the literature
was only free in limited quanti-
ties per person and askeduthem
to please put it back. They then
became very boisterous, pushy, and
started bitching about the sign
incident of the day before, charg-
ing that we had roughed somebody
up.
After our failure to retrieve the
free literature they grabbed about
$10 or more of YSA literature and
walked off with everything, in-
cluding some very important, sign-
ed petitions addressed to Gov.
Sanders of Georgia concerned with
the Julian Bond issue.
IT WAS MADE CLEAR to me
afterwards by the people staffing
the Winter Weekend table at the
time that the group of boys were
not acting for the Winter Week-
end Committee, and they apologiz-
ed for the stupid, uncalled for
violence and theft.
I would like it to be known that
the apologetic concern is appre-
ciated, but that it will be much
more helpful to YSA, the OSA,
Winter Weekend, and the frater-
nity if these hovsa re either ex-
- ~ xAL