sueety-Fith Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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Where Opinions Are Free, 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MIcH.
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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.
DNESDAY, MAY 26, 1965 NIGHT EDITOR: BRUCE WASSERSTEIN
Boxing-The Barbaric Sport
Must Be Outlawed
HE TUMBLED backward on the
, - ropes, head bobbing, blood cover-
ing his face. He grabbed blindly for
the ropes and clung to them for a few
seconds. The crowd began screaming,
"his eye, his eye, get his eye." He fell
off the ropes and onto the floor in an
unconscious stupor. The referee be-
gan counting and the crowd took up
the chant-one-two-three.
Four days later George Flores was
dead. He was not yet 21. He left behind
him an 18-year-old wife and a new-born
child.
The man who killed F'lores in the ring
in front of thousands of fans said, "I
killed a man with my fists. His name
was George Flores. Neither one of us was
21 years old. After he died they told me
it wasn't my fault, and that anyway, it
was nothing new. It had happened before.
It has happened since, and believe me,
it will happen again."
He was right. Countless deaths coupled
with injuries ranging from perpetual
HU AC Hearings-
'Un-American'
ELEVEN PEOPLE were subpoenaed by
the House Un-American Activities
Committee to a hearing in Chicago yes-
terday Included In the group of accused
"subversives" is Dr. Jeremiah Stamler,
research specialist with the Chicago
Board of Health. This same individual was
given an award Friday by Vice-President
Hubert Humphrey for his contributions
to medical journalism.
This noted medical journalist then re-
turned to his "beloved" city 'to face
charges of subversive activities. The com-
mittee he was appearing before has as
its chairman Edwin E. Willis (D-Va) who
represents a district where 20 to 30 per
cent of the eligible Negro votes are not
registered.
It seems rather "Un-American" for in-
dividuals who voted against the Civil
Rights Act--i.e., Willis and some of his
associates-to supoena a respected medi-
cal expert for subversive activities when
they should probably reflect first upon
their own activities.
HUAC even violates their own rules by
releasing names and addresses of those
being subpoenaed before the hearings
take place. Its "Guide to Subversive Or-
ganizations and Activities" includes hun-
dreds of organizations that no longer
exist. Further, the guide is not recog-
nized by many federal agencies.
WILLIS EVEN HAD a few words for the
people of Chicago and Illinois. He said
that having the hearings there should
not be an affront to the city or state but
"rather the hearings are a tribute to
them, a recognition of the tremendous
importance the enemies of this country,
both here and abroad, attach to Illinois
and its great city, Chicago."
One would think an experienced politi-
cian would use more discretion in making
such a comment. It, sounds like a state-
ment uttered by a Negro of his district
who was denied an education.
But, the veteran representative's com-
ment deserved the response it received
from a man present at the hearing. He
rose to the occasion and interrupted the
hearing, shouting, "As an American I
cannot tolerate these Un-American pro-
ceedings." The police ushered him out.
MR. WILLIS-yes, you-maybe ushered
out next. "Un-American" is becoming
a better description of your committee
than of your victims. Heart specialist
Stamler may pin a "red" valentine on
you, Willis.
-SCOTT BLECH.
JUDITH WARREN E....................Co-Editor
ROBERT HIPPLER......................Co-Editor
EDWARD HERSTEIN ...................Sports Editor
headaches to total paralysis have since
resulted from the "sport" of boxing. This
is precisely why boxing should be out-
lawed. Murder is banned ,and similarly
so should boxing, for this sport is nothing
more than slaughter enclosed in ropes.
THE DEFENDERS of professional box-
ing argue that boxing is a science
which demands skill, strength, and dis-
cipline. Boxing ,they say, provides one
with a splendid opportunity for physical
development, alertness, poise, confidence,
sportsmanship and initiative.
Statistically professional boxing is, they
point out, far less dangerous than auto
racing, college football and many other
sports. If you ban boxing, they argue, why
not ban football, auto racing and all
sports?'
These proponents of boxing overlook
one major factor which is that profes-
sional boxing is uniquely different from
all other sports. It is the only sport whose
primary objective is to achieve victory
through battering and damaging one's
opponent into helplessness and render-
ing him incapable of continuing.
In all other sports, the primary ob-
jective is to cross a goal line, tip in a
basket, or score a run. Injury is purely
accidental.
This is not the case with boxing. It
is the only sport where inflicting brutal
punishment to one's opponent constitutes
the sport and the only sport in which the
winner is rewarded because he has in-
flicted more physical damage than he
has received.
AS SPORTS ILLUSTRATED magazine
recently pointed out, "A puffed or cut
eye, a lacerated cheek, a bleeding nose-
these are signals for an intensified at-
tack on the vulnerable area. When Jim-
my Doyle died after being knocked out
by Sugar Ray Robinson, Robinson was
asked if he noticed that Doyle was in
trouble. He is widely quoted as answer-
ing: 'Getting him into trouble is my busi-
ness'."
As for the argument that football and
basketball are more dangerous than box-
ing, this is not true. Dr. Arthur H. Stein-
haus, former chief of the division of
physical education and health activities
of'the United States office of education,
pointed out that: "Professional boxing is
83 times more deadly than high school
football and 50 times more deadly than
college football."
The most brutal aspect, by far, in box-
ing is that of the tremendous amount of
damage which is inflicted in nearly every
fight.
This is proven by the American Journal
of the Medical Sciences which estimated
that after five years of boxing, 60 per
cent of the boxers will develop mental
and emotional disturbances. It went on
to say that "no head blow is taken with
impunity and each knockout causes defi-
nite and irreparable damage."
STUDIES BY THE JOURNAL of Urology
have concluded that acute kidney
trauma occurs in 65 per cent to 89 per
cent of boxers during a fight and is mani-
fested by hemorrhaging.
These findings are substantiated by
the boxers themselves as Ben Skelton,
sparring partner of Sonny Liston, report-
ed that "Liston's left is so hard that for
a week after being hit with it, I was tak-
ing pills to kill the pain."
Abe Simon, former world heavyweight
contender, said, "Jarring of the brain,
that's what causes the trouble. This is
the trouble with every fighter. It's not a
single punch; it's the constant jarring.
The fighter is always soothed by the
falsehood that he will be just as good as
new after a short rest. He never is, and no
fighter living today who has had 50 or
more reasonably good fights can hon-
estly make the claim."
This is why professional boxing should
be outlawed for it only fosters brutish
impulses. Fighters do little more than
satisfy the animalistic, blood-hungry
drives in themselves and in the specta-
tors.
By LEONARD PRATT
VIET CONG attacks against
South Vietnamese and Ameri-
can positions in South Viet Nam
have markedly decreased during
the last month. Presumably, this
is in preparation for a major Viet
Cong offensive in the South in
order to place Hanoi and the Na-
tional Liberation Front in a better
bargaining position in the fall.
+It has often been said that the
coming battle, timed to take maxi-
mum advantage of the summer's
monsoon rains, will decide the
question of which side, insurgent
or American, will finally control
Viet Nam. But it must be em-
phasized that in all likelihood, the
battle will decide not only the
control of Viet Nam, but the con-
trol of the entire Southeast Asian
peninsula as well.
This appears likely because of
an important coincidence that has
only just been confirmed. The co-
incidence lies in the fact that
through the last month's buildup
of North Vietnamese troops in the
South Laos, Viet ,Nam's neighbor
to the west, has undergone a not-
able relaxation of attacks from
the Communist Pathet Lao.
Normally, the Pathet Lao has
begun a major offensive against
the government of Prince Souvan-
na Phouma in the last month be-
fore the start of the rainy season,
thus taking advantage of the gov-
ernment troops' relative immobil-
ity in the monsoon. But this year,
there has been no offensive.
AT FIRST, it seemed as if this
could be written off as a delay
caused by the bombing of pro-
Communist areas by the Royal
Laotian Air Force and of road
links to supply bases in North
Viet Nam by the United States
Air Force.
But the peninsula is now two
weeks into the rainy season, and
-Associated Press
SOUTH VIETNAMESE TROOPS cross a jungle creek in search of Viet Cong guerrillas and mountain
tribesmen during the current military operation. The fate of Southeast Asia may well depend on the
coming monsoons that will greatly affect guerrilla warfare.
defeat the Viet Cong-the mon-
soon campaigns can easily be a
turning point in the opposite
direction.
IN T1HE FIRST PLACE, the
large scale defeat of the Com-
munist forces will not take place.
Even if this is not obvious to the
world at large, it will certainly be
obvious to the Communists; in
such a case, America can expect
nothing but an expansion of the
war in Viet Nam.
In addition, early August is ex-
pected to bring a Laotian crisis
which would be greatly aggrevated
by a weak U.S. position in Viet
Nam. Laotian King Savang Vatt-
hana, in keeping with the Laotian
constitution, has called for elec-
tions to the National Assembly
during June and July.
This election is expected to up-
set, one way or another, the coali-
tion government set up in Geneva
in 1962, thus precipitating a crisis
among the Geneva powers, notably
the U.S. and the Communist bloc.
Government officials have spec-
ulated that the Pathet Lao might
take advantage of such a situa-
tion to set up a separate govern-
ment in the areas it controls and
call upon Communist powers to
recognize it. They would certainly
obtain this recognition from
China, at least.
THUS the American position
would be entirely reversed from
what it might have been. Com-
munist forces in the peninsula
would clearly gain prestige and
popular backing. Plus, recognition
of a Communist government op-
posing the Geneva government in
Laos would split that nation as
effectively as Viet Nam is now
split.
The Chinese would then have
another war to encourage and
Viet Nam would have begun all
over again.
In a very important sense, the
test of America's policy of main-
taining military power supremacy
in the interest of promoting world
peace is entering a crucial test
stage. If successful-if the Viet
Cong is defeated or held off with
substantial losses-then the John-
son administration will have jus-
tified its intervention in Viet Nam
with peace and, presumably, eco-
nomic aid for the area.
BUT IF IT FAILS, if the Viet
Cong makes substantial over-all
gains of any sort, then America
would appear to have been doing
nothing in Viet Nam but digging
a deep grave for her foreign
policy.
#
the expected Communist offensive
is almost six weeks overdue, thus
implying a more significant dis-
ruption in the Pathet Lao forces.
What appears to have happened
is that North Vietnamese troops
and Chinese advisors have been
transferred in substantial num-
bers to Viet Nam in preparation
for a final showdown with the U.S.
there. This greatly changes the
complexion of a possible Ameri-
can destruction of a Viet Cong
offensive.
Before, an American defeat of
the Viet Cong would have been
-" ' - (" ne Sems To Be Alive
My
V C
I ~4i~j 0~k
just that; a victory in Viet Nam
only. But now a U.S. victory
would be more than just a defeat
of the Viet Cong; it would be a
defeat of the great majority of
the Communist troops in the
Southeast Asian peninsula.
MOST IMPORTANT, a large--
scale U.S. victory would be an
immense setback to Chinese in-
fluence in the area. Because in
this case, the much-maligned
"domino theory" would work to
the advantage of the U.S., par-
ticularly in the case of Cambodia.
If the Communist forces in Laos
and Viet Nam are badly defeated
by the U.S., this will leave Thai-
land as Cambodia's only neighbor
with a viable Communist move-
ment, and it is only a recently-
organized political front, having
as yet no guerrilla movement at-
tached to it. \
Farther North, Burma has only
a small Communist guerrilla
movement, which has been well-
contained for years.
It is interesting to speculate
about what such a development
would do to Cambodia's allegience
to Peking, based as it is on a belief
of eventual Chinese superiority in
the peninsula. At the very least,
it could not but help in greatly
strengthening Cambodia's doubts
about eventual Chinese domina-
tion.
CHINA WOULD be unwilling to
accept such a settlement, even
for a short time. But on the other
hand, it is difficult to see what
China might be able to do about
it. For Viet Nam is far from be-
coming another Korea (an easy
grab for a Chinese invasion),
America is already in Viet Nam,
ready to fight. Providing "volun-
teers" is about as far as China
could go.
Yet even in this case, the paral-
lel between Viet Nam and Korea
is far from acceptable, as U.S.
planes are in the process of de-
stroying the roads by which such
"volunteers" could get to the
battle zones. Moreover, this as-
suming that the North Vietnamese
would be willing to cooperate with
Chinese troops in the first place.
Certainly it is impossible to en-
tertain the notion that such a
development would dramatically
throw the Chinese influence out
of the peninsula. But on the other
hand, it is obvious thaet it offers
the possibility of a serious setback
to Chinese influence and a cor-
responding increase in U.S. in-,
fluence in the area.
If the opposite possibility arises
-if the U.S. does not decisively
t.
TODAY AND TOMORROW:
Dollar Defense Successful
'D WA-94AI46TO" I'a tr'
w
I.
Lindsay-Best Choice
For Mayoral Nominee
THE ANNOUNCEMENT that Rep. John V. Lindsay will be the
Republican nominee for Mayor of New York City is welcome news
on several counts. As The Nation has pointed out previously, the
Republican Party would have invited a charge of irresponsible frivolity
if it had failed to offer an acceptable, serious candidate in this year's
election.
The party has much too long neglected urban affairs, an oversight
the more culpable because city politics have become virtually synony-
mous with national politics, so large is the percentage of the population
that resides in metropolitan areas.
Now the party has fixed on one of the most attractive personali-
ties in New York politics. Representative Lindsay has a good record,
he is a formidable campaigner, and he has qualities which entitle him
to high rating by the best standards of either party.
His candidacy will strengthen the New York Republican Party,
it will improve Gov. Rockefeller's prospects for re-election, and it
should bring into being a genuine Republican organization in every
neighborhood and precinct in New York City.
THE LINDSAY CANDIDACY should also have a tonic effect
on the Democratic Party, which in New York needs reinvigoration.
Mayor Wagner, for all his merits, will benefit from the kind of criticism
and goading he will now receive.
Win or lose, Mr. Lindsay will emerge from the campaign a
larger figure in the party and nationally than he is a present. The
GOP is not notably rich in attractive, young figures and Lindsay is
one of its stars.
Up to now, however, he has been handicapped by the circum-
stance that Gov. Rockefeller and Sen. Javits are senior figures in
the party and neither of them is likely to retire in the near future.
Nor would Mr. Lindsay probably want to run against Sen. Robert
Kennedy.
THE MAYORALTY, which is supposed to be a political dead end,
is for him a way out of this impasse. If he should win, he would
immediately be available for higher office, but even if he should
By WALTER LIPPMANN
THERE IS good reason to think
that the President's program
for the defense of the dollar, as
laid down in his message of Feb.
6, is proving to be a notable suc-
cess. The secretary of commerce is
confident that the corporate pro-
gram will be successful: "Without
having any specific figures we are
very much encouraged by the way
in which the program is being
received."
Wedo know that bank loans
abroad have been greatly reduced.
The applications of the interest
equalizationttax to bank loans,
together with the voluntary co-
operation of the banks, has cut
down substantially the flow of
dollars to Europe.
There is objective evidence of
this in the fact that before Presi-
dent Johnson's message in Feb-
ruary the 90-day rate for "Euro-
dollars" (which means the dollars
on deposit in banks overseas that
are held and lent abroad) was 4.5
per cent. It is now 4.75 per cent.
This means that in Europe dollars
have become scarcer and dearer.
The President's program for the
defense of the dollar has been well
conceived and carried out; the
business and banking communities
have shown a high degree of pub-
lic understanding. The basis of
the achievement is the extraor-
dinary strength and flexibility of
the American economy.
IT HAS been expanding without
inflation, and the surplus of our
exports over imports has become
very great indeed. It has been
demonstrated to the world that
the American deficit in the bal-
ance of payments is not chronic
and structural but controllable
and, if we choose to make it so,
transient.
It is in the perspective of the
American program that the Brit-
ish problem and the British bud-
get can usefully be seen.
THE CHANCELLOR of the ex-
chequer has had to bring in a
budget which will appease the
bankers and the speculators and
the finance ministries on the con-
tinent. To defend the pound ster-
breathing spell or that anything
has been done or is within the
power of the British government
to do which will solve the sterling
problem soon.
It does appear, however, that
Britain is reasonably certain to be
allowed to draw enough hard in-
ternational money to weather its
immediate difficulties and proceed
with the structural adjustment of
'British industry.
BUT WE must keep in mind
the prediction made at the end
of the President's message last
February. He said then that our
success in defending the, dollar
would confront the rest of the
world with the problem of find-
ing sufficient international liquid-
ity and bank reserves. The prob-
lem is already presenting itself.
The solution of this problem is
by no means impossible, and,
though there are important dif-
ferences between the United
Statesand France and some other
continental countries, President
Johnson's successful defense of
the dollar has greatly improved
the American bargaining position
In the coming negotiations.
HAVING demonstrated that we
can defend the dollar by reducing
our big but not necessary deficit
in the balance of payments, hav-
ing demonstrated also that the
drying up of our deficits will create
difficulties for the Europeans, we
are in a strong position to argue
for a reform of the international
monetary system which will per-
mit an expansion in world trade.
(c),1965, The Washington Post Co.
Journalism Must Help
Restore Individuality
F MASS SOCIETY is swallowing up the individual, why has not
journalism in particular come to its rescue? The free press was
established to articulate the yearnings of the individual.
It was not written into the Constitution for the benefit of the
million-circulation newspaper or the multi-million-circulation maga-
zine, still less for the network that on occasion speaks to the nation.
When the First Amendment was written, freedom of the press
was a civil liberty of the individual, guaranteeing him the right to
present his facts or his views to his fellow citizens by the use of a
simple, hand-operated printing press.
But the lone pamphleteer, the contributor to Common Sense
or the Federalist Papers, to the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary
weeklies, has long since vanished. He has been swallowed up in the
mass media.
SOCIOLOGIST Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann had this to say a few
years ago: "To many, the publishing world appears to be an
independent, autonomous power that does not reproduce public
opinions formed elsewhere, but manufactures them.
"The press was once regarded as the decisive instrument for
the liberation of the individual from absolute government, and
nowadays, we are more inclined to ask ourselves how we can liberate
the individual from the spiritual despotism of mass communication
media."
CLEARLYit is time for journalistic initiative. There is a vast
amount of experimenting we could and should do. We should
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