. ......... -1, "1 7, ., 5, --- -, 11 1 1, --t , - I..,.., - I L:% v ; . , : - .... .... -,, .. .... .... .f ®{ at ~w :; Ivisit 3 LMIEIR,3 now.14 for ,CHRISTMAS s uggestions 14 in 1 E for every... member 1 OF YOUR FAMILY 1 g ive BOOKS q1 this Christmas SLATER'S YOUR COLLEGE BOOKSTORE 1 The Fall of Communism In the United States Clockless Living Is the Way To {. By David Tompkins David A. Shannon: The De- a eline of American Commun- ism: A History of the Com- munist Party of the United States Since 1945. New York: Harcourt, Brace -& Co., 1959.1 A volume in the series "Com- 1 munism in American Life," Clinton Rossiter, general edi- tor. $7.50. 1 tv E OF THE most unfortunate1 events of the 1950's was the growth of the Red Scare. With the rise of the bookburner's and the McCarthyites, America engaged in a type of_ mass hysteria. Only by3 stamping out all forms of sub- version or so-called un-American activity could the America firsters insure the survival of the Republic. A part of the save America pro-; gram was to destroy the Com- munist Party. There is little doubt that the Party was a force to be David Tompkins is a grad- uate student in the history de- partment. considered in American politics. InI the closing days of the war; the membership was between 75,00 and 85,000 people. Ample funds sup-: ported party candidates and pro- padanda programs. The party also exercised wide influence in non- Marxist circles. For instance, be- tween 1/5 to 1/4 of the member- ship of the CIO belonged to the affiliated Communist dominated Unions. Yet as in any period of extremes, the real power of the party was overestimated. Actually there was a lot of smoke and little fire, few' people, especially the best com- munist haters, attempted to deter- mine the actual strength of the Party. If they had measured the effectiveness of the Party, they would have come up with the same conclusions that Professor David A. Shannon, of the Univer- sity of Wisconsin, carefully de- velops in his book, The Decline of American Communism. THIS IS THE third volume of the "Communism in American Life" series made possible by the support of the Fund for the Re- public of the Ford Foundation. Like the previous studies of the 1 MAGAZINE Volume VII, No. 3 Sunday, November 20, 1960 Contents THE DECLINE OF AMERICAN COMMUNISM By David Tompson ......................... ..Page Two -THE TWENTY-FOUR HOUR SYSTEM By Jean Spencer and Pat Golden.............. Page Three PEOPLE WATCHING By Caroline Dow and David Giltrow............ RECORD REVIEWS By Thomas Kabaker........................ MAGAZINE EDITOR: THOMAS KABAKER All photos by David Giltrow Page Four Page Eight THOMPSON'S RESTAURANT series, this book is a must for anyone who wishes to understand contemporary Ameria. In his book, Shannon sheds con- siderable light where formerly guessing and conjectures based on flimsy evidence were the methods employed to evaluate'the power the American Communist Party. His exhaustive research and discriminating treatment of his subject reveals that much of the excitement of the McCarthy period and the years following the war was totally unnecessary be- cause 'the Party as such never was a threat to anybody. The whole story of the Party was one of steady and uninter- rupted decline. By 1958 it was an exhausted movement. Member- ship had dwindled to the paltry 3,000 diehards. Instead of the pros- perous condition of 1945, due to the loss in membership and heavy financial burdens, the party was forced to suspend most of its publications, and all of the party schools were closed. SHANNON CLAIMS that the "Communist Party today is al- most dead as a political force. The American Communists' threat, or potential threat, to national secur- ity is another matter-a police and military matter-but as a political movement the Communists are impotent." Thus the conspiracy activities of the Party or Soviet agents are not treated in this book.' THE DEMISE OF the party is ironical. People like Truman and Reuther destroyed the effec- tiveness of the Party. 'Accused of being soft on Communism, the liberal elements actually attracted the only groups which could have given strength to the Party. Shan- non clearly shows that the Ameri- can Negro, the worker and liberal refused to join the Communist movement. Instead, he was wel- comned into the Democratic Party, and therefore no need for a Communist Party to represent these elements politically existed. The other side of the coin was the actual activity within the Party. Shannon maintains that because the Party completely ac cepted the Moscow line, as in foreign affairs, where they opposed United States goals, in economics where they predicted a depression, and in racial policy where they recommended a separate Negro state, the Communists were vir- tually isolated from objective real- ity. There simply was no depres- sion and the Negro did not want to be segregated into a new na- tion. But in 1956 Moscow signed the death certificate of the Party. Shannon credits Khrushchev's anti-Stalin speech of 1956 and the Soviet intervention in Hungary with splitting the movement wide open. Dedicated Communists who agreed with the idea that Stalin had been too tyrannical were hor- rified by what they saw in Buda- rpest. THE SPEECH caused members to take up sides and fight for control of the party. The "sots' wanted more flexibility and free- dom of discussion to give new life and vitality to the party. While the "hards" wanted to continue to -follow the dine from Moscow without question or debate. Even- tually the hards won out and the mass exodus of the "liberals" meant the loss of the young mem. bers of the Party and left the Party with no political force. Shannon doesa particularly good job of exploring the prob- lems of the psychology of the Party. There was simply no need for the movement in America, Continued1 on rage Bigft PAPER-BOUND BOOKS 50 Publishers Represented PROMPT SERVICE On Special Orders OVERBECK"S BOOKSTORE continue to attend them. Many students, however, will find that they prefer smaller social groups where discussion is intellectual, some- form of musical relaxation, or physical recreation. Such activities will take place at any time in the 24 hours; when- ever the participants need or want them most. THE GREATER CAPACITY for self-definition and resulting SAM'S STORE coherence in formulated goals will be carried on into later life by graduates of the University. The University's public image, constantly being reshaped by im- plementation of its commitment to progressive education tempered with experience, would be of first concern to administrators and alumni considering the plan. The plan would contribute significantly to the image. The University would gain status as a national educa- tional institution. Its commitment to progress would' be carried out beyond the wildest hope-Michi- gan would out-revolutionize Chi- cago in the late, great days. Its product-the educated men and women of this generation- would show exemplary responsi- bility, productivity and efficiency.- They would know themselves in a somewhat closer approximation of the Socratic ideal than is now reached, and hence be better able to contribute creatively to the affairs of the community. And after a reasonable adjust- ment period, the plan would surely measure up in terms of justifiable expedience. The University could clearly handle more students if classes and living hours were redistributed over mornings, afternoons and evenings so that all students were not active during any one time bloc. No added facilities would be implied by this expansion-only increased use of the presently existing ones. 1VERALL DORM management costs would probably be re- duced proportionately, since stu- dents would probably tend to eat less generally and skip more meals, knowing that no more than four hours would elapse 'before they could expect another chance. Li- brary fines would tend to be cut down, since students could use the library when faced with the neces- sity for an all-nighter rather than checking out overnight books in the desperate hope that they will be functioning at 9 a.m. to return them. If all-night study binges could take place in the library, dorms could be quieter and more viable as centers for socital interaction between students. With increased responsibility incumbent on them, students would be more considerate of each other's individual needs Thus the plan might well be feasible to the powers that be ir the Universiy. Alumni might be harder to convince, butgthe dif- ficulties solved by the plan are peneral enough to be widely re- membered, and the economic out- look seems rosy from several The exam period is the one time of year when the vast majority of students are academically im- mersed. At this time, more than any other, students would take a mature attitude toward the 24 hour system. A logical proposal, therefore, would be for the University to initiate a week-long study per- iod followed by the examination period, during which the follow- ing special provisions would be made. 1) No students would be re- quired to remain in their living unit during certain hours of the day or night. 2) Meals would be served at four-hour intervals around the clock, or else provi- sions for snacks during the night would be made. 3) Libraries, lab- SPECIALS 4 ort tie cl we ta; Of The all-nighter . .. a social evil I be smar! choose suits- ng i AWst - _ OXLFORD SHIRTS in WHITE an Use your imagination - the smart possibilities of masculine colors. Perfect suits -- right with new s TICE'S MEl 1017 S. University r n wr ' _ lamr'u (lop 9ine 9po 100% wool Flannel Dress Pants Plain or pleated Front T HIS PLAN ISN'T the sort of idea the University would put into effect for the spring term. It isn't, on the surface, the sort of idea the University would do more than chuckle at. Yet beneath its wild impracti- cality there are certain valuable elements in it which might benefit the University in the near future. Some experimentation might be done, for instance, during final examination period. offers you a taste treat of a traditional Italian dish Campus PIZZA -". '/ presi THE PRICEL $3.98 Casuals ents ESS LOOKR MACSHRE ClSS/C} r ... waer SINCE 1848... _ It's here! - - will be served daily from 12 Noon to 2 P.M. and 5 P.M. to 4 A.M. FREE DELIVERY from 5 P.M. to 2 A.M. Expertly prepared by our special pizza pie maker and baked in new modern ovens to give you the "best tasting pizza in town." I * FREE CUFF. ALTERATIONS * ASSORTED COLORS I CARDIGAN and PULLOVER SWEATERS the all NEW FUBAIC II Strobonar electrnic flash Handsome, light (only 28 ounces with batteries), and compact.(only 9gA in. high), the one-piece Futuramic H eliminates flashbulbs and bulky power packs-operates on 3 C-size photo- flash batteries, or AC, and flashes pictures for less than lc each. Other features include: Kodachrome guide No. 35, color-corrected lens for warm, natural color pictures; ex- posure calculator, and many others. Tenew Futuramic TI by Heiland fits all popular cameras, so let us demon- strate it on yours nowt Complete with 1' ACcord. . . . ..$59.95 PURCHASE CAMERA SHOP 1116 South University "Purchase from Purchase" THE COLDSNAPPER another Zero King original A wash 'n wear duffle coat with detachable hood. No frills, no fur bellows, just clean classic styling combined with amazing warmth, derived from its full orlon acrylic pile lining in body and sleeves. Hood is orlon pile lined, too. None finer than Zero King. TAKE-OUT SERVICE AVAILABLE OPEN 24 HOURS CLOSED TUESDAYS THOMPSON'S RESTAURANT 221 N. Main St. - Opposite the Post Office Phone NO 8-9550 or NO 3-3857 Styled for streamlined fashion and fit, this roll up sleeve blouse by MACSHORE with campus collar and triple-tier flaps. Just the thing to perk up last fall's wardrobe or top off your new one. In DRIP DRY broadcloth for launder-ease. White, Light Blue, Stone Green, or Bark Brown. Sizes 30 to 38. 7 5% Wool 25% Dacron $588 $45 Shown in beige and olive SAM'S STORE 112 E. Washington Sam J. Benjamin, 27 LS&A. Owner I111 S. UNIVERSITY NO 3-5606 STATE STREET AT LIBERTY