M M }MME
Seventy-eight years of editorial f reedom
Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan
art
Surpassing the boundary of the'square
By LAURIE HARRIS
W
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich.
News Phone: 764-0552
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1969 NIGHT EDITOR: JUDY SARASOHN
Nixon in Asia:
Confusing oui
RICHARD NIXON lied a bit when he was
in Guam Friday. He t o1 d newsmen
then that the United States sought to'de-
crease its commitment to Asian security,
yet retain stability through the growth
of regional self-defense. Only the threat
of a major conflict involving nuclear wea-
pons, Mr. Nixon asserted, c o u1 d propel
American involvement back to Asia as the
protector of last resort. He further prom-
ised that he would carry this me'ssage to
every Asian nation he visited.
Ironically, at the very same press con-
ference, Nixon also prophesized that the
policies he spoke of would tempt policy-
makers to promise American assistance
to any nation that asked for -it. His ad-
ministration, he implied, would be vigil-
ant in resisting pleas that could only sap
Needless
weapons
THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION'S pro-
nouncement a g a i n s t gun control
legislation last week has run into direct
opposition from the country's most im-
portant forum on the subject--the Na-
tional Commission on the Causes and
Prevention of Violence.
The violence commission recommended
to the President federal minimum stand-
ards under which the states'would allow
no one to own a handgun except those
who could demonstrate reasonable need
for such a weapon.
The- commission's proposal also calls
for federal guidelines for state registra-
tion of long guns, which would prevent
their ownership by convicts and legally
established mental incompetents.
Under the handgun program states
*ould have a four year period in which
to comply with federal guidelines. If, in
that time, a state did not set up a system
to determine whether a person had a jus-
tifiable need to own a handgun, the fed-
eral government would impose its own
standards.
The reasoning' of the commission is
clear. Handguns are the most commonly
used weapons in crimes of violence. They
are also the weapons least likely to have
any claim to legitimate use as a sporting
weapon.
The unseen reasoning of the commis-
sion is clear as well. By limiting the ree-
ommendation only to confiscation of
handguns and registration of -long guns,
both to be administered through the
states, the commission hopes to limit its
proposal sufficiently to bring about the
likelihood of presidential and congres-
sional approval.
SINCE THE 1930's public opinion polls
show there has been a willingness
among a majority of citizens for national
regulation of personal weapons. The only
body to ever study in depth the violence
of this violent country has recommended
limitation and regulation of gun owner-
ship. And still the President opposes such
legislation. One may only ask how many
more will die.
-CHRIS STEELE
NIGHT EDITORS: Nadine Cohodas, Martin Hirsch-
man, Judy Sarasobn, Daniel Zwerdlig.
ASSISTANT NIGHT EDITORS: Alexa Canady, Laurie
Harris, Judy Kahn, Scott Mixer.
r commitment
the morale and resolve of the ideals he
wished to carry abroad. No more Viet-
nams he said.
Yet Tuesday in Bangok, Thailand, Nix-
on asserted that the "United States will
stand proudly with Thailand against
those who might threaten it from abroad
or from without."
Seeking to clarify such Nixonian con-
fusion, the White House press secretary,
Ronald Ziegler, announced that the two
statements were in complete accord.
"Thailand has not asked for any troops
and the President is not talking, about
sending troops here."
And why should he? While Thailand
has not requested any contingents of
American infantry to help fight the 3,000
Communist insurgents that reside in the
northern hills, over 55,000 Americans are
stationed there, primarily at six air bas-
es, that provided easy access to North and
South Vietnam as well as Laos for bomb-
ing missions. It would be no mean feat for
these pilots to turn their sights upon the
Thai guerrillas.
ON JUNE 25th the Senate overwhelming-
ly passed a resolution calling upon the
President to seek congressional authority
before making military and financial
commitments to other governments. Ac-
cording to the New/Republic, the impetus
for such action was the discovery by Sen-
ator William Fulbright of secret assur-
ances given by the Johnson Administra-
tion to Franco for the territorial and po-
litical integrity of his totalitarian state,
SECRETARY OF STATE William Rogers
told Fulbright's committee last week
that the "United States h a s no special
commitment to Thailand." Further, he
noted, "we have no security commitment
to Thailand beyond the SEATO treaty,"
which provides that if Communist armed
aggression in Southeast Asia occurs, the
"US will act in accordance with its con-
stitutional processes." While this in itself
promises nothing, the Thailand prime
minister two weeks back asserted t h a t
SEATO "gives us the certainty and con-
fidence that the United States will not
desert us and let us fight Communists on
our own."
In another statement released yester-
day, Mr. Nixon announced that he would
attempt in his Asian policies to a v o i d
what he called that creeping involvement
that eventually simply submerges o n e.
\Nixon has some familiarity with the Ken-
nedy-Johnson decisions that led to mas-
sive American involvement in Vietnam.
Yet he holds that his dealings with Thai-
land are of a different order. Even if this
were so, does Richard Nixon possess the
restraint that so eluded Kennedy a n d
Johnson?
IF RICHARD NIXON does indeed foster
regional self-defense in Southeast As-
ia, it will represent a Holy Alliance of re-
actionary regimes seeking to preserve
their own vested interest and privilege.
It will be a pact to frustrate justice not
aggression. The road to peace does not lie
through the accumulation o'f paranoid se-
curity pacts, but through a unilateral
'withdrawal of American troops from
Vietnam. When Mr. Nixon learns that the
policies of John Foster Dulles are no long-
er appropriate for the 70's, he may be-
come a statesman instead of the grand
master of deceit.
-DREW BOGEMA
A square is no longer merely The Webster's definition of a four-
sided plane figure with all its sides equal, and right angles. A square
is now an object that within its planar surface obtains depth, static
and emotion. All this is evident in viewing the exhibit presently at the
University art museum entitled "The Square in Painting."
According to the selector-artist for the show. Richard Anuszkiewicz,
art work with the square began with Kasimir Malevich who first drew
a black square on a white background. Work in the field of the square
has continued with the more illustrious Piet Mondrian and is presently
being led by Josef Albers.
The simplistic beginnings of studies in the square-line and color
-are illustrated. These reproductions show grace, rhythm and fascina-
tion with geometric forms.
The rest of the exhibit, which is clearly contemporary, shows
at as well as understanding of the boundless limits of the square and
what can be contained within or beyond its four equal-sides with four
right angles.
Anuszkiewicz has included one of his own works in the show,
"Sacred Black," which is centrally a black square with irridescent
variations of the form telescoping around it. The effect is that of a large
hole dropped in the middle of etherial waves.
One work, "Overlay Series No. 3;" by Francis Hewitt, is particularly
strange. Its gradations of black, grey and white give the impression
of looking through small windows to see beyond the painting. Through
these windows lies only more nothingness-more grey. The effect is
overwhelmingly eerie, creating a heightened surrealism of planar
surfaces.
Several op-art variations on the square motif reveal the plasticity
of the once rigid~ geometric form.
Mel Butor's "Parallel Refleetion" lends the square the ability 'of
motion. A black square surrounded by alternating white and black rims
is diagonally crossed by thin, reflecting metal bars. The effect forces
the rigid edges of the square to bend slightly and move simultaneously
with the viewer's eye.
Even the limit of the word "square" is broken in "Vertical Dia-
mond '66" which, even if its artistic value was ever doubted, the ar-
tist's sense of verbiage could not be: while a plain white square is per-
haps the most blatant understanding of the single word.
The exhibit, w h i c h runs through Aug. 24, is representational
though not all-encompassing. Yet it is still able to prove a, square, is a
square, no longer.
i new world'
Ar
Proud heritage and
4
By JUDY KAHN
A photograph of a black hand
and a white hand tightly clasping
each other forcefully synbolizes
the essence of the "Black Odyssey"
pictorial exhibit presently being
displayed in the educational
school. Although advertised as a
display of "black history," this
exhibit is much, much more than
that.
George Norman, "Black Odys-
sey's" creator, says, "I use black
faces to reflect my blackness."
But, he says, this is a "human
odyssey. My commitment is one of
love and understanding."
We marvel at the beauty of a
display of African art not because
it is made by black men, but sim-
ply because it is beautiful. We
find interest in the facts concern-
ing the lives of famous black ex-
plorers, educators, politicallead-
ers, royalty, sportsmen, and so on
not because they are black but
because they are people who have
led unusual lives and who were
and are extraordinarily brave and
gifted.
And photographs of the burial of
a 19-year-old, Harold Edmonson,
who died in Vietnam touch us not
bcause this young man is black,
but because he has been killed in
a senseless war.
Yet "Black Odyssey" is more
than a statement of the need for
brotherhood, love, and under-
standing. Created by a black man,
it very definitely focuses on the
black man's cultural heritage. And
its purpose is not only to bring
that heritage to light, (which is
an urgently needed undertaking
in itself), but to praise and glorify
the black man's past.
Norman says the twofold pur-
pose of the exhibit is to strengthen
"the black man's confidence and
assurance that he has historical
roots deep within the soil of the
world and western civilization."
and to restore "to history those
missing pages whose absence has
crippled America's ability to un-
derstand her black citizens."
To accomplish this, "Black
Odyssey" points out that Christ
was descended from the Queen of
Sheba, who was black. It reminds
us that Crispus Attuckus, a black
man, ironically was "the first mian
to die for American freedom and
independence" during the Amer-
ican Revolution.
It tells us of the heroic acts of
the bravest black soldiers, some of
whom had to. ask special permis-
sion from white superiors to prove
themselves in battle. And it relates
the story of famous black men and
women whose greatest battle was
against slavery and prejudice--
Nat Turner, Malcolm X, Martin
Luther King, Paul Robeson.
In many cases, the pictorial and
factual materials needed to create
this exhibit were not readily avail-
able. Consequently the pictorial
excellence of the various display
panels varies widely-from pulp
comic book drawings of famous
blacks to several high quality,
emotion-packed photographs of a
riot-torn ghetto.
The descriptions which accom-
pany each of the exhibit's picture
panels are more than simply ade-
quate. They never fall into the
impersonal purely factual style
which often makes exhibits so
monotonous.
Norman loves to capitalize his
words and use exclamations free-
ly. H is personal commitment to
the exhibit and the beliefs which
he tries to convey through it are
strongly evident throughout.
For instance, his title on a pan-
el picturing several black leaders
of the late 1$00's states, "Many
dectractors have tried to belittle
the Black Statesman of the Re-
construction by saying that they
were uneducated . . . Most Black
Leaders d u r i n g Reconstruction
had more formal education than
Abraham Lincoln. Ten of the
twenty-two Black Men who served
in Congress had attended College.
Five of them were Lawyers."
When the panels are of a more'
emotional nature, Norman's con-
cerns are communicated very
beautifully through his own words
and those of Langston Hughes.
In one of the first panels in the
exhibit Norman sums up the to-
tality of the "Black Odyssey."
"Look Back, Black Youth, for
Yours is a proud and glorious her-
itage. But, of equal importance,
look up! Look forward and look
ahead. It's a new world and you
can make it Yours - if you try.
Peace and Understanding."
"Black Odyssey" is presented by
the education school with the as-
sistance of Students for Educa-
tional Innovation, the Black Stu-
dents Union, and the Association
of Black Social Work Students.
'4,
cinema,
~Oliver!':
Cry h urrah!
By DREW BOGEMA
Oliver!, the musical adaptation
of Charles Dickens' wonderful
novel - Oliver Twist, brings such
diverse genius to the screen as to
make it far and away the most
worthwhile musical around. In
terms of casting, choreography,
lyrics, score, direction, camera-
work, and, most importantly per-
haps, in acting ability, no defect
or flaws mars the stylistic perfec-
tion ofa the production.
Dickens' novel recorded a tale of
human cruelty and indifference to
the fate of others. The plot unfolds
during one of the ugliest, most
misery-ridden, agonizing eras of
British history: the aristocratic
and capitalistic industrialization
of the 19th century-a period when
ninety per cent of the population
were never free from the daily
struggle of combating hunger;
shoddy, decayed, crowded hous-
ing; rampant disease and plague;
chronic unemployment, miserly
wages, unsafe and unbelievable
work-days.
Out of this misery comes the
story of a young orphan's fruitless
search for the love of a home and
how he falls prey to the notorious
pursuits of Fagin's dastardly gang
of little pickpockets. But there is
little cruelty here, for the won-
drous banditry of Fagin's devilish
pack of child thieves offers young
Oliver more of a home than he
had ever before enjoyed.
We love our crooks. After an
initial fascination with Oliver -
his- innocence, naivete, purity, and
strength-we virtually ignore him
for the remainder of the movie,
rather, concentrating our atten-
tion upon the wretched yet ex-
hilarating charm of Fagin, the
Artful Dodger, Bill Sikes, and
Nancy. Oliver can sing, sure, but
he's only a medium for presenting
to us the depraved elegance of
our marvelous crooks.
And they sing! The Artful Dod-
ger warmly welcomes young Oliver
to London with the boisterous,
rousing cheer of "Consider Your-
self At Home!" and Fagin enter-
tains our unwitting dupe with the
known to the screen, but w h a t
talent is displayed! Oliver Reed
turns in a noteworthy display of
acting talent as the only true vil-
lain in the movie: Bill Sikes. Ron
Moody played Fagin on Broadway
and developed such a familiarity
with his all-too-demanding part
as to produce excellence. J a c k
Wild as the Artful Dodger simply
cannot be described in the every-
day vein of superlatives. One can
only cry: Hurrah!
These three make Oliver! doub-
ly enjoyable'=- as a light, frolick-
ing, carefree proliferation of gai-
ety through song, and as a ten-
sion-ridden drama so out-of-the-
ordinary as to bring upon sensa-
tions of delight, exhilaration, and
joy. One is given a spiritual lift
that may never be matched.
The lyrics and score were writ-
ten by Lionel Bart, as well as the
script. Carol Reed provides fas-
cinating direction along with ex-
emplary camery-work, at times
simply astonishing. Who cares if
the plot is melodramatic, if the
question of Oliver's fate is some-
what sloppy, if M a r k Lester as
Oliver Twist appears too cute for
the role?
Don't miss this movie.' If you
thought Funny Girl, Sweet Char-
ity, or even Guys and Dolls had
class, Oliver's opening scene will
force immediate reconsideration.
To miss it is to throw away ec-
stasy.
4I
Letters to the. Editor
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South End
To the Editor:
AFTER ALMOST two years of
a constantly precarious exist-
ence, the decision to suspend in-
definitely publication of the offi-
cial student newspaper of Wayne
State University, the South End,
which" was rendered solely by
President William Keast, was in-
evitable. Keast's rationale . for'
stopping publication of the paper
was ostensibly an article contain-
ing several four letter words writ-
ten by hippie leader John Sinclair.
Keast deemed that if such an
article was allowed to be printed
within the context of the South
End, it would have "serious dam-
age to Wayne State University
and to the future of student
journalism." This was the prime
reason the president cited as the
stimulus for his repressive action.
According to legal defipitions,
the paper was not obscene; al-
though I am in agreement that
the article in question was a dis-
graceful display of journalism,
and demonstrated total neglect
for any degree of ethics in jour-.
nalism, I deplore President Keast's
aonroach in suppressing the stu-
that the suppression of the stu-
dent paper is only one highly vis-
ible element in a long series of
repressive measures the Keast ad-
ministration has attempted to im-
pose on the South End. Never
before, however, has Keast inter-
ferred with publication directly.
presumably due to the fear of a
general student protest ensuing. It
becomes apparent that Keast pur-
posely selected the summer to
force the South End under his
belt because fewer students at-
tend college during the summer.
Thus, the chance of a student
protest arising out of the latest
confrontation with the South End
would be minimized.
No matter how much or how
little one agrees with the politics
of the South End, support from
the academic community is a ne-
cessity if a free and responsible
student press is to function and
survive at Wayne State. Every
student at Wayne, as well as the
at-large community should be
outraged and appalled by Keast's
actions in regard to his overex-
tending the sphere 'of his control
and trespassing into the realm of
student responsibility.
-Robert B. Levy
Student-Faculty Council
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