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 #f 6MT' MA KZ THE MOW* i4 S~NP 'fi CN1I.RE ft ~ NDMY fi U9ANJP OFF To VORK- CA$ MYR vomFM.. 2 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. 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