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Truth wl revah"
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writer
or the editors. This must b noted in all reprints.
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CRACKING THE COLOR LINE':
CORE Booklet Shows
Slow But Sure Progress
DAY, MARCH 28, 1963
NIGHT EDITOR: PHILIP SUTIN
Sorority Delay Tactics
Futile and Contemptible
N AN admittedly rush move last week, the
lawyers of five campus sororities sent off
post haste letters to individual Regents attack-
Ing the Harris report on membership selection
in student organizations.
The lawyers, representing those five sorori-
ties which have repeatedly refused to comply
with Student Government Council demands to
file statements of their membership practices,
feared Regental consideration and possible pas-
sage of the proposals embodied in Harris'
report at the March 22 Regents meeting.
Actually, the Regents received the anti-
Harris report letter when they had not even
seen the Harris report itself. They have turned
over the two documents to Dean Allan Smith
of the Law School who within a week is ex-
pected to come up with an opinion on the
legal validity of the opposing stands.
T HE HARRIS REPORT was drafted for Stu-
dent Government Council by Prof. Robert
M. Harris of the Law School, who also took
part in the Sigma Nu hearings last spring.
Council recommended Regental consideration
of the proposal, which relinquishes final au-
thority for withdrawal of recognition of student
organizations to a membership judge, who in
the case of violation would apply sanctions
according to the membership and procedural
rules set up by Council. Council had expected
Vice-President for Student Affairs James A.
Lewis to present the report to the Regents on
last Friday, but the letter intervened. The
President of the University and the Regents
decided it was futile to discuss the Harris
recommndations if the arguments of the
sorority lawyers might be proved valid. Student
leaders, unaware of the letter from the sorori-
ties, were surprised when the Harris proposal
did not appear on the agenda for the Regents
meeting released late Thursday afternoon.
They were even more taken aback when a
high University official told a Daily reporter
that the Harris report would never come before
the Regents and that it was a matter of pro-
cedures and rules to be handled in the Office
of Student Affairs. They are still wondering
why the Regents have not yet received copies
of the report.
However, Dean Smith has been tossed the
hot potato now, and despite the present state
of confusion and the sorority delay tactics,
it appears the Regents will eventually consider
the Harris report. Harris, who spent weeks
drafting his proposals and has an impressive
record of experience in the area of member-
ship selection and discriminatory practices,
stands behind his proposal, and expects Dean
Smith to vindicate his opinion.
BUT SUCH delaying, stop-gap measures are
typical in the University's long history of
investigation of discriminatory membership
selection in student organizations: the panic
move by sororities to postpone and hopefully
bury the Harris report is just one more attempt
by the affiliate system to throw water on the
fire they imagine SGC to be kindling around
them. The sororities, increasingly on the de-
fensive, consider demands for membership
statements an assault on the system itself. They
analyze the motives of those who most vocif-
erously defend the right of SGC to collect
such statements and some decide the Council,
and liberals in particular, are taking the first
steps toward a long-range plan for elimination
of the fraternity and sorority system.
Sorority leadersaalso show their short-sight-
edness when they commission a legal brief like
the one just released by their lawyers; the
organizations are obviously grasping at straws
and unable to come to grips with the realities
of an evolving university community.
THE LATEST BRIEF drawn up by sorority
lawyers attacks the Harris report-unsuc-
cessfully-on several grounds. The report denies
the right of the Regents to delegate legislative
authority to SGC, thus giving Council powers
of withdrawal of recognition. At the same
time the brief denies the right of a transient
student body to pass on the membership prac-
tices of a student organization.
In fact, the lawyers argue that the Harris
report
"completely ignores the fact that Student
Government Council is composed of private
individuals to whom governmental func-
tions cannot be validly delegated. They may
not be residents of the State of Michigan
or citizens of the United States and they
may not be of lawful age. We question
whether the Board of Regents wishes to
entrust the University's official position in
this very delicate area to a transitory stu-
dent group which, might easily cause a
Editorial Staff
MICHAEL OLINICK, Editor
JUDITH OPPENHEIM MICHAEL HARRAH
Editorial Director City Editor
serious situation to arise and then have the
responsible personnel scatter to the four
corners of the earth . ..
Besides this slam at the capability' of stu-
dents, and the use of the old transitory migrant
argument, the letter also contends that the
Harris report violates constitutional provisions
of due process.
BUT THE sororities and their lawyers are
most hopeful of a happy resolution to their
problems as they attack the section of the
Harris report entitled "Student organizations
defined." SGC has the right both to recognize
and withdraw recognition from "student or-
ganizations." Recognition carries with it cer-
tain privileges which make a group a part of
the University community and which are neces-
sary to the continued existence of that group;
the letter treatsa this area with only one sen-1
tence ("A recognized organization reading the
Harris proposal would have no idea as to its
rights or obligations.")
The sororities hope to be declared exempt
from that category known as "student organ-
ization." A ruling to this effect would take
them out from under the Student Government
Council canopy and put tiem into the free
fresh air where they might practice the mem-
bership policies they call "freedom of associa-
tion."
"Student organization defined" is a sticky
point, and one that Harris tried to solve in his
proposals. Student Government Council will,
however, continue to be plagued by the prob-
lem as sororities and fraternities assert their
"unusual" nature and, demand to be placed
outside the "student recognition" category.
Needless to say, the Greek system embodying
both a living unit and a social group, does
present a unique example of a student or-
ganization. Sororities and fraternities are not
clubs in the true sense. Neither do they enjoy
the status of unrecognized and functioning or-
ganizations like The Daily, the Michigan Union
and the Michigan League, for the Greek system
is not as self-sustaining or as powerful as these
other vital forces.
THE CREATION of a second non-recognized
category is envisioned by some sorority and
fraternity leaders with special status for their
groups as private clubs apart from the Uni-
,versity community, or as groups operating 'un-
der adult administrative boards divorced from
the student activities wing.
Such an arrangement would satisfy the
Greek argument that adults, not students,
should be handling membership investigations.
The Greeks contend that the five sororities
would submit statements if the administration
and not students were doing the asking.
The other alternative-withdrawal of recog-
nition-is downgraded by some as a hollow
threat. Withdrawal would in fact greatly en-
danger the continued existence of the organ-
ization found in violation of SGC regulations.
The public humiliation of withdrawal would
be only the beginning. A sorority, for example,
could not make application for designation as
"University approved housing," and thus would
be unable to maintain a house except for
senior women. The sorority would not be able
to schedule rush, or any other social events,
and would be denied access to use of Univer-
sity facilities for activities. The group that is
unrecognized is, in effect, no longer a part of
the University community.
GC AUTHORITY, Regental delegation of
legislative responsibility due process are
all subsidiary arguments compared to the
thrust that the Greek system expects to put
behind the "student organization defined" ar-
gument. They will be standing on the defini-
tion argument for weeks to come, as they
look for more ways to dodge and delay the
final judgement day.
Whether declared student organizations or
not, the Greek system still will have to comply
with tniversity regulations prohibiting discrim-
ination in membership selection. Whether fall-
ing under the jurisdiction of a Council regula-
tion, or under Regents bylaw 2.14, the five
sororities will have to prove their charters
do not provide for membership selection on the
basis of race, color or national origin.
The last minute tactics of those sororities
who withhold such statements in defiance of
the duly elected representative body of the
students are inexplicable and downright fool-
hardy. These are especially silly strategems
when sororities which do not .have bias clauses
are thus subject to public scorn and ridicule;
most of the five who are guilty of non-
compliance are known to have no bias clauses.
They refuse, however, to submit statements
on the "principle" that they are private groups
not subject to the regulations of fellow stu-
dents. It is almost pathetic to see these groups
going through the futile motions. They have
created a multitude of problems for themselves
in their approach to the situation, and a num-
ber of their members probably wish they had
avoided all the furor by submitting member-
a.
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By DIANE PINE'
THE BOOKLET "Cracking the
Color Line" put out by the
Congress on Racial Equality, is a
collection of case histories show-
ing the effectiveness of non-
violent techniques used to end
racial discrimination.
The booklet begins with cases
in the 1940's, just after CORE was
founded, and traces the success of
CORE methods up to the present.
The CORE non-violent direct
action method of eliminating ra-
cial discrimination seems one' of
the best answers ever found. The
non-violent methods take some of
the blind hate and irrationality
out of the race problem and offer
calm, sane solutions to this most
pressing situation. When segrega-
tionists are presented with the
quiet determination and the sub-
stantial arguments of CORE work-
ers, there is often nothing they
can do to avoid integrating their
establishments.
* * *
ONE OF the many dodges used
by racists is that they really aren't
discriminating but "there were no
vacancies when Negroes asked for
apartments" or "no Negroes ap-
plied for jobs." CORE seeks to dis-,
prove these false claims by send-
ing in a white and then a Negro
CORE member. It is often found
that the white member will secure
an apartment or job immediately
after a Negro CORE member has
been refused.
In the light of such evidence,
the segregationist's claims arej
made ridiculous and he will often
either retract his statement that,
he doesn't discriminate or adopt
a truly non-discriminatory policy.
I think that one of the greatest
advantages of the CORE methods
is that when the covert segrega-
tionists are uncovered, the public
can see the dishonesty and pre-
judices of these people thrown in-
to sharp contrast with the quiet
honesty and perseverance of the
CORE members, making the seg-
regationists arguments appear lu-
dicrous.
* * *
CORE GROUPS work in many
fields in addition to housing and
employment discrimination. They.
use the same non-violent techni-'
ques to eliminate segregation in
restaurants and lunch counters.
"Cracking the Color Line" de-
scribes the way in which Kresge
and McCrory's lunch counters were
desegregated in St. Louis and
Baltimore. CORE began by ne-
gotiating with the owners of these
stores in an effort to get them to
change their discriminatory poli-
cies.
When the negotiations proved
unsuccessful CORE initiated
peaceful protest actions: picket
lines and sit-in demonstrations.
As a result of these demonstrations
an agreement was reached with
the owner of McCrory's to allow
one or two Negroes a week to be
served at white counters in order
to test customer reaction.
It was soon found that the
whites were more or less indif-
ferent to who sat at the counters.
No longer having any arguments
to fall back on, the owner of one
of the stores agreed to integrate
'the lunch counters. The others
soon followed, suit.
* * *
ONE OF the most powerful ar-
guments used by racists to dis-
courage integration is that busi-
ness will be hurt if stores and
restaurants are integrated or, in
the case of housing, that white
tenants will move away if Ne-
groes are permitted to buy houses
in white neighborhoods.
The CORE test cases show that
these accusations are largely un-
founded. As in the case of the
lunch counters, people are often
indifferent to those around them.
CORE has gone a long way in
eliminating oneous views of this
kind. Another one of the racist
myths is that Negroes are inferior
to whites in intelligence. The op-
eration of a group such as CORE
in contrast to the despicable, ig-
norant behavior of segregationists,
proves the ridiculousness of this
claim.
The efforts of CORE and groups
like it have done much to end the
appalling discrimination which
goes on in the United States to-
day but as "Cracking the Color
Line" shows there is still much
to do and a long way to go before
America can honestly be called the
."Land of the free."
ROUGH R1 DER
E=k1lCyyp w :
CIVIL LIBERTIES IN WARFARE STATE:
ACLU Should Hit Violations
By ROBERT SELWA
TWO BRITISH AIRMEN who
wanted to start a campaign
for nuclear disarmament in the
armed services have been each
sentenced to eight months im-
prisonment.
The men wrote to the pacifist
newspaper "Peace News" suggest-
ing formation of a campaign for
nuclear disarmament groups in the
service. They pleaded guilty to
conduct prejudicial to good order
and discipline by causing the let-;
ter to be published.
This incident illustrates several
points: the authoritarian nature
of the institution of the military;
the way in Which an authoritarian
system can perpetuate itself and
suppress opposition within its
ranks-ranks fed by a forcible
FESTIVAL:
Coplan4d
Excellent
THErGUEST composer for this
year's Contemporary Music
Festival, the distinguished Ameri-
can Aaron Copland. was greeted
in Rackham Lecture Hall last
night by a large and enthusiastic
audience. The composer was in-
troduced by Dean James Wallace
of the University School of Music.
In his introduction, Dean Wal-
lace cited Copland's achievements
as a composer, pianist, conductor,
lecturer and scholar.
Copland, in his talk, surveyed
his career as an American com-
poser from his early days in the
1920's to the present.
AARON COPLAND is not only
a fine composer, but he is also
one of the few composers who can
talk and write about music in
such a way to communicate to
(but not down to) a general au-
dience.
After the composer's talk, three
of his works were performed. The
first of these, Piano Variations
(1930), was at first called harsh,
relentless. It is conceived as a set
of variations which build on each
other in a long line. It is still a
fresh, new-sounding work of great
vitality and beauty.
Benning Dexter, the pianist,
gave a dynamic performance
which communicated the building
development of the piece in a
manner completely worthy of the
music.
* * *
THE SECOND WORK, Nonet
for Strings (1960), is a conserva-
tive work in an austere style. Cop-
land described it as having an
"autumnal color" and "a little on .
the gloomy side." The emphasis is
on the lower strings and the gen-
eral quality is somber.
The rich opening chords in the
three cellos set the mood for the
piece, which is in three sections-
slow, fast, slow. The slow sections
contain interesting harmonies and
draft (Universal Military Train-
ing) and the power of an intrench-
ed monolith to do. what it wants
and get away with it.
* * $
BUT THE POINT to be made
here is that the inner workings
of the military need to be examin-
ed more closely. What occurred
just now in England has also oc-
curred in the United States in the
form of penalizing soldiers who
have expressed controversial opin-
ion. It is almost as if a man gives
up his citizenship when he is
drafted; he can still vote, but he
cannot take part; at least not
as well, in the demorcatic processest
that make voting meaningful.
This is an area of concern that
has barely been tapped by groups
such as the American Civil Liber-
ties Union. The ACLU has been
fighting with vigor for due process
of law, civil rights, the end of
speaker bans and of all kinds of
censorship, separation of church
and state, the right to franchise,
to speech in general and to as-
sembly. For Ithis broad outlook'
and multifocus of concern, the
ACLU deserves praise.
But the ACLU has included
"military justice" almost on the
periphery, when it should be in
the center along with other issues
of free speech. Both the 41st and
42nd annual reports of the ACLU
devote less than one per cent to
"military justice," and in the past
year all the ACLU reports that it
did was testify twice before con-
gressional committees. The one
success listed was acceptance of
the ACLU recommendation that
the accused have the right to
choose a court-martial in lieu of
non-judicial punishment.
WHERE ARE the ACLU study
committees so common in all the
other, areas of civil liberty investi-
gation? What ACLU speakers ever
deal with the issue of the military
and its suppressions? What ACLU
affiliate protests the draft of local
men against their will? When will
the ACLU begin crusading against
University .Military Tr ining?
Where are the legal brief gand the
legal aid for the reservist who is
penalized for protesting a call-up
or a non-use of his abilities?
These are areas in which the
ACLU and similar groups should
immediately begin working harder.
They have been largely neglected
in an era in which a cold war has
sprouted hysteria and has in-
stituted remnants of a coercion
state. Because the military is au-
thoritarian, it is profoundly anti-
democratic; this matter alone de-
serves study.
When an authoritarian institu-
tion sponsored by the state gets
its members by coercion, and when
it harms the citizen rights of its
members, what results is a radical
departure from the ways of a
democratic republic. This radical
departure should be fought,, and
the ACLU should lead the fight..
The injustices of the warfare state
include the erosions of civil liberty.
HAVOC IN 'HAVANA':
Film Bids Farewell
l ,To Setting Now ' Lost
HE CINEMA has lost many of its stars through death, old age
or just plain quitting the business, but I don't think that it has
ever before lost a star through a revolution.
Like any movie with its setting playing an important part of the
movie, the Havana of "Our Man in Havana" is beguiling, intriguing,
beautiful and fun. But here the background, as it would be called, is
FOUL, STEAMY PIT:
'Bernard a Alba'
Uses Fierce Symbolism'
'THE HOUSE of Bernarda Alba"
is a foul,, steaming pit. Men-
less women are drying up because
they are kept from reaching frui-
tion. They are bound by the codes,
mores and the double standard
which permits transgression by
men but demands that "whoever
loses her decency pay for it."
The play which opened at Lydia
Mendelssohn last night was per-
formed by University Players.
Judith Propper, as Bernarda, the
tyrannical ruler of her entirely
feminine household, faithfully por-
trayed the twisted agent of society.
She never lost her bearing or be-
trayed the sterility and neuroti-
cism of Bernarda.
Miss Propper's excellent per-
formance set the tenor for the
rest of the cast. Each of the five
daughters came through very well
as a black pillar of repression.
Every actress in this all-female
cast turned in fine performances.
Barbara Bartneck, as Angustias,
the middle-aged daughter who has
almost completely lost the waters
of life, deserves individual men-
tion.
THE SMALL element of comic
relief was provided by Marcia
World combined with an oppres-
sing real world.
The use of color in this produc-
tion was inconsistent. With Ber-
narda and her daughters all dress-
ed in black and the walls of the
room white, an impression of stark
contrast is created. The contrast
is analogous to Bernarda's concep-
tion of life and morality.
From the beginning, however, a
purple tablecloth is ;seen on the
central table, along with a bowl
of fruit. In a house in which hu-
man vitality is being shriveled by
heat and aridity, these symbols.
of fertility and ripeness are out
of place. Even the' author in his
stage directions demands that
color be used only in a few cen-
tral spots.
The University Player's produc-
tion does credit to this powerful
play which shows how natural im-
pulses when inhibited turn inward
and foment into a poison.,
-Malinda Berry
-Richard Mercer
TBouquets
5OVIET TEST BAN negotiators
always insinuating its way into the
innuendo that entwines "itself
throughout the, movie, to give it
the delicate embrace of delight,
Now the Havana of "Our Man
in Havana" is lost to ,Castro. A
star has been lost to a revolution.
Thank .goodness the other leads
haven't been lost. Ernie Kovacs
is the only exception, but his por-
trayal of the head of the Cuban
police is memorable for this rea-
son if not for any other. He is the
perfect sparring partner for Alec.
Guiness, the "our man' vacuum
cleaner salesman-secret service,
agent for London. His concoctions
to satisfy his bosses back home
(the secret service, that is) are as
understatedly down-beat as the
checker game with the bottles of
liquor is demurely upbeat. Put a
staid Briton on one side of such
a checker board and an Ernie
Kovacs on the other and Havana
has to be forgotten for awhile as
the two contestants battle. for big'
stakes.
*. * *
AKIN TO the lonely soldier in
"The Birth of a Nation" who
longingly 'stares at Lillian Gish
as she leaves an Army hospital is
the poor friend of Alec Guiness
who, like a good Cuban of the
pre-revolution days, has found a
girl for Guiness. "Our man" must
sadly reject the offer of the im-
ploring friend, only because he has
more pressing obligations.
"Our Man in Havana" isn't a
wild spoof or a biting satire of a
Caribbean tourist spot, or the sec-
ret service or police chiefs. or even
Britons. Rather, it is a gentle,
tippy-toe nudge in the ribs by
Graham Green who obviously is
having fun and is passing it on
to his audience. And Carol Reed,
as producer and director, knows
just how to put the whole thing
together.
Part of the technique of putting
together a mystery is in telling
the audience on whose side every-
one is and why they are there.
"Our Man in Havana" succeeds in
doing a wide-awake audience to
follow the action, but it adds to
the creativity of the film.
Alec Guiness is alternately hum-
ble as a salesman and a secret
action. It seems to have a mystic
LETTERS
to the
EDITOR
To the Editor:
THINK it is very appropriate
that Gloria Bowles does not
think I should be prejudged. as
president of StudenthGovernment
Council. However, her 'editorial
Tuesday .was nothing but a pre-
judgement.
She seems to feel that the presi-
dent is the Council. Unfortunately,
at times this has been the case.
It would not be true if those
peoplewho'get "relegated to the
sidelines" after losing officer elec-
tions would remain active on the
Council. All too often they relegate
themselves to the sidelines.
Miss Bowles claims that SGC
Is in a rut of inactivity and in-
effectiveness. If the Council is in
a rut of inactivity it is due to all
the members of the Council, not
just the president. If the Council
is active, the problem of effective-
ness then falls primarily on the
officers. I intend to initiate legis-
lation as a Council member and to
promote the effectiveness of the
Council as its president.
* * *
TWO OTHER comments are ap-
propriate. The ~degree that other
Council members are not as com-
mitted to the Council as the presi-
dent will be the measure of the
success or failure of the Council
for the president is firmly com-
mitted to student government.
That I lack prowess in public
relations and politics is a ridicu-
lous statement. I. am serving a
second full term and am the Coun-
cil president. If Miss Bowles has
proof of her statement, I would
appreciate hearing it.
--Tom Brown, '63, President,
Student Government Council
Members. . .
To the Editor:
- WAS AMAZED to see in Sun-
day's Daily the letter from El-
mer White supporting insolence