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Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
TUESDAY, 16 MARCH 1965 NIGHT EDITOR: JOHN BRYANT
The Protest Against U.S. Folicy:
Tactics and Purpose
Misdirected
REGARDLESS of one's opinion of the
issues at stake in Viet Nam, the pro-
posed faculty protest strike makes no
sense. The methods involved are ill-
conceived if not completely irrelevant.
In addition, the protest is unimaginative
and involves little if any real sacrifice
on the part of the protestors.
In the first place, it makes no sense
to disrupt the University rather than the
post office or the local draft board of-
fice. At least a local office of the fed-
eral government has a closer relation-
ship to that government than does a
semi-autonomous state institution.
In the second place, the attempt to
arouse public opinion against President
Johnson's escalation of the war in Viet
Nam would in all likelihood backfire. Mr.
Average American would probably dis-
miss the protest out of hand as "the
work of those leftist university profes-
sors." Those who think more deeply about
the protest would question the desirabil-
ity of depriving students of part of their
education and needlessly disrupting the
University.
IHIRD, A PROTEST of any kind is ir-.
relevant because only on one domes-
tic issue (civil rights) have demonstra-
tions had a noticeable effect on national
policy. As Walter Lippmann pointed out
in a recent column, American public
opinion has very little effect on the reali-
ties of foreign relations.
The lack of innovation in the protest
is self-evident. It is as close a copy of
the action taken in Berkeley as is possi-
ble under the circumstances. Repetitious
activity has a diminishing capacity for
making news.
BESIDES THESE arguments, a teaching
strike and the student boycott of
classes that would inevitably follow
would prove little because little sacri-
fice would be made by either participat-
ing group. In fact, the only real sacri-
fice will be made by those students who
do attend classes and find their profes-
sors on.an unauthorized "vacation."
Sacrifice is necessary to make protest
meaningful. Compare Ann Arbor's pious
parade down Huron Street with the at-
tempted march from Selma to Birming-
ham. Why was the protest in Alabama
more effective? Because those marchers
were willing to give up more than their
lunch.
Examine the elements of the proposed
Viet Nam protest. Professors won't teach
classes. Since they will be breaking the
routine of the professorial life on their
own volition, it can be cogently argued
that they will be on a vacation-a stim-
ulating change from routine-for the day
regardless of what occupies their time.
The very willingness of these faculty
members to foresake a day's teaching and
research argues against the significance
of their "sacrifice."
It has been suggested that partici-
pating professors will risk denial of ad-
vancement in their profession or depart-
ment because of their protest. Only if
the professor has a prejudicial depart-
ment head, however, would this be likely.
LACK OF SACRIFICE would be even
more obvious on the part of the stu-
dents who would decide to boycott class-
es. In the first place, many, if not most,
students' consider actual time spent in
the classroom to be a minor part of their
educational experience. In addition, at
this time in the semester students are
actively searching for an excuse-any
excuse-to stay home and work on pa-
pers. Thus, a student boycott would not
be persuasive evidence that students not
attending classes agree with the motives
of the protestors.
Both faculty and students who are
moved to protest against American ac-
tion against the Viet Cong should re-
consider their rather silly proposals. This
projected protest has almost no relev-
ance to the formulation of American
foreign policy and involves no signifi-
cant degree of sacrifice.
THESE DEFECTS must be corrected if
the protest is to have even minimal
Commendable
THE STUDENTS and faculty of the Uni-
versity should vigorously support the
scheduled one-day cancellation of classes
planned for next Wednesday to protest
United States policy in Viet Nam.
Reasons for the protest are as varied
as reasons for objecting to the Viet Nam
war. Pacifism and objections to the way
in which the war is being conducted
motivate the 20 professors who have ini-
tiated the movement by planning to can-
cel their classes the 24th.
But there is another much more im-
portant reason why the protest should
be supported, more important because,
while the other reasons concern them-
selves with the conduct of our society,
this one is basic to the society itself.
THE MOST OUTSTANDING fact about
the war in Viet Nam is that the public
has not heard accurate reports on the
war from any source-government or
non-government. The government has
managed to maintain a policy of almost
complete news control over the area.
What news reports have been released to
the press have been spotty and often
self-contradictory.
"Managed news" has always been a
controversial issue; it. has usually been
defended on the grounds that just so the
news was not "too managed," no harm
would be done. And yet news policy in
the case of Viet Nam illustrates clearly
how very easy it is for government to
misuse a potentially destructive power.
What the government has done by this
means is to close the normal channels
between the American people and their
governmental representatives. By elimi-
nating the possibility that the people
will know anything other than that
which Washington wishes them to know,
for whatever reason, the nation's leaders
have effectively sealed themselves off
from any critical feedback from the na-
tion at large.
AND (HAVE WE forgotten?) this feed-
back has always been at the heart of
the democratic process. The fact that
this feedback is no longer possible makes
it necessary that protest be carried out
more actively than in the traditional
manner of letters to one's congressman;
at the moment, such letters would be so
ill-informed as to be laughable.
Obviously the only way the war can
be protested is by just such means as the
20 University professors propose, means
outside the traditional protest system
which has been invalidated by the gov-
ernment's actions.
The protest is therefore not only a
valid one; it is also expressive of the
only way in which the government can
presently be contacted.
This new approach to the question of
the legitimacy of the protest puts a
new light on the question of which stu-
dents and faculty should reasonably par-
ticipate in the protest.
THE PROPOSED BOYCOTT is more
than just a protest of war policy,
more even than a protest of the exist,
ence of the war itself. It is a protest of
the way the government has regarded
the American people, a protest of the
extremes to which it has gone in the pur-
suit of "security."
Thus participation in the protest is
more than reasonable for interested stu-
dents; it is a necessity dictated by con-
science, a conscience revolted by Amer-
ica's committing her armed forces to ac-
tion without allowing Americans to re-
view the wisdom of that decision.
And let no one make the mistake of
underestimating the influence such a
series of protests might have on public
interest and sentiment. Just the possi-
bility of such a protest rated front-page
treatment in the Detroit News yesterday;
a large-scale backing of such a boycott
would certainly receive large-scale cov-
erage.
Certainly the administration's mind is
not going to be changed by one protest
at one university. Yet should this knowl-
-anrP, .v,+ afthP . ers dets
I COUNT myself among those
who contend that the University
is too large and most emphatically
among those who favor a limit on
enrollment somewhere near the
present figure. The remarks below
assume, however, that the enroll-
ment is not likely to 'decrease, and
therefore that we should capital-
ize on the potential that size
offers.
Some of the most important
potential advantages of size de-
rive from increased opportunities
for deep specialization and cross-
fertilization by students and staff
in any of a large number of
branches of learning. The poten-
tial benefits reach every level of
education:
1) The undergraduate curricu-
lum can relect depth over a wider
range of related disciplines,
2) The expanded spectrum of
specialization can extend the op-
portunities for effective guidance
and instruction, as well as for
significant research, over a wider
field of knowledge,
3) Instruction and research in
fields that draw on a number of
disciplines (C o m m u n i c a t i o n
Sciences, Conflict Resolution, Nat-
ural Resource, Economics, Bio-
Engineering, to name a few) are
facilitated, as are coordinated
seminar programs and post-grad-
uate institutes aimed at either
cross-fertilization among several
fields or at greater depth in a
single field.
THE GREAT challenge facing
the large university is that of
finding ways of realizing the po-
tential advantages with minimum
sacrifice in the flexibility and
opportunities for expression that
characterize the small institution.
Based on my limited experience
and on conversations here and
outside, I judge that this Univer-
sity has maintained a flexibility
that is remarkable, if not unique,
among large universities. This fea-
ture is evidenced by the number
of interdisciplinary teaching and
research programs and institutes
that have been established. The
Rackham Foundation through the
Graduate School plays an indis-
pensible role in encouraging and
in supporting many of the inter-
disciplinary educational programs
ever, while the factors and the
problems that have developed in
recent years are perhaps accentu-
ated in these fields, they are un-'
questionably not unique to them.
Every part of the University is
groping for ways to deal with two
superimposed explosions: in popu-
lation and in knowledge. From
the standpoint of the engineer-
ing and science faculties, consider
the fact that 90 per cent of all of
the engineers and scientists that
ever lived are alive today.
Each of us feels at times that a
disproportionate percentage of
them is engaged in his own field
PROF. ARNOLD M. KUETHE of the aero-
nautical and astronautical engineering
department joined the University faculty
in 1941. He has been a consultant for
many government and industrial labora-
tories, is active on contract research for
the Defense Department, has co-authored
one book and contributed many articles
on aerodynamics to various publications in
aeronautics and physics.
...IF USED WELL
considerable amount of the mate- its non-academic functions. Such
rial must be read and digested if a weighting is sometimes justi-
courses are to be kept up-to-date. fiable, but the point is that its
Furthermore, the necessity for exercise moves academic decisions
frequent revision becomes more further from the faculty.
urgent as the body of knowledge The situation could be balanced
increases, by a greater reliance on executive
The emphasis on large scale re- committees for some aspects of
search in engineering and the the operation. There are so many
sciences is linked with the knowl- intangibles involved in academic
edge explosion. Laboratories ade- matters at the teaching, service
quate for this research are neces- and research levels that judgment
sary if outstanding faculty and from a distance can often only
students are to be attracted, but stress superficialities and can
in many of the fields their cost have a serious leveling influence
is far beyond a university budget. on the whole operation.
The only alternative is to seek the Therefore, implementation of a
support of the federal government, decision to stress teaching excel-
even though the system, the ne- lence will, I believe, require that
gotiations and the reporting can the use of and reliance upon ex-
be quite cumbersome and generally ecutive committees become great-
consume a great deal of faculty er and greater as times goes on.
time. Indeed, such committees have alit
Thus, the faculty activities re- ready been established in the
lated to the teaching function schools, colleges and some of the
have increased enormously since departments as a means of direct-
the war, and it is difficult to see ing policies dealing with general
how the trend can be checked, staff excellence.
much less reversed. It would, of course, be easy to
establish executive committees and
THE UNIVERSITY has become then to ignore them or give them
such a large and complex or- no more than lip service; I be-
ganization that effective adminis- lieve, however, it is true that these
tration is a career in itself. De- committees are as successful as
partment chairmanships are still the respective faculties insist that
term appointments, but there is a they be. Potentially, they provide
tendency to reappoint over and that necessary link between fac-
over again. ulty and administration, without
It is important to realize that which a university eventually be-
the faculty - administration gap comes little more than a degree-
tends to widen whenever the qual- granting corporation.
ifications for an academic, admin- -PROF. ARNOLD KUETHE
istrative position are weighted un-
duly towards its administrative or NEXT WEEK: Prof. Oliver Edel
during their formative years.
Thus, the evolution of the or-
ganizational structure of the Uni-
versity to meet the changing needs
of society can be an almost con-
tinuous process of bridging the
existing disciplines and maintain-
ing flexible boundaries among
them.
MY DISCUSSION of the teach-
ing function as it is influ-
enced by various factors reflects,
of course, my own background in
engineering and science. How-
and that each one has a research
contract calling for quarterly re-
ports and frequent publications.
The sheer weight of published in-
formation requires almost con-
tinuous exercise of the choise: "I
can read it, I can file it, or I can
throw it away."
I KNOW, however, that if I file
it, the probability is not high
that I can find it if I want to
read it, or that my filing system
is good enough to even indicate
that I have it. A certain not in-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
The Faculty Strike on Viet Nam: Is It Justified?
To the Editor:
WE WOULD like to endorse the
University professors' propo-
sal for cancelling classes March
24 in protest against United States
action in Viet Nam.
The plan is an effective means
of focusing attention on the con-
cern and discontent of many peo-
ple who, as individuals, have no
way of influencing government
policy on single issues. Further-
more, it allows this group to ex-
press their views in their capacity
as university professors.
This campus is an appropriate
place for such a demonstration,
sincethe University is a recipient
of state and federal funds. Calling
off classes cannot fail to be
noticed both by the state's con-
gressional representatives and by
the federal government itself.
WE WOULD further suggest
that those students in sympathy
with the protest show their sup-
port by not attending their other
classes scheduled for that day.
-Alice Fialkin. '67
-Miriam Olshansky, '66
To the Editor:
THE IRRESPONSIBLE 20 fac-
ulty members' proposed work-
stoppage to protest U.S. policy in
Viet Nam merits the University's
closest attention and possibly the
state legislature's most prompt ac-
tion. No group, however curious-
ly composed of sociologists, psy-
chologists, scientists, philosophers
and artists, has a right to violate
its primary duty to conduct classes
and to pursue research for the
sole purpose of dramatizing their
personal opinions, especially when
theirspecialized training and
knowledge equips them with no
expertise with which to analyze
the issues involved.
The 20's motivation may be one
of laziness; that is, the academi-
cians' belief that a protest may
provide a good excuse for a paid
vacation. Such protest would only
substantiate the general disre-
spect and distaste the faculty has
for the undergraduate body.
University P r e s i d e n t Harlan
Hatcher's labelling of the propos-
ed action as unacceptable lacks
conviction. Regardless of political
ideologies or inclinations, the an-
ticipated walk-out must be met
by assurances of punitive action
from both the University and the
legislature. Any faculty member
found organizing or participating
in a protest which entails any sus-
pension of professorial responsi-
bility in teaching, counselling, ad-
ministration or research should
suffer an arbitrary diminution of
his compensation -- for instance,
the greater of the equivalent of
one week's salary or $100-without
reference to the number of class-
room or research hours of work
actually interrupted.
The state and its supported in-
stitutions have no right to sub-
sidize any expression of political
opinion by any group. Any demon-
stration might better be scheduled
on a Sunday, when the 20 could
leave their homes and families to
entertain passers-by and others of
their ilk who wish to express
their convictions by genuinely de-
priving themselves of some per-
sonal comfort.
IF THEIR political convictions
supercede professorial responsibil-
ity, the members should vountar-
ily depart. If not, and a week-day
demonstration takes place, let
them be unpaid.
-C. William Garratt, '65
To the Editor:
A UNIQUE and creative form of
individual involvement in
world crises is emerging on the
University campus as a con-
science-stricken group of our fac-
ulty has announced a special pro-
test against American policies in
Viet Nam. Viewing moral com-
mitment to their ideas and the
implementation of those ideas as
the fulfillment of intellectual
study, they have decided to call
off their classes and research and
instead provide special educa-
tional programs to express their
disgust and transmit their con-
cern.
But our administrative leaders
see this noble gesture only as a
disruption of the concept of the
well-run, socially viable University
and miss its significance as the
inevitable and desirable conse-
quence of the fusion of learning
with the humanistic impulse. The
heart of the University has been
revealed, but some people still see
only the body.
It is dangerous to criticize so
generally on the basis of a head-
line, a few sentences and one quo-
tation, yet what matters in this
situation is not so much the in-
dividual words or sentences spoken
but the general attitudes com-
municated. It is the defensive at-
titudes of the men who -should be
strong, creative leaders that are
so appalling.
THESE FACULTY have posed
a challenge, not only to American
policy in Viet Nam but also to the
University as an institution and
to the students as individuals.
To the students, they ask, can
you make use of the gift of time-
both free time from the cancella-
tion of classes and the time given
by faculty to prepare a special
program? This is no diversion
from the educational process but
a necessary part of it, all too long
lacking.
It is the political world's chal-
lenge to each person to make real
that which he has been absorbing
in classes,the challenge to express
one's ideas and to defend them,
now, when people of all persua-
sions are alert. Challenge is not
extraneous to education; it is the
consummation of it.
TO THE University, these pro-
testors ask, how strong is aca-
demic freedom? Does it include an
organized group of opinion as well
as the lone dissenter or the con-
troversial lecturer?
One possible view of what will
be happening here becomes fright-
eningly obvious. Here are a group
of "Communists" who take ad-
vantage of their public immunity
under university protection and
cease to do what they have been
hired to do-teach and research-
in order to preach subversion to
the youth under their guidance.
If this attitude should challenge
the University, whether in the
overt threat of investigation and
legal action or in the subtle shift-
ing of public opinion against the
powers and the costs of universi-
ties, how shall this University
stand?
NO GROUP, no institution likes
its foundations and values laid so
opposition with a tactical prob-
lem. It confronts the student with
the question of commitment. It
confronts the rest of the faculty
with an examination of their con-
sciences and their. attitudes to..
ward their professional responsi-
bilities.
Most of all, it confronts the
University in general and its lead-
ers in particular with the future
of the University-shall we be a
servant of society or a critic of "t
or some combination? This is the
crucial issue in the development
of the institution called the
"multiversity."
** K
YES, THIS protest is something
to fear, for we may all be con-
fused by this confrontation and
none may ever know what is fail-
ure and what success in this en-
deavor.
But this protest is also a thing
of beauty, a day of truth in which
to ask "why education" and
"where shall it lead?" Let this
not end in petty in fighting be-
tween administration and faculty,
with students revelling in a free
holiday. Let us all, no matter
what our political views on the
policy in question, recognize our
common desires to speak as we
feel and to be heard as we speak.
Let us face this challenge together.
--Sarah Mahler, '67
Film Festival
To the Editor:
HAVE resigned from the third
Ann Arbor Film Festival as
jurist and guest speaker. I find
its direction hardly of an inter-
national scope as advertised by
Mr. Manupelli.
I am further horrified that a
sense of censorship should prevail
during such an event, an event
which is for the students and not
to insure the showing of local
films out of competition.,-It is to
be hoped that a true festival of
the film will take place under the
auspices of more inspired man-
agement.
I have, since Sunday, been wag-
ing a battle for the public showing
of "Jerovi" by Jose Rodriguez
Soltero. Sunday afternoon the
jury overcame the discontent of
the preselection committee, and
film has been entered into the
festival.
* **
I TAKE leave of your campus
with a very interesting image
which I beheld the other day near
the Michigan Union: A young
man talking to a tree.
-Gregory J. Markopoulos
Raising a Question
To the Editor:
ACCORDING TO what I have'
heard and read, the baseball
team has spent the last week in,
Arizona and the tennis team has
been in Florida until recently.
I can't recall in my 30 years at
the University any other time
when a team was permitted to be
away from the campus for a whole
week while other students pre-
pared their reading assignments,
began preparing for forthcoming
bluebooks and papers, took part
in class recitations, listened to lec-
tures and carried on laboratory
work.
Do all of us sanction this policy
of slighting the academic for the
sake of the athletic? Or am I old-
fashioned to raise the question
at all?
--Wilfred MW. Senseman
Professor of English
Engineering College
LAST FESTIVAL SHOW:
.Beautiful Beginning,
D.sappointing End
At the Cinema Guild
THE LAST SCREENING of the Ann Arbor Film Festival began Sun-
day night with four beautiful films, but ended with disappointing
fare.
Last year's Grand Prize winner, "Mass" by Bruce Baillie; was the
best film of the evening, though it was not entered in the compe-
tition this year. Baillie unifies his penetrating, pictorial criticism of
American culture with a simple plot-line involving the murder of a
man on a city street.
Most of the scenes in Baillie's film are blurred or misty. The focus
becomes sharp only when sharp focus is needed. For example, a quo-
tation from a Dakota Indian chief appears: "Behold, a good nation
walking in a sacred manner in a good land." Immediately the camera
focuses upon row after row of look-alike houses in a low-income housing
development.
DIANE ROCHLIN'S two films display a beautiful, lyric portrayal of
human experiences. In "The Tamarit," Miss Rochlin uses visual
images to match the movement of a Lorca poem being read on the
sound track. In "In the Last Town," she successfully employs the
technique of intermittently freezing the action so that one is viewing
a still photograph. Avoiding dialogue, Miss Rochlin nicely portrays the
emotions of two lovers caught within the confining walls of the town.
. "Bert" by New York University is a neatly-executed character
sketch of a New York cabbie. Well-chosen scenes of Bert on the job
_l~ in___nrcs wth hacr fh wfeA~n aghteS
FILM FESTIVAL:
A udience Reactions
Lend Most Interest
At the Cinema Guild
ONE OF THE most interesting aspects of attending this year's Ann
. Arbor Film Festival was the opportunity to observe the audience
reactions to each of the showings. The frequency and variation in
comment were due partially to the nature of the films themselves,
partially to the spontaneity of the.college audience, and partially to,
the fact that not one viewer in ten was able to understand all of what
was happening on the screen.
As a result, reaction ranged all of the way from venemous hissing
to polite clapping and thunderous applause. Of course, some disagree-
ment was to be expected in an audience containing such a wide variety
of backgrounds and motivations. There were those who came hoping
to be recognized for their "artiness," and those who came and worked
hard not to be recognized at all. There were also those who, quite
obviously, came to see dirty movies and were disappointed.
MARKOPOULOS' ATTEMPT to describe the art film movement to'
his audience may be looked upon as representative of the festival
as a whole. The entire festival was an attempt at communication be-
tween the filmmakers and the audience, an attempt that failed more
often than it succeeded. Happily for those who attended the nine
o'clock showing last Saturday night, the attempts which did succeed'
were both meaningful and highly entertaining. "That's Where I'm At"
was a semidocumentary film which captured perfectly the atmos-
phere of a Negro slum neighborhood. "Cause Without A Rebel" and
"That's What Tittle Girls/Bov Are Made Of" were delightful snoofs.