Seventy-Third Year EDIED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLCATIONS "Where Opinions Are Free STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG., ANN ARBOR, MICH., PHONE NO 2-3241 Truth Will Prevail" Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1962 NIGHT EDITOR: DAVID MARCUS NSA CONGRESS: Stands of De lega tes Cuban Crisis Demands Cool-Headed Action C ASTRO'S CUBA has caused much concern within the United States and not without adequate reason. For the first time, a country within a short distance of a United States coast has become openly communistic and is receiv- ng the full support of the Soviet Union. Castro is not only attempting to overhaul the ideology, economy and life of the Cuban people, but he is also acquiring the weapons and technology for his "defensive wars." The concern of Americans, however, seems to be giving way to an unreasoning panic, panic inflamed by the many Cuban refugees who are continually pouring into South Florida. These refugees deserve to have political asylum in the United .States; however, in accepting this country as a refuge and their temporary home, they also have a duty to present a true and honest appraisal of the situation as it exists in Cuba. They have a right to form political parties, to agitate for a recognized government in exile and to work sensibly for action that might free their homeland. They should not and must not whip up a fear of Castro that is based on half truths and falsification of infor- mation. Startled Miami residents have found propa- ganda sheets stuffed in their mailboxes, under their doors and even in their evening news- papers. These reports signed by the "anti- communist underground, General Headquar- ters: Bahamas" tell of the Communist plot of attack on the United States. Among the dan- gers listed on this sheet are the capture of all state and local officials of each community at the outset of the. invasion, the use of 50,000 Russian marines who have recently arrived in Cuba as technicians, the bombing of the United States with missiles located on isolated Cuban military bases, and the infiltration of all possible industries, especially those manu- facturing defense weapons. THIS PROPAGANDA, although almost ob- vious in its gross exaggeration, could and perhaps is making a dent in the opinions of Americans. Even after the Bay of Pigs invasion, the exiles continue to store arms and to train and prepare for another invasion launched from the United States. This becomes even more serious for Americans when armed fish- ing boats leave United States ports and fire on Cuban coastal installations or hotels hous- ing Russian technicians. Men in Congress are questioning the power of the Monroe Doctrine and are coming to believe that the United States should invade Cuba no matter what re- percussions may ensue. This line of reasoning is futile and poorly thought through. An invasion propelled by fear and hastily launched would greatly hurt American pres- tige. The sight of a great and populous nation attacking such an annoying mite as Cuba would be labeled as both aggressive imperialism and interference in the sovereign right of a nation to determine its own internal policy. The "sit back and wait" attitude of President John F. Kennedy seems, at present, to be the most logical step that this country can take. The government must not be intimidated and ca- joled into foolishly taking a step it would be, forced to regret again publicly. The government must place tighter controls on the activity of Cuban exiles in Miami, and prevent any aggressive skirmishes originating from American soil. The Cubans must be im- pressed with the fact that their inaccurate propaganda merely serves to distort the actual situation that exists in Cuba. Finally, Ameri- cans must keep their heads and stop fearing an invasion by Castro. The biggest danger to America is Communist propaganda and subver- sion in the Latin American countries. The only way that the United States can master Castro is to act sensibly and to keep its head. -BARBARA LAZARUS (EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of two articles analyzing the fif- teenth national student congress, and the performance of the dele- gates.) By HARRY PERLSTADT Co-Magazine Editor THE FIFTEENTH national stu- dent congress of the United States National Student Associa- tion passed two important consti- tutional changes this summer and debated a dozen resolutions, rang- ing from Algeria to nuclear testing to federal aid to education. the first constitutional change came after a verbal battle that lasted more than two years. The change substitutes the phrase, "We,sthe members of the United States National Union of Stu- dents" for the original preamble's "We, the students of the United States." Basically both are nac- crate, but in the new sentence NSA admits it does not represent all American students. But NSA is not yet a national union of students. Rather it is a national union of student govern- ment leaders. NSA is composed of student bodies represented by the student government leaders. What NSA does and the benefits of NSA affiliation are little known, even on this campus. How many stu- dents know of the international student discount card available through NSA or about NSA travel tours? How many are aware of the magnitude and scope of the NSA resolutions? As long as student bodies do not directly elect dele- gates specifically for NSA they will not become involved in or aware of the questions confront- ing NSA. t 4 * THE SECOND constitutional change involved a disclaimer of NSA motions. No member school is required to support any NSA resolution. In short this means "we the members of NSA agree not to believe in NSA" The amendment was made to pacify several schools which were on the verge of dropping out of the as- sociation and to attract schools which now will not have to sub- scribe to anything the association does except for payng dues. This amendment is ridiculous. If a vote is not unanimous and mi- nority reports are presented and printed for distribution, then it is obvious that some delegates do not consider the resolution a good one. But in the spirit of a democratic institution they are bound to up- hold it until they, working through legitimate channels, can change the policy. Barry Goldwater and Nelson Rockefeller both have re- grets about some planks in the Re- publican platform, yet both are still Republicans and both will support the party platform. Many of the member schools of NSA do not yet have the maturity to remain within an organization which does not do everything the way they want it done. But what good is an organization if no one is willing or bound to uphold it? * * * BOTH THESE constitutional amendments demonstrate a lack of political maturity on the part of the delegates and member schools and indicate the great fear of the Congress - that the stu- dents do not want or care about NSA. NSA is fearful of all campus referendums both on NSA affilia- tion and on NSA resolutions. The organization is afraid that it will crumble if the average student gets his say. But a referendum on an NSA resolution can serve only to strengthen the organization. It is a mandate from its constituents -the students. If a student body votes on a resolution in a referen- dum, then the delegates from that school know the wishes of the stu- dent body. If the resolution is de- feated in the referendum then there is no need for the "we be- lieve not to believe in NSA" amendment. The school has overt- ly voted against the resolution. If enough schools do this on the con- troversial issues, then the next congress ought to reconsider or change the resolutions. But all this requires maturity on the Con- gress's part as well as on the stu- dents'. The top priority motion this year and one which passed unani- mously pertains to Algeria. NSA patted itself on the back for sup- porting the Union Generale des Etudiants Musulmans Algeriens (UGEMA) against French sup- pression. (The 13th national stu- dent congress had supported the UGEMA because the French "pre- vented the full development of in- tellectual capacities, and denied the inherent right of a student to study his own national heritage, language, history and culture." UQEMA is, according to the 14th NSC, "the only representative national union of Algerian stu- dents." Questions: Is UGEMA composed of individual student members or student bodies? In either case are non-Musulmans permitted to join? The support of an independent Algeria is good, but NSA delegates often neglect to ask pertinent questions. 4 # A CLEARER example of NSC's lack of information about inter- national student affairs concerns a special resolution passed by the congress on Guatemala. The pres- ident of the Guatamalan Union of Students gave an impassioned midnight speech to the congress. He said he was flying home early the same morning in order to pro- tect his student group from sup- pression by the right wing gov- ernment. Don Emmerson, the NSA International Affairs Vice Presi- dent read a motion which was never distributed to the Congress but was passed unanimously. Any- one who would have objected to unanimity would have been stoned, but several questions arise. In 1954 Guatemala was the scene of a Communist coup which was later replaced by the present regime. What, if any, is the re- lationship between the students who dislike the regime and the Communists who are for over- throwing it once again? What, if any, is the relationship between the students and any Castro groups which may exist in Guate- mala? Again, important but un- answered questions. * * * THE BEST motion of the whole congress was a campus issue - due process for students facing campus judiciary bodies. Unfor- tunately, because of the new con- stitutional amendment, no one is bound to uphold or implement the policy. The motion included a list of student rights including access to all relevant information including testimony of the student's accus- ers, free choice of counsel and the right to be prosecuted by someone other than a member of the trial body. The university is also re- quested in the resolution to de- lineate what constitute violations of university regulations and what penalties could be imposed, and to consider the accused student in good standing until such time as proven guilty. It also suggests a method of appeal. It was a com- prehensive motion easily worthy of implementation. The most ludicrous motion of the congress was on "Higher Edu- cation and the Cold War." The motion covers too much ground and does so inadequately. It right- fully denounces the grant-research program for the arms race which detracts from the social sciences and humanities. The resolution also criticizes the informal censorship which results from this type of research. It calls for support for research on such topics as non-violent resolution of conflict and urges the intellectual community to take the lead and help shape our society. ALL THESE points are excel- lent. Unfortunately they are tenu- ously lumped together under the heading of "cold war" and are buried in an avalanche of liberal verbage and generalization. The nuclear testing motion was passed at 6 a.m. after an all-night debate which centered around how to blame whom for which tests. The more moderate delegates de- sired to condemn the Soviet tests which broke the moratorium and "regret" the subsequent American resumption. But the final motion condemned any type of testing by any nation. It was attacked by a Princetonian conservative as "sep- arating the moral principles from the practical reality." However a stand taken by a group such as NSA ought to follow principles for too many problems expedited rather than solved following rea- son. A strongly worded resolution on the McCarran Act which urged all member campuses to support the repeal of the act was watered down to urge member schools to study the effect of the act upon their individual campuses. This served to procrastinate an all-out floor fight on the act until the next congress. M e a n w h i1e, member schools ought to debate the Mc- Carran Act and possibly have a referendum on the NSA resolution. * -* * THE FIFTEENTH national stu- dent congress was a working con- gress which accomplished many little things. It rewrote most of the basic policy declarations on inter- national affairs, a fact to which many delegates were oblivious. It passed more program mandates than any previous congress, mainly through the two calendar process which separated program man- dates from resolutions. If the na- tional staff follows all the program mandates it will have a busy year indeed. HAROLD LLOYD: Golden Comedy In Good Old Days Except for the McCarran Act resolution which was watered down, the Congress did not take significant stands on civil rights, in either the North or South. This was in spite of the presence of many students who had spent the summer in the South registering voters, or in Albany jails, or in the slums of the northern cities. * * * SOME PERENNIAL bugs also hindered the congress. A majority of the delegates do not understand the processes of congress legisla- ary tion and plenary. The entertain- ment and speeches were too many and cut into valuable legislative time. One speaker merely held ten typewritten sheets of paper in front of his face and read them off in a monotone as fast as pos- sible. At another point, delegates twisted in the aisles under scarlet and grey lighting and pushed the beginning of the meeting late into the evening. TOMORROW- The Michigan Delegation qEF_+ ' HE WORLD of Harold Lloyd" is one that will forever remain to students of our generation an unbelievable novelty, a relic from a time when comedy existed, qua comedy, only as an escape: un- known it may be, but it's great. Haunted, as we are, by the spec- tor of The Bomb, germ warfare, the grey flannel suit, HUAC, and security groups, it is strange to us to be able to let down and enjoy those time-tested successful ele- ments of the silent films - sur- prise, action, thrills, situation, satire and the chase. Unashamedly unrealistic "The World" transports the viewer from today into an unknown yesterday where the "average, everyday man goes out to meet the world in a straw hat." HAROLD LLOYD, one of the comedy-kings of the silent pictures as well as the "talkies," leaps from buildings, gets chased by police, nagged at by his motheriin-law, and thrown from the path of on- rushing trolleys with the grace of the proverbial gazelle. (Actually, he looks a lot like Ray Bolger did in the "Wizard of Oz" as the Scarecrow.)- The movie has seven definite sub-plots, each independent, ex- ampling all the six elements, plus one "talkie" version of Lloyd's technique. "Surprise" is short and its hu- mor is based on an event unfore- seen by the audience befalling Lloyd. For instance, after making elaborate preparations to commit suicide by jumping from a bridge with a rock around his neck, Lloyd lands.- plop - in six inches of water. "Situation" is the same now as then. Modern comedy makers haven't changed the basic forimat. Even then it had the nagging mother-in-law, loafer brother and nice but ineffectual wife. * * *: "SATIRE" poked at revolution- aries - vs - military - dictatorship - in - unnamed - South - American country. Ah, but the crowning glory, the triumph of the comedy maker's art eclipses in "The Chase." Lloyd has lifted the timeless children- pleaser to its perfection. The appeal of the chase is the absolute nobility of Lloyd as he leaps into a stolen car to go and save the girl he loves from mar- riage with the archfiend. No Gala- had or Paris could be more engag- ing or regal than Lloyd as he is driving a rampaging trolleycar through the streets scattering chickens, pedestrians and horses. The chicken feathers in his ears are a magnificent adornment. Then he abandons his trolley and takes off on a horse-drawn fruit wagon. As heyrips through the town, little boys watch, eyes ablaze, as here is the true hero, off to conquer dragons, with all the glow of chivalry surrounding him. The pounding hooves carry him to the scene of his love's unfortunate wedding-and he takes her off triumphant. IT'S HARD to tell if you are laughing or crying by the end of the chase - it is dreadfully funny slapstick, but still here is a man after a cause, undaunted by ob- stacles or the impossibility of his task. Lloyd isn't the usual Laurel and Hardy slapstick. He is someone you could possibly identify with. He gets into trouble due to unfor- tunate circumstance, not because he is a blundering dunderhead. -Malinda Berry 'I I I SGC Secrecy Unnecessary S'TUDENT GOVERNMENT Council will meet behind closed doors when it considers dead- line violations of seven social sororities. The seven sororities failed to submit ade- quate membership selection practice statements in the Office of Student Affairs by the time the 60-day deadline arrived last May. Conse- quently, they face hearings before SGC with disciplinary action a possible result. These hearings will be held behind closed doors in executive session, according to a Coun- cil ruling last February, although only the fail- ure of the sororities to submit the statements and not the contents of the statements them- selves are necessarily under discussion. Complete procedures and dates for the hear- ings have not yet been established. One soror- ity, Gamma Phi Beta, submitted an adequate statement Monday; but no penalty distinction between groups still in violation and those for- merly in violation has been announced. THERE IS, however, absolutely no reason for this secrecy. University regulations regard- ing disciplinary action against student organi- zations call for an "open hearing" to consider violations and set penalties. Undoubtedly the Council was trying to be protective and paci- fy jittery fraternal organizations when it es- tablished a procedure calling for all hearings to be conducted in executive session "except where the proper local and national authorities of the organization involved request otherwise." Blue Cross I MICHIGAN BLUE CROSS last week demon- strated why President John F. Kennedy's Medicare program should have been passed by Congress. Two weeks ago the state organization asked for a $50 increase on policies of members over 65. The current rate is slightly over $200. If approved, the insurance would cost over $300. For any subscriber such an increase would be a considerable jump, but for the elderly, living on small, fixed incomes this fee raise often will mean the decision of insurance or not. Last week, Blue Cross followed its request by Editorial Staff MICHAEL OLINICK, Editor JUDITH OPPENHEIM MICHAEL HARRAH Fditorial Director City Editor JUDITH BLEIER ................ Associate City Editor FRED RUSSELL KRAMER .. Assoc. Editorial Director CYNTHIA NEU ............ ...... Co-Magazine Editor HARRY PERLSTADT............Co-Magazine Editor CAROLINE DOW............... Personnel Director TOM WEBBER........................Sports Editor DAVE ANDREWS ............ Associate Sports Editor JAN WINKLEMAN............ Associate Sports Editor Examine what will be "protected" by closed hearings. The delinquent sororities will be asked why their statements were not turned in by the established deadline. It is certainly un- likely that a group would answer that the reason for not submitting was that there was anything in its constitution which could be con- strued as discriminatory. Therefore, at this session, no secrets will be revealed. There is little chance that the Council will ask to see the original inadequate statements filed last winter by the delinquent seven as well as of all the other sororities. If such a request were made, then there might possibly be a rea- son for calling an executive session - at that point, but not before. T HUS DISCUSSION will undoubtedly center around the right of one student organization to judge another, the right of a transitory stu- dent group to view descriptions of secret rituals and practices of a national organization, and the question of whether a national group can be considered a student organization. These are not top-secret topics. They are is- sues of campus-wide interest. They are issues already discussed openly by Panhellenic Asso- ciation officers and sorority and fraternity offi- cers and members. Students have a right to know why sororities did not submit their membership practice state- ments. An executive session to discuss the mere missing of a deadline is unjustified. -GAIL EVANS )eserts Aged trying to put the squeeze on state Insurance Commissioner Sherwood Colburn by threaten- ing to withdraw all services to the elderly unless the staggering boost is approved. Blue Cross's crass action, smacking of black- mail, belies the claims of Medicare opponents that private and quasi-private health care plans, like Blue Cross, can adequately insure the health needs of the aged at a reasonable cost. The rate increase surely indicates that private groups are willing to insure the aged. only when their profits are assured. FURTHER, the cavalier manner in which Blue Cross has treated its concern with the aged seems to demonstrate that private groups have no real commitment to insure them. Its threats indicate the aged will be served when it is economically or politically expedient to do so. The expanded program that Blue Cross pro- poses cannot hide this impression. While the program may offer adequate coverage to those who can afford it, the high cost-$360 a year per couple--puts it out of reach of those who need it most. Only the government can be expected to ac- cept the commitment to insure the aged ade- TODAY AND TOMORROW: Watchful Waiting in Cuba By WALTER LIPPMANN ALTHOUGH THERE ARE some who say that we are doing nothing about Cuba, the fact is that we are doing just about every- thing that can be done short of going to war. Besides the economic embargo we are keeping the is- land under "surveillance." We are watching every ship that comes to and goes from the island, and we are keeping a close watch on the loading and unloading of these ships. F . :a .Y f ;.t., ;r t,. ° 7, a i : "' " i,5. . <.?;. }: ", ," .t£ ' 1 . f g "j e'y ,I 4 t y © " tr .. z e / . ' j E J, , ,, " r. 'k; . .1.:a. vi'; We have accurate and current records of building operations and the deployment of aircraft axd tanks and artillery. There may be some doubt whether we have lo- cated every missile site in the vast- ness of the Soviet Union. But in Cuba, unless our cameras are fail- ing us; we are completely in- formed. As a result we are quite able to know about the development of anything like a Soviet missile base directed against the United States, and what may be more realistic, we are- able to spot any- thing like an expeditionary force against Cuba's neighbors in the islands and in the Carribbean. * *~ * OUR POLICY at the present is to. keep ourselves completely in- formed, and to wait and see whether Castro and his Soviet helpers take any .overt action against the United States or its neighbors. Beyond this, there is no serious action the United States can take to remove him which would not be an act of war. The United States is, of course. able -easily to blockade Cuba. But stopping ships under threat of seizure or sinking would be an act of war not only against Cuba but also against the Soviet Union, for we would be seizing or sinking Soviet ships. The invasion of Cuba would, of course, be an act of war against Cuba. To be sure, the United States could easily win a war against Cuba. We could close the Cuban ports within a few hours and we could occupy very quickly Havana and a few big cities. The countryside might be another story. But what we could not be sure of doing is to prevent the retaliatory moves to which we would have laid ourselves wide open, moves against Berlin, or against Turkey, or against Iran. * * * FOR WE would have acted on the rule that a possible threat. against our security or our in- terests justifies our going to war. We would be saying that be- cause Cuba, which is only 90 miles away, is in the grin of an un- We could go to war if Castro injures us. But we cannot go to, war, even against Castro, because of what he may conceivably do in the future. We cannot wage a preventive war against Castro without establishing the rule that a preventive war is legitimate against our military position in Berlin, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Thailand, South Vietnam, For- mosa, Okinawa; South Korea, and Japan. * * * IT IS TRUE, of course, that the Soviet lodgement in Cuba is a gross violation of the Monroe Doc- trine. Yet we cannot invoke the Monroe Doctrine. Why not? The Monroe Doctrine declares that "any interposition" by a European power in this hemisphere would be "the manifestation of an un- friendly disposition towards the United States." But, and this is the crucial point, the American claim for the isolation of the Western hemis- phere was coupled with a renun- ciation of American interest in the Eastern hemisphere: "In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor does it comport with our policy so to do." This fundamental passage in Monroe'smessage 'is, of course, a restatement of the principle laid down by Washington in his Fare- well Address: "Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none, or a very remote rela- tion." This basis of the Monroe Doc- trine disappeared in the twentieth century in the two World Wars, the Korean War, and the cold war. We cannot invoke the Monroe Doctrine without meeting the question of what we are doing all over Europe and Asia. OUR RIGHT to put Cuba under surveillance, and if necessary to blockade an invader, rests not on the Monroe Doctrine but on the elementary right of a people to insure its own security. For two centuries the British felt that way about the occupation of Belgium i . i4 t . S O , ax .' ..*%. o a .i I. anommma mi . . :,rMY ,