Seventy-Third Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIvERSrrY OF MICHIGAN T - UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Where Opinions * 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. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1962 NIGHT EDITOR: DAVID MARCUS 'SOAPY' COMES HOME: Former Governor Tragic Figure The Cuba Blockade: .Too Little, Too Late E OF the few encouragaing aspects of concede that it IS aggressio President Kennedy's "quarantine - block- Why then should America al ade" of the Cuban nation is that he is at last enemy to base its subterfuge 90 listening to the right political party. For the most part, Republicans to a man IN THE light of this, the Amer have demanded this action for months. Demo- as they have for the past y crats have vociferously, in one degree or an- leave themselves open like si other, opposed it. Yet their own President has they can, as they just have 6 handed them their com-uppance. to eliminate the menace. Objectively speaking, however, the action is The only trouble with the s too little, too late. Ever since President Kennedy which America is now engag took office it has been apparent that American isn't a halfway proposition. relations with the existing Cuban government praisals must be taken against were not likely to improve. In fact, it would not ernment and its Russian cohori be out of the realm of possibility to have ex- States should stay out of the a pected thexi to deteriorate even further. first place. President Kennedy has pla BUT THE die was cast at the infamous Bay sibility for the safety and digi of Pigs. When the United States did not for the preservation of the M back up the so-called 'independent" invasion and observance of the Rio of Cuba it rendered inevitable the events national pride above the whi which have just occurred. arguments for "international p Yet the question remains: What is this He has discovered, perhaps t particular blockade and is it indeed enough? Communists have no intention And of course the answer can only be that coexisting." Their goal is worl this blockade is a fiction of belligerence and they've said it enough so we sho -is, in the words of Senator John DStennis of Mississippi, only a first step, PRESIDENT Kennedy is not The United States cannot expect the Soviet the United States, he is de Union to retreat without a fight. With a chance Americas, in the name of the R to establish missile bases and supply lines 90 Monroe Doctrine - defending miles from the continental borders of the and their liberty from the Com American nation, Russia will not be ready to It has been argued that the 1 recede. Rather she will, some how, some way, seeking to block Russia from do attemptato overcome the loose blockade which what America is doing in Tur the Defense Department has erected. military installations. True en The President is committed t THE BLOCKADE itself is somewhat amusing, of Americans and not to fair Even granting that all in-and-out-bound Russians, who do not subscril ships will be stopped and searched, how does themselves. If the Russians int President Kennedy propose to detain air American bases in Tirkey, n traffic for the same purpose? There is of This fact must not deter Amer: course only one way-shoot the planes down, in her own defense. And even if this is what the President has in mind, he ctetainly cannot expect the Soviets FIN FCntis5eabeanwa to take it without retaliation, an event is a regretable nec What's more, his action, in terms of cramp- United States cannot be asked ing Cuba's style, will be totally useless. The herself any further. To do so w Soviets may well be hampered in their military out to the Devil himself, for I effort, but the Cubans themselves will not be bloc has shown it will graba inconvenienced, except perhaps politically given (North Viet Nam, Laos, e Their necessities of life will still be in full In & way, this crisis could supply, and Russian technicians can come and America. In the course of it,e go, lending professional assistance to the pro- the world would be forced to ci duction of war materials from resources already neutrality in a struggle world d available. The bloclkade will make this activity internal sovereignty is impossib somewhat less convenient, but certainly not Here It will be that Americ impossible. who are her true friends - sh who values the principles of fr THAT IN. fact the President should have concept of individual liberty e HWv up and fight. done was to place the Cuban nation underu a state of complete siege-nothing goes in T WATERS off the Cuba and nothing goes out. If President Kennedy N THE truly believes thathis action was for the best is being put to the test. The interests of both the American and the Cuban alone has consistently champ people, then he should have been prepared to every nation must choose its pull out all the stops. communism takes over, liberty are dead. This is inherent in t If we are to believe refugee reports, the d now er nation cos Cuban people are down-trodden and quite dis-nd noweveran chri satisfied with the totalitarian Castro govern- find that, like any cherisheda .ent. According to intelligence reports, its willacomeneonants citizens find many necessities in short supply quire a brave people ideed t as it is. If all supply lines were cut, the nation It is far easier and healthier would quickly be brought to its knees. This feudal subservience of a totali would have the effect of hastening internal but it is better, though riskier,t unrest against the existing regime. dom. Now granted the Russians would not take It is tragic indeed that therc that lying down either, but any course of action amogs o han thercyua which the UnitedStates may pursue from now die for it. h on will not satisfy the Soviets. Rather one act will just goad them into their own action more quickly than another. THEY WOULD rather fall bac abyss of the Dark Ages to liv T IS naive to assume that Russia does not wretchedness, believing always s 1 capture freedom by peaceful meal plan to attack the United States somehow. trorgedoywaretolgmi to forget that it took war to gail And it is equally naive to assume that they it may take war to preserve i plan to use Cuba solely for defense purposes. Fo awhile P reseKen Clearing Russia id planning at subvert the su r hile, Pesident eI pnea yt" United States. The Communists have vowed to sNowcrhedhas seen thatrofit cn do so over and over again. It would be far sim- wh ah th pler for them to employ Cuba as a jumping off without a fight. point, than to rely on communications from Thankfully he has the cour Moscow half-way around the globe. America without compromising Perhaps Russia's intent now is not physical -MICHAE aggression against America, but everyone must City Edi Demonstration Disgusting n of sort kind. low her mortal miles away? ican people can, year-and-a-half, tting ducks, or lone, take steps aber-rattling in aing, is that it Either full re- the Cuban gov- ts or the United argument in the ced his respon- ity of America, onroe Doctrine Pact, and his nning, cowering eace." o late, that the of "peacefully d conquest, and uld all believe it. only defending fending all the 1o Pact and the their freedom munist front. United States is ing in Cuba just key-setting up ough. So what? o the protection play with the be to fair play end to tolerate core fool they. ica from acting r, perhaps such essity. But the to compromise would be to sell the Communist what it is not te.). i be good for very nation in hoose sides, for omination and le. a will discover ie will discover eedom and the- nough to stand n coast, liberty United States ioned it. Now course. Once and freedom he philosophy. ng liberty will commodity, it It and will re- o fight for it. to live in the tarian regime; to live in free- e are so many age to fight for and perhaps to k in the feudal e their lives in they can re- ins. They seem n freedom, and t. sdy apparently ce at all costs. t be furthered age to defend her. L HARRAH tor - ~ j - - - -- - SIDELINE ON SGC: Whatbo tSA? By GLORIA BOWLES A VERY TIRED undersecretary of state came back to Michigan last week. It was good to have him home. Although he has been in Washington since 1960, it is still strange to hear G. Mennen Wil- liams talk about African affairs instead of Michigan's fiscal prob- lems, and it was difficult to sup- press the desire to call him "Gov- ernor" when he should be ad- dressed, "Mr. Secretary." Williams addressed a gathering of the Campus United Nations; his speech lacked the spark and vi- brance of therousing political talks of crowded Democratic rallies and picnics between 1948 and 1960. This was an older Williams, schooled in the ways of Washing- ton and of international diplo- macy, who spoke so earnestly; a smile lit his face only when he mentioned trips to Africa, or the people he met there. Williams has been making these periodic trips to the dark con- tinent since 1961, when his ap- pointment was the first announced after the Inauguration. This designation, just by virtue of being the first, was excitedly awaited by the public and widely covered by the press. The early announcement was perhaps a Kennedy gesture to acknowledge Michigan support which came at a crucial moment in the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. More importantly, the appointment was a recognition of William's talent, and a tribute to one of the most moral, and mis- understood men, in American pol- itics. * * * THE "STRANGE Williams per- sonality" was analyzed by one of Kennedy's lieutenants, and quoted by Theodore H. White in "The Making of the President": "Everyonehseemsiagreed that Williams is a man of strong con- victions. He takes himself very ser- iously and believesthat he is an instrument of God's will in furthering liberal, humanitarian causes. He is a devout Episcopalian and will show moving pictures of his trip to the Holy Land at the drop of a hat. Williams apparently sees himself as having been tapped to put the Sermon on the Mount into governmental practice. This is not a pose but reflects a sincere, if unusual conviction. I go into this in some detail because I think any approach to him which over- looks this strong religious drive- which is completely intermeshed with his personal ambition-will miss the mark." Williams has seldom been treat- ed so fairly. Unfortunately, a na- tional image of a blundering, in- effectual, union-and-Walter Reu- ther coddled politician-an image promoted by Detroit newspapers and national large - circulation news magazines-has not been af- fected by mention in a book most Americans have not read. The fact remains that, in Michigan, Wil- liams was the scapegoat for al- most every state failure whether or not it could fairly be traced to the Governor's office; Williams took the blame for many problems rising from the inaction of a con- servative state legislature. Irresponsible reporting left, in its wake, a "bad name" for the state, a political career in semi- ruin, and the blame that put an end to the high political hopes of a man who might have been nom- inated for the vice-presidency or even the presidency on the Demo- cratic ticket. * * * THE WHOLE sad affair gives us cause to reflect, not only on the abuse of its power, and the viola- tion of its public trust by news- papers and magazines, but on the shining example of moral courage as shown by Williams. In the face of adversity, he did not revert to the unjust practices of his at- tackers but, armed with religious conviction, was a very refutation of the theory that politics, to be effective, must necessarily be dirty. It is ironic and a sad commentary on the American way, that these honest motivations should be so badly misinterpreted. In the end, we can only be very happy to have seen the Governor and reminisce about those "good old twelve years"; just the same, the tall, straight man, still wear- ing the polka dot tie, is a tragic figure. WEST SIDE STORY: Enjoyable, As .Expected "WEST SIDE STORY", which opened last night at the State, is just what the audience expects it to be - good dancing, good music, and a tearful story., Drawing its action from the gangs running the west side of New York City, exploring from a sympathetic yet realistic, point of view the structure of an Ameri- can subculture, "West Side Story" will not only remain a favorite, but promises to become a contempor- ary American epic. The Jets and the Sharks are opposing gangs, warring for pos- session of the same neighborhood. Of course, the Jets are "Ameri- can," and the Sharks "PR's" (Puerto Ricans). A good excuse% for a rumble arises when Maria, sister of the Sharks, dances with Tony, a former member of the Jets, at a social gathering in the school gym. The resulting .tangle of fights and murders is tragic in its setting of New York slums and beautifully-staged dancing. * * * ONE WOULD have thought the dancers were slinkies in costume for all their fluidity and ease of movement. They trod the scenes with a feline grace alas not found often in modern films. The music, with which every coed who lives in a dorm is prob- ably familiar, is properly inspir- film like an old friend. ing and guides one through the Natalie Wood, though somewhat unconvincing as a Puerto Rican immigrant, plays her role well. Her singing is adequate, and she is awfully pretty. TONY AND Maria, the newest Romeo and Julie combo, even in- dulge in balcony scenes; but no- body minds, and there's1rnot a dry eye in the audience during the in- evitable death scene. But the best scene in the entire picture is the "Officer Krupke" sequence where the Jets imitate all the bogeymen of their lives: the social worker, the judge, and the psychiatrist, all of whom have different solutions for their "prob- lems." Having discovered at last with delight that their maladjust- ment lies in the "social disease" of juvenile delinquency, the Jets collapse in laughter which comes all too infrequently to them. "I've just got to see "West Side Story" when it comes," say many hundreds. Here it is. It's good en- tertainment - so go, already, and get it out of your system. You'll enjoy it. --Ruth Hetmanski By GAIL EVANS SHOULD THE University remain a member of USNSA? What do you think.? Oh, you don't know what the letters stand for. Don't be too em- barrassed if you don't know what they mean the United States Na- tional Student Association. Sure, you could have learned by reading The Daily editorials and news stories on the NSA congress which took place this summer, but that was a long time ago. Student Gov- ernment Council sent 13 of its members to the congress, and has a special NSA committee. * * COUNCIL was mandated last February to give final considera- tion to continued affiliation with NSA before the November elec- tions. But this does not mean that the students, who are repre- sented by Council members, have been informed about what NSA did at its congress or of the many edu- cational services which NSA makes available to student govern- ments. All right, let's admit that many students don't know anything about NSA except maybe that they have heard vague rumors that it is nothing but a sounding board for extremist student political groups. If this assumption is made, what would be the most illogical thing for SGC to do? Obviously, to re- fer the question of continued par- ticipation in NSA to the students at the Nov. 14 election. * * * THERE IS nothing basically wrong with the idea that students should have the right to determine whether they want SGC to remain active in "the United States Na- tional Union of students," how- ever, they should be adequately prepared and informed before be- ing asked to cast an intelligent vote. It does not seem reasonable that Council should ask the students to assimilate all the necessary in- formation in a little more than two weeks when a comprehensive educational campaign could have been conducted since at least last February. Yet, holding an all-campus ref- erendum Nov. 14 is exactly the provision eight of the 14 voting Council members wanted to pass at Wednesday night's meeting. ** * FORTUNATELY, the eight con- servative votes were not sufficient to put the issue on the ballot, since a referendum proposal requires a two-thirds majority of Council. Arguing in favor of the referen- dum, Michigan Union president Robert Finke said that by placing the NSA question on the ballot, SGC would demonstrate that the body does care about the students and their opinions. He asserted that the up-coming election needs an issue like NSA and that there is time to inform the student body during the campaign. SGC member Robert Ross said that participation in the associa- tion should not be referred to the campus. He cited several condi- tions necessary before an issue should be made a referendum. Pri- marily, there must be time to in- to "force people to say what NSA does for our campus," Meyerholz's observation, though not intended as a self-condemna- tion, cannot be construed in any other light. Meyerholz himself at- tended the congress as an alter- nate. He criticizes the lack of in- formation available to students about NSA yet he himself has done little to correct this informational void. Although he was at the con- gress, he spent little time and ef- fort to learn about and partici- pate in NSA. The other delegates to the NSA congress have also been delinquent in explaining the nature and func- tions of the association. SGC's NSA )committee has not at present brought before Council any evalu- ation of the assembly, nor has it tried in any way to inform the campus about the union of stu- dents. At the Council table there has been no discussion of the congress except SGC treasurer Thomas Brown's persistent pleadings to get the delegates to turn in a list of their expenses. THE DESIRE of some members of SGC to place NSA participation on a referendum is inconsistent with the motion passed last Feb- ruary which prompted the present interest in the University's affilia- tion with the association. That mo- tion stated that "SGC believes that a campus-wide referendum presents the opportunity for ex- tremist groups to exploit for their own partisan purposes the positive concern of the Council with USNSA." Certainly, this "positive concern of Council with USNSA" is a myth, when members don't take the time to explain either the good or the bad aspects of the association. * * * SINCE NSA will not be referred to the campus on the Nov. 14 bal- lot, Council has two alternatives: to propose a later date for a refer- endum when constituents will have adequate time and opportunity to inform themselves, or consider participation in NSA at the Coun- cil table itself. A majority vote is necessary to maintain or reject participation. Some Council mem- bers would like to vote next Wednesday. However, this too would be an irresponsible move. Council mem- bers represent students. Their vote should reflectthe opinions of their constituency not the Council mem- ber's individual views on the value of NSA. Therefore, until the members are able to feel the pulse of an in- formed student body on the pros and cons of NSA, they themselves cannot vote with a- clear con- science. Any Council member who served as a delegate, but would vote against NSA because he feels it does not represent students, is merely publishing his own inabil- ity to correct this situation. A vote 'taken at the Council table would in theory be just as democratic as a referendum. Stu- dent government is a representa- tive system. The up-coming elec- tion will go a long way to inform the student body about NSA. When Council members think that they have accurately and completely gauged the sentiments of an informed constituency, then and only then should this repre- sentative body record its decision on continued affiliation with NSA. NOVEMBER ELECTIONS: Implications of. Kennedy's Actions THE PARTICIPANTS in the peace demon- stration Wednesday were met with loud and constant jeering. Typical of this was the following, repeated over and over again: "If you're anti-JFK, then go to Cuba!" Demonstrators opposing the blockade were labeled ,un-patriotic. A counter-demonstrator charged that the students protesting President Kennedy's action in Cuba did not even deserve to call themselves Americans. The sign one girl carried was forcibly taken from her by a counter-demonstrator. At one point, the students supporting Kennedy block- ed the sidewalk and refused to allow the others to continue their protest. THEIMPLICATION of these angry students' actlons, being made more apparent as the crisis continues, is that there is strong feeling supporting the idea that in a national emer- freedom of their fellow Americans for the cheap price of national unity. Hitler's Germany was unified in opinion; the people of the Soviet Union can also be made to display a unified front to the world. THE ESSENCE of the "American" patriotism being flaunted in the faces of the dissentors, being shoved down their throats now in the time of a national crisis, is a misdirected patriotism. For when students who protest the policies of the government have to "go to, Cuba," then the garrison distatorship-a com- plete antithesis of true American patriotism- ,will have been effected. The determination of American citizens to assemble peacefully and express their ideas AND the willingness to allow others to do so cannot be construed as un-patriotic. It is the By H. NEIL BERKSON ONE VERY important aspect of President Kennedy's Cuban blockade has yet to be considered. As international tensions remain on the rise the United States gu- bernatorial and congressional elec- tions 10 days hence have been all but forgotten. Undeniably, however, the block- ade has already left its mark on the campaign by removing Cuba as a partisan issue. Moreover, any future analysis of who won where and why will be incomplete with- out a judgment of the impact of the Cuban crisis. Another developing story, so far crowded out of the headlines by the events of this week, which may affect the elections is the India- China border war. The situation is deteriorating daily. As of yes- terday, Chinese troops were 17 miles inside the Indian border. They give no indication that they will stop their offensive. Nehru, in a vast reversal of his long-time pacifism, has declared that India will not quit fighting until every Chinese soldier has been pushed back over the border. critical at any time. The Presi- dent's pointed reference to that area in his speech Monday night is an obvious hint that we are gird- ing for retaliatory measures by Russia in response to the Cuba blockade. FOR BETTER or worse, it seems certain that concern over the world situation - concern, in oth- er words, over survival - is des- tined to overshadow the domestic issues facing the country. One is immediately reminded of the 1956 election when two foreign crises far less salient than those at present destroyed the closeness' of the presidential race between Stevenson and Eisenhower, sweep- ing the latter back into office. On October 23 of that year, two weeks before the election. Hun- garian freedom fighters took to the streets in defiance of the re- gime of Premier Andrus Hegedus. American public opinion debated whether or not to aid the rebels. Eventually, of course, the revolt was put down. Six days later Israeli troops in- vaded Egypt; two days after that -and five days before the elec- tion-British and French troops Foster Dulles, privately encour- aged the British and French to go into Egypt, then publically turned on them. As for Hungary, it put to rest Dulles' vain-glorious pledge to "free the captive nations of Europe." While the Hungary and Suez crises did help Eisenhower, they did not get him a Republican Con- gress. However, foreign policy is playing a much bigger role this year than it did in 1956. Cuba was a major Republican issue un- til Monday. Now the tables are turned. * * * MUCH OF the nation strongly likes Kennedy's action, and could very easily translate its approval into votes for Democratic Con- gressmen and governors. The President has striven to label his Republican opposition obstruction- ist. If he has gotten this image across, the country may be afraid to elect men who will block his moves. The Republican party is now at- tempting to associate itself with the Cuban decision - Sen. Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania has said, for instance, that Republican criticsm Dakota, Abraham Ribicoff in Con- necticut, and Gaylord Nelson in Wisconsin are possible beneficiar- ies. Democratic incumbents in trouble such as John Carroll of Colorado and Ernest Gruening of Alaska may also be helped. In Michigan, Governor Swain- son, in serious trouble in his cam- paign against Romney, is attempt- ing to gain votes from the block- ade by announcing all sorts of civil defense measures. This may or may not give him a boost. THE MORE critical the world situation becomes in the next 10 ten days, the more likely it will help the Democrats. In his speech the President said the Cuban missile bases would be assembled within two weeks. He said the blockade would only be our first step unless they were dismantled. It is conceivable that we would be pouring troops onto the island the day before our own elections. At the same time, if the tensions lessen considerably within the next ten days, President Kenne- dy's action will have been vindi- cated and he will still be the win- ner on the domestic political front. I