Igw £iciia D
Eighty-one years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Angela Davis: Innocence by association?
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News Phone: 764-0552
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
ur the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1972
NIGHT EDITOR: PAT BAUER
Ireland: Get the troops out
THE TRAGEDY of Northern Ireland
seems to have no ready solution, but
one positive step which should and must
be taken now, is to remove the 15,000
man British garrison.
When British troops came to Ulster in
1969 to protect the warring Catholic and
Protestant factions from each other, they
were greeted with tea and biscuits in the
Catholic ghettos.
But the troops soon demonstrated that
they were there to defend the ruling pro-
testant government of Premier Brian
Faulkner.
Gun searches, were conducted by the
army in the Catholic areas, while Pro-
testant areas were left undisturbed.
Similarly, curfews, enforced by the army,
were imposed on Catholic districts but
not on the Protestant ones.
ITE MOST odious use of British troops,
in the eyes of Ulster's Catholics, has
been in enforcing the government's poli-
cy of internment without trial of sus-
pected terrorists.
The image of British soldiers as a neu-
tral peacekeeping force was destroyed
completely on Sunday, Jan. 30, when
-troops killed 13 unarmed civilians par-
ticipating in a civil rights demonstration.
The basic Ulster problem-that of two
communities that hate each other living
side by side-is a complex one.
Catholics who three years ago were
asking for job equality and better hous-
ing are now demanding "a united Ire-
land or nothing," in the words of one
member of the Ulster opposition.
THE PROTESTANTS, however, are
afraid of being swallowed up by the
Catholic majority to the south, and "will
not tolerate" such a proposition, accord-
ing to Faulkner.
Britain could impose direct rule on
Ulster, replacing the Protestant govern-
ment entirely, but this would be con-
strued by the Protestants as a prelimi-
nary to reunification with the South.
The only possibility for some kind of
solution-and this is only a tenuous first
step-would be for Britain to sponsor ne-
gotiations between the Protestant and
Catholic factions, in an attempt to form
a government acceptable to both sides.
These negotiations must be entered
with no pre-existing demands by either
side-the possibilities of both a reformed
Ulster government and a reunification
with the South must be left open.
MORE IMMEDIATELY, however, the
British troops - which have the ap-
pearance of coercing people for no posi-
tive goal and which function in a provo-
cative role - must be removed, now.
--LINDSAY CHANEY
The following is a state-
ment by the Ann Arbor
branch of the Young Work-
ers Liberation Lea gue (YW-
LL), the fraternal youth or-
ganization of the U. S. Com-
munist Party (CPUSA).
ANGELA DAVIS has been in
jail, without bail, since Octo-
ber 13, 1970, nearly 500 days. She
is charged with the crimes of mur-
der, kidnap, and conspiracy in
connection with the attempt by
Jonathan Jackson to use a judge
as ransom to free his brother
George.
The news media have given
much attention to her case. It has
reported Pres. Nixon's statement
that Angela is "one of those who
engages in terrorist acts;" and it
has reported every incident where
some "liberator" has committed
an act of terror supposedly aimed
at winning Angela's freedom.
Yet, the news media has not re-
ported the truth.
It has not given nearly as much
coverage to her claim of inno-
cence as it did to Nixon's claim
of her guilt.
It has not reported that Angela
is denied bail despite her consti-
tutional right to presumption of
innocence; the recommendations
that bail be granted, given by
both the probation officer of the
county where she was formerly
held and the sheriff of the coun-
ty where she is presently held;
and the massive support of large
sections of the American people
for her right to bail.
The media has not reported
that two other Californians ccur-
rently charged with murder, in-
cluding one who has admitted to
the crime, have been granted bail.
It has not, in the main, related
the Angela Davis case to the long
string of racist frame-ups against
the Black 'Panther Party and'
other black revolutionaries.
Most of all, it has not reported
the fact that while the Commu-
nist Party (CPUSA), of which An-
gela is a well known member, is in
theory and practice opposed to in-
involved than just the Communist
Party. The Palmer Raids were the
ruling class reaction to the mas-
sive strike wave that followed
World War I, and they temporar-
ily succeeded in halting the un-
ionization of basic industry.
The McCarthy repression was
not only aimed at crushing the
CPUSA. It also succeeded in split-
ting the CIO, setting back the
black liberation movement, and it
advanced the racist and anti-com-
munist ideology which was the
basis for winning the American
people to temporary support for
the Indochinese war.
Now the American people are
in a period of unprecedented up-
surge, and again reaction is at-
tempting to use racism and anti-
communism to split and repress
the movement. The Angela Davis
frame-up is, in our opinion, the
central focus of this effort by re-
action.
Consider that Angela, a black
woman and a member of CPUSA,
was active in mass struggles and
not individual acts of terrorism; 4
and that the CPUSA is against in-
dividual terrorism because it de-
tracts from mass struggle.
And consider that in the recent
past, there has been an accelera-
tion of violent repression and
courtroom frame-up of black rev-
olutionaries coupled with a long
history of such repression and
frameup against the CPUSA.
THE YWLL believes that An-
gela Davis is innocent, as she has
declared-the events at San Ra-
fael courthouse are contradictory
to her political activities and be- q
liefs. This is just one more frame-
up in the long chain.
Therefore, we urge all demo-
cratically - minded members of
the University community to rally
behind the Ann Arbor Committee
to Free Angela Davis, and to join
its efforts.
-Associated Press
Security measures at the trial
dividual terrorism, there has been
a long history of framing Com-
munists on charges of terrorism.
FOR INSTANCE, Henry Wins-
ton, the current National Chair-
man of the CPUSA, was convict-
ed (along with several others)
about 20 years ago of violating the
Smith Act, which prohibits teach-
ing or advocating now or some-
time in the future, the violent
overthrow of the U.S. government.
While in prison, he developed
an illness which, due to the racist
neglect of the prison authorities,
resulted in his becoming blind.
After his release from prison, the
Supreme Court ruled the Smith
act unconstitutional.
Winston, who was thus innocent
of the charges, recently wrote
this about the events at San Ra-
fael.
"There is an irreconcilable con-
tradiction between terrorist acts
and mass struggle ...
"That is why Jonathon Jack-
son's action was one of futile self-
sacrifice. The act that resulted in
his tragic loss to the movement,
and in the frame-up of Angela
Davis and her removal from the
scene as a dedicated leader of the
m a s s struggle, simultaneously
jeopardized Jonathon's very aim
- freeing his brother George
Jackson."
WITHIN THREE months after
those words were written, George
Jackson was murdered in San
Quentin Prison.
Later in the same artcle, Win-
ston quotes the following from the
1970 CPUSA program:
"Social revolution is basic
transformation of society, basic
change in economic, political, and
social relationship. More, socialist
revolution represents a transition
in which not a tiny minority of
exploiters but the overwhelming
majority, the working class and
all the working people-become
the rulers.,
"So profound a transformation
cannot be made by a coup or con-
soiracy. It can only be effected
through active participation of
masses of people, black and white
together . . . it would require the
conscious effort of a popular ma-
jority."
think so . . . It would result only
in individual action, if any."
In addition to the above, a cou-
ple other example of unsuccessful
frame-ups or unconstitutional
conviction of Communists are the
Palmer Raids of the 1920's (which
also resulted in the execution of
Sacco and Vanzetti) case in the
1930's, the Angelo Herndon and
the McCarfran act convictions.
There are many others.
THUS, THERE is a long his-
tory of unjustified repression
against Communists. Yet, more in
Even sewage has a future
NOBODY CARES about sewage until
. something has to be done about it;
not even the various government agen-
cies established solely for that purpose.
But., now, because the city's sewage
treatment- is at its near capacity level,
something does have to be done. There
exist two alternatives: Mayor Robert
Harris would like to see the expansion
of the city's local plant (to the tune of
approximately $23 million); and the
Southeast Michigan Council of Govern-
ments (SEMCOG)-an advisory agency
to the state and federal grant-giving
agencies-would like a regional sewage
treatment system established, with Ann
Arbor a part of the group.
Specifically, the Harris' proposal of
plant expansion would involve the ad-
dition of retention basins and tertiary
treatment (supposedly the best, with
the sand filtration process). The only
flaw is the funding of the plan as such.
Presently, the city depends on state
and federal grant-giving agencies to
cover 75 per cent of-the costs of the pres-
ent treatment plant. Therefore, it is in-
herent that the city at least retain these
government grants. There would also
have to be an increase in the city's water
and sewage rates or taxes, to finance the
expansion.
TN CONTRAST, the SEMCOG plan in-
volves miles of pipeline joining the
various parts of three counties all into
one treatment plant on Lake Erie, where
they'll receive less than tertiary treat-
ment and subsequently add to the pollu-
tion of the lake.
At the insistence of Ann Arbor's city
council, the state's Water Resources
Commission (WRC) initiated a cost study
of SEMCOG's down-river proposal. How-
ever, it becomes increasingly obvious that
the WRC is simply studying existing data
and not considering the future of the'
water.quality.
Continual politicking instead of con-
cerned environmental perusement of the
situation has definitely intensified the
problem.
The root of the whole matter (as is
usually the case) is money, and not en-
vironmental quality. Because no one is
pointing a gun at the various agencies'
heads, they naturally, do not of their own
free will, initiate tertiary (the best and
most expensive) treatment.
If enacted, tertiary treatment of do-
mestic and industrial wastes can act as
preventive medicine and inhibit the de-
velopment of atrocities such as Lake Erie
seems doomed to become.
Harris added that "In 15 years, the
load of storm water, a major tource of
pollution, will create a need to return to
decentralized treatment plants," and
there will have been wasted (if the down
river plan were followed) approximately
$250 million.
TODAY'S DECISIONS need to be made
with an eye on tomorrow, with an
eye on the betterment of tomorrow's
water quality; and The expansion of Ann
Arbor's local sewage treatment plant of-
fers the solution to tomorrow's water
quality.
-SUE STEPHENSON
'U' male chauvinism:
A sportin affar
By SARA KRULWICH
T HE MICHIGAN Sports Department still has not accepted the fact
that there are women around who are capable professionals.
Three years ago, I was kept off the football field by a kindly gentle-
man, who later apologized, saying, "I just didn't realize that you were 0
a real photographer - the women who usually go on the field are girl-
friends of the photographers and we don't like having them there."
But it's been three years since then, and I thought the Sports Depart-
ment and I had declared a truce. So, with no hesitation, I decided Fri-
day night to take my first hockey pictures for The Daily.
At the door, I was hassled because I had the wrong press pass.
Now, I'll accept that as normal, but I will not accept the patronizing'6
attitude of the man who finally let me in. He even made me open my
camera bag to see if I really did have actual equipment in there, saying
"how do I know you've got cameras - your bag could be filled with
booze. "
GUS HALL, currently general
secretary of the CPUSA, who like
x..;fWinston, was convicted under the
unconstitutional Smith Act, was
also the victim of a frame-up at-
tempt in the 1930's.
In his speech to the founding
convention of the YWL, Hall ex-
plained the party's line in regard
to "pick up the gun" as a slo-
gan of self defense:
"At this stage of struggle what
would be the result of such a tac-
tical slogan? Would it get a re-
sponse from the people? I don't
-Associated Press
I had to agree to take his picture, his friend's picture, anyone's
picture, before he finally let me in. I suppose that was cute enough to
sooth his male ego.
U
Letters to The Daily
Hall 'courtesies'
To The Daily:
SO TENANTS have responded
wonderfully to Craig Hall's "little
courtesies" (Daily, Jan. 27)? Well,
we certainly haven't seen these
figments of his imagination. The
only "courtesies" that we have
gotten from Hall have been the
result of hard collective bargain-
ing.
After two fires in our apartment
building, Hall is balking at instal-
ling fire extinguishers as it ap-
pears is required by the c i t y
housing code. If he doesn't 'have
them put in before the end of this
month, there is going to be trou-
ble.
We are in contact and working
with a number of other Hall build-
ings and we intend to make sure,
that the concessions that we have
gained are applied to all Hall build-
ings.
-Fifteen residents of
939 Dewey Ave.
Feb. 5
Book burning
To The Daily:
FOR THE persistent morons
with their "burn the books" plan.
Why do they try to destroy t h e
libraries? Don't they realize those
books are the only honest words
on campus? They should think be-
fore they light.
-Beth Greeley, '74
Feb. 4
In response to the arson
LICE AND fire officials arrived on
the scene too late yesterday to save
the latest targets of arson on campus: 57
rare books in the Graduate Library. This
brought the total number of fires on
campus in the past 12 days up to 16,
seven of which occurred in the Univer-
sity's libraries.
By now, almost no one finds justifi-
cation for this arson on political grounds;
the attempts to associate the destruction
with the movements to free Angela Davis
or support the IRA have been discredited
by strong disclaimers frorm these groups
themselves. Further, the pattern of the
recent arson lends itself toward identi-
fication at the work of a small group of
provacateurs.
hours in question, few (or sometimes no)
guards were on duty.
This reasoning neglects the fact that
nearly all the fires have occurred dur-
ing daylight and early evening hours. In
addition, since security officials say more
guards are on duty since the rash of
fires began, security could be increased
-especially during the daytime-with-
out resorting to decreasing hours as a
deterrent to arson.
The most discouraging aspect of this
problem is that the University and po-
lice have done so little. Virtually nothing
has been done to discourage arson in
the dorms. All the police have done is to
assign one man to investigates the fires.
WITH NO VISIBLE progress being made
Sweepstakes loser
To The Daily:
AS ONE OF the Michigan 700
(the estimated 700 University men
alloted low numbers in last week's
draft lottery; I would like to thank
Lynn Weiner for the highly com-
mendable article on this year's
draft lottery (Daily, Feb. 2).
I, too, find it difficult to believe
that so many people could totally
ignore an event which had such
great bearing on my life. Ev,.ry-
one of us should realize that as
long as one person is being draft-
ed against his will we should all
feel as guilty of the crime as if
we ourselves were sitting on that
draft board. If you do not have
such a feeling then truly you may
not consider yourself a brother
of mankind.
Any society which, through si-
lence, condones the random
slaughter of humanhbeings can-
not consider itself highly civilized.
For, according to the true defin-
ition of civilization we should have
left savagery and barbarism be-
hind long ago Does the United
States of America actually fit the
above definition? Does a social or-
ganization which allows the geno-
cide of a national death lottery
to take place annually deserve to
hold the position of a world-lead-
ing humane culture?
-Jeffrey W. Ritter. '75
BUT IT WASN'T over yet.
Inside the arena, I wasyfollowed by the security agents, who asked
me for ID, told me I could not stand next to other photographers, and
finally said that if I didn't stop blocking the view of the fans who had
paid to get in, I'd be thrown out.
Normally I would not have balked at such treatment, but this'l
case was highly suspect. There were at least four other photographers
-all male - at the exact place I was standing. None of them were
bothered, and my colleague, a male, said that it was only upon my
appearance that the guards began their harrassment.
I would not be bothered, either, if it had been an isolated incident,
but I was accosted by the guards at least six times during the first
fifteen minutes I was in the arena.
NO OTHER PHOTOGRAPHER, with or without credentials, was
hassled even once, except, of course, one who happened to defend me.
With a casual turn of the head, the guards immediately included him
in the tirade.
Arguing with a male was more dignified, it seemed, so they left
me alone, then, acting as if I didn't have the brains to answer their*
questions without male help.
After 30 minutes, I walked out. The game wasn't over, but I
just didn't like being treated like the hockey puck.
WHEN I LEFT, Michigan was losing and I couldn't have been
happier.
Sara. Krulwich is a photographer for The Daily, and has had
the honor of being the first woman photographer ever officially
allowed on the University's tartan turf.
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