I Eh A tric41an Bath Eighty-four years of editorial freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Thursday, September 26, 1974 News Phone: 764-0552 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 VP confirmation:iWeak work AS VICE-PRESIDENT-DESIGNATE Nelson Rockefeller coasts through his confirmation hearings, the na- tion shows dreadful signs of slipping into euphemistic post - Watergate numbness. It seems we are so tired of finding criminals in the White House that we now rush to stamp "innocent" and "trustworthy" on the first politician who walks into the room. The man happens to be Rockefel- ler, and the common wisdom says that anyone with so much moola couldn't possibly be out to line his pockets with taxpayers' dollars, no matter how many pockets he has. Worse yet, the Congress appears satisfied with a partial probe of the family's awesome financial empire, instead-of the kind of painstaking no- stone-unturned work that ripped open Watergate. Already the members of the Sen- ate's Rules and Administration Com- mittee say they are ready to con- firm Rockefeller -- despite his ad- mission Tuesday that he sought fav- ored government treatment for Grumman Aerospace Corp. JT WAS THE KIND OF incident that would have brought banner head- lines before Watergate. Rockefeller, investigators' evidenceshowed, lean- ed on former Atty. Gen. John Mit- chell and other officials to rescue the financially ailing corporation with a fat new space shuttle contract. Analmost apologetic Rockefeller told the Senators he wished politics didn't affect the awarding of govern- ment contracts, but "I was doing my duty for my constituents." He said he honestly feared for the ill for- tunes of Grumman's executives if the company went under. We are tempted to point out that things are tough all over, and to wonder if Rocky ever channeled fed- eral money to Attica prison officials, whose careers certainly must have taken a lot of heat after the massa- cre. We recall the last two years and laugh at the idea of Spiro Agnew of- fering a defense of "my constituents" for contracts shuffled illegally to Maryland building contractors. The contractors, no doubt, had tough ca- reers, too. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE may lie in the fact that no one will get very far trying to bribe Nelson Rockefel- ler. But that is little comfort in light of the attempted Grumman deal. What if a war breaks out in Guate- mala and Rockefeller's "constitu- ents" who run Exxon's South Ameri- can oil wells complain of failing ca- reers? Or if the would-be vice presi- dent's "constituents" in the fuel in- dustry are troubled by a ban on oil price hikes? Again and again, we are faced with a stupid, frustrating defiance of the Watergate proverb: public officials must not be placed on pedestals be- yond the reach of investigators, pro- secutors, the Congress, and the peo- ple. And Rockefeller's defiance of that lesson is perhaps less disgust- ing than the Senate's remarkable at- traction to letting him get away with it. ..-DAN BIDDLE Whales] By J. MARK LAVELLE Herman Melville, the author of "Moby Dick," once said, "The moot point is, whether Leviathan can long endure so wide a chase, and so remorseless a havoc . .. and the last whale, like the last man, smoke his last pipe, and then himself evaporate in the final puff." Melville would be surprised to learn that whaling reached its height in the last decade. A factory ship can dispose of an 80-ton carcass in 30 minutes. No ani- mal can endure such, a massive technological on- slaught. The 1972 U. N. Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment unanimously called for a 10-year moratorium on all whaling to give the whales a chance to replenish their decimated ranks. However, the whal- ing nations, led by I. Fujita, Japan's chief delegate to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and Chairman of the Japan Whaling Association (JWA), have refused to follow the U. N. scientists' warnings. Instead, Fujita filed an "objection," and the JWA there- by committed Japan to continued killing of the endan- gered fin whale. THE MIGHTIEST ANIMAL that ever lived, the blue whale, has been hunted to the point of "commercial extinction." Many scientists fear that not enough male and female whales will be able to mate to preserve the species. During the peak year of 1930-31, whalers took almost 30,000 blue whales. Today some scientists' estimates of the remaining population range from 600 to 3,000. After 200 years the United States stopped its com- mercial exploitation of the great whales, banning all whaling and declaring an embargo on the importation of all products derived from whales. The present strong stand against whaling of the U. S. delegation to the IWC came only after a combination of factors includ- ing a massive campaign by conservation organizations, obsolescence of the U. S. whaling fleet, and the drastic reduction of the number of whales made whaling no longer profitable. Whales are killed for the most trivial of reasons. Jacques Cousteau in his book, "The Whale, Mighty Monarch of the Sea", states, "Surely whales have more to offer us than 'seafood' for our dogs, oil, or stays for corsets and ribs for umbrellas." There is a substitute for every whale product. In 1970, Alex Recchiute de- veloped a synthetic sulfurized sperm oil. Nevertheless, the sperm whale (Moby Dick was a snerm whale) is still being pursued by the whalers for oil. THE JAPAN WHALTNG Association puts out a pam- phlet which states, "'Whale meat and blubber which have graced the dining tables of Japan for hundreds of years are about to be curtailed or completely taken away from us by people who never thought of whale meat in terms of food . . . It is only because of sheer necessity that Japan is engaged in whaling." Let us examine the argument used by the JWA to justify continued whaling. Although the Japanese do eat whale meat, the quantity is small. Less than one per cent of Japan's animal protein diet is made up of whale meat. The sperm whale, which is still being hunted, is inedible. And whales are being killed to export whale meat delicacies into communities like Ann Arbor. (The Big Ten Party Stores, Inc. 1928 Pack- ard Road, sell Daimaru Yamatoni whale meat). The Japan Food Corporation, operating out of San Fran- cisco, imports the whale meat into the U. S. in ap- parent disregard of federal and state conservation law. One is tempted to ask JWA representative Fujita how many Michigan citizens are dependent on whale meat to fulfill their animal protein requirements. Here we can see the bogus nature of the JWA's "we need whales to eat" argument. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME of the major conserva- tion groups involved in the struggle to save the Great Whales have inadvertently strengthened the hand of the Japan Whaling Association by calling for a boycott of all Japanese products. Until recently, the whaling industry has been able to discredit all legitimate ef- forts to bring the facts of the whaling tragedy to the Japanese public by pointing to the boycott and por- traying the efforts of the environmentalists a "an anti- Japanese, isolationist campaign backed by American business." Desire to halt the whale slaughter, frustration with the totally ineffective IWC's political antics, and ignor- ance of Japanese domestic political realities have led these well-intentioned organizations to overlook some important facts: Japanese workers are unlikely to lis- ten dispassionately to the irrefutable truths of an is- sue when their jobs are being threatened. The broad- based economic boycott makes it impossible to isolate the JWA from the Japanese people. NEEDLESS TO SAY, the JWA has been able to dominate the media with its propaganda by playing upon latent Japanese nationalism. Literature character- izing the Japanese as "greedy, barbaric whale killers", cartoons portraving whale hunting planes with WWII "Jan Zero" insignias, bespectacled, bucktoothed pilots reminiscent of the wartime propaganda pictures of the kamikaze, and devious-looking, Tojo-like soldiers cry- ing, "Banzai!" from atop butchered whale heaps hurt attempts to gain international cooperation in preserv- ing the whales. If a whale could speak English, un- doubtedly it would ask to be saved with appeals to un- derstanding, not hatred. Tactically, the boycott is poorly conceived. If eco- nomic pressure, as a drastic last resort, is to be used effectively, it must be focused on some rather than all Japanese multinational corporations. The Save the Whales campaign, Project Understand- ing, which is based in Yokohama, Japan was establish- ed by Japanese and American employes of Sony cor- poration. Project Understanding is conducting a boy- cott of Sony in conjunction with the Japanese consum- er movement until the JWA agrees to the U. N. call for a 10-year moratorium on all whaling. THE REASONS FOR CHOOSING Sony were quite pragmatic. First, Sony is a natural target, having fi- nancial connections with the whaling industry. One of the major stockholders of both Kyokuyo (a major whal- er) and Sony is the Mitsui Bank and Trust. Further- more, Nomura Securities is the underwriter for both. Sony employes report that sulfurized sperm oil is being used in the corporation's factories as lubricant instead of the more expensive synthetic substitute. Sony is extremely vulnerable to economic pressure both in Japan and in the U.S. (The company's plans for expansion into Europe and Arabia are dependent on its American foreign-capital base remaining stable.) Sony has numerous international connections and subsidiaries. As Mike Wallace noted on his "60 Min- utes" program entitled "Mr. Sony," the company's president cannot afford to ignore world opinion. SAVE THE WHALES WEEK in Ann Arbor will be highlighted by the Save the Whales Rally tomorrow in Crisler Arena featuring speakers, films, and whale sounds beginning at 7:30 p.m. Joan Baez will appear in concert at 8:30. Some good seats still remain. Today, the Time-Life film Whales, Dolphins, and Men will be shown at 7 p.m. in Rackham Auditorium, and at 8 p.m. there will be a seminar discussion with members from Japanese and American conservation organiza- tions. Admission is free - funded by the proceeds from the Joan Baez Concert. Project Understanding asked Joan Baez to sing for the Great Whales because of her deep commitment to social issues. She is Japan's favorite American sing- er and has deep affection for the Japanese people. All major media outlets have been contacted in Japan by Project Understanding, and this "appeal to the Japa- nese neonle for international solidarity in stopping Sony and the Japan Whaling Association" will certainly not go unnoticed. J. Mark Lavelle is a Project Understanding organizer Who did graduate work at the University's Center for Japanese studies. He has also studied at Keio University in Tokyo. ace extermination Chastising Nixon: A national duty UGLI reserve causes delay N THE PAST FEW YEARS, two things have made a trip to the UGLI an unpleasant and time-con- suming experience. The first one was the man who checked your books as you were leaving. He was a meticu- lous as a Turkish customs inspec- tor confronted with a van full of hip- pies. This resulted in long lines at the UGLI exit, especially at inconven- ient times like between classes. The other problem was getting a book at the reserve desk. You turned in your request and cooled your heels with the rest of the mob, wasting time while you wanted to get the book and start reading it. TODAY'S STAFF: News: Bill Heenan, Stephen Hersh, Cindy Hill, Judy Ruskin, Jeff Sor- ensen Editorial Page: Becky Warner Arts Page: Jeff Sorensen Photo Technician: Stuart Hollander This summer one of the hassles was eliminated. The human check- er was replaced by an electronic de- vice and egress from the UGLI is no longer delayed. THE OTHER PROBLEM, however, has gotten worse. For some rea- son, the number of people needing reserve material has increased and so has the waiting period. The re- serve desk also seems crowded and it sometimes takes longer to wait for a book or article than it does to read it. Last year it took 10 minutes to discover the material you requested was out, now it takes 25. It is obvious that the method now used to distribute reserve books is inefficient. There must be better ways to deal with the increased volume. The library staff should consider more efficient alternatives to the present system. By WAYNE JOHNSON G' ERALD FORD'S lack of embarrass- ment as he discusses the Nixon par- don is almost painful to watch. He wants to be a good boy, and in his own inept misguided way, he tries very hard. The thought of being the "only one who could make that decision" obviously ov- erwhelms him. But to deny little school children the right to see their ex-president perfect his drive at Lompoc Prison is very cruel. Every 15 seconds, somewhere in Ameri- ca, a student asks her teacher when Nix- on will begin his stretch. Imagine the pitiful little tears that stream down her face when the instructor explains that history has been shortchanged. All is forgiven. Since there is no legal way to over- ride Ford's pardon, we must be de- vious and nasty. Dick Nixon has not even suffered a little bit, let alone enough. We must begin a wide campaign to hurt his feelings. It will be tough. People have been in- sulting Richard for as long as he has been insulting them. He has a thick cal- lus around his brain that doesn't allow too much in or out. NIXON HAS, however, developed sore spots over the years that can be poked and probed and saturated with stinging antiseptics. Ford, a poor doctor, doesn't understand that one cannot heal an in- fected wound by slapping on a brand new bandage and declaring it healed; Better to cut out diseased tissue than to let it fester. Time and air will seal the wound. Get into the act! Here is a list of ter- rible but true things to say about Nixon. hear and become ashamed. -As a child, Richard often faked phle- bitis and severe depression to stay home from school. -He lied to his mother when he pro- mised to be an honest lawyer and poli- tician. She is very ashamed of him. -He cheated at cards in the Philip- pines. tier. -He fools around with women. -He uses foul language like an ama- teur. -Kissinger sure did a great job with China and Russia. -Nixon is a crook. -Nixon is a quitter. -He hates Christmas and loves bomb- If possible, say them loudly so he will -lie smoked "substances" at Whit- ing. YOU MUST KNOW a million more. Don't be shy about injecting an insult into any conversation. At this point in time, you cannot do anything more American without losing blood. Those who are not satisfied with in- sults, be patient. Perjury is a serious offense and very hard to avoid when one is protecting his place in history. UNFAIR TO PERRY MASON Televisia By BRAD WILSON TELEVISION: What are we going to do with it? As programming moves closersto "reality" each year, TV begins to show the seamier side of life. This new real- ism is scary. I mean, you can't help but feel apprehensive when you view such shows as "The Execution of Private Ed- die Slovick" or the new-era doctor shows in which not every patient pulls through. Are things really like that? Fear not, TV watchers. I know of one field that is treated much too harshly by television. That is the field of law. Television depicts this prominent pro- fession as full of inequities. Competent defense is only available to the rich, TV implies. And lawyers run around with serious faces. All that seriousness can put you in a depressed mood. THE LAW IS nothing like this, I assure you. Why just before coming to the Uni- libels attorneys versity this fall I attended a court ses- sion, and it was nothing like those court- room dramas on TV. The mere word "drama" is contradic- tory when applied to court proceedings. It connotes all that seriousness I men- tioned. By my visit to court hogan when a kindly looking police officer walked in and sat down three feet from me. He had a big grin on his face as he ribbed the officer in front of him. "Looks like you lost this one," he said, referring to the case presently being tried. But the smile on the officer's face was nothing compared to the Cheshire Cat grin on the assistant district attorney's face as the next trial came to a close with a verdict of guilty. The assistant DA looked nothing like the DAs who have appeared on "Judd for the Defense" or "Owen Marshall." You know, most of the time the DA is the guy who played the professor on "Gilligan's Island." He always has such a serious, concerned look on his face, no matter what the verdict. AND THEN, TV always shows some poor fellow who cannot afford a decent lawyer and gets stuck with a state-ap- pointed attorney who has some umpteen such cases and isn't getting paid very much for his services. The state-appointed attorneys aren't really that bad. The one I had the priv- ilege of seeing in action was dressed just as finely as the private attorneys in the room. He spoke well - even better than some of those private at- torneys. I heard him loud and clear as he stood up to say, "I'm not serae what the charges are against my client . .." Television has pictured the field of law all wrong. I think all the members of the bar should get together, because they have a strong libel case on their hands. What they need is a good lawyer. --STEVE ROSS "WHAT IF We GAVE AN AMNESTY AND NOSOP CAME ? A Letters to The Daily clericals To The Daily: THE CONCERNED Clericals for Action/UAW would like to thank the entire clerical unit for the incredible turnout at the polls last week.It proved to the University community that we are an integral part of this institution, we are involved and we are concerned about the pol- cies and events which affect us. We would also like to thank the Clericals for AFSCME for their public endorsement of CCFA/UAW. We are truly grat- ified by their courageous stand to rally behind the cause of un- ionization for University of Michigan clerical employes. We hope to combine our efforts with theirs towards the achieve- ment of that goal. The TCCFA/TTAW ha sdilient- and our families. -Concerned Clericals for Action/UAW September 25 copying To The Daily: I WOULD like to object stren- uously to the poor quality of copying machine available at the Graduate Library. T h e paper is chalky and unplhasant, and the copying itself has a hit or miss quality that defies de- scription. In the course of copying ap- proximately 20 pages recently, it took a total of four machines to finally get 20 acceptable cop- ies and in one case the machne did not even give me its usual shoddy copy for my money. When I duly reported, unread- noncirculating publica even then it is hard, stand why the Univers es 10 cents for a sing copy. At the University ington, the main libr ing service provides s ox copies at about 5 page, and of coursen vite firms around her same and make a pr Surely the Grad Lib do better by its user leave them virtuallyi between shoddiness a tion. -Charles Hagen Grad, Philosop September 20 tions. And of the ruling class need not obey to under- the law while those members of ity charg- the non-ruling classes frequently gle Xerox need break these laws merely y of Wash- to survive. ary copy- As the events of last fall in ingle Xer- Chile suggested, bourgeois law cents per (such as electoral and constitu- many pri- tional law) are observed only re do the when they serve the purposes of ofit at it. the ruling class. Once it seem- brary can ed that the ruling class could s than to not eliminate the Allende r e - no choice gime through legal and illegal ind extor- methods (the latter being sup- ported by one Henry Kissinger), it totally disregarded the "laws" Phy and turned to violence to achieve its ends. NOW IN THIS country a sim- Marx ilar occurrence has happened. I would like to point out the obvious: Mssrs. Ford and Nix- ars ago I on have once again shown in political Zen . To The Daily: What's in an old Ford? F uneral Of R epresentational D emocracy and the restoration of Direct Democracy, i.e., without repre- sentatives or delegates. Neither leadership nor fellow- ship. Neither driver nor driven. Neither guru nor disciple. Nei- ther teacher nor student. Look within. Be intensely aware of that inner flow of thoughts, feelings and actions. Realize that you are simply the Observer/ Experiencer/Perceiv- er of that endless flood. Then walk further on. -Sidney Simon London September 16 To The Daily: A NUMBER of yeE