Edre idcigmn Daily
Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Editorials printed in The Michigan Dily express the individual
opinions of the author. This must be noted in all reprints.
TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1972 News Phone: 764-0552
Vote: Chishoim
or McGovern
STUDENTS HAVE an opportunity today to vote in the
first Michigan presidential preference primary in
nearly 40 years.
We recognize that any Democratic candidate is some-
what bound to the traditional power interests in America,
and that no one Democrat can really salve the wounds
of this nation. There are two candidates, however, who
could help set this country on the right path-Shirley
Chisholm and George McGovern.
Either of these would end the war quickly, and that
step must be our first prior-
ity now. For too long the
war has clogged the circuits
of America, halting prog-
ress at home. With the
war's end, we could turn to
our domestic needs and
--work toward revising social
and political structures.
Both have argued not
K"only that the war must end,
but that it is wrong.
McGovern and Chisholm
also favor sweeping changes
itax structure, natinal
Shirley Chisholm medical care, and a con-
structive revamped welfare
system. B o t h hopefully,
would end political repres-
sion.
Unlike Hubert Humphrey
and George Wallace, theyw
would not stand in the way
of social progress.,
In contrast there is Rich-
ard Nixon, and the politics
he represents.
T IS ALWAYS distressing
to hear that someone
has been shot, even when George McGovern
that person is political an-
athema. Institutions and ideas must be the focus of
political energies, not individuals. We therefore deeply
regret the tragic act of violence which felled George
Wallace yesterday.
At the same time, we must urge a massive voter turnout
to minimize the influence of Wallace's reactionary ideas
on our state's delegation to the Democratic National
Convention.
Thus, to ensure that e'lightened and progressive
thought is represented in our state's delegation we urge
you to vote for either Chisholm or McGovern in the presi-
dential preference primary today.
VOTE SPLIT between McGovern and Chisholm in the
presidential preference part of the primary would not
necessarily hinder the McGovern campaign. According to
state law, the delegates to the national convention are
selected in proportion to the total statewide vote for each
candidate. Therefore, a vote for Chisholm counts, and is
not lost-providing she takes five per cent of the state
vote.
And because of the system of delegate selection,
the size of the vote in this area of the state will have an
effect on the total outcome--even if one candidate has
the city sewn up.
But there are two sections on today's ballot. For pre-
cinct delegates, we urge you to choose the McGovern
candidates. Otherwise, if the Chisholm and McGovern vote
is split, uncommitted delegates, including those formerly
committed to Edmund Muskie, will benefit.
THUS, WE urge you to get out and vote today- for
Chisholm or McGovern--to stop the war and Nixon's
regressive domestic policies. Use the power.
-The MICHIGAN DAILY
Summer News Staff
NIGHT EDITOR: LINDA DREEBEN
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR: ROSE SUE BERSTEIN
ASSISTANT NIGHT EDITOR: NANCY ROSENBAUM
PHOTO TECHNICIAN: GARY VILLANI
WASHINGTON - Once again,
President Nixon is releasing selec-
tive information from his secret
advices in an attempt to manage
the Vietnamese news.
He has taken secret excerpts
outt of context which give a mis-
leading impression of Vietnam tde-
veloments.
The White House has spread the
word, for example, that the mining
of Haiphong harbor will affect the
fighting in Vietnam within two or
three weeks. Sources with access
to the secret estimates flatly dis-
puty this. Although the predictions
vary, most estimates warn t h a t
Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, the fabulous
North Vietnamese commander, has
enough men and material at the
fighting fronts to last three or four
months.
The secret reports express
grudging admiration for Giap's
genius at moving supplies u n d e r
hazardous, almost impossible con-
ditions.The Americanuhigh com-
mand stilt can't figure out hose
he moved Soviet tanks, heavy ar-
tillery and antiaircraft missiles in-
to South Vietnam without Ameri-
can planes spotting and destroy-
ing them.
In any case, the secret intelli-
gence reports claim only about
one-third of the Soviet equipment
reaches North Vietnam by -ship.
Our most massive bombing h a s
also failed to halt the flow of
enemy armaments over the land
supply routes. The secret consen-
sus, therefore, is that the Presi-
dent's drastic actions in the North
will have only a ninimal effect on
tie fighting in the South.
NIXON'S STRATEGY
President Nixon is quietly pre-
paring his campaign strategy for
the November election. He has
told intimates he will follow t he
same strategy, no matter whom
the Democrats nominate.
He will recall the demonstrations
and disorder in the country before
he became President. He will re-
mind the voters that he has with-
drawn 500,000 troops out of Viet
nam,
He will place great emphasis on
his unpassed legislative proposals,
particularly his welfare program.
Our White House sources tell us,
however, that he has not decided
what to do about tax reform. Some
advisers are urging him to submit
a comprehensixe tax reform pro-
gram to Congress, as a campaign
issue, before Congress adjourns fir
the Democratic convention.
The President is also preparing
to take a stronger stand against
busing. And, incidentally, he will
promise federal aid to help re-
lieve the financial plight of paro-
chial schools.
Meanwhile, Nixon is doing his
utmost to seek a settlement of the
Vietnam War, to reduce tensions
in both Moscow and Peking, and
to stimulate the economy. He hop-
es to prevent these problems fron
flaring up and unsetttling the vot-
ers during the campaign.
VIETNAM VETERANS flew this flag upside down as an inter-
national signal of distress, while they barricaded themselves inside
the Statute of Liberty in protest of the Nixon wDl* policies.
But if the Vietnam War should
still be dragging on and if the
economic outlook remains unset-
tled, the President plans to stay
in the White Housepand denon-
strate to the voters that he is
busy with their problems. Then
he will restrict his campaigning to
a few statesmanlike speeches and
let Vice President Agnew do the
political barnstorming.
DEMS AND ATT
We have been writing a lot lately
about ITT and the Republicans.
Now, we'd like to say a few words
about ATT and the Democrats.
For over 20 years, the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company
has been supplying presidential
candidates with free telephone ad-
visers. ATT calls them "communi-
cations coordinators." Usually,
they are old friends and supporters
of the politicians they are assign-
ed to.
Hubert Humphrey, for example,
has a telephone man by the name
of E. F. McClintock, who comes
from the Northwestern Bell rle-
phone Company in Humphrey's
- home district. George McGovern's
phone man is W. G. Foral, also
from Northwestern Bell. Geor;e
Wallace has Roy Dobbs, from
South Central Bell. And H e n r y
Jackson was using Richard Powrsr
from Pacific Northwest Telephone
Company.
Before Senator Muskie droppud
out of the primaries, he was be-
ing advised by Charles Lander
from the New England Telephone',
Company.
ATT swears that it is ganting
no special favors, that it isn't try-
ing to win friends and influence
future presidents. It is the same
kind of service the company of-
fers to any large customers, so
they say.
But, to some of us, this looks
like added evidence of the love af-
fair between businessmen and pol-
iticians.
PARRIS PERILS
Fifteen years ago, at the Mar-
ine Corps boot camp on Parris Is-
latsd, 5gt. Matthew McKeon
narched his recruits into a tidal
stream. Six of them were drown-
ed.
The Marines promised to reform
their training methods. But a look
at the record indicates that Mar-
ine training is as brutal as ever.
Since 1967, the Army has re-
ported 35 deaths connected with
combat training. Sixty-three Mar-
ine revruits died during the same
period. Yet the Marines, w i t h
double the deaths, trained only
one-seventh as many recruits.
Not even these cold statistics re-
veal how harsh the situation is.
Here are some of the particulars:
* A Detroit widow received a
letter from her 18-year-old son,
who was in Marine boot camp in
California. He wrote, 'I gat beat
by the drill instructor for smok-
ing. But don't worry. He only hit
me about ten times." A few days
later, the boy went AWOL and
was found frozen to death in the
wheel well of a jet plane.
0 A 23-year old Baltimore Mar-
ine named Warren John s-as one
of 29 Parris Island recruits who-
were hospitalized for "athlete's
kndney" after a drill sergeant,
forced them to perform excessive
physical training. The recruit call-
ed home from the hospital, but
was so weak a buddy had to hold
the phone to his ear. Yet, Private
John was sent back to his train-
ing platoon. He collapsed during, a-
lengthy run and died hours later.
As one former recruit put it,
"Parris Island is not Vietnam.
People shouldn't be coming home
in boxes."
(Copyright, 1972, by United
Feature Syndicate, Inc.)