- PAOR foul. THE MICHIGAN DAIL'Y SATUIRDAY. FE13RTIARY 21, 1931 THE MICIG N DIL L i.dbA846l 44AV A. !tb? L t7V.L Published every morning except Monday during the University year by the Board in Control of Student Publications. Member of Western Conference Editorial Association. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise credited n'this paper and the local news published herein. . Entered at the postoffice at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as second class matter. Special rate of postae granted by Third Assistant Post- mteGeneral. Subscription by carrier, $4.00; by mnail, $4,50. Offices: Ann Arbor Press Building, Maynard Street. Phones: Editorial, 4925; Business, 21214. EDITORIAL STAFF Telephone 4925 MANAGING EDITOR Chairman Editorial Board HENRY MERRY FRANx E. COOPER, City Editor News Editor..............Gurney Williams Editorial Director...........Walter W. Wilds Sports Editor .............Joseph A. Russell Women's Editor ...........Mary L. Behymer Music, Drama, Books.......W. 3. Gorman Assistant City Editor....... Harold 0. Warren Assistant News Editor......Charles R. Sprowl Telegraph Editor ..........George A. Stautes Copy Editor .................Win. F. IPypej NIGHT EDITORS S. Beach Conger John D. Rendei Carl S. Forsythe Charles IR. Sprowl David M. Nichol Richard L. >i obt Harold O. Warren SPORTS ASSISTANTS Sheldon C. Fullerton J. Cullen Kennedy Robert Townsend REPORTERS this move to suppress the publica-. tion of obscenity, no comment oth- er than one of discouragement could be deemed fitting. On the contrary, censorship as it is applied in the United States, rather than being a protection for public morals is nothing short of an insult to public intelligence. That there is need for a certain degree of the legal control in the American dramatic world cannot be disputed, but this control should be impartial and should not dis- criminate between the v a r i o u s classes of stage entertainment. With the beginning of each dramatic season comes the annual flood of plays and revues which have been closed almost before they were pro- duced, while censorship bodies the country over remain virtually ob- livious to the flagrant indecency of burlesque shows of the lowest type. The intrinsic moral character of individual plays does not enter in- to the comparison. There is no doubt that the majority of sup- pressed plays are in themselves ob- jectionable from the standpoint of decency, yet it cannot be denied that they are infinitely less so than even the mildest of the burlesques. What conclusion can a public, be- wildered by consistently partial censorship, draw other than that the target of- the attack is not ob- scenity, but art? It is not to be denied that it is the risque com- bined with the artistic that is be- ing attacked by the bigoted moral- ists who judge what Ameroica shall or shall not see, while brazen, un- disguised filth is apparently con- sidered fitting entertainment. If it is true, and there is no other logical solution, that subtlety is to be swept from the American stage, while unadulterated crudity and obscenity are ignored, the result re- flected in the public mind can ma- terialize only as stupidity, rather than as social purity. Editorial Comment ABOLISH EXAMINATIONS? (The Daily Princetonian) OAST OLL SIC AND DRMA TODAY SARA THE FREIBURG PASSION PLAY A Review E. Bush 1homas M. Cooly Morton Frank Saul Friedberg Frank B. Gilbret%~ Ittck Goldsmith oland Goodman, Morton Helper jazzes Inglis James j uhnson Bryan Jones Denton C. Kunze Powers Moulton Wilbur . Meyers Brainard W. Nics Robert L. Pierce Richard Racine Jerry E. Rosenthal Charles A. Sanford Karl Seiffert 6corge A. Stauter 191211 W. Thomas j oin a. Townsend Rileen Blunt Nanette Demhitz Elsie ]Yeldmani uh Gallmeyer mily G. Grimea t an Levy orotkiv Magee Susan Manchester Mary McCall Cile Miller Margaret'B .rien Eleanor Rairdon Anne Margaret Tobin Margare Trhonpson Claire Trussell BUSINESS STAFF Telephone 21214 T. HOLLISTER MABLEY, Business Manage, KAsEr RN. HALVERSON, Assistant Manager DEPARTMENT MANAGERS Advertising ................Charles T. Kline Advertising............. Thomas M. Davif Advertising...........William W. Warboy Service ............. ...Norris 3. Johnson Publication ............Robert W. Williamson Circulation.............Marvin S. Kobacket Accountsr........... ..Thomas S. Muit Business Secretary...........Mary J. Kenat. Harry R. Begle Vernon Bishop William Brown iam Callahan ~lanW. Davis Assistants' ErIc Kightlinger lion W. Lyon William Morgan Richard Stratemeler s cilh Jv'rr Richard H. Hiller Noel D. Turner I The trend of criticism of the Miles Hoisington Byron C: Vedder tines appears to be directing itself Ann W. Verner Sylvia Miller more and more against the age- Marian Atran Helen Olsen worn institution of examinations Helen Bailey Mildred Postal Ysephine Convrusek Marjorie Rough as a means of determining the rela- Jdaxne DJohu annIF atis Dorothy LeMire Johanna Wiese tive knowledge an undergraduate Dorothy Laylin has acquired at the end of a term. With the tedious, wearying events of the last feew weks still fresh in SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1931 mind, it might seem out of place Night Editor-BEACH CONGER, Jr. to set down a few of the considera- tions which we believe excuse the THE MILL TAX. examination system as it exists to- day, with all its psychological bru- Harmful results to the University tality and its inadequacies, as a were predicted this week by Presi- standard of cultural measurement. dent Alexander G. Ruthven if the When one considers the recent proposed legislation to reduce and statement of the New York World that "examinations are a pretty limit the Mill tax becomes a law. sorry way to test knowledge and The president predicted the dis- absurdly out of joint with the missal of faculty members, curtail- modern world," he is forced to ad- ment of educational activities; and mit that on the face of things the opinion might hold water. perhaps the elimination of the freshman year or one of the col- On the other hand, there is not leges. an ideal situation facing the edu- The Mill tax has been in effect cational world today. The hamper- since 1837, and since then has been ing influence of the "four-year an important factor in making it loafer" and misfit on his fellows is possible for Michigan to obtain becoming generally recognized in leading educators. The steady in- educational circles. The need for a come from the tax has assured weeding-out process is essential if these men of permanent salaries, the universities and colleges are to as is the case in heavily endowed be maintained as dispensaries of universities and colleges. It has al- culture in the best meaning of the lowed Michigan to hold its 'promi- world. Herein then, lies the most nent and valuable scholars while cogent argument for the examina- other universities have had to let tion and here is a need, to elimi- them go because of indefinite fu- nate the misfits from colleges, that ture incomes. I no other agency has been invented Realizing the necessity for econ- to meet. orny this year the Regents have Aside from their value in this re- made no requests for building ap- spect, examinations perform an-! propriations beyond the Hartman other function, in the urge they de- act, and if the building program velop for work by holding a threat, which is stipulated in the act is over the head of the undergradu-1 not approved it is probable that ate. Even grades, however faulty they will acquiesce although the and inexact they may be,'provide University needs two new buildings a certain visible record of achieve- and additions to a third. ment, which serves as a kind of The University has sought to co- compensation for energy expended.1 operate with the state in all Ways. i It offers an opportunity of a sort! If the proposed legislation becomes for a man to check up on himself, a law the income of the University to give direction to his efforts. Of will be lowered by approximately course, too o f t e n examinations $260,000 each year. President Ruth- bring a rigid limiting influence that ven has pointed out that such a makes for fact-cramming but That law would abolish the fundamental type of test is here, at least, hap- And, may I add, we may look for- ward with rea- sonable certainty to tomorrow's ap- pearance under the guise of Mon- day even if de gustibus non dis- putandum est in BAXTER the b e st circles and even among some of our bet- ter elipses although this view is stoutly contested by many, many people who live in and about St. Louis. * * A The Rollas Pherret, by dint of disguising himself in a long black ruse which covered him from toe to top and transverse- ly from tick to tack and finally by devious means which we need not discuss here back to toe again, managed to insinu- ate himself into the sacrosanct confines of the presidential of- fices over in U. Hall at a busy hour yesterday afternoon and collect a little dirt on what goes on there in the way of guiding the destinies of our great institution. His verbatim notes go something like this, being written in a hand that indicates that it was a female v o i c e - a female secretarial voice to be exact and avoid complications ... . "Is ooo a nice dog Lindy? Sure ooo is a nice dog. Come over here -that's the nice fella." (Interval of soft cooings and scratching sounds) "Oh, all right then, go lie down!" * * * And that was all for half an hour after which the Pherret left them to academic pursuits and returned to me in all haste to impart his scandal which I, in turn, relay to you as is. * * A Rrrrrrrrrrrrr boooom! We Are the B. and G. Fife: tweee deedle deedle dee! With shovel and pick We keep everything spick And span. Each is a union man, Not of the Michigan Union tho. (O no, o no, o no-ho, ho) From Newberry Aud To our own backyawd We work quite hawd Falsetto:-but not too hawd We aren't Phi Betes, We don't have dates. We merely dig up the snow And ground We make the wheels of the U. go Round. (and round and round and round) No glory we ask, so don't bestow it We are our heroes-and don't we know it. Close harmony: You're the darling of our hearts Old Black Joe. -Willie, the rhythm king. Thanks Willie, you're a real pal even if you do scare the very dan- druff out of my whiskers by writing me on official stationery, and me with a bad conscience and all. The Artist has returned to our midst again after a long fit of the sulks. It takes these darn tailors longer to fit you with a really good set of sulks than it used to take old Mort Casper- son to milk our cow in the old days on the farm. Oh Boy! will I ever forget that! . . . Very probably I shall, -- and that right soon. Anyway he is back and in consequence we are about to be afflicted with one of his pastoral scenes again. This one is a portrait of six Ann Arbor Policemen and once Pastor pastorising one quart of sour wine found in a deserted smokehouse near Ypsi in the hope that theyacan trace it to the notorious fraternity boot- legger, Mr. O'Sullivan, better known as the Intelligent Swede, I. PASTORAL Courtesv Rolls Artist. The Freiburg Passion Play is hardly the simple, sublime, trans- figuring experience one expected it to be. Rather it is a rather tedious series of unhappy failures to realize in theatrical terms the last few in- cidents in the life of Christ. One expected possibly a certain sinceri- ty and humility of approach and perhaps amildly pictorial emphasis. But this particular passion play (a fourth-rate and not particularly well-known example of mediaeval drama if one can believe the schol- arly evidence which was brought out in a dispute by scholars with Morris Gest's publicity claims at the time of its New York presentation) has nearly lost all the quiet in- tensity it probably had originally as a spontaneous expression of reli- gious fervour. The Fassnacht family and cer- tain others from Freiburg were very unostentatiously j o u r n e y i n g in American towns in the Middle West and Southwest when Morris Gest with his well-known lust for "big" shows pounced down on the com- pany, signed it, turned it over to his father-in-law, David Belasco, for a reinterpretation. Belasco's eagerly lavish hand put miles of satin into the play, had camels and things walking all over the stage of the Hippodrome, insisted on elaborately detailed and mounted stage pictures-and the result, the concensus of New York criticism agreed, was a typical Hippodrome show, gaining whatever real power and effectiveness it had only from the unfailing appeal of its material. The "show" closed very shortly and left Gest pretty broke. But the original nucleus of a company which had been humbly touring the smaller towns very much west of New York, stayed on and (in a way) learned to speak English. It is this production, its original gen- uineness probably somewhat dissi- pated by its peculiar history which Hill auditorium housed last night. It has certain very forceful parts. Principally the Crucifixion scene done with a nakedness of detail and with some stirring moments in the awful sound of a hammer. And then The Last Supper (a scene, obvious- ly modeled after Da Vinci, which grew in forcefulness until the illu- sion was dissipated by an entire- ly inappropriate entrance of the chorus). The whole musical score, in fact, seemed very mediocre and 'its use at all is questionable (wherein lies its authenticity?). But principally damaging for the evening was the awkwardness of production. This would not be a fault if intentions were humble and mediaeval. But awkwardness is just failure when the production attempts to retain its "Hippodrome" aspects: the eager effort to produce meticulous scenes with large crowds and elaborate tableaux. The lighting was strik- ingly inept: most of the scenes being done in a quite ambiguous blue, which may have meant to be hallowedness but was merely dull. And finally the acting. These peasants very rightfully showed themselves anything but histrionic artists. There was reverence and understanding in their conceptions but no particular talent in execu- tion. This naivete was a little in- adequate to the general tone of the production which as I have been suggesting was rather too eagerly theatrical. Their one effort to adapt themselves (that, is, their declama- tion) obviously had very bad re- sults. The very simple, unliterary language couldn't support loud, rapt, rythmical intonation; and this mistake (indulged even by the Christus, who certainly could have been firm in a quiet, less rhetorical way) must have been annoying to everybody. Georg Fassnacht Jr. as Christ gave a reverential interpretation, quiet and touching pictorially, nev- er jarring the outlines of the story considered simply. But if he was never offensive, he was always in- consequential and his general fail- ure to hold interest pitched one's attention too consistantly to the dull violence of the Jews. Georg Fassnacht Sr. in the almost actor- proof part of Judas contributed some more thoughtful acting which made for some forceful scenes. The other parts were plausibly handled. To sum up, there seemed to be a general confusion of tones and in- a 10:30 A. M.-Morning "HAPPINESS" Dr. Fisher 7:30 P. M.--Evening Worship. "MODERN AMERICA" Dr. Fisher FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH Cor. S. State and E. Washington Sts. Dr. Frederick B. Fisher, Minister 11 K, I tl ;jit t}}tfr}tt ';t11 } i Jf .' trj = 1#I 1 (t rr } it I' FIRSI R. Howard 9:45 A Mr.V 10:45 A Churcl 12:00 N meet Churc 5:30 P 6:30 P Re. THE 11 F BAPTIST CHURCH "Religion in the E. Huron, below StateT Edward Sayles, Minister M ind and Life R. Chapman, Minister of 1 Students. o the - A. M.-The Church School. o f Wallace Watt, Superintendent. . M.-Dr. Allyn King Foster. ch. 4.-University Students will W ill be Su at Guild House, opposite the h. the general Theme P. M.-Student Social Hour. . M.-Dr. Allyn King Foster. Of eligious Emphasis Week Religious Emhais HILLEL FOUNDATION 615 East University Rabbi Bernard Heller 1:00 A. M.-Rabbi Bernard Heller will speak on "Moses and Wash ington, a Study in Personality." unciny evening open forum. Sey- mour Tilchin will speak. Topic: "Jewish Music." ::k. arc... ./ I I..1.aT METHODIST STUDENTS CENTER WESLEYAN GUILD Cor. State and East Huron 12:00 Noon--Class by Mrs. Fisher. "Compa-ative Religion." 6:00 P. M.-Devotional Service. Dramatic presentation of the "Ser- mon on the Mount." 7:00 P. M.-Social Hour. Worship. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Huron and Divison Sts. Merle H. Anderson, Minister Alfred Lee Klaer, Uni-tersity Pastor Mrs. Nellie B. Cadwell, Counsellor of Women. 10:45 A. M.-Morning Worship. Sermon: "Christian Convictions" by Rev. B. J. Bush, D.D. of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, Detroit, Mich. 12:00 Noon-Student Classes. 5:30 P. M.-Social Hour for Young People. 6:30 P. M.-Young People's Meet- ing. Speaker: Dr. B. J. Bush. Subject: "Heart Hungers." Week February 22 to March 1st 'i Opening Services and Meetings This Sunday FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Allison Ray Heaps, Minister February 22, 1931 10:45 A. M.-Morning Worship. President James King of Olivet College will give the morning ad- d~ress. topic: "The Mastery of Fear." 9:30 A. M.-Church School. 5:30 P. M.-Student Fellowship so- cial half hour. 6:00 P. M.-Fellowship supper. 6:30 P. M.-President King will speak again. ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH Washington St. at Fifth Ave. E. C. Stellhorn, Pastor 9:00 A. M.-Sunday School. 10:30 A. M.-Morning Service. Sermon topic: "The Sign." 5:30 P. M.-Student Fellowship and Supper. 6:30 P. M.--Dr. C. B. Gohdes will be the speaker in the first meeting of Student Religious Emphasis Week. 7:30 P. M,-Lenten Service. Sermon topic: "The Betrayal." Special Student Services and Meetings Will be Held THROUGHOUT THE COMING WEEK SEE LEAFLET AND BULLETIN NOTICE FOR DETAILS OF DAILY PROGRAMS ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Division and Catherine Streets Reverend Henry Lewis, Rector Reverend Duncan E. Mann, Assistant 8:00 A. M.-Holy Communion. 9:30 A. M.-Holy Communion (Student Chapel in Harris Hall). 9:30 A. M.-Church School (Kin- dergarten at 11 o'clock). 11:00 A. M.-Morning Prayer. Sermon by the Rev. Thomas L. Harris. 6:30 P. M.-Student Supper, Speak- er, Mr. Harris. 7:45 P. M.-Evensong and special music by the student choir. BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL CHURCH (Evangelical Synod of N. A.) Fourth Ave. between Packard and Williams Rev. Theodore R. Schmale 9:00 A. M.-Bible School. 10:00 A. M.-Morning Worship. Serm-on: "Victorious Purpose of Jesus." 11:00 A. M.---Service in German. 7:00 P. M. -- Young People's League mecting. Wednesday Evening at 7:30, Lenten Service. FIRST CHURCH CHRIST, SCIENTIST 409 S. Division St. . principle on which the University pily tending to disappear, giving has relied since 1873, and involves rise to questions demanding more such certain and disastrous conse- comprehensive, integrated know-! quences that conscientious public ledge. A third feature of examina- officials cannot endorse it. tions is the forced review of the Every member of the Unive-sity course as a whole, which they nec- can take a part in seeing that essitate. Again and again men will Michigan maintains its standing as find that this retrospect gives unity the leader of western educatonal Iand meaning to the subject that institutions. More than half of the had been impossible to grasp dur- students are voters. It is up to ing the weeks of more segmented them to take every step possible to study. influence their representative at This is rather an apology for ex- Lansing. aminations than a defense of them.j I i 1 I ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH (Missouri Synod) Third and West Liberty Sts. C. A. Brauer, Pastor February 22, 1931 9:00 A. M.-German Service. 10:00 A. M.--Bible School. 11:00 A. M.-Morning Worship. 11 n . L THEOSOPHY Is the body of truths which forms the basis of all religions, and which cannot be claimed as the exclusive possession of any. Theosophy therefore affirms 10:30 ice. A. M.--Regular Morning Serv- Sermon topic: "Mind." 11:45 A. M.-Sunday School follow. ing the morning service. 11 11 11 i 11 I I1