THE MICHIGAN DAILY 1936 Member 1937 ssoCited Colle6iate Press Distributors of Colegide Di6est Published every morning except Monday during the University year and Summer Session by the Board in Control of Student Publications. Member of the Associated Press The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this newspaper. All rights of republication of all other matter herein also reserved. Entered at the Post Office at Ann Arbor, Michigan as second class mail matter. Subscriptionrs during regular school year by carrier, $4.00; by mail, $4.50. Representatives: National Advertising Service, Inc., 420 Madison Ave., New York City; 400 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. Board of Editors MANAGING EDITOR .................ELSIE A. PIERCE ASSOCIATE EDITOR ............FRED WARNER NEAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR .......MARSHALL D. SHULMAN George Andros Jewel Wuerfe HRichard Hershey Ralph W. Hurd Robert Cummins Clinton B. Conger Departmental Boards Publication Department: Elsie A. Pierce. Chairman; James Boozer, Arnold S. Daniels, Joseph Mattes, Tuure Tenander, Robert Weeks. Reportorial Department: Fred Warner Neal, Chairman; Ralph Hurd, William E. Shackleton, William Spaller. Editorial Department: Marshall D. Shulman, Chairman; Robert Cummins, William J. Lichtenwanger, Willard F. Martinson, Chester M. Thalman, James V. Doll, Mary Sage Montague. Wire Editors: Clinton B. Conger, Richard G. Hershey, associates; I. S. Silverman. Sports Department: George J. Andros, Chairman; Fred DeLano and Fred Buesser, associates, Raymond Good- man, Carl Gerstacker, Clayton Hepler, Richard La- Marca. Women's Department: Jewel Wuerfel, Chairman: Eliza- beth M. Anderson, Elizabeth Bingham, Helen Douglas, Margaret Hdmilton, Barbara J. Lovell, Katherine Moore, Betty Strickroot, Theresa Swab. Business Department BUSINESS MANAGER ..................JOHN R. PARK ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGER . WILLIAM BARNDT WOMEN'S BUSINESS MANAGER.......JEAN KEINATH Departmental Managers Jack Staple, Accounts Manager; Richard Croushore, Na- tional Advertising and Circulation Manager; Don J. Wilsher,. Contracts Manager; Ernest A. Jones, Local Advertising Manager; Norman Steinberg, Service Manager; Herbert Falender, Publications and Class- ified Advertising Manager. NIGHT EDITOR: TUURE TENANDER For The Band®. .. THE MEMBERS of the band re- ceive no compensation for their many hours of work each week during the foot- ball season and afterwards. (Not even Univer- sity credit). If you believe that they deserve a trip to Philadelphia as partial compensation; If you would like to see Michigan represented on the field at Philadelphia by one of the best bands in the country: first meeting of the year tonight at the Union. Duing the past several years, its program has been sensible and realistic, and under the guid- ance of campus leaders, it will continue to shape local public opinion this year. We judge it worthy of your cooperation. As Others See It Minimum Wages (From the New York Times) THE SUPREME COURT refused yesterday to reconsider its decision of last June holding unconstitutional the New York State Minimum Wage Law, and one element of uncertainty has now been removed from a situation which had caused confusion. The Minimum Wage Law came before the State Court of Appeals last March and was held to be unconstitutional by a four-to-three deci- sion. In this decision the State court relied upon an earlier decision of the Supreme Court itself, given in 1923 in the Adkins case, involving a min- imum wage law enacted in the District of Co- lumbia. The majority of the State court found "no material difference" between the new New York law and the old District law and declared that it considered itself "bound" by the 1923 decision. Appeal was thereupon taken to the Supreme Court. In the five-to-four decision which was handed down last June the Supreme Court held that it must accept the State court's interpretation of a State law, and observed that the State court had interpreted the law as being in conflict with the Adkins decision. But the majority of five justices said that "no application had been made for reconsideration of the constitutional decision" in the original Adkins case, and also that "the validity of the principles upon which the (Adkins) decision rests had not been chal- lenged." These comments encouraged the State of New York to ask for a rehearing of the case, in order to determine whether or not the prin- ciples of the Adkins case were "actually reaf- firmed and declared still to be the law of the land." In this proceeding the States of Illinois and Massachusetts associated themselves with New York. But to their appeal for reconsidera- tion of the case the Supreme Court has now given its refusal. As matters stand, the future of minimum-wage legislation for women and children has now been referred back to the people. It is possible, of course, that a new law might be written in this state the constitutionality of which would be upheld by the present membership of the court. But the outlook here is not promising, consider- ing the care which went into the preparation of the invalidated law and the efforts being made to accommodate it to the 1923 decision. In these circumstances the action of the court can scarcely fail to lend great impetus for a con- stitutional amendment which would give the states unquestioned power to enact legislation of this kind. Governor Landon has declared himself to be in favor of such action, provided it is necessary. The Democratic party took the same position in the platform it wrote at Phil- adelphia. iTH E FORUMJ Letters published in this column should not be construedsas expressing the editorial opinion of The Daily. Anonymous contributions will be disregarded. The names of communicants will, however, be regarded as confidential upon request. Contributors are asked to be brief, the editors reserving the right to condense all letters of more than 300 words and to accept or reject letters upon the criteria of general editorial importance and interest to the, campus. Correction To the Editor: Votes for Thomas: 1932 ...................nearly 900,000 1928 ....................about 275,000 Toujours gai, Mehitabel, toujours gal! -Reader. Seven And Two To the Editor: In a recent speech in Jackson Senator Van- denberg severely criticized President Roosevelt for suggesting to Congress some time ago that needed bills be passed even if they were of doubt- ful constitutionality. After pronouncing the us- ual encomium on the Supreme Court the Sen- ator inferred that the President by this sugges- tion "attacks our fundamental rights and all things dear to us." He seems to think it is easy to tell whether a law is constitutional or not before it is passed. If that is true Gov. Landon must be a man of small capacity, for he has had. eight of the simple laws of Kansas declared null and void, while only nine of the vastly more complex federal laws were so declared. But neither Gov. Landon or President Roose- velt can be called enemies of constitutional government "and fundamental rights" etc. on this ground, since no one knows whether a law is constitutional or not until the court decides. We know that the court has reversed itself (Knox vs. Lee, 12 Wallace 457). We are certain that many times it has not been immune from the sentiments and political influences of the day (Ex parte McCardle, 7 Wallace 506). Fur-i thermore, the court is constantly shifting its stand, giving different interpretations. (Dart- mouth College vs. Woodward, 4 Wheat 518- Charles River Bridge vs. Warren Bridge, 11 Pet. 420). A change of only one judge might make a liberal court conservative. No one can tell how the court will act before it does act. It is made of human beings and "the constitution is what the judges say it'is." What kind of a government would we have tLn f - _ __ _A ;t, +% 0 _ .fL...: BENEATH " ~ By Bonth Williams THIS AFTERNOON the football team, includ- ing its retinue and your columnist, will em-1 bark for the stronghold of the rough and ruggedj men of Bernie Bierman in the far reaches of1 Northern Minnesbta. Just what will transpireI there is beyond the knowledge of any man. There are several who have been very definite in their beliefs, however, including a Sigma Nu yearling, Dave Altick, who is giving 2 points and 2-1 against Michigan. There is, despite all the trumpetry, a lot of reason to believe that the Wolverines are going to find themselves this Saturday. Nebraska did Minnesota no good in that classic battle last week, and when you put the fact together with the improved Michigan offense of this week's practice, throw in the added incentive of tradi- tional rivalry, and sprinkle lightly with Gopher let down, you come out with a messy page of figures which reads "no more than 14 points," sez I. Nothing could make me any happier than to sit up in the Minneapolis press box Saturday and write the story of how an inspired Michigan team pulled the biggest upset of the football season when they out-charged, out-tackled and out- smarted a great Minnesota machine. How they handed the rampant Gophers their first defeat in 19 starts to slam the door of the hall of fame in their faces when all they need was one more game to tie the modern record established at Notre Dame by the late Knute Rockne. How this same Michigan team, rated as the door mat, the set-up in the Conference, rose up in a display of sheer guts and outfought the great machine which had humbled Washington's Huskies and the great Nebraska eleven. 'D BE HAPPY not just because Michigan won a ball game and beat a great team, but be- cause it would vindicate Kip and the Michigan system. Because it would show up the stupid dolts who write letters telling what they think is wrong with the football team. Dolts who see five football games a year and pretend to be analytical experts. Dolts who think they know just how the whole thing should be done, know how poor the blocking and tackling is, know just what play to call with third and five, and don't know enough to keep their fool mouths shut. I'd be happy because it would show them up for the ignorant simpletons they are. It would prove them wrong as nothing else could. Their front of professional observer would fall away, and reveal them exactly as what they are: People who watch five games a year and read the papers,. Probably Michigan won't be able to beat Min- nesota. On the records they certainly shouldn't. But you can't ever tell what king football will do. And Saturday afternoon when I'm picking splinters out of the Press box and eating the Minnesota publicity office's free coffee and hot dogs, I'll be hoping that I can write the kind of a lead that every sports writer hopes for- sensational, emotional, packed with punch, the punch of dramatic upset-"Michigan's band of fighting fools, rated as hog fodder for the Min- nesota Gophers, pulled the biggest upset . .." THE SCREEN) AT THE MAJESTIC THE CRIME OF DOCTOR FORBES and THANK YOU, JEEVES THE MERCY KILLING press sensations of a few months ago inspired The Crime of Doc- tor Forbes. Though the subject is grim, it makes a rather novel movie scenario. A young doctor, the protege of an older physician, falls in love with his sponsor's beautiful young wife. The older doctor is fatally injured on a scientific quest-he is slowly dying in torture. After his death an autopsy is performed which proves an overdose of an opiate killed him. From this point on the story takes on some unusual angles. This production is an average program pic- ture-the kind which is made to fill in the gaps between more expensive productions. It's only object is to provide entertainment. And though The Crime of Doctor Forbes is exaggerated and weak in spots, it succeeds in being pretty fair entertainment. Thank You Jeeves is a bit of Mr. P. G. Wode- house's English humor. But despite this fact the Ann Arbor audience seemed to think it highly amusing. It is of course, exceedingly light and unbelievable. But it is funny. An English gentleman, and his gentleman's gentleman, Jeeves, run through a few reels mis- taking a gang of racketeers for Scotland Yards, believing the beautiful and virtuous heroine to be the criminal. There are trap doors, twentieth century dueling, an American Negro saxophone player, and Arthur Treacher as Jeeves. The result is a short, inconsequential, entertaining program feature. The double feature program is a menace to the motion picture industry. It necessitates cheap productions and cut rates to exhibitors. It is the thing which blocks the path of more truly worthwhile features. Ordinarily, a double feature program is an ordeal to sit through, but I think you will find the Majestic's bill of fare exceptional; the variation between its two pic- tures makes a fairly well-balanced program. -C.M.T. MUSIC KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD (Recital Monday Evening, Oct. 19) "FLAGSTAD IS GLORIOUS," "She raises a golden voice to light the heavens of music," "A voice of super-1 human thrill. Sheer magic," "A tri-R umph . . . unsurpassed power and richness, majesty and beauty," "One1 of the greatest singers of this or any1 other day"-Such are a few of the verbal bouquets flung at the feet of Kirsten Flagstad during the last year and a half by an enthusiastic army of critics. Now, superlatives as ap- plied to prima donnas are scarcely to be considered unusual or entirely ver- acious-when lavished by press agents. But critics, unlike advertis- ing men, do not make their living by inflating personalities. So when the music critics of America forsake,en masse, their accustomedair of cal- loused ennui and engage in a dis- play of verbal pyrotechnics to the glory of me. Flagstad, there must be a reason. Unquestionably. this reason lies mainly in the sheer ex- cellence of Flagstad's musical ability. But her triumph at the Metropolitan during the season of 1934-35 was all the more astounding because it was unheralded and unexpected. Born in Oslo, into a family of ac- complished musicians, the child Kirs- ten received the usual musical train- ing in piano and theoretical subjects, and after the age of 10 often amused herself by learning various opera- tic roles, which habit led her parents to give her vocal training. At the age of 18 she acquired the opportuni- ty of making her operatic debut when the conductor of the Oslo Opera held an audition to select a girl to play the part of Nuri in D'Albert's Tief- land. Kirsten learned the part in two days, won the audition, gave a suc- cessful performance, acquired other roles, and gradually gained a repu- tation which finally crossed the Baltic and made her known in Germany. In the summer of 1933 she sang the part of the Third Norn in the Ring at Bay- reuth, and returned there in 1934 to do Sieglinde in Die Walkuere. Having attracted the attention of the Met- ropolitan Opera scout, an audition was arranged for her with Giulio Gatti-Casazza, then approaching his last year as Director at the Metro- politan, and Artur Bodansky, con- ductor of German opera at that insti- tution. They were so impressed by her performance that she was im- mediately signed up for the leading soprano Wagnerian roles for the fol- lowing season. Nevertheless, her arrival in this country a few months later attracted no attention. The Times, on the fate- ful morning of Feb. 2, 1935, carried only her picture together with a shor notice of her debut that afternoon as Sieglinde in Die Walkuere; no claims, extravagant or otherwise were made for her ability. Thus th( audience which gathered that after. noon was totally unprepared for th remarkable performance which greeted them. The writer can stil remember the tumultuous applaus which climaxed the performance an which threatened to tear his rado asunder with its vibrations. It is probably to his discredit, but to him the memorable thing about that per formance was not the fineness o Flagstad's voice, or, of course, he: superb acting; to him, sitting wit ears glued to the radio (thanks t t Listerine!) and eyes to the score the thing most noticeable was th extreme and unusual accuracy wit which the singer sang her part. (If you think opera singers alway sing the right note at the right time try following one with a score some time). But probably Flagstad' greatest single triumph occurred th following week when, according t one critic, "Isolde lived on the stag of the Metropolftan for the first tim in a generation." In re-creating Wagner's greatest feminine role, he voice, technique, and powers of in terpretation were granted their full est scope for expression. And, vowed the critics, not only was the part o Isolde played as it had never been played before, but Flagstad's per formance so inspired Lauritz Melch- ior, the Tristan, that his performance surpassed all previous ones. And s on, down through the cast. By WILLARD L. MARTINSON 0: w HIDDEN away behind store build- d ings, nestling in alleys, almost a touching fraternities unaware of their s existence, are the living quarters of a p small number of students who by their ingenuity and resourcefulness t have solved their rooming problem. v On their own completely they have a transformed barns, garages, old de- f lapidated houses into student apart- e ments more or less comfortable, but ' rentless. Lacking rugs, furniture, PI and other conveniences life is some- a times difficult for them but they do f not go home. Not many of the students throng- ing the diagonal are aware that a stone's throw from one end is a small gray house which until two years ago had .been sitting in its removed po- sition, unoccupied, for 10 years. Wind ] whistled through the paneless win- dows and made the shreds of hang- w ing wallpaper rustle. Rain seeped in w through the roof. Rats ran through d the rooms and in the walls. To the I average it was merely an undis- S tinguished building of some sort, but li to the student who came upon it, not t entirely by accident, it was alive with t possibilities. - d One of a small element of the stu- f dent body that in spite of its per- ennial "broke" condition never con-r siders going home, he did not carea that it was filthy and vulnerable tox the weather. The principle thing was s to get permission to occupy the prop-v erty. That accomplished, then to getn the roof fixed, and beg, buy, borrow, t or acquire a bed, a table, and a stove.1 Other necessities would follow by easyI stages. Permission was given by thee owner. The student sold honey fromr door to door until he had the price of : enough tarpaper for the roof. Then he mustered his friends and in ank afternoon a new roof was laid. In thea discovery of an afternoon this stu-r dent eliminated rent charges for thei rest of his university career.C One can generalize. The techniquet is that of the "marginal eye," spy-t *ing out a room from unlikelyenvir- onments, places that could not pos- sibly command any rent. A half- mile north of campus another stu- dent out strolling with a roving eyet spied a carriage house next to an, unoccupied estate. It was exactly what he wanted. Investigating tax1 receipts he reached the owner in Minnesota and persuaded her that he7 could live in the building. Since .then he has utilized materials at hand, and1 1 persuaded stoves and tables from1 their owners for small sums. He lives] I quite comfortably in his spacious t room whose roof hides the gables and 1 makes it easier for the cooking stove ) to heat the quarters. His total out- lay has been a little less than the cost e of an ordinary room for a semester, - but he will live rentless for the next e two or three years. h There is f a tradition of student l "jungle" life that may or may not be e true. At any rate the enterprising d student makes no distinctions when o it comes to getting a roof to put over s his head. It is reported that at one n time a houseboat on the Huron Riv- -er provided the living quarters for a " student. The idea commends itself r for its practical nature. All that is h needed is a boat .. . One can stroll the college section1 of the town at random. There is on e North State a likely looking barn that might bear investigating. An oil station on Huron occupies only s part of an old house. There are two stories of unoccupied rooms. Surely - argument should prevail here. A place s on East Washington has been partly e razed by fire, but the first floor should o be amenable to treatment. Further e from campus, a mile to be exact, e across from the electric plant near g the Huron is an old delapidated house r which should make any student of - the proper qualifications tremble for - very joy. It will be torn down in a d year or so, but in the meantime. f why should it not be lived in? Out n Geddes is a small home that is mys- - teriously unoccupied and that is the - subject of much speculation. Sooner e or later some person will persuade o therowner to give permission to live there. e There are cooperative ventures in - marginal living. Such a one is a [1 cooperative house whose members d face winter evenings dressed like a esquimoes, because there is no cen- Ed tral heating plant, who declare their t aversion for tomatoes and stuffed g peppers, because some vegetables Y, can unfortunately be bought cheap- l y in quantities. Basements furnish it inspirations to some and can be most y comfortably arranged. Garages, heat- r ed garages, are sometimes pearls of a great price, although the searching e student may meet a rebuff as did ie the other day. The professor ho owned the heated garage loft clared that the idea was ridiculous ad abusrd. Apparently the profes- >r had never been forced to ex- diency. At all events one is forced to admire he survival value of these students ho refuse to be intimidated because weekly check from home is not rthcoming. Are you about to be victed for non-payment of your eekly rent? Buckle up your belt, t on your hiking shoes, set out nd search. You should be able to nd a roof. FOOTNOTES By AMERICUS AST WEEK the tempo of the Eu- ropean descent into Hell under- ent an acceleration, sending the orld into another attack of the iplomatic jitters. The cause once pore was the struggle in Spain. The panish cauldron bubbled over a sttle, and almost scalded some of hose who have edged too close in heir anxiety to see it stirred prop- rly. Nations, it seems, unlike chil- ren, never learn from burning their ingers to keep away from fire. It was to be expected, after the Nuremberg speech and the present nti-Soviet campaign in the Italian ress that the Russian bear would oon turn on its tormenters. So last week's ultimatum by Russia should iot have come as a surprise. Never- heless, although Portugal was mere- y "insulted," the suddenness of the Eussian action seems to have fright- mned the fascist countries, if only nomentarily. Spokesmen for Ger- nany and Italy later intimated that t was only a Russian feint, for the ear, they believe, is still too young and awkward for a real fight. We night suggest a course for dictators in Kipling's observations on the ways Af the "bear that walks like a man." Our foreign correspondence prize this week goes to Frank Kluckhohn f the New York Times for his eu- phemistic treatment of Spanish rebel activity. We recommend it to cer- tain American newspaper publishers whose reporters sometimes find it difficult to describe adequately the fascist method of rescuing Spain from the chaos and disorder of the present "Communist" regime in Ma- drid. According to Kluckhohn: "It works out very well in practice. In- surgent troops kill the ringleaders of the Left forces as soon as they cap- ture any town. Then they leave the place in peace for about a Week, during which agents investigate. Fi- nally they start rounding up those who supported the Loyalist cause or who are suspected of having done so. These persons are led to ceme- teries, where they are shot in groups of about twenty throughout several days and nights. "In the long run Franco and his aides are convinced, this is the best way of bulwarking their movement . . Perhaps Franco's attitude that the 4,000,000 who voted Leftist in the Spanish election last February were all "Communists" may be a bit exag- gerated, but he is a' man who looks for broad issues rather than par- ticulars and goes at the work of elim- ination with a will. Dulce et decor- um est pro patria eliminare. The money whirl goes around and around with only Germany still clinging to the good ship gold, now that the Italian cabinet has approved Mussolini's proposal for devaluing the lire. The Voelkischer Beobachter, Hitler's newspaper, announces that Germany too is now ready to talk over the situation, "Not because it is especially necessary for Germany's economic condition, but because she wishes to contribute to the general economic stability of the world, which cannot be accomplished without Ger- many's participation in world trade." The Germans shy at devaluation, re- membering the horror of the infla- tion of '24, but now that all foreign countries have eased their economic strain through devaluation, it seems impossible that the already difficult process of barter can provide Ger- many with the necessary foodstuffs for the coming winter in the face of greater competition abroad, unless the demands of rearmament are re- duced or monetary devaluation is re- sorted to. Chiang Kai-Shek had another talk with the Japanese last week. While details of the meeting were kept secret, it is likely that proposals for development of Chinese economic re- sources and for Chinese cooperation with Japan in the combatting of alien agitational activity in China were discussed. Possibly political and mil- itary advisers were placed at the disposal of China for the more rapid achievement of these ends. Two Die As Plane Crashes At Britton ADRIAN, Oct. 14.-P)-An ama- teur pilot and his passenger, a Lenawee county deputy sheriff, were killed today when their plane crashed in a field near Britton while they were aiding a hunt for two Detroit A Bit Of Clever Ingenuity Solves The Housing Problem If you like amateur shows; * . perhaps you will be responsive when ap- proached on the campus today by salesmen pro- moting the Amateur Night Benefit Show to be given next Tuesday. The Local Peace Movement. . LAST NIGHT Charles P. Taft in his speech at the Union con- demned President Roosevelt for not carrying out a 1932 platform pledge in regard to national de- fense. That pledge called for a survey by a com- mittee of civilians of all the facts related to an adequate national defense. Since the President took office, Mr. Taft said, expenditures for arms per year have gone up 66 per cent. Yet, he said, all of these expenditures have been made without any sort of a plan as to what constitutes an adequate national de- fense. He said -that Landon would probably call that survey "when" elected. However as Oswald Garrison Vilard, Gerald P. Nye, and many peace organizations have con- tinually emphasized, we must decide just what our national defense is going to protect before we can determine its adequacy. Shall our national defense protect foreig investments of American business men? Shall it protect the "open door" in China? Shall it protect "freedom of the seas" in respect to trad- ing with belligerent nations in time of war and travelling by Americans in war zones? Shall it protect all, some, or none of our island posses- sions? Shall it protect the Latin American coun- tries in accordance with the Monroe Doctrine? Or, shall it merely protect the mainland of the United States from invasion? "Protect," it must be realized, means the will- ingness to go to war if what we are protecting is stepped on. It is obvious that each of the above policies demands a different type of "national defense." However, the determination of the exact limits of "national defense" is but a small part in the fight for peace. We must insure that, when pres- sure is brought by interested groups upon public opinion, that opinion shall have been sufficiently Fn m i,,arbu-.fin1a e -,,,. tie of But many singers have held th praise of critics and public for a sea son, only to lose their hold and fa] back into oblivion. Flagstad increase hers. Last year she not only sanga full season at the Met, but fulfille the demands of an extensive concer tour,-always with the "Standing Room Only" sign out. -(Incidentally Ann Arbor is to be no exception; Dr Sink reports this year's the larges advance sale of tickets in the histor of the C. U. series, and that seats fo the first concert will soon be at premium.) This summer she mad a number of appearances in Europ returning to America a few week ago to fulfill other concert engage ments before beginning her thir season at the Metropolitan. Anr Arbor is fortunate, not only in being able to hear Mme. Flagstad, but i being able to hear her at the begin ning of the season, when her voice i apt to be at its freshest; last year th single discordant note in the critics nap~ fa .ic w cth ament tha e, s d n tg in i- is e s,' main lovely in quieter passages; with a flexible technique fully capable of transmitting the eloquence of Wag- ner's musical speech; with the his- trionic insight and ability necessary for a true Wagnerian interpretation; and, last of all, with an appearance at once youthful, dignified, and charming. Wagner, when casting the original Bayreuth performane of is clear. The representatives of the people in a democratic government must concentrate on the promotion of the people's interests, rather than trying to smell out the thoughts underneath the ,.,,,__..___' ,A , _,7--I ,