I AC, For) R THE MICHIGAN DAILY A't A A Y 13'. 1.941' _ _ .-- -._ ._ _. rim-% THE MICHIGAN DAILY Letters To The Editor Make Wire Tapping Legal As Others See I.. Holtzoff and Tolan maintain the Hobbs bill is no departure from our fundamental procedures, while opponents object to it as an interference with constitutional liberties. From US Veek, May 12, 1941 Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Publications. Published every morning except Monday during the University year and Summer Session. 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 matters herein also reserved. Entered at the Post Office at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as second class mail matter. Subscriptions during the regular school year by carrier $4.00, by mall, $4.50. REPRRSENTED FOR NATIONAL ADVERT3IMNG BV 'National Advertising Service, Inc. College Publishers Representative 420 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK, N.Y. CHICAGO * BOSTON * Los ANGELES * SAN FRANCISCO Member, Associated Collegiate Press, 1940-41 Editorial Staff Emile Gele Robert Speckhard Albert P. Blausteir David Lachenbruch Bernard Dober . Alvin Dann Hal Wilson Arthur Hill Janet Hiatt Grace Miller , . . . Managing Editor n . . . Editorial Director . . . . . City Editor . . . Associate Editor . . . . Associate Editor Associate Editor * . . .Sports Editor . . Assistant Sports Editor . . . . . Women's Editor . . Assistant Women's Editor Business Staff . . . . Business Manager SAssistant Business Manager . Women's Advertising Manager Women's Business Manager Daniel James Louise Evelyn H. Huyett B. Collins Carpenter Wright . NIGHT EDITOR: BILL BAKER The editorials published in The Michi- gan Daily are written by niembers of The Daily staff and repi-esent the views of the writers only. Dakar And Natal Form Atlantic Bridge .. . TWO SQUALID TROPICAL TOWNS in opposite hemispheres which a decade ago were regarded as of little consequence in world affairs have become of great interna- tional importance through an accident of geography. The towns are Dakar, a mud city, with a popu- lation of little more than 33,000, of which less than 3,000 are Europeans, located on the western extremity of Africa, and Natal, a sleepy fishing village of 7,000 on the extreme eastern reach of South America. The reason for their importance is that they represent the closest land approaches of the eastern and western hemispheres-a matter of 1,700 flying miles, and this circumstance, ac- cording to air prognosticators, may some day make them the termini of the future greatest air route in the world. THE FRENCH, who own the unhealthful sink of Senegambi, pioneered flying between Da- kar and Brazil-owned Natal back in 1935. Now, however, Air France is no longer operating, and the flying boats which cross the South Atlantic today are Italian. Recent reports that the French armies in North Africa have been practically disarmed, coupled with the possibility that Hitler may move down the coast to occupy Dakar-which has already once beaten off a British landing effort-are in line with the importance Euro- pean governments ascribe to the Afro-South American route. °Y WAY OF DAKAR AND NATAL is the most logical line of attack on the Western Hemi- sphere in event of war. The "bulge" of South America is one of its most vital and weakest points, and the nearest base the United States Government has is the one it shares with Britain at Trinidad, which is farther away from Natal than Dakar itself. But even if it is not to be used as a strategic point in war, it would be very much to the in- terest of Germany to- acquire Dakar as an air- ways terminal. During the hostilities the United States has made great progress in taking over the internal air traffic in South America. The Lufthansa subsidiaries, in fact, have prac- tically ceased to function. and Pan-American Airlines,' Inc., has increased its flying routes by thousands of miles. PUT the skeleton organizations of German air- lines are still in South America, and it need not be supposed that the Nazis, if victorious in their present- war, will not make a determined effort to win back their status, which at one time amounted to a long lead over the United States. Come what may, Dakar and Natal are destined to play a role of growing importance in the history of a world at war. - Bill Baker Potential Air Power T HE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES have po- tential air superiority. The industrial power of the United States and Britain can gain the victory if brought to bear effectively and in time. And in the extension of sea power over land-the British-American pi'oblem-the prin- oina ner~avf s hahnha -in - ar v On Facing The Truth. To the Editor: MR. DETZER'S TALK -Sunday afternoon, sponsored by the Committee to Aid the Allies, was entitled "Let us face the Truth." He aimed his darts at the isolationists of the America First stamp. In doing so, he did not answer the majority of peace-minded Ameri- cans, who are not isolationists, but who have a lively interest in European affairs and who sin- cerely desire to see democracy strengthened in America and everywhere in the world. They face the truth, and the truth is that this war has nothing to do with the democratic aims of the peoples of the world. In choosing to reply to the isolationists, the interventionists neglect the main issue which is before the people of this country. That question is what are we being asked to fight for? I ET SPEAKERS address themselves frankly to this question. Interventionists delude themselves if they believe that Americans are cool toward the war because of selfish isola- tionist reasons. Americans are giving the war the cold shoulder because it is not their war- not a war which a democratic-minded people can support. ,Far from advancing democracy this predatory war for empire is destroying de- mocracy throughout the world. United States oil exports to Japan increased recently. Is this to save democracy in China? Our domination of Latin American countries continues with greater force. Is this for democracy and free- dom? Thousands of fighters in India's libera- tion are imprisoned. For democracy and free- dom? And at home the attack against civil liberties and labor's rights have increased in intensity. Is this the "vision of freedom" for which we are asked to fight? NO, the obvious conclusion is that neither side is fighting this war in order to save democ- racy. The American people cannot pursue a policy aimed for war to aid the government "that destroys its democracy in two hours against the government that destroyed its democracy in one and one-half hours." To face the truth, this is no choice! - The Campus Peace Council RECORDS THE MAY FESTIVAL IS OVER, but we can still make up our own all Sibelius program. There is plenty to choose from in the record catalogues. Victor lists a recording of everyone of the Finnish composer's seven symphonies, from Ormandy and the Minneapolis' interpreta- tion of the First to Koussevitzky and the Boston's of the Seventh. In between, we get a list of conductors which includes Stokowski, Kajanus, Beecham, Schneevoigt, and of orchestras which includes the London Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the Finnish National and the British Broadcaing Company. In short, it is only a question of choice, and since we have no concert to attend in the eve- ning, suppose we select the most popular sym- phonies: the Second "and the Fifth, both done by Koussevitzky who ranks, in this department's opinion, with Kajanus as the foremost Sibelius interpreters. And except for certain injudicious breaks in the records ,we are not likely to regret our choices. AFTER the Second Symphony and before in- termission, there can be only one choice, the Sibelius Violin Concerto, and only one violin- ist, Heifetz-even if his were not the only re- cording of the concerto. Intermission, and then the powerful Fifth Symphony. Encores? Well, Victor has recently released- in commemoration of Sibelius' 75th anniversary -an album-of the composer's most familiar tone poems (M, AM, DM-750, three 12-inch records) recorded by Dr. Ormandy and the Philadelphia 'The album has the vigorous, stirring Finlandia, the moody, atmospheric The Swan of Tuonela, and the flashing, eager Lemminkainen's Home- ward Journey. Dr. Ormandy manages the trans- ition with a flexible, searching beat, and the reproduction, for the most part, is satisfactory. But if you prefer, there is always Valse Triste in a variety of interpretations: Stokowski, Mischa Elman, Stock, Goosens, Beecham, and the late Sir Hamilton Harty. One more thing before you file out get your latest catalogs right over here; you can't tell the players without them! * * * FOR THOSE who were impressed by Charles Kullman's performance in "Eugene Onegin" last Saturday night, it must be reported that the Metropolitan tenor has done a number of various recordings for Columbia, among them Wohin seid ihr entschwunden from Tschaikow- sky's opera. --M. O. Roosevelt Running England? Italian press comment says the United States is now running the war and jeers at Mr. Church- ill for having put himself, as the Italian com- mentator phrases it, "under President Roose- velt." Such talk only awakens memories of in -n mirr -f a- n- c~ f h Tan 5 nan- -- af - Toward Better Music To the Editor: WHEN WE EXAMINE the May Festival with the extremely critical eye of a cosmopolitan intellectual who has the background of the in- telligentsia of three continents we cannot help but arrive at the same conclusions expressed in the letter by Guy Serge Metraux. I must con- fess that the programming of the Festival, its hodgepodge character, pained me to the point of preferring to buy an album of records rather than to go to the Festival-but I consider that this act on my part is nothing commendable-it shows in me the attitude of pseudo-intellectual- ism that I hope the American community will never reach, it shows in me a weakness (only for the moment, I hope) in the understanding of my American backgrounds. Let me not rebuke you, Guy, for the letter you wrote, let me instead try to explain in this letter to you how I feel. Your letter proves to me that you are trying to bring to us the full-fledged intellectualism of Europe without understanding the background of our culture here, without un- derstanding the extreme strides in cultural edu- cation that the May Festival represents. Your letter proves to me that you do not understand America, that you are not attempting to under- stand America, and that until you do you will be lost in a bitter condemnation of things that represent to us a raising of our culture from near nothing to a surprisingly high standard. Thank God, we have not reached cultural per- fection-but thank God, we are on our way. YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND, Guy, the piti- fully small beginnings of the May Festival within the memory of some of our generation It was not many years ago when the May Fest- ival, and before that the Choral Union repre- sented the presentation of local talent and talent from not too highly developed Detroit in a series of recitals the programming of which would send ,our present concert atteiders into fits of laugh- ter or aesthetic horror. And at that time the level of music in this community as well as in many of the then pioneer communities was not much more than the acceptance of soulful bal- lads-except for the weekly band "concerts" in many places: programs of slightly modified pop- ular tunes, marches, and wonders of wonders the deep and awe-inspiring Rossini and Verdi over- tures. Choral music was no more than the Choir in the church singing hymns-many of which are not music but merely those dear old tunes emotionally so striking because of the memories attached to them. You cannot understand the gibing of "high- brow" the mothers of the community received when they demanded their daughters should have lessons on the piano. The sacrifices these families went through to get the piano and to keep up the lessons, often with the neighbors gossiping about the father's extravagance in permitting such a scandalous and unnecessary expenditure of money. Perhaps .the sons took lessons on band instruments-or on the "fiddle," not really lessons but merely cursory instruction by the old timer square dance fiddlers. If the pianist got past "Hearts and Flowers" or the fiddler reached something beyond the popular level, he was getting beyond the culture of his community and usually suffered a type of ostra- cism that a small town can give to the person they feel is reaching beyond his sources. YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND how the Uni- versity in the pioneer community had the duty of gradually raising the standards of the cultural level from this simple beginning to as far as we are now. You cannotaunderstand the criticisms of frivolity, of "fads and frills," that is still aimed at our more educational systems (and in the olden days even more) when music reaches beyond the popular stage. Gradually, gradually, the University and the more cultured persons in the pionee' community got just a little ahead of the community and always kept a little ahead, teaching, leading, always going to some perhaps undefined goal. And now we have reached where we are-we are not stop- ping-we are going on. You cannot understand how, even in the com- munity of today, if a Festival were given in Ann Arbor that was all Wagner or all Beethoven it would fail dismally-financially and I dare say musically. Music to America is yet a matter of enjoyment of each number in itself, the pioneer marvelling at the technique of the artist-before the radio and the phonograph, the technique of the best fiddler in the best dance orchestra of the day was marvelled at because it reached so far beyond the other fiddlers the listener had heard. We are still not far past that stage of our development, Guy, don't force upon us the full fledged culture. -Let us grow, and ultimately we will reach the point you think Europe has reached. But we will not have arrived at it artificially with only the few at the top of the' caste system appreciating music from its aes- thetic purpose and the masses envying. We will reach the high cultural plane with our whole people, in fact with our whole being. The strides we have made in the last generation are amaz- ing-and we will not stop now. TRY TO UNDERSTAND, Guy, that we are a young people; that we have many problems in assimilation of many varied cultures-not assimilation to a single separate Anglo-Saxon tradition but to a synthesis in which we will re- ceive much from all the world's cultures. Give us what you can of your background, but don't fr fn r- - h 77cfn +hn+ ,lord of YES! Says Alexander Holtzof Special Ass't To Atty. General The Department of Justice is just as anxious as any- body not to depart from our fundamental principles, and this is no mere lip service. I think the Depart- ment of Justice has shown that in its daily work. -WIRE TAPPING is no departure from our funda- mental principles. After all, when you come to ana- lyze it philosophically, tapping a telephone wire is no different in principle from listening through a keyhole, or any other undercover investigations which have been carried on, necessarily, by law enforcement and Tolice agencies from time immemorial. We agree that unrestrained, unlimited wire tapping engaged in by law-enforcement officers, without any control, might give rise to abuses. There should be direct control, so that an individual law-enforcement agent should not take it upon himself to tap telephone wires. That is why the bill would provide that this should not be done except with the authority of the head of the executive department to which the 'law- enforcement officer is accredited. Limited To Felonies CONGRESSMAN HOBBS, in his bill, limits this au- thority only to felonies, and it could not be resorted to in case of misdemeanors or petty offenses. The sug- gestion was made by Congressman Walter that the authority to tap telephone wires, even in these limited cases, should be procured from a federal judge, or from a United States commissioner, rather than from the head of the department. We hope that this will not be done. We do not think that this is desirable, either from a practical standpoint, or from the standpoint of the protection of the individual.. 'Not Regarded As Search' MR. TOLAN (Rep. John H. Tolan. D., Cal.): How do you dfferentiate now between the proceedings neces- sary before you can obtain a search warrant and pro- ceedings under this bill? MR. HOLTZOFF: I would differentiate them in this way, Mr. Chairman: This is not in the nature of a search; that is, listening to a conversation or eaves- dropping is not a search. It does not involve any physi- cal invasion of a person's premises or his body, and is not regarded as a search. In the famous Olmstead Case the Supreme Court held that wire tapping is not an illegal search and seizure, and does not come within the, ban of the Constitution relating to such procedures. Secrecy Important I WANT TO make one more point, which is very im- portant, and that is the necessity of observing se-I crecy in these cases, because lack of secrecy defeats the purpose. When you have to present papers to a jdge and have them filed in court there is always the possi- bility of a leak .. . e I just want to make one more statement which I overlooked making. It must be remembered that until December, 1937, wire tapping was considered perfectly legal. That is, wire tapping by law-enforcement offi- cers was considered perfectly legal, and nobody thought that our fundamental principles were being torn to tatters. The only reason why legislationis needed on the subject is because in December, 1937, the Supreme Court construed an obscure provision of the Communi- cations Act, for the first time in the history of the United States, making it impossible for law-enforcement officers to use evidence obtained by listening in on a telephone conversation. As Recommended MR. TOLAN: Has the, Attorney General rendered a report on this bill, H. R. 2266, Mr. Holtzoff? MR. HOLTZOFF: No. There has been no formal re- port rendered, but the bill carries out the recommenda- tions contained in the Attorney General's annual report on this subject. MR. MICHENER (Rep; Earl C. Michener, R., Mich.): The Attorney General is asking for the bill? MR. HOLTZOFF: Yes. He is recommending legisla- tion on the subject. (Editor's Note: The Hobbs Bill. H. R. 2266, would make it legal for government agencies to tap telephone wires whenever the head of a federal agency had reason to believe that a felony "may have been committed, is being committed, or is about to be committed," and would permit evidence so obtained to be admitted in court. Such evidence is now barred by a Supreme Court decision. The Hobbs Bill, reported out by the House J ucdiciary Committee, is strongly opposed by. all of organized labor and many civil rights groups. Arguments printed here were presented during hearings on the bill.) NO! Says J. G. Luhrsen, Secy.-Treas. Of Railway Labor Executives' Ass'n. WTE OBJECT to this bill because it deprives the real, honest, loyal American citizen of his liberties and interferes with his free speech. It does everything to stop him from acting as a real American citizen. In- stead of affording him the real liberty and freedom to exercise his rights which will protect democracy, wire- tapping is one of the very means of destroying democ- racy . What we need in this country more than anything else is complete and full right of every real, loyal and patriotic American citizen to express his views as he sees them, with a view to adding to and increasing the liberties which we so freely advocate rather than crush- ing them through such an act as is represented in H. R. 2266. NO! Says Paul Scharrenburg, Legislative Director American Federation Of Labor THIS BILL retains all of the objectionable features of preceding bills. It vests inordinate powers in gov- ernment officials, without providing for any effective checks against abuse of those powers ... g NO AMENDMENT, no matter how carefully drawn, would in any manner minimize this danger. It would, for example, be impossible to write an effective amendment that would impose severe penalties on gov- ernment officials who would ignore and violate the true purpose and spirit of the bill. This is so because, no matter what ou write, you would be unable to prove in a court of lak on the regular rules of evidence that any given individual has abused the power given by this bill. NO!'Says John J. Jones, Legislative Representative For The CIO T IS THE PRINCIPLE, in addition to the language of the present bill and its predecessor, which labor views with alarm. Following the judgment of the most eminent jurists and legislators, we feel that wire tap- ping is something more than merely another device used by detectives in pursuit of criminals. Unlike the donning of false whiskers, or the shadowing of plain- clothes men-methods of detection which ordinarily do not harm the innocent-wire tapping is a method of espionage which ruthlessly lays bare the private lives, and thoughts of citizens in the home, and in business, government or union offices. THE INNOCENT SUFFER with the guilty when the wire tappers are at work. Since persons with guilty consciences probably rarely use the telephone, the pro- portion of innocent victims would be overwhelming. NO! Says Louis F. McCabe, Vice-President, 'National Lawyers Guild F ANY AGENCY wanted to detect crime, and wanted to get information which would be useful in detecting that crime, why do they not tap the wires when there is a conversation between a lawyer and his client, and why do they not put a dictaphone in jail where the law- yer is consulting his client? There they would get the absolute information revealedby the client to his law- yer. But no, our conscience is shocked at that. IAM A CATHOLIC. I will say that thousands of crimes could be solved if you put a dictaphone in the confessional when a man goes in there and bares his soul to the representative of his God. He is in there confessing, he is actually accusing himself. It would be a marvelous way of getting information if they would do that, yet we are shocked at the thought of it. The people who urge wire tapPing would revolt at that, and so would we. Is it not recognition of the right of privacy of individuals who are accusing themselves, the pro- tection which surroundsthe confessional, the protection which surrounds the confession of the criminal, and the man who is telling his attorney just how he com- mitted the crime, and seeking ways legally to prevent a conviction for that crime? We recognize that that man is entitled to protection even though he is a criminal. DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN (Continued from Page 2) home or refinancing existing mort- gages. The University has money to loan on mortgages and is eligible to make F.H.A. loans. Senior Literary Students: It is urged that all senior Literary stu- dents wishing caps and gowns for Swing Out place their orders as soon as possible. It will be impossible to fill orders unless sufficient time is given. No deposit is required on placing order. '41 Literary Cap and Gown Committee Choral Union, Members: Members of the University Choral Union are reminded that the book deposit of $2.50 will be refunded provided that all music books used during the year are returned in good condition, not later than Friday noon, May 16, to the offices of the University Musical Stoiety .urton Memnrial Tower Af- Alpha Kappa Delta: Membership certificates can be obtained from Mr.t Landecker, 311 Haven Hall. Academic Notices Economics 122-Labor Problems.I Dr. Haber will be unable to meet his class on Wednesday. Juniors concentrating in English ~who wish to apply for admission to3 English 197-198, English Honors, should leave their names before noon on Saturday, May 17, with Miss Ward in the English Office, 3221 A.H. A brief description of the Honors course will be found on page 109 of the Literary College Announcement. Speech Majors (Juniors): Please make appointments in Room 3211 Angell Hall to see your concentration advisor during this week. Other Speech students may make appoint- ments if they wish. floor of the Tower today to 4:00 p.m. in place of meeting. from 2:00 the usual Speech 127: Professor Brandt's section will not meet today, but will meet Wedesday night at 7 o'clock. Speech 312, Methods and Problems in Linguistic Science, will meet Wed- nesday evening instead of Tuesday Evening. Psychology Master's Comprehen- sive Examination will be given Wed- nesday, May 14, 7:00-10:00 p.m., in Room 1121 Natural Science Building. Exhibitions Exhibition: Paintings by Oscar Ko- koschka, May 7-20, at the Rackham Building presented by the Ann Arbor Art Asqociation and the Institute of Fine Arts.