FOUR THE MICHIGAN DAILY THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1941 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Letters To The Editor Shall Food Be Sent To Europe? As Others See It ... . Letter Received by Prof. Parker from Committee On Food For Small Democracies points out need for food shipments to Nazi-dominated countries; answers 'Student Defenders.' NUIU f 4Cm A 4ThOf SiI!,4Y ..JWCA.bcmJ Edited and managedby students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Publications. Pul)llshed 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 maili matter. Subscriptions during the regular school year by carrier $4.00, by mail, $4.50. REPRESENTED FOR NATIONAL ADVERTISING BY National Advertising Service, Inc. College Publishers Representative 420 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK, N. Y. thICAGO - BOSTON * LOS ANGELES * SAN FRANCISCO Member, Associated, Collegiate Press, 1940-41 Editorial Staff Emile Gelb .. Robert Speckhard Albert P. Blaustein David Lachenbruch Bernard Dober Alvin Dann Hal Wilson Arthur Hill Janet Hiatt Grace Miller . .Managing Editor Editorial Director . . . . . City Editor . . Associate Editor . . Associate Editor . . . Associate Editor * . . .Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Women's Editor . . Assistant Women's Editor 3usiness Staff . . . Business Manager . . Assistant Business Manager . Women's Advertising Manager - . Women's Business Manager '3 Daniel H. Huyett James B. Collins Louise Carpenter Evelyn Wright Drama Review Criticized To the Editor: M AY I CONGRATULATE YOU on the review of "The Male Animal" which reads with such gay charm and savoir faire but says abso- lutely nothing. Mr. McCormick has a talent not to deride but like the political speaker who sounds like Demosthenes yet in reality speaks pish-posh, Mr. McCormick writes with the cer- tainty of Colley Cibber only to give us the balo- ney of Eddie Guest. There is no nobler calling than that of a the- atrical critic be he professional or amateur. But there is a definite place for criticism when w are given the pretentious hooey Mr. McCormick concocts and serves us with our morning demi- tasse. Let me point out a few choice bits of Mr. McCormick's theatrical wisdom. He says: "Some- thing was gumming up the works during Act I and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what, except that maybe there were too many people on the stage part ofthe time and not enough people the rest of the time, but when I read the play I didn't think so, and I guess you know what that makes Act I." Zounds! as Mr. Mc- Cormick would write, what, pray, does that mean? Is this pregnant criticism or mere fiddle- faddle! And rather than using the male mem- bers of the cast as a crutch as Mr. McCormick implies, Miss Matteson played every one of her "sides" to and with them. As for Miss Wilson bogging a bit "although her part is sort of sub rosa anyhow," I would suggest (a) a Latin gram- mar and (b) a study on how a play "lifts" by watching the bright light of Miss Wilson's grand performance. It is only a muddled juvenile of a critic who points out a "dropped" line in a show. I have spoken to a dozen-odd theatre-minded-and- trained people who saw the performance who never knew Mr. Nagel dropped a line. If Mr. McCormick's purpose is to study minutiae he should bring a stenographer to take down the actor's spoken lines verbatim and then compare his research with the original script. IDO AGREE with Mr. McCormick that Mr. Ames and Mr. Briggs gave splendid per- formances and "Oh boy did they have it" which may mean anything under the sun. (The "Oh boy" lacks the exclamation point the pedantry of Mr. McCormick requires.) Yet he utterly neglects to mention the outstanding acting per- formance of the evening: that of Ivan Simpson's "Dean Frederick Damon." Here is the epitome of honest characterization. Here is creation in its purest form. Otto Brahm once said each role has two essential parts: that which is clearly stated in the script, "und das, was nicht drin steht,"-and that, which isn't even mentioned. A competent actor captures the former by speak- ing the lines with proper pause, precision and meaning. A genius, an actor with a soul, com- bines both elements, and Mr. Simpson did that very thing. His Dean was all warmth and com- passion; and the academician was there too. But his playing was from the heart. This may be beyond Mr. MCormick's perception but it is nonetheless xtrue. He didn't even write a "boo!" MR. McCORMICK unfortunately seems to pos- sess little understanding of the nature of theatre and less of theatrical criticism. I have nothing at all against style, per se, but if Mr. McCormick would read more Aristotle and Haz- litt and Shaw he might develop some of the definiteness and point-of-view clarity that his very merry, carefree Hemingwayesque-Steinian approach so sadly lack and so sorely need. - Arthur Klein, Grad. NIGHT EDITOR: DAN BEHRMAN The editorials published in The Michi- gan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. Will United States DefendU By Offense? ,'.'* F IRE-EATING SENATOR CLAUDE PEPPER of Florida and Senate col- league Josh Lee of Oklahoma have thrown a challenge to the people of the United States by proposing that our armed forces seize the small town of Dakar on the west coast of Africa. This brings us face to face with a problem this coun-. try has been dodging since the war began-in the event of a direct threat to Hemisphere se- curity is this nation willing to take offensive action to meet the menace? Dakar first leaped into the headlines last fall when General Charles de Gaulle, commander of the free French forces, led an unsuccessful at- tack on the "African Gibraltar." Today Dakar is back in the news because under the terms of the pact the Vichy government has just con- cluded with Nazi Germany, control of the town will pass completely 'into Hitler's hands, and with it the key to invasion of the Western Hemi- sphere. ONLY about 1500 miles separates Dakar from the eastern Brazilian town of Recife-com- paratively the distance from New York to Denver. Before the war it was the regular stopping off place for a French airline to South America, and a German dirigible line used it as a base a few years ago. Dakar, the nearest point on the African mainland to South America, would be one of the chief jumping-off places in an attack on Latin America. It is ideally suited for this purpose because in addition to its use as an air base it is a fine harbor. There is sufficint depth to allow the largest battleship to enter, and it has been reported that a modern dock and airplane facilities are being constructed under German supervision. The sea route around Africa has taken on new significance with the Axis threat to cut the British Suez lifeline. In this emergency the only practical supply link with the Eastern Empite would be via thle Cape of GQod Hope. Dakar is a strategically located base for the operations of submarines, destroyers and bombers preying on South Atlantic shipping including American supply vessels going to the Red Sea. N THE HANDS OF AN ENEMY Dakar stands as a threat to the future safety of the West- ern Hemisphere and to immediate aid to Britain. If we are to make aid to Britain effective, the route to the Red Sea must be kept open. But more important even than this is the security of the Western Hemisphere itself. A powerful en- emy in possession of Dakar automatically in- validates America's first possible defense line. This line runs roughly from Iceland southward to include the Azores, the Canary Islands and the. Cape Verde Islands; the second line is the Greenland - Newfoundland - Bermuda - Bahamas curve; and the last line is the coast of the conti- nent itself. The Cape Verde Islands lose their strategic importance if Dakar is occupied by an enemy. The time has not yet arrived when it is necessary to seize these outposts of the first line, but it is obvious that such action will become useless if Dakar is allowed to fall completely into Nazi hands. The question asked iswhether the United States is prepared to act or will this nation pro- crastinate in a situation where only quick de- Prof. Slosson Replies To the Editor: AS Miss Ellen Bates' letter was, in a sense, directed personally to me thru your columns courtesy demands a reply. Moreover, I have every sympathy with her bewilderment in a world wherein, only twenty-one years apart, youth has twice had to fight a desperate and doubtful struggle over the greater part of the earth under warring national flags. No wonder many sign in despair "What is the use? It will be the same in another score of years." But I must respectfully protest against the inclusion of my name among those who ever sneered at the slogan "the war to make the world safe for democracy." I was a follower of Wilson, not only during the proud moments when he seemed the most powerful personality on earth but during the "disillusioned"nineteen-twenties when he was a defeated and dying man and his creed seemed to be dying with him, even his own party no longer championing the League of Na- tions. , However, I may have erred in other matters, not for one single moment have I placed any trust in isolation as a road to peace; I have been for peace by international cooperation at every moment of every year since the First World War. Certainly I "abhor war"; certainly I have taught that "war always creates more problems{ than it solves" (tho I never indulged in the over- statement that "war solves no problems"); but I have seen only one road to peace at any time, and that is the same path that has led to peace} for the states of our own Union, the path of} collective, cooperative security. -Preston Slosson ±.~. 0 I'rh Such An Idiot By TOM THUMB I'm awfully sorry. In yesterday's column I mentioned the all-campus open meeting on co- operatives, and I said it would be held on Thurs- day. It's not today, however, but tomorrow. It will be held at 4:15 p.m. tomorrow in Room 305 of the Union. Speakers will be Professor Eggert- sen of the education school, Harold Guetzkow, Grad, president of the Intercooperative Council, and Joan Ferguson of the Katherine Pickerill' Cooperative. Awfully sorry again. It just happened because I'm such an idiot. Skimmings by the edit director WE'VE ALL seen our share of tag days on the campus, but tomorrow will witness an un- usual one for a very worthy cause. The local Chinese Student Club is helping gather funds for the forty million destitute in their homeland. Tags will be chop-sticks. Instruction on how to manipulate them is free. * * * - There's another drive going on today. The subject is the reorganization plan of the Publications Board which would give the faculty lopsided domination. If you believe in a measure of student control, you can indicate that sentiment by adding your name to petitions protesting the move being circulated today. * * * Three years have passed since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act and they are finally counting the ballots today of a collective bargaining election at Ford's. A lot of bitterness, legal fees, and the last big strike might have been avoided if the election had come off three years ago. * * * AN EDITORIAL BY REQUEST-what is the mentality of people who equip their cars with so-called musical horns, which cover the dis-harmonic scale every time they are tooted? The question was raised by the professor in our political theory class yes- terday morning. He was busily engaged in reading "The City of Man" to the class when such a horn was sounded on nearby State Street. His pained expression is the best answer. English Research College freshmen know less and less about the "King's English" with each successive year, according to a diagnosis made by Theodore J. Gates, head of the department of English com- position at Pennsylvania State College. Professor Gates bases his observations on a study of results obtained from diagnostic tests given each entering freshman at Penn State. The tests cover spelling, vocabulary, punc- tuation, grammatical usage and diction. Pro- fessor Gates said only about 25 per cent of the first-year students get 60 per cent of the an- swers right, while 16 per cent are denied admis- sion to college English and are required to take a sub-freshman course. "The scores are considerably lower than they were four years ago," he said. Much of the difficulty, he declared, results from increased high school and college enroll- mmt 'with its h~lack of attentfion to individuali in.- A letter of Charles F. Horner, director of relief committee, to Prof. Dewitt H. Parker Dear Professor, Parker: I would like to present to you a few facts in answer to the statements of the group signing themselves "Student Defenders of Democracies." In their letter to the paper, they state "Once again the forces of isolation and appeasement on campus, the same group that sponsored 'transmission belt' Senator Wheeler, are attempting to 'sabotage' the aid-to-England move- ment by presenting a 'Herbert Hoover' food plan pro- ponent to the Student Body."7 The Herbert Hoover food plan was presented by the former president, as honorary chairman of the Na- tional chairman of the National Committee on Food for the Small Democracies. The Committee was formed for the purpose of finding a means +somehow, some way, to save millions of men, women and chil- dren facing hunger and pestilence in the countries overrun by the German armies. It has a membership of more than 841 men and women prominent in civic life, representing every phase of constructive activity. More than 2176 volunteer committees throughout the country are presenting the appeal. Resolutions have been adopted by the governing boards of churches, The American Legion, the National Grange, and local organizations now numbering over 4000, supporting the appeal. Newspapers with a circulation of upward of 26 millions have approved of Mr. Hoover's effort. At no time, and in no way, has the committee sup- ported the forces of isolation and appeasement. Again I quote from the article: "In the name of humanity this group calls upon the American people to support the sending of food supplies and so-called non-war materials to the countries under German domination." Nearly 300 million people in Europe are on rations due to an acute food shortage. Of the 37 million people in Belgium, Holland, Norway, Central Poland and Finland, great numbers are facing death from famine and disease. Belgium Blitzkrieg IN THE EIGHTEEN DAYS that the "German Blitz- krieg" swept through Belgium, it left 30,000 dead; 9832 houses razed; 140,860 damaged; 352 factories destroyed and 839 heavily damaged. This does not account for the damage to transportation, bridges destroyed, or the 235 buildings and town halls. Throughout it all, the Belgian people tried to hold up their heads. At the present time, the majority of the Belgian people are subsisting on less than 1000 calories a day. Medical science holds that at least 2200 are necessary to maintain health. Camille Gutt, Minister of Finance and War in the Belgian Government in exile in London, on his arrival in this country .stated, that poverty was spreading; children were unable to remain in school for lack of food; numbers would die and destitution throughout the country was increasing daily. The Belgian Gen- eral Relief Committee and the Belgian Red Cross re- cently telegraphed to the Committee: "Numerous cases of oedema, caused by hunger, have been ob- served in hospitals, expectant mothers, children and adolescents are still worse off because of lack of milk." There is no question that the Nazi aggression and not the English was responsible for the original plight of the European people. No one is questioning the fact that the Germans have removed most of their surplus supplies and while the Germans at the present time have been supplying food in accordance with the Hoover plan, if they 'felt it was to their disadvan- tage they would discontinue the same. Carl Brandt, a member of the Stanford University Faculty, in his article, "Food Control the Newest Nazi Weapon" says: "The Nazis will think twice before spreading starvation and pestilence in Western Eur- ope, so long as they can avoid it easily. But if their plans went awry, if starvation did impend, they would and could manage so that famine would proceed in concentric rings from the extremist rim toward the German center of the fortress. In this process they would, without batting an eye, dispose of the lives of 150 million hostages they now hold." Plight Of Poland N 1939, after Poland was overrun by the invaders, an appeal was made to Mr.-Hoover, who reorganized the Polish Relief Committee. This committee has been supplying food to inhabitants without any inter- ference on the part of the Germans. In the plan pro- posed for Belgium by former president Hoover, the Germans have agreed to supply 25,000 tons of wheat or rye per month; and the British havebeen requested to allow 20,000 tons of soup material and special food for children to pass through the blockade. The plan calls for the distribution of the food, by a neutral agency, through soup kitchens in Belgium, to two niillion children and one million unemployed adults. That during that period the Germans agree that no native food or imported food should be absorbed by the German army, or taken from Belgium to Germany. In a statement on behalf of the executive commit- tee, on May 10, Mr. Hoover says: "We wish no mis- understanding of our sympathy with the British cause, or that we have any doubt that the original plight of the small democracies is due to the German invasion." On numerous other occasions he has advocatedhelp to Britain, includin~g food. He has never, nor has the committee, questioned the military value of the British blockade. But when people of the high calibre of Gen- eral John J. Pershing, who commanded the American Expeditionary Forces, are willing to make this- state- ment, I quote in part: "From my own war experience and some knowledge of the problems involved, I have every confidence that the salvation of these people could be worked out along the lines proposed by M Hoover without military loss or benefit to either side. The interest of this committee in maintaining Ameri- can ideals and the friendship of America of these na- tions by saving these millions is worthy of every sup- port." And Admiral William V. Pratt, who dealt with the blockade in the last war and long commanded the United States Fleet, also said: "I have no hesitation insaying that this aid, can be given under Mr. Hoover's proposal without any damage to Great Britain. Tak- ing the long view of the future of constructive forces in the world and America's relation to it, it is of vita importance that Mr. Hoover's plan be carridd through." Is the plan not worthy of consideration? The Student Defenders of Democracy further state, "We are confident that the subjugated peoples of Europe prefer that America not even make the at- tempt." Let me give you the facts: Appeals From Europe ON MAY 14, 1940, the Belgian Ambassador at Wash- ington requested Herbert Hoover to revive the Commission for Relief in Belgium. On May 17, the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxehbourg, added her appeal for aid. On May 24, King Leopold of Belgium appealed to President Roosevelt asking help by means similar to the Commission For Relief in Belgium of 1914-1918. On May 30, the Belgian Minister of Public Health requested Mr. Hoover to undertake Belgian relief. Since then, there have been numerous appeals and on January 28, the President of the Belgian Gen- eral Relief Committee and the Belgian Red Cross, cabled: "There is immediate dire need in Belgium ap- proaching a deadline in the next five weeks. On March 14, another appeal was sent begging, "to at least rescue our children." On March 29th, another appeal from thq Belgian Red Cross, and the Belgian relief, requesting "For the sake of humanity we beg for help." Since April 19, 1940, numerous appeals have been made on behalf of various officials for aid to Norway. Since December 3rd, 1939, appeals, to which the com- mittee has been able to give some assistance, have been received from Finland. The Student Defenders of Democracy also say, "Every shipload helps Hitler perpetuate his dictatorial control." The amount of food suggested as an experi- ment would not mean one day's supply for Germany, and consequently could not be of any military im- portance; particularly as shipments would immedi- ately cease at any attempt of the Germans to violate their agreement. FREEDOM OF THINKING and freedom of speech is something that this country under the Constitu- tion has a full right to express. I am in no way inter- ested in any "New Order," quoted by the Student De- fenders of Democracy, and approve of their call on Michigan men and women to reason logically, but in reasoning logically, let us think~ of the millions of men, women and children; friends of America, who defended at such terrible cost their independence, who, through no fault of their own, are facing hunger and pestilence in the small democracies overrun by the German armies. - Charles F. Horner i *I Strategic Airlines In South America . . W ORD that broad powers have been requested from Congress permitting the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to set up an airline, owned and operated by the govern- ment, "if deemed necessary to expedite the de- -fense program," comes almost simultaneously with renewed reports of the government's diplo- matic efforts to induce South American nations to "close out" Axis airlines. Taken together, the two pieces of information may be regarded as marking a new stepping up of America's efforts to gain control of the im- mensely strategic air transport lines on the con- tinent to the south of us. THE NEED for a real control of the airlines to the south is shown by a few significant facts: It has been reported, and there is every reason to believe it true, that German planes have flown over the Panama Canal and mapped it photo- graphically, as well as mapping the Colombian terrain. Until a month ago German planes were being operated in Colombia within 150 miles of the Canal. That has been ended with the agreement by Colombia-and also Peru-to discontinue charters granted to Axis lines. There are German planes, fliers and mechanics today in Ecuador, only a few hours' flight from the Canal Zone, while in Brazil there are more than a score of three-motored and four-motored German ships. A German aviator who recently escaped from prison camp in Canada succeeded in getting to a freighter on the Pacific which took him to Chile. There he found a German passenger airline, took a plane to Rio de Janeiro, and there transferred to the Italian Linhas Aereas, which quickly transported him on one of its regularly scheduled hops to Germany via Natal, Cape Verde Islands, Spain and Italy. THIS TRANS-ATLANTIC AIRLINE is one par- ticularly worrisome to our government. American mail to Brazil is uncensored, nor does Rra.il -Pncn it'cmnil "rh~rtzfrPif IIi., fP x'id DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETINt (continued from Page 2) Summer, Work--Sales: Mr. Robin- son of the W. Elliott Judge Organiza- tion will interview men forsales work, Saturday. For information, please get in touch with the Bureau of Ap- pointments, 201 Mason Hall. The University Bureau of Appoint- ments and Occupational Information has received notice of the. following CivilrServicenExaminations. Last date for filing application is noted in each case: MICHIGAN CIVIL SERVICE Institution Porter D, salary $75, June 4, 1941. Food Service Helper D, salary $75, ,June 11, 1941. Junior Custodial Officer, salary $1,860, June 19, 1941. Senior Inspector, Engineering Ma- terials, salary $2,600, until further notice. Inspector, Engineering Materials, $2,300, until further notice. Associate Inspector, Engineering Materials, $2,000, until further notice. Assistant Inspector, Engineering Materials, $1,800, until further notice. Senior Inspector, Ship Construc-I tion, salary $2,600, until further no- tice. Inspector, Ship Construction, $2,- 300, until further notice. Associate Inspector, Ship Construc- tion, $2,000, until further notice. Junior Stenographer, salary $1,440, Junior Typist, $1,260. Complete announcements on file at the Bureau, 201 Mason Hall. Office hours: 9-12 and 2-4. Academic Notices Biological Chemistry Seminar will meet Saturday, May 24, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 319 West Medical Building. Subject: "Phosphatases." All inter- ested are invited. candidates to attend the examination and he may grant permission to those who for sufficient reason might wish to be present. C. S. Yoakum Concerts Carillon Recital: John Challis, Guest Carillonneur, will present a carillon recital tonight, 7:15-8:00, in the Burton Memorial Tower. He will play compositions by Bull, Farnaby, Bach, Couperin, Rameau, Handel, and Price, and will play a duet with Percival Price, University Carillon- neur. Exhibitions Exhibition, College of Architecture and Design: Mexican Handicraft, col- lected and loaned by Miss Mina Win- slow, is being shown in the ground floor cases, Architecture Building, through Friday, May 23. open daily, 9-5. The public is invited. Lectures Lecture: Mr. John S. Bugas, Agent in charge of the Detroit office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will deliver a talk on Friday, May 23, at 4:00 p.m., in Room 150 Hutchins Hall, to the followingrclasses of stu- dents in this University, who will graduate in June or in September, Laboratory Technician C, salary $80, May 31, 1941. Laboratory Technician B, salary $105, May 31, 1941. Laboratory Bacteriologist A, $130, May 31, 1941. Buyer IV, salary $325, May 31, 1941. (Includes Food Buyer, Clothing Buyer, Highway Materials and Equip- ment Buyer, Paper, office Supplies and Equipment Buyer, Hospital and English 298: I shall be unable meet this class today. to E. A. Walter English 114: I shall be unable to meet this class on Friday, May 23.