,low iv t; 11111~ ~r fl LL~ ~ .A~ WA * Fifty-Third Year 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 regular University year, and every morning except Mon- day and Tuesday during the 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 otherwise credited i this newspaper. All rights of repub- lication of all other matters herein also reserved. Entered at the Post Office at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as second-class mail matter. rubscrptonsduring the regular school year by car- tier $4.25, by mail $5.25. Member, Associated Collegiate Press, 1942-43 HePHESENTeD FOR NATON..L AURTI.W 1G 0Y National Advertising Service, Inc. College Publishers Representative 420 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK. N.Y. CHICAGO . BOSTON - LOS ANGLIS . SAn FRANcIsco N. ~ ' -.-.~-, .7 - -. lrl l I Down to earth ~ ~ - 0- z -i-N. .. '4.if The WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By DREW PEARSON Editorial Staff Bud Brimmer Leon Gordenker Marion Ford . Charlotte Conover Betty Harvey James Conant B Elizabeth Carpenter Martha Opsion Jeanne Lovett Margery Wolfson Sybil Perlmutter Molly Winokur Pat Geblert Barbara Peterson Rosalie Frank . . . . Editorial Director . . . . City Editor . . . Associate Editor Associate Editor . . . Women's Editor . . . . Columnist Busimess Staff . . . Local Advertising . . . . . Contracts . . . . . Service Promotion . . . . . Accounts . . . National Advertising . . . . . Circulation . . Classified Advertising . Women's Business Manager Telephone 23-24-1 NIGHT EDITOR: STAN WALLACE Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. -. _________________________________________ ~ CIcan Twp. WASHINGTON, April 7.-Some of the members of the Rocke- feller office are chafing at the Spanish appeasement policy of the State Department. They would like to move against the Fascist activities of certain Spanish ele- ments in Latin America, but every time the subject is broached at the interdepartmental conferences, theI State Department vetoes the pro- posal. Both the Rockefeller Office and the State Department have been told the inside story of what these Spanish elements are doing below the Rio Grande, and that Spanish Legations and Embassies have taken over the anti-United Nations propaganda formerly done by the Axis diplomats before they were kicked out. Continuation of these activi- ties in part nullifies the effect of breaking relations with the Axis by Latin-American coun- tries-the policy which the State Department has been pushing ever since the Rio con- ference more than a year ago. Not all of the Rockefeller office are agreed on policy, some being ultra-appeasement minded. But others, though wanting to stop the Spanish activities, are afraid of the State Department. Labor Protecting Farmer CIO President Phil Murray raised some strenuous objections to Government price statistics at a recent conference in the Office of Price Stabilizer James Byrnes, attended by Cabinet members and farm and labor leaders. Murray contended that the cost of the"nation's "Food Bas- ket" had risen a great deal more than official price indices show -far more, he stated, than cor- responding increases in wages. "I don't know what these price statistics are based on," the CI0 leader asserted, "but they don't accurately reflect the higher liv- ing cost which the average worker must pay these days." Murray was aiming his shots at Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, who was present and whose Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles data not only on wages but on living costs. Looking dag- gers at the labor leader, Mrs. Perkins shot back: "My department is responsible for those figures. What's wrong with them?" "They favor the farmer," snapped Murray. At this juncture the conference One pound, or 31 tablespoonsful, of waste cooking fats will produce the glycerine, processed as an explosive, required to fire four 37 mm. anti- aircraft shells. was interrupted by a hearty laugh from Farm Bureau President Ed O'Neal, whose genial sense of hu- mor is admired both by his anti- inflation foes in the Administra- tion and by his friends in the Con- gressional Farm Bloc. "Oh, I wish some of my farmer friends could listen to this," chor- tled O'Neal. "Just imagine the Labor Department protecting the farmer against labor. That's one for the book." Mrs. Perkins and Phil Murray did not appear to be amused by the farm leader's dig, but Byrnes, together with Secretary of Agri- culture Claude Wickard, couldn't conceal their mirth. He Defeated Rumi The man who really turned the tide of Congressional debating against the Ruml plan was Okla- homa's hard-hitting Congressman, Wesley Disney, cousin of Holly- wood's Walt Disney. Disney used to be a prosecuting attorney, has tried over 100 murder cases. Using hammer -and - fist prosecution tactics, Disney let loose with a speech which shat- tered the opposition. He argued: (1) Tax forgiveness would be the entering wedge for repudia.. tion of debt. The next step after forgiving taxes, Disney warned, was to repudiate government bonds, then private debts, then mortgages, next insurance obli- gations. This argument made an impression. (2) Disney gave a vivid word- picture of Dr. Beardsley Rum], Macy's Department store treas- urer, and chairman of the Fed- eral Reserve Bank of New York, who originated the Rumi plan. Those who have seen Ruml in Washington, where he has been working on behalf of tax-forgive- ness, are familiar with his love of colorful dress. When he comes to Washington, one of the first things he does is put on his pink corduroy pants and his Russian orchid jacket. But to most of Congress, Ruml was a distant myth. So Congress- man Disney gave a side-splitting description of the frank, eccen- tric, "Big Breeze" Ruml. Quoting Collier's, Disney said: "He laughs his big bass laugh at quips about his brilliant plumage and casually mentions the fact that in the country he wears pas- tels-and orchid corduroy jacket and dove-pink corduroy trousers." "Imagine," continued Disney, "trying to get a farmer to vote for you after you've voted for the tax plan devised by a man like that?" Note: Ruml, an extremely lik- able person, was even franker than Disney reported. Collier's also quoted him as saying: "If you ever hear of me dropping dead on a tennis court, you'll know it was because I was crossing it on my way to a Scotch and soda." Will HistoryRepeat? History does not always repeat itself, and our military leaders un- doubtedly are smarter in this war. However, the inside history of the First World War shows that in the fall of 1918 they were woefully ig- norant as to how long the war would last. It will be recalled that on Sept. 26, 1918, Bulgaria surrendered. On Oct. 6, Turkey proposed peace. Meanwhile Austria-Hungary had sent out peace feelers, and on Sept. 29 the German Supreme Com- mand asked the Kaiser to propose peace. When this was delayed Hindenburg on Oct. 2 sent an ur- gent demand which read as fol- lows: "The Supreme Command insists on its demand of Sunday 29th Sep- tember that a peace offer to our enemies be issued at once." Nevertheless, despite all this, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, when asked by the British cabinet for his views on Germany's strength and the prospect for peace, reported on Oct. 19 that the war would last into the next year, or 1919. Marshal Haig completely failed to evaluate the political factors of Bulgaria's, Austria's and Turkey's surrender. He said: "In my opinion the German Army is capable of retiring to its own frontiers and holding that line against equal or even superior forces . . . The French Army seems greatly worn out . . . The Ameri- can Army is disorganized, ill- equipped and ill-trained, with very few N.C.O.'s and officers of experience. It has suffered severely through ignorance of modern war- fare and it must take at least a year before it becomes a serious fighting force . . . "If the French and American armies were capable of a serious offensive now, the Allies could completely overthrow the remain- ing efficient enemy divisions before they could reach the line of the Meuse. "They are not . . . In the com- ing Winter, too, the enemy will have several months for recupera- tion . .. So we must conclude that the enemy will be able to hold the line which he selects for defense for some time after the campaign of 1919 commences." Yet Hindenburg nearly one month before had urgently and repeatedly demanded peace over- tures. And less than a month after Haig's report, Germany ab- jectly surrendered. (Copyright, 1943, United Features Synd.) TIME TO PLAN: Students Should Attend Post-War Conference MICHIGAN students will have an opportunity to participate in a conference on the prob- Lms of restoring the world to a sane peacetime basis this week-end at the semi-annual post-war conference. A lecture by Prof. Preston W. Slosson Friday night on "International Government" will be fol- lowed up by a group of panel discussions Saturday afternoon. At the close of the discussions reso- lutions will be drawn up expressing the group opinion on each topic. The importance of understanding problems of this sort cannot be overemphasized. The oft- heard argument that it is too soon to begin quibbling over who will grab what after the war is entirely unfounded. It is not quibbling to set up a group of principles upon which the peace will be made. It is not quibbling, for example, to discuss now, while we may think unhurriedly, whether or not it is feasible to determine boundaries by plebiscite. Of a series of weekly discussions on post-war topics sponsored by the Post-War Council, the best attended so far was one given especially for soldiers on campus. If those who are fighting the war will take an interest in the subject, the least students can do is to begin studying the problems which they must help solve afterwards. - Jean Richards INADEQUACIES: Survey Shows Failure Of Educational System TRADITIONAL education-the teaching of reading and writing and arithmetic-received its greatest indictment when the entire liberal arts program was blasted by the results of The New York Times educational poll which dis- covered that college students had an astonishing lack of knowledge about American History. Educators are prone to wearily shake their heads and admit that the largest amount of the curricula to which students are exposed is for- gotten in an amazingly short time. They claim that repetition is the answer, and if the teaching of subjects was begun with the lower grades and continued through school that the knowledge lost would be decreased. But their arguments collapse in the light of this poll which discovered that only 6 per cent of the 7,000 students in 36 colleges who took the test, could name the 13 original states. More woeful than that, a mere 22 per cent could identify Lincoln's place in the history of the nation. THESE STUDENTS have taken American His- tory at least three times in their public school career. Most of them have also taken a semester of civics and sociology. They evidence most clearly the decay and utter inadequacy of formal education. How many times have they heard the "great Lincoln" extolled and yet all they seem to remember is that he was an exceedingly honest man. Jefferson to them wasn't a great president, but merely the person who lived at Monticello and whose face now decorates the new Jefferson nickel. The Spanish American war which gained for us the troublesome Philippines has dwindled into such insignificance that only 15 per cent BRUTAL TRUTH: Sending Food to Europe Would Prolong Conflict HE PROBLEM of feeding the starving nations of occupied Europe has for the past two years been weighing on the American conscience. According to Mary Hornaday, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, the "feeding of Europe's hungry millions-especially women and children-is a settled policy of the United States Government whenever it can be rightly done." In that phrase, "rightly done" lies the crux of the whole situation. For before any food can be sent to Europe, two conditions must exist. 1.That a distribution system be devised to get food through the Nazi lines without having it get into Nazi hands, or indirectly benefit them by releasing equivalent supplies on hand for German use.1 2. That sufficient stores of food are available to tackle the problem, especially dried, milk. The chances of success in meeting these con- ditions are not great. REPORTS on the activities of the Red Cross in feeding Greece are not encouraging. While great work has been done in relieving the peo- ple's suffering, Greek refugees who have recently fled to North Africa reported to American offi- cials that the leakage into enemy hands has been nearly 40 per cent. In cases which involve humanitarian motives it is difficult to make decisions that will not hurt any party. The best approach to the problem is to examine the view which the Nazis are taking. From all the evidence gained through our relief work in what was unoccupied France, Spain and Greece, they are anxious that this policy be con- tinued. And one may ask, why not? It is obvious that a Red Cross Agent cannot be on hand to check up every time a bottle of American milk is consumed. The steady leakage which would result from our undertaking to feed occupied Europe could easily prolong the war for years. The bomb dazed populace of Germany would be pleased to discover that those foolish Amer- icans are helping to build up their larder. The only effect which feeding the conquered nations could have would be to keep the people from the verge of starvation, while prolonging the trouble which is responsible for their plight. - Monroe Fink CEILING PRICES: Bankhead Bill Adoption Will Cause Inflation THE DECISION whether the country is to have uncontrolled inflation is now squarely in the lap of Congress. Today that body will consider overriding Presi- dent Roosevelt's veto of the Bankhead bill to raise ceiling prices on certain farm commodities by requiring that Government subsidy payments to farmers be ignored in the calculation of parity prices. It is significant that the President, the OPA, and labor have all been unalterably opposed to this bill. Time and again it has conclu- sively shown that it would boost the retail cost of food 6.7 %, add one and a half billion dollars P'd Rather _Be Right By SAMUEL GRAFTON NEW YORK, April 7.- Everything for the offensive! That is the slogan for the moment, the hour and the year. What bothers you? Is it our relations with Russia? Our relations with Russia now are one thing. They are still rooted in the last war and the last peace. Those relations will be, must be, entirely different after the coming offensive. It is impossible to say now how this country will feel about Russia after fighting with Russia in true coalition warfare. The offensive alone can break the chain of former events, and give us a new relation with Russia in a new era. To skip the offensive, even in our thinking, is to think about nothing. If we are really poised on the edge of this great and terrible adventure, as every sign shows, then that knowledge ought to be right up front in our minds. We ought to be thinking the offensive, living the offensive, talking the offensive. We ought to reject a bill for farm price in- creases, not because we fear an inflation in 1945 but because this year is the year of the great offensive, and because such a bill is a piece of impudent irrelevancy at such a moment. What were you doing, grandfather, when the great offensive was being planned? "I was trying to override the President's veto of a price increase bill." No, it will no go down. They will not even remember the name of the flankhead bill. At most it wil be a footnote among the curiosa of the war. The coming offensive will light our way to the future or show there is no way. All our values are its values. Yet we display a goat- like capacity to leap straight over It, even in our discussion of issues which are meaningless without reference to it. No one has asked, in connection With the com- ing international conference on the "post-war food problem" whether the delegates will'know, or not know, that the big offensive is, or is not, scheduled. Yet how can they juggle the "post-war food problem" in their paddy paws without that know- ledge? It makes all'the difference between mere- ly hoping that France and Greece will some day be fed, or really knowing that a sure and certain delivery service is being organized for this year. The coming offensive is the biggest single fact of the war, the year and our lives. It should inform every public utterance on every question. Whenit comes, it should come as the natural fruit of our hope and work, not as a cheap thrill for the titillation of men whose minds were on something else all the while it was being prepared. It is hard to see how a-single meaningful speech can be uttered in Congress on any subject, unless it is illuminated by the feeling of the imminence of the offensive. We ought to act and speak as if it were going to come off tomorrow morning, for it may. Yet we hear forever the ponderous booming of men with all the time in the world discussing how many soldiers ought to be turned back into becoming how many farmers, quite as if this were any year but the big year; or talking about orga- nizing "neutral" food convoys for the captive DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1943 VOL. LI No. 132 All notices for the Daily Official Bul- letin are to be sent to the Office of the President in typewritten form by 3:30 p.m. of the day preceding its publica- tion, except on Saturday when the no- tices should be submitted by 11:30 a.m. LNotices Student Tea: President and Mrs. Ruth- ven will be at home tostudents this afternoon from 4 to 6 o'clock. Group Hospitalization afd Surgical Service: During the period from April 6 through April 17 the University Business Office will accept new applications as well as requests for changes in contracts now in effect. These new applications and changes will become effective May 5 with the first payroll deduction on May 31. Please be advised that after April17 no new applications or changes can be accepted until the month of October. If you wish to finance the purchase of a home, or if you have purchased improved property on a land contract and owe a balance of approximately 60 per cent of the value of the property, the Investment Of- fice, 100 South Wing of University Hall, would be glad to discuss financing through the medium of a first mortgage. Such fi- nancing may effect a substantial saving in interest. Dinner Meeting and Forum, sponsored by the local chapter of the A.A.U.P., on Friday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Union. The subject will be "What the People Expect of the University in the Post-war World." Make reservations for the dinner by call- ing Professor Christian Wenger, 33 East Hall, Tel. 578. Forum starting about 7:30 will be open Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre for a patri- otic revue, "Listen, Mr. Speaker," by 150, Gtudents from the Roosevelt High School, Wyandotte. Students: A list of graduates and former students now in Military Service is being compiled at the Alumni Catalogue Office. This list already numbers approximately 3,000. If you are entering Military Service, please see that your name is included in this list by reporting such information to the Alumni Catalogue Office. This cour- tesy will be greatly appreciated. Lunette Hadley, Director Alumni Catalogue Office Lectures American Chemical Society Lecture: Dr. Frederick D. Rossini, of the National Bureau of Standards, will lecture on the subject, "Chemical Thermodynamics of Hydrocarbons", today at 4:15 p.m. in Room 303 Chemistry Building. The pub- lic is invited. Dr. Luis Ramirez, of Paraguay, will give the third of a series of talks on Latin America on the subject, "Survey on Para- guay", under the auspices of the Latin America Society of the University of Michigan, tonight at 8 o'clock in the Rackham Amphitheatre. Faculty, students and townspeople are welcome to the lecture, which will be de- livered in English and without charge. Academic Notices ROTC Drill: Today all Companies will 'Fall In' on Hoover Street, in front of the IM Building with rifles. Officers 'will be prepared to give instruction in individual protective measures. Cadets will wear clothing suitable for field work. of Music faculty, will present a recital. In addition to the above works, the pro- gram will include a group of English songs by Miss Lewis. , The general public is invited. Exhibitions Exhibit: Museum of Art and Archaeol- 3gy, Newberry Hall. Arts and crafts of a ioman provincial town in Egypt. The twentieth annual exhibition of work by artists of Ann Arbor and vicinity is being presented by the Ann Arbor Art Ussociation in the Exhibition Galleries of theRackham Building, through April 13, daily, except Sunday; 2 to 5 after- noons and 7 to 10 evenings. The public is cordially invited. Events Today Oriental Religious Seminar: Babu Amin, of Bombay, India, a graduate student in engineering, will speak on Hinduism, and its place in the modern life of India, at Lane Hall today at 7:30 p.m. Wesley Foundation: Tea and Open House for all Methodist students and their friends this afternoon, 4:00-6:00, in the Student Lounge. Coming Events Varsity Glee Club: All men should be present for a very important rehearsal on Thursday, April 8. Those men who can- not attend should call their president at 3918, Wednesday or Thursday, and leave a message. Michigan Sailink Club will meet on Thursday at 7:30 in the Union (room 316). The regular Thursday evening recorded program in the Men's Lounge of the Rackham .Building will be as follows: