a rtoY r Y .TIMICHIGAN, DAILV FKrkA; DEC:31, 1943 .. .. 4,.o .' .w , s . . . -.L f . -_ . . _. .. ,._. . , _. _ . Fifty-Fourth Year The WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By DuEw PEAI~SON i li 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 dbring 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 in 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. Subscriptions during the regular school year by car- rier $4.25, by mail $5.25. Member, Associated Collegiate Press, 1943-44 Editorial Staff Marion Ford . , . . anaging Editor Jane Farrant . Editorial Director Claire Sherman . _ City Editor Marjorie Borradalle . . . Associate Editor Eric Zalenski . . . . . . . Sports Editor Bitd' Low * . . Associate Sports Editor Harvey Franks. .Associate Sports Editor Mary Anne Olson . . . Women's Editor Marjorie aosmarin . . Ass't Women's Editor Hilda Slauttterback . . Columnist Doris Kuentz Columnist Business Staff Molly Ann Winokur Business Manager Elizabeth Carpenter . Ass't Bus. Manager Martha Opsion . . . Ass't Bus. Manager Telephone 23-24.1 NIGHT EDITOR: JENNIE PITCH Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. FEDERAL AID: it. 1omas Asks for New Program in Education WHEN JUSTICE BLACK was a United States senator he attempted to get federal aid to states in financing education but to no avail. This. year Senator Thomas of Utah, taking up Black's fight, introduced bill S. 637 calling for an appropriation of $300,000,000 to assist states in financing their systems of public education. -At the present time, this bill is being opposed by Senators Langer and Taft, who have intro- duced an amendment in the name of "civil liber- ties," which has led to the defeat of S. 637. The need for a program such as Black and Thomas' have ,introduced has- been felt for some time. This need has become even more acute during the war. We are rapidly ap- proaching a crisis in the classroom. At present there is a shortage of about 7,000 teachers throughout the country. This means that 3,000,000 school children are without teach- ers. The average annual salary of rural teachers is $900, comxnared to $1,900 for government em- ployees, and $2,000 for employees in manufac- turing industries. Many of the states, because of their financial embarrassments, cannot do anything to remedy this condition without fed- eral aid. Those states that are least able to pay teachers well, are the states that have the most children to be educated. In those states where there is segregation in education, S. 637 guarantees that the amount of funds to states will be divided proportionally to the number of Negroes in the total population of the state. Senators Taft and Langer, acting under the cloak of protecting the negro, introduced an amendment to provide that the funds be equal- ly divided among the races. Their trick worked and the bill was killed, in the. name of civil liberties. As an editorial in "The Crisis" puts it: "politicians win, education loses." The only remedy for the present crisis in na- tionwide education is federal aid to states for education. Nevertheless, a group of reactionary senators, who are jealous of state rights and strength, have blocked this vital and necessary aid to education. -Agatha Miller 'WIN T14E WAR': FDR Pulls No Punches In Handling Rail Crisis THE PRESIDENT has shown in his handling of the railroad crisis that the policy "Dr. Win the. War"' is his prime concern. All brotherhoods have now called off the strike formerly scheduled for yesterday. This is due largely to the prompt announcement by the President that the railroads would be taken over by the government and the equally prompt ful- fillment of this promise. ie pulled no punches in handling the situa- tion. "The war can't wait and I can't wait," he said. Thus, a railroad strike which would have ser- iously handicapped our war effort has been averted. u.T ~r*rY.,ruir~tn thektpel wrers 2afin- WASHINGTON, Dec. 31-Post office officials have been checking into the thousands of post- age-free letters which Congressman James Mor- rison has been scattering over Louisiana, to see whether he has violated the franking privilege. Morrison, nicknamed the "'synthetic Huey Long," is running for Governor of Louisiana and, despite the paper shortage and over-bur- dened postal employees, has deluged the State with about a quarter of a million letters- all of them free.. . The letters contain an appeal by Morrison to vote for him for Governor. The appeal has no subterfuge about it. "I am writing you this letter," says the would-be Governor of Louisiana, "to ask for your vote and your support in the coming Governor's election." This appeal for votes, taken by itself, would be in violation of postal laws when sent under a Congressman's franking privilge. However, the gentleman from Louisiana very cleverly inserted in the same envelope an excerpt from the Congressional Record containing one of his speeches entitled "Our War Heroes Deserve the Best." By slipping this speech into the vote-seeking letter, Morrison seems to have got under the SOLDIER VOTE: Politics, Sectional Groups Hinder Success in Issue IT BEGINS to look as if at least some of our politicians are giving up hope of ever getting Congress to pass effective legislation on the vote for soldiers. Wednesday Michigan's Governor Kelly cane out With a proposal to move up the -statewide primary from Sept. 12 to July 11 in order to allow sufficient time for the distribution and collection of the service ballots. If Congress persists in leaving the adminis-. tration of servicemen's ballots in the hands of the states, such action may aid at least a lim- ited number of those in service in exercising their franchise. But Kelly's action seems more significant as an indication that the House will adopt its own counterpart of the 1VMaLelar- Rankin bill which the Senate already has pass- ed. The entire pioceeding on this soldier vote Issue has been a triumph of political prejudice and sectional pressures. The dubius honor of having contributed one of the most disgraceful bits of statesmanship seen in a long time goes to Rep. John E. Rankin of Mississippi, who fell back oi tirades against the Negroes, the New Deal, the Jews, the newspapers, and the President, and invoking obscure Congressional rules as he led the fight against the Green-Lucas bill in the Senate and a similar measure in the House. It is for good reason that Rankin fears what might happen if the soldiers were enabled to vote on any large scale. By the use of poll taxes and other means of disfranchising a good-sized portion of the people it was possible for Rep. Rankin to be elected in 1942 by less than three percent of the population of his home district. If the Federal government Ad ministered the voting of soldiers, Rep. Rankin might be in danger of losing his job. The substitute measures passed by the Senate and now before the House are impractical be- cause of the complicated machinery of the states. Each of the 48 states has a different set of rules for absentee voting and any widespread partici- pation in the coming elections would be next to impossible. Only seven of the state legislatures are sched- uled to meet this year and none of the remaining states can pass any laws before the next presi- dential election unless the governors call for special sessions.- When Gov. Kelly issued his proposal to change the primary date, he also called a spe- cial meeting of the Michigan Election Study Commission to consider his plan and-to prepare" a soldier vote program by Jan. 14, when the. caucus of legislative leaders will lay plans for the special session of Jan. 31. Michigan is one of the few states to already call such a special meeting of the legislature. If Congress decides to leave the voting fate of the some 11,000,000 mSen and women in uni- form up to the various states, the election win- ners may be actually minority candidates, but action such as that being taken by Gov. Kelly. will help ease the situation, -Betty IKoffman J legal wire. The Post Office, after carefully studying the matter, has ruled that this distri- bution of a Congressional speech, even when accompanied by an appeal for votes, falls within the riihts of a Congressman as far as free mail- ing privileges are concerned. Capital Chaf .. . Ma Perkins was lopping ihd because she. as Secretary of Labor, wasn't kept informed of several important moves made in the rail wage dispute ... The War Department is keeping a watchful eye on the labor policies of hard-work- ing Lt. Gen. Robert C..Richardson, commanding officer in Hawaii. He is suspected of playing in too close with the big sugar barons ..Hard- working "Muley Bob" Doughton, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, is standing like a Rock of Gibraltar a'gainst putting profits back into war by stopping Army-Navy renegotiation of contracts. He seems sorry now that his com- mittee let down the bars a bit . . . The Russians plan to relieve Leningrad without firing a shot- chiefly by a drive through Latvia and Lithuania to the Baltic Sea. This would cut off the Ger- mans around Leningrad unless they could exe- cute a Dunkirk . . German reconnaissance planes are already crossing the English Channel looking for the concentration of boats and barges which will announce the coming of the long- awaited second front ... Despite this, Churchill is reported to have hung back at Teheran and wanted to examine other military moves. To this Stalin replied with one word, "Nyet! "- meaning "No." Back to Peacetime Industry... Donald Nelson is engaged in a behind-the- scenes race with Elder Statesman Bernie Baruch to work out plans for the reconversion of Am- e ican industry and see who can get it done first. This was behind the War Production Board meeting last week when Nelson called in his top aides and outlined a big post-war pro- gram of civilian production. Nelson wants plans for the change-over of industry to begin at once. This does not mean the actual reconversion of factories, since a lot of them may be busy on war orders for some time. But it does mean full speed ahead on plans for reconversion. This may provide one clue on how soon the Administration expects the war to be over in Europe. However,.insiders who know something about the personal rivalries of Washington, see in it also the desire of Donald Nelson to grab the ball away from Baruch and "Assistant President" Jimmie Byrnes. These two long have wanted to get Nelson out, and at one time FDR actualy signed a letter appointing Baruch chairman of a special committee to take over all war production. Fie Insurance Lobby.. - While most Congressmen have put their tails between th'eir legs and run from the big fire- insurance lobby, at least two men have stood up to give the insurance executives a tough battle. One is forth'right Senator Joe O'Mahoney of Wyoming. The other is a former Congressman from Maine, Edward Carleton Moran, Jr., former commissioner of the Maritime Commission, now an insurance executive. The issue is whether the fire-insurance com- panies should be exempt from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Government claims they shouldn't, that rates would be reduced if there was more competition. The fire-insurance companies claim otherwise, have promoted legislation exempting themselves from the Anti-Trust Act, Senator O'Mahoney, a fighter for free com- petition, recently received a copy of a letter written by ex-Congressman Moran, chief battler for free competition inside the insurance com- anies. Both men believe free.competition means lower insurance rates. Moran, when recently 'asked to display some posters about rate reduc- tion, wrote to the National Board of Fire Under- writers, Dec. 15, 1943: "We can't display the posters which you are now distributing because, in this locality, it is not true that there has been a 46 percent saving in fire-insurance rates. In fact, there has not been a reduction of one single cent in dwelling rates in Maine during the last 20 years. "Very truly yours, E. C. Moran Co., Inc." (Copyright, 1943, United Features Syndicate) J ON SUNDAY afternoon, Dec. 19, the University Musical Society presented its annual Christmas con- cert with a performance of Handel's "Messiah," and gave the entire au- dience a feeling that they certainly had been in the presence of some of the world's greatest music. Agnes Davis, soprano; Williamn Miller, tenor; Lillian Knowles, con- tralto; and William Ezekiel, bass; were the four guest soloists for this year's concert. In the light of var- ious other years, they were some- thing of a disappointment, but nevertheless they seemed to do a fairly accurate job. The Choral Union, however, was magnificent, and certainly was the most outstanding part of the entire performance. Every member of the chorus knew the music and his own part so perfectly that there could be little fault with the group as a whole. The blending ofbthe voices too was the best it has been in. several years and the effect produced by those 300 voices was thrilling. Hardin VanDeursen of the School of Music gave a splendid perform- ance as did Palmer Christian who was at. the organ. Despite various imperfections the "Messiah" is always one of the most enjoyable concerts of the year and certainly one of the University's best Christmas customs. -Jean Athay Samuel Grafton's 19d '.Ra -ther, Be Right . "That's mighty nice of the company-allowing the night shift ten minutes of silence at midnight to celebrate the New Year!" -.._ DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN NEW YORK, Dec. 31--The need for unity - is our excuse- for current disunity in Italy. :..In the 'name of, unity, the Italian King must be kept "in" the picture. So, almost every other Italian of consequence is left outside the picture. Italian students try to hold meet- °1g, for forwarding the cause of wit, against the Germans, and'free- dom for- Italians. These meetings are anti-monarchist. So they are suppressed, in the name of unity. Italy's students are dispersed, into separated atoms;' having no coi- tact With each ,other; and this is an odd way to further the cause of unity. A Most Exclusive Unity We have finally reached the ab- surd situation in which, in the name of unity, no more than ;five persons. are allowed to gather in one ..place in all Southern Italy. We realize that something is wrong, so we allow Benedetto Croce to write articles against the King in the only legal newspaper of Naples, "I Risor- gimento"; we even permit the Naplesi radio to broadcast Signor Croce's ar- guments. Permission to protest is therefore granted. But permission to protest is not the answer; Cr'oces and Sforza and their followers want permission to participate. To put conflicting points of view into one newspaper is not unity; that is mere- ly n ia ,an amiable, a democratic method for freezing disunity. To have unity, we must put conflicting points of view in one government. From Pardon to Power We have decided that certain characters, such as the King and lAdoglio, cannot be thrust out of Italian life. Therefore re have concluded that they must rule Ital- ian life. We jump from a two- ounce premise to a two-ton conclu- sion. It would be wrolng to send them into exile, therefore (and this is our preposterous logical leap) they must be In -charge: We have to get along with% them,-therefore they must rule. We cannot ignore them, therefore they must be boss. Italians must not be cruet to them, therefore they must serve under them. So, in the name of unity, the six major Italian- non-fascist parties, gathered into the Italian Committee of National Liberation, are kept out FRIDAY, DEC. 31, 1943 VOL. LIV No. 43 All notices for the Daily Official Bul- letin are to be sent to the Office of the president in typewritten forni by 3:30 m. of the day preceding its pblica- tion, except on Saturday when the no" tices should be submitted by 11:30 a.m. Notices Student Tea: President and Mrs. Rflthven will be at home to students Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 5, from 4 to 6 o'clock. Faculty of the College of Ltera- ture, Science and the Arts 'will meet in Rm. 1025 Angell Hall, on Monday, Jan. 3, at 4:10 p.m. Notices of this heetiig and the proposed agenda and reports have been distributed through campus mail. Edward H. Kraus To All Dormitory Directors, Soror- ity Chaperons, and 1louse Ucads: The closing hour for wome 'on Dec. 1 31, New Year's Eve, will oe 1:30 a.m. No late permissions for out of town. Jeannette Pcrry,. Asst. Dean of Women Coral Umon, Members: Members of the Chorus are requested to return4 their copies f:"Mesiah" and to re- ceive in exchange new music, before' the next Choral Union rehearsal, ,Tuesday evening, Jan. 4, Charles A. Sink, President To Students of the College of Lit- erature, Science and the Arts: Stu- dents of this college who were ad- vised by the University Health Ser- vice to remain away from classes Dec. 20, 21, 29, 30, should apply at 1220 Angell- Hall for excuses which they may present to their instructors.: E. H. Walter Senior' Engineers: Representatives of General Electric Company, Sche- nectady, N.Y., will interview senior mechanical, electrical, chemical en- gineers and physicists, Monday and of the government. This is the kind of unity that keeps the - majority waiting outside the door-while'earn- est speeches are made wilhin,;to the effect that everybody has to he al- lowed to participate. We are learning in Italy that merely to utter the sacred word "unity" solves nothing. There are big unities and little unities, dis- torted unities and logical unities. And if we do not create the reality of unity, the word "unity" comes to have as little meaning as the word "boojum." Unity in aPhone Booth There are four thousand different kinds of unity, and even after we have adopted the policy of unity, we still have to go ahead and work it out in practical detail. We have to choose between the kind of unity that will solidify and awaken Italy, and the kind, of unity that, is merely a reprieve for the King. The Six Parties have swallowed their loathing of the House of Savoy sufficiently to con- sent to a constitutional regency, built around the King's six-year-old grand- son. If they are going to, have a King without convictions, they pre- fer one who is young enough to have an excuse for his political blankness. The Six Parties offer a platform for unity large enough for the whole na- Tuesday, Jan. 3 and 4, for employ- ment after graduation. Interviews will be held in the Elec- trical Department on Monday, Jan. 3, and in Rm. 214 West Engineering Building on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Stu- dents may sign the interview sched- ules posted on the bulletin boards of the Electrical and Mechanical Engi- neering Departments. Academic Notices s B3iological Chemistry Seminar will meet today at 4:00 p.m. in Rm. 319 West Medical Building. "The Serum Proteins" will be discussed. All in- terested are invited. .Bacteriology Seminar wil meet on Saturday, Jan. 1, at 8:30 am., in Rm. 1564 East Medical Building. Subject: "Bacterial Toxins." All interested are invited. History 1, section 9, will meet in Rm. 338 West Engineering instead of in Rm. 101 Ec., Friday, Dec. 31, 9:00 a.m. Dwight C. Long Freshmen, College of Literature, S'cience, and the Arts: Freshmen may not drop courses without "E" grade after Saturday, Jan. 1, 1944. Only students with less than 24 hours credit are affected by this reg- ulation. They must be recommended .by their Academic Counsellor for this extraordinary privilege. E. A. Walter, Assistant Dean Concerts Concerts: The University Musical Society announces the following con- certs after the Christmas vacation period. Choral Union Series: Tuesday, Jan. 18, 8:30 p.m.-Artur Rubinstein, Pianist; Sunday, Jan. 30, 2:30 p.m.- Marjorie Lawrence, Soprano; Thurs- day, Feb. 10, 8:30 p.m.-Mischa El- man, Violinist; Thursday, March 6, 8:30 p.m.-Ezio Pinza, Bass. A lim- ited number of tickets are available, tax included: $2.75, $2.20, $1.65 I$1.10. Fourth Annual Chamber Music Festival: The Roth Quartet: -eri Roth, violin; Michael Kuttner, vio- lin; Julius Shaier, viola, and Oliver Edel, violincello, will participate in three concerts, Friday, Jan. 21, at 8:30 p.Mf. and Saturday, Jan. 22, at 2:30 and 8:30 p.m. Series tickets, tax included, $2.75, $2.20 and $1.10; sin- gle concerts. $1.10 and 55c-on sale at offices of the University Musical Society in Burton Memorial Tower. Charles A. Sink, President Events Today Wesley Foundation: Party tonight at 8:30. At 11:00 p.m. we will join in the church Watch Night Communion Service. University Lutheran , Chapel will have a New Year's Eve Service to- night at 7:30. The Rev. Alfred Scheips will'preach on "Christian . Preparedness."; The subject of the sermon in the 11 o'clock service Sun- day will be, "Our Father." The Lutheran Student Association will have a Watch Party in Zion Lutheran Parish Hall tonight begin- ning at 9:00, and at 11:30 the group will go to the Zion Church for a short devotional service. The regular Sun- day evening meetings of the Associa- tion will be resumed on Sunday, Jan. 2. at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. ilk, G~TN AND SEAR ii By Lichty BARNABY If you want me to box with you, son, you'll have to recall what you did with the gloves. Did you take them upstairs? By Crockett Johnson