THE MICHIGAN DAILY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21,
MERITS OF THE METER:
Rich Advocates Change in System
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By PAT CAMERON
The average GI, marching along
and sighting a sign "32 kilometers to.
Gira" wonders where in Germany he
is, unless he has, tiirougi2 what he
may have considered pedantic busy-
work, learned the metric system in
his school days.
His problem of adjustment to dif-
ferent weights and measures is one
example of the difficulties which
Americans encounter in their con-
tcswith a world which measures
and weighs in grams and meters.
Science Boosts Metric System
Prof. Daniel L. Rich, of the physics
department, is a firm advocate of the
metric system, as most scientists are.
"Every student of physics should be
a booster of the metric system," he
urges in his first lecture to each
physics class, and he continues by
pointing out the advantages which
the metric system has, not only for
the engineer, but also for the "lay-
man."
The metric system, Professor Rich
stated, has all the advantages of a
decimal system and is superior to the
complicated English system. To prove
his point, he compared American
Dr. E. J Fisher
Will Discuss
World Culture
Rackham Speaker
Is Guest of AAUW
"Challenge to Intercultural Activ-
ity" will be the topic of Dr. Edgar J.
Fisher, assistant director of the Insti-
tute of International Education, in
a public address to be delivered under
the sponsorship of the American As-
sociation of University Women at
4:10 p.m. tomorrow in Rackham.
Arriving today for a series of lun-
cheon meetings and conferences with
campus groups, Dr. Fisher is a mem-
ber of the Department of State's ad-
visory committee on the adjustment
of foreign students in this country,
assisting the department on prob-
lems of cultural cooperation. His ac-
tiv'e interest in international ecuca-
tion began as a member of the fac-
ulty at Ioberts College, Istanbul.
During his two-day visit to the
University, Dr. Fisher will meet with
foreign and American students at
the weekly International Center tea,
from 5 to 5:30 p.m. tomorrow. Stu-
dents may also make appointments
to meet him at his headquarters at
the International Center.
Dr. Fisher will participate in a
luncheon conference on "Post-War
Problems of International Educa-
tion" at 12:30 p.m. today in the
Union, and a similar program on
"The Summer Program. Including
Relations with the Universities of
Mexico and Toronto" tomorrow.
Bar Studies
Case of Lawyer
Legislators
LANSING, March 20-(/P)-The
House Judiciary Committee announc-
ed today wheels were moving toward
compromise settlement of a fight over
limitations the State Bar of Michi-
gan has imposed upon the right of
lawyer-legislators to representcli-
ents in the Legislature, and that the
Bar's leadership now concedes its ex-
isting rules on the subject are "too
harsh" if interpreted literally.
Rep. James B. Stanley, committee
chairman, said Wilber N. Burns,
State Bar President, would appoint
a committee of three members of the
Bar, and that he was appointing a
committee of five lawyer-legislators
to work with the bar group on a
statement of principles involved in
such cases.
Bill To Legalize Practice
"We'll get started %iext week,"
Stanley said. "This is too import-
ant to allow any waste of time."
Meanwhile, he said, a bill propos-
ing to legalize the practice of lawyer-
legislators accepting special inter-
est clients would be held in his com-
mittee.
Bar Officials Adamant
Stanley said Burns and other of-
ficials acknowledged in a closed com-
mittee hearing on the bill that the
Bar's own statement of principles
on the subject probably might be
construed as not clearly expressing
what it had attempted to state. He
added that the Bar officials were
adamant in demanding that the law-
yer-legislators' bill to draw the teeth
from the restrictions should be killed.
Micqulen Heads
BusAd Students
Ed Micqulen has been elected pres-
ident of the School of Business Ad-
ministration's student committee for
the spring semester, it was announced
money, counted in dimes and dollars,
to the English, with its snillings and
pounds. If other weights and meas-
ures conformed to this example, com-
putation and all handling of figures
would be much simpler, scientists
agree. The conversion would elimi-
nate many months spent in grade
school learning (and teaching) "16
ounces equal one pound" and similar
equivalents.
Change Would Involve Cost
Although every good machine shop
is equipped to work in the metric
system, the change-over would in-
Y lve a tremendous cost, Professor
Rich stated. However, the Baldwin
Locomotive Works of Philadelphia
set the precedent a few years ago,
when it built a number of locomo-
tives for the French government in
accordance with metric specifica-
tions.
Industrialists, eng:neers, and ma-
chinists are gradually coming to ad-
vocate the change, and metric mea-
surements are being used more
frequently. Some machines and tires
bear both the English and the metric
scales. The U.S. Pharmacopeia Soci-
ety specifies that druggists measure
in grams, and the Navy uses the
metric system freuently
international Trade
Asked about the metric system in
international trade, William B. Pal-
mer of the economics department
said, "I cannot say what effect the
metric system will have on interna-
tional trade but it seems sensible for
us to adopt the metric system, since
Hillel To Hold
Seder Services
For Passover
Seder services will be held for the
first night of the Passover festival,
March 28, at both the B'nai Brith
Hillel Foundation and at the Congre-
gation Beth Israel, 538 N. Division,
while the second Seder service,
March 29, and meals throughout the
celebration will be held only at the
Congregation.
The Passover holidays are observed
each year in commemoration of the
Exodus from Egypt, at which time
the Lord passed over the dwellings
of the Israelites as he came to slay
the first-born of the land. This year
the festival extends from March 28
through April 5.
Reservations for services and
nmeals should be made immediately
at the Foundation, 730 Haven.
Committee members planning the
services 'are Charlotte Shapiro, '45,
chairman; Milton Budyk, '46, Stu-
dent Director in charge; Dorothy
Raskind, '47; Benson Jaffe, '46; Dav-
id Brodman, '47; Saul Levine, '48;
and Gabriel Allan, '47.
Four appointments for the spring
semester have been announced by
the Foundation as follows: Charlotte
Kaufman, assistant director of the
Foundation; Fay Goldberg, secretary
and office manager; and Beryle
"Curly" Walters, and Katharine
Sharfman, student directors.
Students Asked
To Give Clothes
Phi Alpha Kappa Will
Hold Drive for Dutch
University students are being given
an opportunity to become "lend-
lease" agents.
Phi Alpha Kappa, working in col-
laboration with the Queen Wilhel-
mina Fund is sponsoring a campus-
wide clothing drive for the relief of
the Dutch people.
Students are instructed to take
their old, clothes to the depository,
Lane Hall. Because of transportation
difficulties, it will not be feasible to
ship clothes too worn to be of use,
sponsors of the drive said.
If contributors cannot leave their
r.lothes at Lane Hall, telephone 2-
1995 for pick-up service.
all but English-speaking countries
use it, and since we will be trading
extensively with them. We will prob-
ably manufacture more and more
machines for foreign countries, and
interchangeable- parts, for example,
should be reducible to a common
factor."
Professor Rich pointed out that
much time is now wasted .in trans-
lating feet and pounds into their
metric equivalents for foreign trade.
Legislation Suggested
Proponents of the metric system
have suggested national legislation
through Congress' control over gov-
ernment contracts or over interstate
commerce.
"However, the eange will prob-
ably not occur by federal legislation,"
Professor Rich stated. "The common
man and the actual worker with ma-
chines, who often isn't very well edu-
cated, will oppose the movement."
With the increasing use of the metric
system here and with more extensive
contact with foreign countries, Pro-
fessor Rich hoped that even the
conservatives might eventually advo
cate the reform.
'Unele Harry'
'U c IIsN e xt Play
Psychological Study of
Crime To Be Enacted
Another recent Broadway success
will be seen in Ann Arbor when Play
Production of the Department of
Speech presents "Uncle Harry" April
11 through 14 in the Lydia Mendels-
sohn Theater.
"Uncle Harry," written by Thomas
Job, former Yale professor, is an
interesting variation of the perfect
crime. The plot revolves around a
gentle and sensitive bachelor living
with his two nagging sisters, Lettie
and Hester. The two of them spoil
him, quarrel over him, break up the
one chance in his life for love and
happiness, and generally make you
want to strangle both of them, which
Uncle Harry practically does. How-
ever, his scheme is much more subtle
than the simple use of brute force.
He poisons one and makes the other
the victim of circumstances so that
she is convicted of the crime.
The weight of his guilt is too much
for the kindly Uncle Harry to bear,
so he tries to confess the night before
Lettie's execution. No one will believe
that Uncle Harry is capable of so
vicious an act, and the condemned
Lettie sees her chance to deal out a
fate to Uncle Harry that is worse
than death. The play is a psychologi-
cal study of a murderer.
Tickets for the four performances
will be placed on sale at the theater
box office in the League -April 9. Mail
orders will be taken before this date.
Students Try
INew Methods
Of Teaching
A new sideline to the process of
teaching how to teach is being tried
this year in the Education A-bclass,
with students planning several assem-
blies anda picnic.
Yesterday the class of about 80
divided into three "interest" groups:
choral, dramatics, and activities. The
purpose of the division is to foster
recreational interests, to become ac-
quainted, and to have fun, Prof. Fred
S. Dunham stated.
Each group elected officers and
planned an assembly program to be
given before the A-10 lecture class.
The choral group elected Marie Mar-
tel chairman and Beatrice Gaal sec-
retary. Peggy Coxon. chairman, and
Shirley Gale, secretary, head the
dramatics group, which is planning
to present a play. The activities
group tentatively plans to sponsor
a picnic for all A-10 students Jeanne
Shattuck is chairman and Janice
Whittington secretary of this group.
10-
I First German
He Needed Gun
POHCTURE
O L D E S T - Rep. Joseph 3,
Mansfield, 84, (D-Tex,) is the
oldest member of the house.
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L O A D I N G B I G F L Y I N G B O A T-Passengers board the huge flying boat, Mars, now be.
ing operated on Pacific flights by the Naval Air Transport Service.
"t"
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' S T I N G E R ' OF A B-29 -Cpl. Lawrence R.Bolin of
Sapulpa, Okla., shines up windows in the tail gunner's compart-
ment of a B-29 (Superfortress) at a 21st bomber command base
in the Pacific. Note' powerful tail armament.
A U S SIE NAVAL NURSES -- Miss Kathleen Baker,
principal matron (right), will be in charge of all members of'
Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service in Australia, At
left is her sub-matron, Miss Norah Westaway.
M A RSHMA L-This new pica
ture of Marshal Joseph Stalin
was made at Yalta conference.
MAQUIS JOE OF KK
Alsatian 1
Atl7Efec
.OKOM~
iilie
utse
I N A P L A N E "'C R A V E Y A R D' - 8/8gt. Richard Holmes (left) of Galesburg, IL, and
T/Sgt, Earl E, Wisner f Antioc i, Calif., work in a plane "graveyard" at a Marianas 7th AAF base.;
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By A, 1 GOLDBERG
Associated Press Correspondent
IN ALSACE-Maquis Joe of Ko-
komo killed his first German when
he was 17 for two reasons-he didn't
like the German and he needed the
German's gun to be a soldier in the
maquis.
Joe is John G. Topsent, now 20,
of Colmar, a six-foot two inch Alsa-
tian who speaks an ingratiating
English, has killed at least 11 Ger-
mans "for sure," is proud of his
cousin George Baer who is a tech-
nical sergeant in the U. S. Army in
New Guinea, and wants to visit the
United States.
He has an uncle, Henry Baer, a
philatelist, in Nassau Street, New
July 1, 1942, he crept up on a
German sentry, stabbed him to
death with a knife, buried him in
the woods, and he had his gun.
Joe was only 16 when a group of
six British and two French para-
troopers landed in his area in south-
ern France. He helped guide them
to a German garrison post.
The toll that night was 52 Ger-
mans.
After Joe got into the Maquis and
killed a few more Germans he got to
be a personage. By the time the Sev-
enth Army landed in southern France
he was leader of 60 Maquis.
The. 36th Texas Division drew
him as a Q'uidj. lHe way aorandgA n
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