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April 18, 1948 - Image 4

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Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1948-04-18

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.GE FOUR

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

SUNDAY,

18,

Some Reflection Needed

LET'S GO BACK a ways to the spring of
1947-just about a year ago.
Students throughout Michigan were no-
ticing the evolution of a trend. They watched
in disbelief as the state's lawmakers virtually
legislated away parts of the Bill of Rights
with the Callahan Act. It was called a "for-
eign agency', ban. It was going to wipe clean
the red blot that was soiling the pure
white Michigan scene.
And students watched as University ad-
ministrations clamped down on non-con-
formist organizations-because they were
non-conformist, because Lansing's Com-
munist Extermination Service felt that
thought control should begin in the places
of learning.
These students got together. They came
to Ann Arbor from all parts of the state,
and they formed the Michigan Commit-
tee for Academic Freedom. They drew up
broad principles of the rights of students
and teachers. And they decided that the
abridgement of these rights-regardless
of whom it was that was being discrimi-
nated against-was the concern of them
all.
Later, at MCAF's constitutional confer-
ence, Michigan's fighters for academic free-
dom applauded as Prof. Preston. Slosson
told them that they're fighting, now for
the rights of Communists, not because they
are Communists but because they have
rights. The rights of Communists were be-
ing infringed upon-and they must be re-
stored. Tomorrow, it might be Socialists,
the next day Democrats.
In the life span of the Michigan Commit-
tee for Academic Freedom, Communists and
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily
ire written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR: NAOMI STERN

alleged Communists have borne the brunt
of the MCAF's action as been in their behalf.
Then came the coup in Czechoslovakia.
Students here at the University saw that the
trend of freedom's suppression was growing.
It was world-wide. A rally was held here,
and it was decided that abridgements of
academic freedom must be fought when-
ever and wherever they crop up. It was
agreed that academic .freedom is not a tac-
tic, but a principle. Its abridgements must
be fought whether Communists are on the
receiving end, as they are here, or on the
delivering end, as in Czechoslovakia.
An assembly of University students and
faculty members called on the United Na-
tions Commission on Human Rights to draw
up an international bill of academic free-
dom. It would embody the ideal that there
can be no thought in the world except free
thought-that thought control must not be
tolerated anywhere..
That resolution came up before the lo-
cal chapter of the Michigan Committee
for Academic Freedom Friday. The mem-
bership that was present turned it down.
The inference that Communists had been
responsible for objectionable behavior in
Czechoslovakia was apparently too much
for many of the members of the local
committee to stomach. 'They refused to
sanction a resolution which affirmed the
principles which t iey themselves had pro-
fessed so many times, a resolution which,
in fact, called for an international em-
bodiment of those principles.
The same resolution will come up before
the state executive board today. If the board
fails to repudiate the vote of the campus
chapter, it would be time for the Michigan
Committee for Academic Freedom to begin
to wonder about itself. It would be time for
MCAF and its component organizations to
reflect where its principles have been drift-
ing, and why it is so selective about whose
freedom is worth fighting for.
-Ben Zwerling

I'D RATHER BE RIGHT:
More Definitions
By SAMUEL GRAFTON
AIR: That which has replaced water in
the affections of some ex-isolationists as our
chief national protection. The great air
force is now talked about in somewhat the
same terms as the great navy of a decade
ago. Those who were formerly engaged in
what the late Heywood Broun used to call
"sea worship" and who gave frequent thanks
for the Atlantic Ocean, now give equal
thanks for the air spaces which divide 'and
protect. In other words, isolation has come
up in the world, about a mile.
* * * *
FORCE: The only thing this wierd world
will respect and understand, as_ proved by
the remarkable demonstrations of regard
and affection which followed the death of
Mahatma Ghandi.
THE TOUGH LINE: A policy of working
for peace by making passionate speeches
against Russia, and by building a great mil-
itary establishment. There are some ob-
servers who feel that if peace ever does
break out, it will be necessary both to dis-
mantle the military apparatus, and to take
back some of the speeches, and that these
operations will be almost equally difficult.
It might work, but it's a little bit like rid-
ding your garden of weeds by paving it
with concrete; it doesn't leave much room
for those tender green shoots.
THE ISSUE: That which a candidate
must pick carefully, to arouse popular in-
terest and win support. A strange ineffec-
tiveness haunts many issues today, however,
and reduces their value as attention-rous-
ers. One issue, for example, is whether we
ought to have an air force of 70 groups, or
a somewhat smaller one, say 55 groups. But
the discussion of this point is haunted by
the memory of the time only three years ago,
when we were going to have peace, not big-
ger air forces, with the result that as you
listen to this debate you have a vague feel-
ing that you have dropped something, or
that everybody has forgotten something. It
is a feeling which takes some persons' minds
off what is going on and makes for inat-
tentiveness. Many of the issues which are
being trotted out during the current election
campaign are clouded in this way by the
half-conscious thought that the real issue

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Letters to the Editor..

_.S _ -- -'.su _ .
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Spring in Ann Arbor

A Time ,for Action

Events of the Week
WORLD . . .
Cold War
On the morning of the Italian elections, the conflicting campaign
groups had completed a week of struggle marked by rioting of left-
ists and fascists and several setbacks for the Communist Party.
A general strike called by the General Federation of Labor failed
to turn out more than 50 per cent of the Italian workers Tuesday,
while Russia's veto of Italy's membership in the U.N. and branding
of the proposal for a conference on Trieste set back the Communist
chances.
** * * 4
The Colombian revolution remained acute at week's end but the
Ninth Pan-American conference voted to resume Wednesday fol-
lowing Colombia's announcement that diplomatic relations with Rus-
sia had been broken.
Secretary of State Marshall reported from Bogota Monday that
the revolution was due to "international Communism."
Sixteen nations of Western Europe, in the European Economic
Conference, voted Friday to form one organization to receive aid
under the Marshall Plan, to establish an office at Paris and elect Paul
Henry Spaak of Belgium its chairman.
S* *
United Nations
The five-member United Nations Palestine Commission indicted
Arab elements both within and outside of Palestine with the principal
cause for the present situation in the Holy Land. The commission also
laid at the door of the British responsibility for having blocked the
commission in its efforts to carry out the preliminary stages of the
partition plan.
Meanwhile the United States had indicated a willingness to sup-
ply troops to maintain order in the event of a truce acceptable to both
Jews and Arabs.

ONE OF THE RECENT EDITORIALS in
these columns illuminated the interest-
ing contrast between the tactics used by two
different anti-discrimination groups - the
SRA-sponsored Institute on Cultural Con-
flict and the campus IRA-in attacking the
same problem. The writer was understanda-
bly impressed by the Institute's scientific ap-
proach to the racial question and praised its
methods of analysis and discussion as con-
trasted with the more overt techniques
employed by the IRA.
Acting on the assumption that the 'Insti-
tute is "acting on the assumption that in-
telligent action against discrimination can-
not be taken until the underlying reasons
fq9 it are known.'! elediial prpceeded to
pepper IRA's method of handling the local
barbership incident.
Now let us suppose (we're acting on still
another assumption, but let it pass) that
IRA actually doesn't know-collectively-
the reasons underlying discrimination. Was
that group, then, justified in taking action
against a discriminatory situation without

being aware of the causes that produced the
situation? Following the same rather thorny
path of logic, one wonders if it might not be
advisable for Congress to forget about anti-
lynching legislation, let's say, until it is sure
of the "reasons" underlying lynchings.
The question resolves itself into a weigh-
ing of practice against tl ory, of action
against reflection. Sometimes a situation
arises which calls for the application of a
certain amount of practice.
If a person is suffering from an attack of
chronic headache, for instance, does he
pause on the way to the drugstore to delib-
erate the reasons for his ailment? It well
may be that an understanding of the rea-
sons for chronic headaches will help him
resist them in the future and he's mighty
thankful to the people who are concerning
themselves with this problem. And it's just
possible, incidentally, that by now, racial
subordination has taken on some of the
aspects of a chronic headache.
-Kenneth Lowe

is when are we
issue.
(copyright, 1948,

going to get back to the
New York Post Corporation)

Clothes for Humanity

IF CLOTHES make the man, thousands of
Europeans haven't got a chance. For de-
cent clothes are only a faint memory to the
host of common people who answered the
summons to war and lost everything-in-
cluding the shirt off their backs.
For most of these people, nearly three
years of peacetime pursuits have failed to
produce anything resembling their lost
shirts. Many must have given up hope by
this time that they ever again will be
dressed respectably, or even warmly. Their
battered and unheated homes demand
almost as much clothing as the chill out-
doors.
To relieve this situation as much as pos-
sible, the Save the Children Federation of
America has sponsored a long-term clothing
campaign for hapless Europeans. Tuesday
the drive will arrive on campus for a two-
day stay, under the sponsorship of the Uni-
versity Famine.,Committee. Once again stu-
dents have the opportunityntonrecognize a
worthy cause, and we believe they will sup-
port it as wholeheartedly as in the past.

Serviceable garments that may have out-
lived their usefulness to students by dint of
size or style will fill the bill, and boxes,
perfectly. Probably everyone on campus has
an article in this category.
There are no requirements as to size. Both
children and adults are suffering from a
lack of adequate clothing. Caps, coats and
especially shoes are sought by the drive
committee.
Collection posts will be established across
the campus to make contributions conveni-
ent for everyone. In addition to the stu-
dents' places of residence, a collection point
has been set up at campaign headquarters in
Lane Hall.
Plain American sympathy, translatea
into action, is now called for where pri-
vate industry has bogged down. The beck-
oning market has gone unclaimed because
of the lack of financial profit, but another
sort of gain is assured to those who con-
tribute to this drive to aid humanity.
-Ted Miller

IT SO HAPPENS
*Psych ense
Greatly Resented
DISCUSSING the relative intelligence of
males and females, one of the psychol-
ogy instructors recently came up with a hu-
morous anecdote reflecting upon the mental
prowess of the skirted sex. It seems that
a man once remarked, "I'm awfully glad my
wife took up knitting. Now it gives her
something to think about while she is
talking."
S*.* * *
Stronger Atraction
WHILE he is not extensively known as
another Schopenhauer, this same psy-
chology professor was heard to say in one
of his lectures, "A good woman is still a
woman, but a good cigar is a very good
smoke."
His reasoning was quite logical. A survey
was taken in Philadelphia recently which
discovered that newly-married couples, be-
fore they had taken the final plunge into
matrimony, lived, on an average, six blocks
from each other.
And everyone has heard of the cigarette
advertising slogan, "I'd walk a mile ... 'for
that certain cigarette'."
Road to Ruin
J UST YESTERDAY, this same psychology
professor was discussing the effects of
drugs and other such stimuli on normal be-
havior. Results of another survey showed,
much to the delight of The Daily staff, that
alcohol and automobile driving are about as
negatively related as any two things could
be.
However, further study of the reports
found that the negative results became pos-
itive in the case of newspaper reporters. "We
don't know whyuthat is," the psychology
professor said, "but it is."
A MAN is better able to face the goings-on
of the lads in Washington if he has a
good breakfast under his belt. This business
of some fruit juice, a slice of toast and cup
of coffe is a snare and a delusion. It en-
genders optimism to eat your way across the
table with hot cereal, apple sauce, a couple
of fried eggs and ham or bacon, thick slices
of toast with strawberry jam, and two cups
of good strong coffee.

Toll wo Tennis
To the Editor:
My wailing is long and loud
over the latest edict which is rot-
ten to the core of the idea -
charging the University students
25c an hour to play tennis.
Before I go too far I believe a
few facts should be known. Last.
year the University of Michigan's
home football games drew the
largest attendance per home game
of any university in the country
-over 70,000. Football receipts
are supposed to cover the cost
of non-paying sports such as golf,
baseball, and tennis. The athletic
department stated that they were
out of the red and in the blue
financially. The athletic depart-
ment is contemplating a large ex-
pansion program which will cost
several hundred thousand dol-
lars or more. The cost of con-
verting all the clay tennis courts
to asphalt cost only a few thou-
sand dollars not several hundred
thousand.
I was told that it cost the Uni-
versity about $50.00 a week to
keep up the clay courts which we
formerly had. How true this is
I do not know, 'but I do know that
the cost of keeping the present
asphalt tennis courts does not ev-
en begin to approach the upkeep
of clay courts. The only up-keep
for asphalt courts is a paint job
of the lines every couple of years.
Why should the students be made
to "pay through the nose" for the
paving of the tennis courts when
the athletic department is operat-
ing at a profit?
As if it were not bad enough
that a couple playing on a court
must pay 50 cents an hour (25c
per person), the addition of
another couple on the samecourt
for a doubles game compels the
newcomers to forfeit an addition-
al revenue of 50 cents. (And ten-
nis balls at $2.00 a can will now
last so much longer on asphalt
courts!) Is the pitter-patter of
an additional four more feet on
the court going to wear away the
court in double time? How long is
this false sense of humour going
to continue? I am now waiting
for the toll gates to be installed
in the engineering arch for those
passing through.
-Andy Pasko
Sports for All?
To the Editor:
It seems to us that the Uni-
versity has adopted a new and
unique policy concerning tennis
courts. On Thursday, April 15,
we were informed that. we must
pay twenty-five cents per person
per hour in order to continue
playing tennis at the Ferry Field
courts. This being somewhat of
a surprise, and having no money
on our person, we had to leave, as
did many others. That left the
courts fairly well vacated.
Most people will probably agree
with us that tennis courts will
deteriorate almost as much with-
out use as with use, due mainly
to weathering. Yet the charge
is per person, not per court. This
means that each court costs one
dollar per hour for doubles as
against fifty cents per hour for
singles. The only charge we have
ever paid for tennis courts was
for the lighting at night which
ainounted to twenty-lfive cents
per hour for two courts.
If this policy is contiued, our
chances for good tennis teams in
the future will possibly be di-
minished. Also, Fielding Yost's
dream of sports for everyone at
the U. of M. will become sports for
everyone who can afford it. We
sincerely hope that some addi-
tional consideration will be given
this matter.
-James Rice
-Thomas Wightman

Arisocratic Schedule
To the Editor:
$60,000 were apparently paid
to install cement floors on Palm-
er Field and Ferry Field Courts.
1. What is wrong with using
athletic contest receipts to im-
prove or keep up athletic grounds?
2. Who but a few well-off stu-
dents would not have preferred
keeping on playing for free or
non-cemented -courts?
3. Cannot a time schedule re-
place an aristocratic schedule?
We hope the entire student
body will back us up in demand-
ing our rights - the rights that
had been enjoyed by students of
this University in former year,
and are undoubtedly enjoyed b3
students of any other university
of equal reputation.
We hope the entire student
body will back up in writing tc
The Daily or to you, Mr. McCoy
now, and demanding those right;
-FREE TENNIS!
-Fred Benjamin and 80 others

Letter to Regents
To the Editor:
11HE FOLLOWING open letter
has been sent by the Young
Democrats to the Board of Re-
gents of the University of Michi-
gan:
Gentlemen:
We. the Young Democrats of
Michigan, having recently been
recognized as a partisan political
group by the Student Affairs Com-
mittee of the University of Michi-
gan, wish to express our opinion
on your recent interpretation of
the ban on political speeches on
campus.
Believing as we do in the right
of free political expression as an
integral part of a liberal educa-
tion, we feel that your stand does
not allow for the proper prepara-
tion of students for citizenship in
a democratic society.
We believe that this point of
view, which limits the opportunity
of all students to hear varying
political opinions, is beneath the
dignity of our great university.
We, therefore, request an early
reconsideration of this matter at
a meeting where members of our
group and other interested organi-
zations can be present to discuss
with you the issues so deeply
involved.
Sincerely,
The Young Democrats
* *
Student Misguidance
To the Editor:
It seems strange to me that an
institution of this size, which, in
some fields, indulges so lavishly,
(note money spent on athletics)
becomes petty in one of the most
important aspects of education;
that of proper counsel and guid-
ance.
Academic instructors, unquali-
fied in background, are required
to perform this function. This is
fair neither to the teacher nor
the student. The teacher should
not be burdened with this job,
nor should the student suffer the
results of unintentional misguid-
ance, 'or, as is usually the case,
no guidance at all.
I realize an attempt is being
made to remedy this situation
through the use of student coun-
selors and couse-content advis-
ors. These have proved to be .a
good deal less than adequate.
The academic life of the stu-
dent is a relatively short one;
proper counseling and guidance
are therefore imperative to the
most efficient and rewarding use
of his limited time.,
I earnestly hope that this let-
ter will encourage the discussion
and perhaps point to the ultimate
solution of the problem; a solu-
tion long overdue.
-Martin Berkowitz
Fifty-Eighth Year

i

4 4

*

In Memoriam
The Philippine Republic was shocked and saddened at the death
of its President Manuel Roxas on Thursday. Roxas, who assumed
office in 1946 after being cleared of charges of collaboration with the
Japanese is to be succeeded by Epidio Quirino, Vice-President and
Foreign Secretary.
IN THE NATION.
Labor
UMW boss John L. Lewis issued the back to work order for the
union's 350,000 soft coal miners last Monday. Lewis had won the pen-
sion fight for his miners, but faces conviction by Federal Judge T.
Alan Goldsborough for contempt of a government order to send the
miners back to work when ordered to do so.
Politics
Minnesota's Harold Stassen followed up his surprise victory in
the Wisconsin Presidential primary with a sweeping triumph in
Nebraska.
Trailing Stassen for the second time was Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
of New York, followed far behind by Ohio's Sen. Robert Taft. Dewey
however, still led the field nationally in the number of delegates
pledged.
Here at the University, the Student Legislature agreed to manage
a Daily-sponsored presidential preference straw vote to be held in con-
junction with the regularly scheduled Legislature elections.
S * * *
National Defense
It was big day Thursday for advocates of a strong U.S. Air Force.
In Congress, the House passed 3 billion dollar bill to pave the way for
a seventy-group air force.
In the U.S., 16 Senators called for a revision of the United Nations
charter to exclude the veto in cases of alleged aggression and prepara-
tion for aggression and to restrict world armament.
The senators proposed the measure to be effected "with or without
the Soviet Union."
;i * * ,
ANN ARBOR....
More Politics
The Board of Regents turned thumbs down on political activity
at the University. The ban prohibits public meetings featuring parti-
san political speeches on University property. At the same time, how-
ever, the Regents construed the ban to have no application to
partisan speeches at meetings open only to members of the sponsoring
organization.
Sports
Michigan's maker of champions, "Coach of the Year" Fritz Crisler
last week announced his intention to remain at the University as
athletic director, turning down lucrative offers from private industry.
Crisler explained that "my roots are too deep at the U. of M. and
in college athletics to leave my position."
University Appropriations
The state Legislature passed University appropriations this week
but the $1,645,000 requested for the maternity hospital was slashed to
$500,000 by an economy-minded Senate.

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Still No ;Answer

Edited and managed by students of
the University of Michigan under the
authority of the Board in Control of
Student Publications.
Editorial Staff
John campbell .......Managing Editor
Dick Maloy .............. City Editor
Harriett Friedman .. Editorial Director
Lida Dales .......... Associate Editor
Joan Katz...........Associate Editor
Fred Schott......... Associate Editor
Dick Kraus.............Sports Editor
Bob Lent. Associate Sports Editor
Joyce Johnson.......Women's Editor
Jean Whitney Associate Women's Editor
Bess Hayes ................. Librarian
Business Staff
Nancy Heimick.......general Managet
Jeanne Swendeman......Ad. Manager
Edwin Schneider .. Mktance Manager
Dick Hait....... Circulation Manager
Telephone 23-24-1
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All rights of re-publication of all otheR
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Entered at the Post Office at Ann
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Member
Associated Collegiate Press
1947-48

}

RIDAY, the Wallace Progressives distrib-
uted a paper stating their stand on the
Italian political scene and why. According
to the leaflet our foreign policy in Italy is
being directed by certain men high in gov-
ernment circles who were involved in a loan
to Mussolini in 1925 and now are trying to
protect their money.
The Progressives say that the Christian
Democrats, backed by our country, are for
private privilege and Wall Street interests
as against Communism. They contend that
New Books at General Library
Boyd, Martin-Lucinda Brayford, New

the Communists will bring ". . . land and
economic reform . . ." to the Italian masses
and will not repay the Wall Street bankers.
This threat of financial loss, according to
the Wallace Progressives, is the motiva-
tion for our stand against Communism in
Italy.
How much of this is true is difficult to
say, but the leaflet does bring up some
strange similarities. Land reform and wealth
distribution are basic communistic ideals,
and blasting Wall Street interests is stan-
dard communistic procedure. There, also,
are the concepts and method used by the
Wallace Progressives in their leaflet.
To most of us high finance is not the ba-

BARNABY. .

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C.pr.o f 194, if + Ne+tpo¢a' N4 Mt

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