F _ p : . Y TIIZ t_ .. .. ..::. .. _..:.. ........ .... ..... . ..>... v ._..... _ ... ....._ 1 11 .,t+1 AY114i111"lP.G1\1'9 .l.l~211.1 F.V. _ _ ._ _.... _ v ,m .awn m ...- io n I $1 Time for a Change ALTHOUGH the Student Legislature elec- tions this year were far from ideal they represent a trend of consistent improvement in elections on this campus. Since the Legislature was formed almost three years ago, the body, profiting by past experience, has handled the mechan- ical aspects of the elections with more and more efficiency. The Men's Judiciary Council has shown increasing willingness to shoulder responsibility and possibly most important, there has been some de- crease in "Bloc" voting. In this election, for the first time, stu- dent leaders-fraternity and independent- joined in a vigorous appeal against loyalty voting and "place-trading." In a series of letters -to the student body, students at- tacked these practices, which generally mark the elections-the unwritten law which forbids an independent to vote for an affiliated man and vice-versa - and the very effective method of swapping a num- her of second or third place votes of one candidate, for those of another. DURING THE counting at this election, it became fairly apparent that these appeals had some effect, but it was also clear that the effect was not nearly strong enough to satisfy requirements for a fair election. The students behind the vote-for-the- Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. NIGHT EDITOR: DON McNEIL man-not-the-party movement on this cam- pus are fully aware that their pleas for non- partisan voting can have only a very limited meaning under the present election system. They realize the difficulties involved in helping the average voter to know the can- didates, and they recognize that place- trading is a quite logical ramification of the system. But because, as one student put it, the present voting plan is "inadequate, dis- proportionate and detrimental in achiev- ing our common ends," a new movement is underfoot to thoroughly review the vot- ing set-up and possibly substitute an entirely different plan. . BRIEFLY, the plans under consideration include representation by colleges ac- cording to their enrollments, or geographic zoning of the entire campus with constit- uents voting only for the candidates of their district--using the Hare System in this case, or adapting a point system to the present set-up in much the same way as the Associated Press runs the football polls. These proposals probably provide the most sensible approach to the problem yet made. The present system was devised for a campus much smaller than today's, and made no provision for the sudden en- rollment jump. Although the plans under consideration are not yet worked out in the fullest detail, they eliminate the nec- essity for the unfortunate practice asso- ciated with the present system. Admittedly, none of these plans are the perfect answer, but it is high time the Student Legislature made, a sincere and thorough effort to find a substitute for the inequalities and inefficiencies rampant in the present set-tip. -Naomi Stern. + MUSIC + RUDOLF SERKIN gave a superlative con- cert last night, ranging over a widely representative selection of works in demon- strating his justly renowned abilities as a pianist. Historically, it's probably improper to play Bach's music on the piano rather than the harpsichord; but in his Italian Concerto, with which the program opened, Serkin made it seem quite fitting. He played the second movement somewhat more slowly than the customary andante, but by doing so he was able to make good use of the pi- ano's main advantage ovei the harpsichord, its sensitivity to the performer's touch. In Beethoven's F-sharp major sonata (op. 74), Serkin gave a very engaging and tech- nically fine performance of a demanding work. He did particularly well with the lively final movement. Schubert's "Wanderer" Phantasie, op. 15, gave Serkin another opportunity to exhibit rapid pianistic pyrotechnics'in an excellent rendition of this somewhat overlong piece. After the intermission, Serkin's perform- ance of the two Schumann Romanzen, op. 28, brought long applause from the audience, +(CN At Hill Auditorium... FARREBIQUE. Directed by Georges Rou- quier. RATED WITH Jenny Lamour and Sym- phonie Pastorale as one of the three best French post-war films, Farrebique takes the daily round of existence on a French farm for its theme. The movie is concerned with representing life in its most basic aspects without gla- mour or moralization. The farm family is followed through one year, with the life of a generation, and a race also symbolized. A seedling develops flowers, is pollinated, and bears fruit before our eyes; we see the influence of - each season on man and an- imal. And through it all, we feel the impact of the measured destiny inherent in the simple life and, perhaps, all life. This microcosm technique tends to drag in spots, as the existence it depicts drags. In fact, in many ways Farrebique is not a movie which would be appealing to every- one. But its honesty and perceptiveness make it a must for anyone seeking the unusual in film entertainment. Also on the bill is a short on Paris, which happens to contrast very effectively with Farrebique in presenting the other side of French life - the glitter and high culture of her proudest showplace. -Carol Anderson. * * * * At the Orpheum ... SONG OF MY HEART, Frank Sundtrom, Audrey Long. ANYONE WITH RECORDS of Tchaikov- sky's Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphon- ies can save himself half a buck by relaxing for an hour and alternately lifting and dropping his phonograph needle. This "Hollywood's First Great Love Story Set to and rightly so; here the pianist was at his best. His playing was equally fine in each of the pieces, which were contrasted in feeling and tone. Serkin played a romping Mendelssohn scherzo, followed by two Songs Without Words. These weren't of the quality of the rest of his program, but they were excellent- ly done. Two works by Chopin concluded the pro- gram. The Ballade in A-flat major, op. 47, was the more satisfactory of these, even though Serkin didn't appear quite as much at home as in, for instance, the Schumann selections. The other piece by Chopin was the Tarentelle, op. 43, which Serkin also played very well. He seemed generally better in music like this, which demanded rapid and powerful playing, than in soft passages. Serkin doesn't have quite the delicacy of touch that was exhibited by Clifford Curzon last week. But few pianists do; this very minor lack didn't prevent Serkin from giving one of the best concerts in recent years. -Phil Dawson :MA + However, we are saving our schmoscars for the scripts writers who hoped to make this production semi-documentary with the addition of such dialog as this: "Rimsky--Stop playing that tune!" "But it's Tchaikovsky's 'None But the Lonely Heart.'" . "Well, stop it." The writer would then drag in another Russian great on a similar pretense. After convincing themselves the show had a historic flavor, they continued in their disjointed way to prove that Peter T. rose above everything after all. For background music that is nice, and a poorly schmaltzed up romance this is worse than the average composer-biograph- ies, of which "Song to Remember" (Chopin) was the best. "Flora" the best comedy short of the decade, is as good as when we re- viewed it last. --Craig If. Wilson. a 1 I NleCromancers SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMAN did such an excellent job of taking the wind out of the sails of some of our modern day necro- mancers it would seem feasible for them to be a little bit more precautionary in their predictions and polls. But here we have the AP and UP going at it again, not to mention the various weekly magazines, naming the top gridders of the nation with all the confidence of Roper naming the President and going home in mid-Septem- ber. The team that took the first place notch in an equally unscientific, (but fortunately correct this year) poll need not feel any misgivings at the omission of some of its members from the lists. When two polls disagree to the extent that only four first stringers are mentioned on both teams the reliability of the polling themods and ex- perts polled can be questioned. Al Wistert placed first on the United Press poll but somehow merited only a hon- orable mention on the Associated Press com- putation. Other than Dick Rifenburg, Notre Dame's Bill Fischer, Charles Bednarik, and Doak Walker, any comparison between the two teams, as the movies put it, "is purely coincidental." There is certainly cause for honoring the men who played an outstanding game during the year for their work but it doesn't seem just to place as much worth. on these haphazard guesses of sports writ- ers of all sizes and shapes as the public usually does. It would be interesting and perhaps more honest, if the All-American teams were chosen by the coaches of the country and the members of the teams. At least the mere impressiveness of our biggest colleges wouldn't be such an overwhelming factor in the selection of the players of the year. -Don McNeil. MATTER OF FACT: Old Problem By JOSEPH and STEWART ALSOP WHAT IS NOW going on is a crisis within the Administration comparable to the crisis that preceded Secretary Marshall's Harvard speech. At that time, the question was whether to pretend to ignore the in- creasing menace of Soviet policy, or to adopt the counter-measure of the European Recovery Program. And at that time, Pres- ident Truman made his choice boldly, firmly and with wise vision. Adoption of ERP, passage of the draft, launching of re-armament, last year seemed to commit the President to an all- out effort to stabilize the desperately dan- gerous world situation. But even then, it was clear that the increasing costs of American re-armament, plus the need for such further steps as the Atlantic pact and peacetime lendlease for Western Eu- rope, would eventually confront the Presi- dent with another difficult choice. This choice is the issue in the present crisis. Up to now, foreign and defense policy have been financed out of surplus as it were. But now the time has come, as predicted here, when taxes must be increased heavily -perhaps by as much as $5 billion-and controls must be imposed to prevent foreign and defense spending from precipitating a serious further inflation. We can either have business-as-usual, or a developing for- eign and defense policy. The choice is essentially the same that confronted Stanley Baldwin, when Win- ston Churchill and other British leaders visited him, in solemn deputation, to warn of Hitler's re-armament. The curious thing is, in view of the President's past record, that he seems to be seriously con- sidering making Baldwin's comfortable. easy, but ultimately suicidal mistake of choosing business-as-usual. Such, at least, is the practical implication of the $15 billion ceiling placed by the President on Army, Navy and Air Force expenditures in the next budget. There remains the riddle of the Presi- dent's decision, which so obviously makes nonsense of such Truman measures as last year's fine draft message. The answer is that certain of the President's personal ad- visers, out of touch with foreign policy, pre- occupied with domestic problems, persuaded him to take the present steps with no end in view but holding down the budget. The most important influences seem to have been Secretary of the Treasury John Snyder and Snyder's perpetual White House ally, Dr. John Steelman. Snyder and Steelman were supported by Budget Director James Webb and the Pres- ident's chief economist, Dr. Edwin Nourse, in the sense of giving the impartial, undis- puted expert opinion that increased foreign and defense spending would necessitate heavy tax rises and a strong controls pro- gram. Not the least curious aspect of the resulting situation is the reflection on the sincerity of the President's own repeated requests for reimposed controls and his re- peated attacks on the Republican tax cut. Thus, the President is depicted in such a strange light that a broader review of all ,, s. r . .;, - .. ; .,,', .;ii;,c 4 .w S. +im r - _ s, _ . o ws r+r ..yfM. r u ros. w. News of the Week WORLD United Nations ... There was hope for a break in the cold war flashing momentarily through the United Nations this week, as the Soviet suddenly accepted a bid by "neutrals" to mediate the currency problem, one obstacle to the lifting the Berlin blockade. * * * Berlin ... A Communist rump government for Berlin was established in the Soviet sector this week by members of the German Communist party who met in Berlin. The move, okayed by the Soviet, gave Berlin the honor of being the only city in the world with 9 mayors. Fights immediately broke out between members of the German Communist Youth groups and the Socialists from the western sec- tors. Israel . . The Israel government made an official bid to the United Nations' for membership this week, while Palestine Arabs were claiming Ab- dullah as their king and the British backed down on the Bernadotte Plan and supported the United States in its move for a negotiated peace. * * * * China ... The Communists were claiming the capture of all-important Suchow this week, while the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai- Shek were keeping silent. The Nationalists troops were reported in peril on three fronts. Mme. Chiang Kai-Shek made a special trip to Washington to ask President Truman for aid for the crumbling Nationalist forces. Balkans --- The United Nations officially censured three Balkan states, Yugoslavia, Albania and Hungary for their interference in the Greek war on the behalf of the guerrilla forces. The Eastern block voted against the censure. NATIONAL Draft ... The army slashed its January draft quota in half because of a lack of funds. Original plans called for the drafting of 20,000 men next month, but Congressional limitations necessitated the reduction of that figure to 10,000. Reorganization ... President Truman approved a plan set up by ex-President Hoover to reorganize sixty independent executive offices under one head. AVC... At its national convention, after a long hard fight, AVC voted to oust Communists from its organization. Local reaction to this move was varied. The Ann Arbor chapter backed the action of the national while four of the five campus delegates charged that the convention was packed. Fraternities .. Fifty-eight college fraternities were urged at a national Inter- fraternity conference to select members on the basis of character and personality rather than race, religion or nationality. At the same time, the Interfraternity Conference affirmed the right of fraternities to determine the qualifications of their members. Strike ... The East Coast shipping strike ended and shipping began to move again. Settlement of the West Coast strike followed within a few days. * * * * LOCAL Election ... Smashing all previous records, 7,013 students turned out to vote in the two-day campus election, Tuesday and Wednesday. Elected were 32 Student Legislators and thre emembers of the Board in Control of Student Publications, Tom Walsh, Bruce Lockwood and John Campbell. Senior class officers picked were Val Johnson, pres- ident, Arlynn Rosen, Elinor Abrahamson and Eugenia McCallum. A nine member J-Hop Committee and education school senior officers were also elected. Red Dean ... The Very Reverend Hewlett Johnson, Dean of Canterbury ad- dressed a mostly student audience on peace with Russia, claiming to bei explaining the Russian viewpoint on controversial issues. At week's end, an investigation revealed that the University may have denied permission for the Dean to speak on campus. * ~* * Basketball ... Ticket manager Don Weir announced that students would be seated at all home basketball games on a first come first served basis. Last year's preferential ticket system was junked.c C / ' . The Daily accords its readers the privilege of submitting letters for publication in this column. Subject to space limitations, the general pol- icy is to publish in the order in which they aretreceived all letters bearing the writer's signature and address. Letters exceeding 300 words, repeti- tious letters and letters of a defama- tory character or such letters which for any other reason are not in good taste will not be published. The editors reserve the privilege of con- densing letters. * * * Thank Yon, To the Editor: N BEHALF of the Elections Committee and Student Legis- lature, I want to thank TheDaily as a whole and Al Blumrosen in particular for the excellent cover- age given the recent all-campus elections. The Daily's publicity was a major factor in obtaining the largest vote in campus his- tory. However, we must not be completely deceived by the latter fact which appears to insure better representation. The opera- tion of bloc voting on an unprece- dented scale does not guarantee this. By representation I mean representation of attitudes ,ideas and ideals. This can hardly be the fact when I personally observed voters going to the polls carrying numbered lists of candidates dis- tributed by some organization. Perhaps the candidates will vote and think independently of the "pressure groups" which elected them. In my experience on Legis- lature, this has been the case. However, there is no guarantee that this will continue. The only answer is to eliminate the bloc voting system. I urge that the IFC and AIM, instead of being overcome by post-election leth- argy, immediately push their plans for an Independent Citizen- ship League and send observers to Legislature meetings. The Elections Committee and Men's Judiciary Council will meet in the near future to revise elec- tion rules. Before these provisions are presented to the Legislature for approval, there will be an- other meeting to receive further suggestions from the campus at large. An open invitation is ex- DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN (Continued from Page 2) Business Fraternity: Formal Initi- ation, Sun., Dec. 5, 1 p.m., Michi- gan Union. The Inter-Guild Council will meet at 2:30, Sunday, Dec. 4, Lane Hall. Some members of the United World Federalists will be present to explain their plan for world organization. I.S.A. Sunday Supper, sponsored by Club Europa, will be given Sun., Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m., International Center. Tickets may be obtained at the International Center. Film on Scandinavian countries will be shown. Jam Session: I.R.A. will present a benefit Jam Session with top local talent Sun., Dec. 5, 8-10:30 p.m., in the Hussey Room, Michi- gan League. Small admission charge. Scabbard and Blade: The time for initiation in Friday D.O.B. no- tice was incorrectly stated. The formal initiation will occur at Michigan Union, Sun., Dc. 5. 11:30 a.m., as we published in the orders. U.W.F.: Informal discussion group in the Rehearsal Room, Michigan League, Sun., 7:30 p.m. Everybody welcome. La p'tite causette: Mon., 3:30 p.m., Grill Room, Michigan League. The World Federalists Execu- tive Council meeting, 4:15 p.m., Mon., Michigan Union. Written committee reports requested. Meeting open to general member- ship. Hiawatha Club: Meeting at the League, 7:30 p.m., Mon., Dec. 6. All Upper Peninsula students are urged to attend. American Society of Heating & Ventilating Engineers: There will be a meeting at the Michigan Un- ion on Wed., Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. Russian Circle: Meeting, Mon., Dec., 6, at 8 p.m., International Center; Christmas party. "I'd Like To Get You On A Slow Boat To China" Letters to the Editor tended to those who have ex- pressed their ideas in previous letters to The Daily. I also want to thank the or- ganizations who provided polling personnel, AIM, IFC, Assembly, Panhel, Union, and League. The thanks of the campus are due to the members of Alpha Phi Omega, national service fraternity, who served as poll watchers. -Knight Houghton., 4: Goodbye To the Editor: [THOUGHT YOUR EDITORIAL "Canterbury Dean" in today's issue was excellent. Only one slight correction. You refer to me as "of Yale University." It is only fair to Yale to say that I am of Harvard. -Ralph Barton Perry. Misleading To the Editor: AFTER READING Dr. Johnson's letter, several questions came to my mind. He stated that many of the people came to the hospital showing no outward clinical find- ings. Can he deny that many doc- tors in large cities aren't cap- italizing on that type of person. Perhaps he feels that only the very wealthy can afford to be neurotic. The figure - one doctor for every eight hundred people- sounds mighty good, but why is it that there are large areas in the United States where medical fa- cilities are inadequate and people are dying because of lack of doc- tors? What answer does he have to the fact that so many- young men were refused in the armed forces because of physical defects that had been neglected? When people think of socialized medicine, charity clinics or the Army and Navy medical depart- ments come to their minds. The shortcomings of these types of or- ganizations are used- as a basis for their arguments. I have worked for five years in both and fully realize their shortcomings, but do not associate them with a means of national health security, which could beaccomplished by compulsory health insurance where people are able to choose their own doctors. The hospital where Dr. Johnson worked was a charity hospital-charity is not synonymous with socialized med- icine. Instead of the American Med- ical Association taking an en- tirely negative approach to this recognized problem that needs urgent attention, and if they are so afraid of political interference, why don't theyfwork out a plan of their own before the govern- ment is forced to take over where they have failed. -Janet Effron. Fifty-Ninth Year Looking Back Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Publications. Editorial Staff Harriett Friedman ...Managing Editor Dick Maloy ................City Editor Naomi Stern .........Editorial Director Allegra Pasqualetti .... Associate Editor Arthur Higbee .......Associate Editor Murray Grant..........Sports Editor Bud Weidenthal . .Associate Sports Ed. Bev Bussey ...Sports Feature Writer Audrey Buttery......Women's Editor Bess Hayes ..................Librarian Business Staff Richard Halt......Business Manager Jean Leonard ....Advertising Manager William Culman..Finance Manager Cole Christian ....Circulation Manager Telephone 23-24-1 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 to this newspaper All rights of republication of all other matters herein are also reserved. Entered at the Post Office at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as second-class mail matter. Subscription during the regular school year by carrier, $5.00, by mail, $6.00. ,, 50 YEARS AGO TODAY: The Sophomore women entertained their freshman sisters at their annual dance which was termed "one of the prettiest of the year." Each freshman was escorted by a woman from the sophomore class who was her dancing partner. No 'cutting in' was allowed. The question "What are you good for" was discussed at Newberry Hall. Public character analysis of volunteers was given by the speaker. 30 YEARS AGO TODAY: As the 1918 Western Conference season opened, Michigan had to cancel its fight with Northwestern because the Varsity fell victim en masse to the flu. According to a Daily headline "Marthy BARNABI I Lkeep telling you, Gus, nothing's going to happen- You'repositiveI'm immune from all supernatural influences while I'm near this exorcistic circle? f~es.zAr AI'AT N 7 0