Ttwf I f-C AN DAILY

FRIDAY, DECE3MER' 10, 194$'



FCC 'Hands-Off'

Po . 

A STUDENT-FACULTY group is mad at
Detroit Radio Station WJR for broad-
casting football games on Sunday afternoon
instead of symphony music.
So the group is now circulating peti-
tions of protest. When filled in the peti-
tions will be sent to the Federal Com-
munications Commission.
The FCC is the government agency which
allocates radio broadcasting channels. This
protesting group has requested that WJR
be deprived of its broadcasting channel be-
cause the station doesn't schedule enough
symphonies and other "cultural" programs.
Now I don't mean to impugn the motives
of this group. Perhaps the majority of the
people of Michigan would rather hear "cul-
tural" programs instead of sports events.
I would hate to bet on it though.
However, the important point here is the
way in which this group is going about its
protest. Instead of presenting their peti-
tions to the radio station concerned, the
protesting group has seen fit to appeal
to a government agency.
This very act is contrary to something
which is fundamental to our country-
namely the right of freedom of speech and
the press.
The FCC's main purpose is to allocate
broadcasting frequencies. Minimum pro-
gramming standards are also set up. But
it is not the purpose of this government
agency to dictate to radio stations.
In the past the FCC has done some
meddling in the broadcasting content of
several radio stations. This encroachment
has been rightly resented by the station
operators. They took it to the courts and
the FCC was quickly slapped down for its
unwarranted interference.
But this indignant student-faculty group
would still rather appeal to the government
instead of bringing the full weight of its
opinion to bear on the station owners.
I suppose they also would, feel com-
pelled to ask the government to muzzle
newspapers which do not carry enough
"cultural" stories-if the government li-
censed newspapers.
Possibly it would be a good thing if this
group would reorient itself and come to the
realization that in this country the press
and radio operates independently of the
government.
--Dick Maloy.
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily stafff
and represent the views of the writers only.

Con...
THE PETITION now being circulated on
campus regarding the quality of pro-
grams on Detroit radio station WJR brings
into the spotlight once more the problem of
control versus responsibility in the com-
munications media.
The group of students and faculty mem-
bers sponsoring the petition will submit
the signed petitions to the Federal Com-
munications Commission with a state-
ment that the station "does not justify,
in its program policy, the special privileges
it enjoys as a clear channel station."
And while the courts have in the past
rightfully restrained the FCC from unduly
interfering with the content choices of in-
dividual stations, it appears htat such in-
tercession in this case would not be "undue."
There is no question that freedom of
speech and the press are basic in our democ-
racy and that their defense must be strong
and continuous. But any freedom carries
with it major responsibilities. In the case
of the press and radio, these responsibilities
include, among many others, service to the
public.
WJR is the sole outlet of the Columbia
Broadcasting System for more than five
million people. As a network affiliate, it
is required to devote a certain number
of broadcast hours to chain programs
(with wide discretion in choosing these
programs). Yet, in past years, it has con-
sistently ignored several of the finest
public-service programs originating with
CBS in favor of the more profitable, if
poorer, local shows.
This year, WJR substituted the commer-
cial Detroit Lions Football Games for the
CBS-feed of the New York Philharmonic
Orchestra, thereby broadcasting to its five-
million listeners throughout the state, a pro-
gram of limited interest outside of the De-
troit area. Such local football games in
many other cities, are very successfully
broadcast on local stations, leaving the net-
work stations open for the wider-interest
programs.
But when WJR officials were approached
on this matter, they offered only "evasive.
excuses," according to the petition state-
ment.
Nor do WJR's local "public-service" pro-
grams live up to their title. One program
so labelled, consists of five minutes of
facts on American history, and 25 min-
utes of random telephone calls of the
mystery-melody species.
It is hard, then, not to suspect a strong
profit motive in WJR's policy of keeping
the higher type network shows from its
listeners. It has miserably failed in its re-
sponsibility to its listeners in this field, and
only the Federal Communications Commis-
sion can now undo this failure.
--Naomi Stern.

PD RATHER BE RIGHT:
This Week
By SAMUEL GRAFTON
HOUSING: The weirdest argument of the
week was the claim that a 15 per cent
boost in rent ceilings would be a blow
against inflation. The theory is that if the
people spend more on rent, they will na-
turally have less to spend on goods, and thus
the pressure to lift prices will ease. The
only thing that is wrong with this wonder-
ful theory is that it will collapse the first
time a landlord buys himself a steak out of
his 15-per cent increased proceeds.
CHINA: A number of commentators have
been saying primly that if the Com-
munists take over China we must refuse
to recognize them, or to have anything to
do with them.
But Pearl Buck points out, in the De-
cember "UN World," that if we don't show
some sympathy for the Chinese people, even
in their Communist phase, others will. May-
be even Russia. Miss Buck suggests that we
ought to give positive aid to the Chinese
people under any government, as our last
chance to shape events in China; she coun-
sels us not to think in terms of ideologies,
but in terms of the Chinese people, who
will know who their friends are.
(There may be something to this. Remem-
ber how afraid Russia was to let her Eu-
ropean satellites join the Marshall Plan?)
And John King Fairbank, who is in
charge of the Regional Program on China
at Harvard, writes in the November 19
"Bulletin" of the Foreign Policy Associa-
tion, that ". . . the Chinese Communist
program may indeed be cynically ruth-
less, economically unsound, swayed by
Moscow, and feared by many Chinese.
Compared wtih the overall Kuomintang
program, however, it remains preferable
from the point of view of the great ma-
jority of poor peasants. This merely indi-
cates the very low standard of Chinese
political life, which most Americans find
difficult to understand. Another funda-
mental factor is that Russia's influence in
China has been primarily not material,
but ideological. Concrete Russian aid to
Chinese Communism may be greater than
we can now prove, but it has by no means
equalled the two-and-one-third billion
dollars of American aid which has gone
-to Nanking since V-J Day. What has be-
come increasingly clear is that we cannot
offset the Russian ideological influence by
purely material means."
In other words, it's going to be very hard
for us to have any role in China at all
unless we can convince the mass of poor
Chinese that we are for them.
And "Business Week" reports currently
that "Washington's attitude" (of not recog-
nizing a Communist government) "will come
as a blow to many old China hands. They
see a good chance of keeping China out of
Moscow's orbit if the U.S. would establish
trade relations with the Chinese Commu-
nists."
The funny thing is our relations with
Communist China, far from provoking a new
new world war may, if we are smart and
realistic, give us some valuable experience
in how to get along with the Communist
world, and might even mark the start of
peace.
(Copyright, 1948, New York Post Corporation)
Current Movies
At the State...s*s
NORTHWEST STAMPEDE, with James
Craig and Joan Leslie.
STAMPEDE PHOOEY, it's a guy, a gal and
a horse, and guess who loses out. In

beautiful orange flavored cine-color the
magnificent west comes to the screen, along
with more horses than the Louis B. Mayer
and Crosby stables combined, and against
which is enacted a story that detracts not at
all from the scenery.
James Craig inherits a western ranch
and turns his itching foot thataway for
a short pause on his rodeo circuit. Fore-
man Joan Leslie loves the Bar B Ranch
with a tender passion and exerts her red-
headed temper and wiles, along with some
horsemanship heretofore unrevealed, to
keep him from selling out.
The battle of the sexes and Craig's quest
for the "white outlaw," an old hay eating
buddy, keeps things going and the trav-
elogue unwinding for the prescribed time.
There is some nice riding and some excel-
lent horseflesh along with the mountains
and streams, and a sequence of the Cale-
gary Stampede is an interesting touch right
out of a Pete Smith short.
With no gunplay or Indians to mess up a
nice simple love story everything comes out
just peachy, including a small affair be-
tween the "white outlaw" and his Palomino
galfriend. If you like cinecolor and rushing
blue waters, O.K., but there is also a hockey
game and some basketball this weekend.
-Gloria Hunter.
~_Looking Back

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"You Mean We're Not Pals Any More?"

Letters to the Editor

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DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN

NIGHT EDITOR: DON McNEIL



(s ---- ----,

+

CINEMA

+

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At Architect. Auditorium
OF MICE AND MEN, with Burgess Mere-
dith, Lon Chaney, Jr., and Betty Field.
Directed by Lewis Milestone.
PRODUCED IN THE days when Hollywood
still retained sufficient humility to
follow the lead of an author, John Stein-
beck's novel was kindly treated by the
film-men. The story and dialogue are Stein-
beck's in nearly every detail.
Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney, Jr.,
take the roles of George and Lennie, two
migrant workers whose fates are interde-
pendent. Their goal is to own a farm of
their own, but Lennie has a natural aptitude
for trouble through his brawny stupidity.
Steinbeck's idea is to symbolize the striving
for a better life characteristic of mankind
and the unhappy end of most of these am-
bitions.

Lon Chaney, Jr., turns in a masterful per-
formance. As the accidental instrument of
his defeat, Betty Field also performs her
role with great sensitivity.
The minor characters take their cue from
these two and are generally very fine, not-
ably Roman Bohnen as Candy and Leigh
Whipper as Crooks. It is refreshing to find
an American film in which the character
parts are not taken by actors so familiar
as to spoil any pretense of illusion.
My criticism of Burgess Meredith is in
line with this. Although he seems to make
some attempt to get into the spirit of the
film, he is always Burgess Meredith first
and foremost-and a little too pert to be
easily imagined as a migrant farmhand, I
think.
All in all, though, this is an extremely sin-
cere and entertaining film. Cultural, too.
--Carol Anderson.

(Continued from Page 2)
and Witchcraft among the Natives
of South Africa." Dr. I. Schapera,
Professor of Anthropology, Uni-
versity of Cape Town, South Afri-
ca, Visiting Professor at the Uni-
versity of Chicago; auspices of the
Department of Anthropology. 4:15
p.m., Fri., Dec. 10, Kellogg Audi-
torium.
University Lectures in Journal-
ism: Erwin D. Canham, President
of the American Society of News-
paper Editors and editor of the
Christian Science Monitor, will
address journalism concentrates
and other interested students on
the subject, "The American Press
and World Crisis," 3 p.m., Fri.,
Dec. 10, Rm. B, Haven Hall. Cof-
fee hour following lecture.
Public lecture: 8 p.m., Fri., Dec.
10, Rackham Lecture Hall (not
Kellogg Auditorium as previously
announced). Mr. Canham will
speak on the subject, "Can We
Achieve Peace?"
University Lectures in Journal-
ism: Philip L. ,Graham, publisher
of the Washington Post, will ad-
dress journalism concentrates and
other interested students on the
subject, "A View of the Role of the
Publisher," 3 p.m., Mon., Dec. 13,
Rm. B, Haven Hall. Coffee hour
following lecture.
Public lecture: Mr. Graham will
speak on the subject, "Current
Problems of the Press," 8 p.m.,
Mon., Dec. 13, Kellogg Audito-
rium.
Economics Lecture: Dr. Jacob
Viner, professor of Economics,
Princeton University, will give an
address on "American Free En-
terprise-Fact, Fiction, Ideal or
Evil?" 4:15 p.m., Tues., Dec. 14,
Rackham Amphitheatre, auspices
of the Department of Economics.
The public is invited.
Economic Club Lecture: Dr.
Jacob Viner, professor of econom-
ics, Princeton University, will
speak on "American Economic
Foreign Policy in a Two-Power
World," Mon., Dec. 13, Rackham
Amphitheatre. The public is in-
vited.
Academic Notices
Doctoral Examination for Wal-
lace Ervin Anderson, Physics; the-
sis: "The Infrared Absorption
Spectrum of Diborane," 2 p.m.,
Fri., Dec. 10, East Council Room,
Rackham Bldg. Chairman, E. F.
Barker.
Doctoral Examination for Reyn-
old Emanuel Holmen, Chemistry;
thesis: "An Investigation of New
Routes for the Synthesis of Sex
Hormones and Their Analogs," 2
p.m., Fri., Dec. 10, West Council
Room, Rackham Bldg. Chairman,
W. E. Bachmann.
Astronomical Seminar: 10 a.m.,
Sat., Dec. 11, McMath-Hulbert
Observatory, Pontiac, Michigan.
Interested members of the facul-
ty are invited to attend.
Subject: "Techniques in Solar
Research" as presented by the
staff of the McMath-Hulbert
Observatory.
Biological Chemistry Seminar:
4 p.m., Fri., Dec. 10, 319 W. Medi-
cal Bldg. Subject: "Interrelations

Between Oxidation of Fat and
Carbohydrate." All interested are
invited.
Mathematics Colloquium: 4:10
p.m., Fri., Dec. 10, 3201 Angell
Hall.
Prof. H. Seifert of the Mathe-
matical Institute of Heidelberg
will speak on the subject, "Some
Results in the Theory of Knots."
Exhibitions
Museum of Art: America-the
Index of American Design, and
Ancient Peruvian Textiles, Alumni
Memorial Hall, through Dec. 28;
weekdays 9-5, Sundays 2-5 p.m.
The public is invited.
Events Today
Geological-Mineralogical Jour-
nal Club: 12 noon, 3056 Natural
Science Bldg. Mr. John Chronic, of
Harvard University, will speak on
the subject, "A Geologist in Peru"
(illustrated with Kodachromes
slides). All interested persons are
invited.
Flying Club Party: Meet in front
of E. Engineering Bldg., 7:30 p.m.
Hawaii Glee Club: Meeting, Rm.
3G, Michigan Union. -
German Coffee Hour: 3-4:30
p.m., Michigan League Coke Bar.
All students and faculty members
invited.
Hindustan Association: Pro-
gram of Indian Music, 9 p.m., In-
ternational Center.
Association Coffee Hour: 4:30
p.m., Lane Hall. Guest: Dr. Lewis
Hoskins, recently returned from
communist - held territory in
China.
B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation:
Sabbath Eve Services, 7:45 p.m.
Speaker: Prof. H. T. Price of the
English Department.
Roger Williams Guild: Inter-
guild Party, Lane Hall.
Michigan Christian Fellowship:
Christmas Party, 7:30 p.m., Lane
Hall.
Wallace Progressives: Execu-
tive meeting, 4:30 p.m., third floor,
Michigan Union. All members of
board are urged to attend.
Art Cinema League presents
John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and
Men," 7 and 9 p.m., Friday and
Saturday, Architecture Audito-
rium. Tickets on sale in Univer-
sity Hall. Proceeds to Inter-Ra-
cial Association.
Coming Events
Flying Club, Ensian pictures will
be taken at Ann Arbor Airport,
Sat., 2 p.m. Meet in Aero Service
office.
Graduate Outing Club: Meet at
2:15 p.m., Dec. 12, Northwest en-
trance, Rackham Bldg., for hike.
Please sign supper list at Rack-
ham checkroom desk before noon
Saturday. All graduates welcome.
American Youth Hostel: Last
Square Dance before the holidays,
8:15-11 p.m., Sat., Dec. 11, Jones
School, 401 N. Division St.
Le Cercle Francais: Christmas
meeting, 8 p.m., Mon., Dec. 13,
Michigan League. Members ad-

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 are received 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.
What's Important?
To the Editor:
IN ANSWER to the letter of Her-
man. Judd Heineman, Dorwin
Bruce Wile, and company, of Dec.
3, I'd like to ask what do these
gentlemen consider important
news? Aren't the issue of war and
peace (the main reason for the
write up of the Dean of Canter-
bury's speech), and the issue of
whether Communists are truly a
menace to our liberal organiza-
tions among the issues of "real"
importance tous students, I will
agree with them that The 'Daily
doesn't cover world news very
thoroughly, that it does not give
us more than the briefest sketch
of world events, but considering
its size, how can it do so and
still report campus news with any
degree of thoroughness?
The -:Daily cannot compete- in
coverage with the large metropol-
itan papers. Hence, its policy
should continue to be one of
highlighting local, and especially
campus news which has a direct
bearing on our lives as students,
as citizens of the United States,
and as members of the world
community, just as the larger
dailies are supposed to do with
national and international news
(or to use the words of the com-
plainants "news" about things
happening today that really affect
us"). Here's to The Daily!
-David Patek.
Exceptions
To the Editor:
THE ARTICLE in last Sunday's
issue concerning the student
church census left the impression
that though church membership
is up, church attendance is down. I
can't speak for campus churches
in general, but I do have some
figures on the attendance of
Catholic students at St. Mary's
Chapel.
There are roughly 2,300 Cath-
olic students enrolled at this Uni-
versity in all the schools. Last
Sunday the annual students' Re-
treat began. In addition to the
usual four Masses, two Retreat
conferences were held, in the af-
ternoon and evening. The total at-
tendance at all services was over
3,500! If you subtract from 2,300
the number of students who at-
tend Mass at Willow Run, and
those who were home for the
week end, you can easily figure
out for yourself how many stu-
sdentsattended more than one
service!
On Monday and Tuesday there
were two Retreat conferences each
day. Total attendance for each
day ran over 1,000, not counting
those at Mass in the morning.
Wednesday is a holyday, the Feast
of the Immaculate Conception.
Attendance on holydays normally
is over 2,000.
It seems that there are some
students on the Michigan campus
who take an active interest in
religion!
-Bill Wolber, Editor,
The Chapel Chronicle.
'' R *

gambling dens, money, jewels and
mansions" were given undue im-
portance. The natural conclusions
to follow were "another Hollywood
B picture, limitations of the story,
fantastic plots, raising phony sus-
pense."
By "jumping to confusions" the
essence was overlooked: a satire
of social manners, the irony of an
unjust society, a world of truth
seen through the eyes of a mendi-
cant, a world of hypocrisy seen
through a sophisticated elite, a
picaresque wit and humor, the
beauty of faith and character that
triumphs against improbability, a
nobility of sentiments and deeds,
a spiritual candor.
As for "sparce sub-titles and
Mexican provincial accents, the
former captured the important
dialogue in situation. It is impos-
sible to read every translated
idiom and enjoy the photography
at the same time. There are few
accents in Mexico. These do not
reach the Mexican 'screen so as to
be distinguishable. Education,
metropolitan influence, and the
script absorb any phonetical pe-
culiarity..
Indeed, criticism of a foreign
drama requires sympathetic at-
tention. Any interpolation of our
immediate bias can mislead us
rather than aid us to receive the
personality and dramatic intensity
of a 'foreign theatre.
-Manuel H. Guerra.
M1/is take
To the Editor:
FEEL THAT somebody is mak-
ing a serious mistake in policy
in what I feel is a definite sup-
pressive effort on the part of a
united press.
Whatever may be the eventual
outcome of the House Un-Amer-
ican Affairs Committee, its sole
purpose today is to hold the spot-
light on this country's front
pages. The Pearl Harbor affair is
carefully erased. I say shout it to
the house tops and exonerate for-
ever those officers who stand ac-
cused of betraying their trust. Our
national policy made a certain
style of display necessary. That
navy at Pearl was not to incite
fear in the Japanese that we
would attack them.
This must be avoided. Yet
should the Nipponese navy at-
tempt to send reinforcements to
the Mediterranean, our navy most
certainly must be right there to
intercede. And that odd approach
of lying at ease dominated the
acts of the entire forte. A navy in
the Pacific to keep the enemy
from leaving and a relaxed ap-
pearance to keep "the 'enemy at
anchor.
A far more important question
would be "Why Did Japan Blun-
der?" With the battle fleet strick-
en, had there been reinforcements,
we might have cause to rue the
outcome far more.
-There R*osene.

Fifty-Ninth Year

Review Lacking
To the Editor:

I

MATTEROACTfRACOT
Hoover Co mm iss iont

By JOSEPH and STEWART ALSOP
WASHINGTON-Among the sadder signs
of these sorry times are the indications
that the Hoover Commission is not, after all,
going to do its real job. Expense, cumber-
someness and inadequacy are only the minor
faults of the American government. The
basic fault is just plain bad management,
resulting from bad staff, bad organizational
set-up, and insane chains of command. But
President Hoover and his colleagues, after
months of intensive study of government re-
organization, seem unlikely to recommend
the drastic remedies needed to cure this
basic fault.
The blame is by no means entirely the
commission's. One of the greatest, difficul-
ties in the government today is that the
Presidency has become a job which would
overburden even Superman. Scores of
high officials now report directly to the
President, on hundreds of issues of high
policy. The President must, in effect, deal
with each official and each issue indi-
vidually. It is physically impossible for
him to do so.
They argued, quite inaccurately, that the
,nin nfn4ilcpe-ia.tnn in the dioretion of ihe

system in theory requires the government
to be run by clerks provided by the Civil
Service, which is set up to produce only
clerks and glorified clerks, and politicians
provided by the party in power. The prob-
lems of modern government are too big
for clerks and payrollers, which is one
of the main reasons why so many bankers,
lawyers and generals are now found in
high posts.
Being set up to provide the government
only with clerks and glorified clerks, the
Civil Service system cannot produce any-
thing else. There are no means for bringing
into the government highly qualified young
men and women. If by chance young men
of high quality stumble into Federal service,
they soon have all imagination and initiative
ground out of them. Thus no class of pro-
fessional administrators can be produced
without radical new departures. And such
strong measures, it is understood, will not
be proposed by the Hoover Commission.
Much that is useful however is likely to be
accomplished by President Hoover and his
colleagues. On the straight organizational
side of the Federal government, recommen-
rin+inne e fnr" nfnif~pt mnrn rationa1 arnun_-

GOOD ART CRITICISM will ed-
T ucate the public. It will en-
deavor to stimulate talent, to re-
ward the good performance and
chastise the bad one. It will strive
to attain a higher standard of
competence. When it fails to do
so, others will question its posi-
ti on.
Miss Carol Anderson's criticism
on the Spanish speaking Argen-
tine movie, "Dios se la Pague" is
now under review.
(1.) The criticism did not edu-
cate.
(2.) It did not comprehend the
meaning of the film.@
(3.) It did not capture nor ap-
praise the emotion intrinsic in
this drama.
Such external aspects as "fur
clad damsels, gripping casinos,
gaudily romanesque interiors,
mitted for the last time this se-
mester.
Chanukah Festival: 6-10 p.m.,
Sun., Dec. 12, Proceeds go to the
Jewish National Fund.
ISA. Sunday Supper, Dec. 12,
International Center. Sponsored
by the Hindustan Association.

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BAIRNAB)

Barnaby came home terribly upset, John.
He claims his imaginary Fairy Godfather
vanished suddenly-"Pouf!"-like that!
Ws this nonsense of Mr. Merrie's about

I.

The Swami Merrie hired left town
before the reporters and the crowd
arrived to watch him get rid of the
Ghost. They can't find Merrie to ask

I forgot to tell you! Mr. Merrie went
"Pouf!" too! Like my Fairy GodfatherJ
1 Now, Barnaby. Things

50 YEARS AGO TODAY:
The Michigan Central

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Railroad offered

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