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Right to Listen
WHILE STUDENTS are enjoying the first
days of their Christmas vacation, the
Board of Regents will pass on the wishes
of two University organizations which want
to see the Political Speakers Ban lifted.
The Regents, meeting this weekend, will
hear SL President Blair Moody present
the studient view and will consider the re-
port of the Faculty Senate sub-committee,
assigned to study the ban.
While officials of both the Legislature
and the Faculty Senate have refused to
make public their proposals, informed
sources have disclosed the general contents
of the proposals.
The Student Legislature will ask the
abolition of the ban and more, while the
Senate Sub-Committee report will build
up a strong case for the ending of the
restrictions. Here is one place where both
students and faculty agree-the ban
should be lifted.
The Political Ban is about the only issue
where every shade of opinion on campus is
united.
The left, center and right of campus pol-
itics have all been fighting for the removal
of the ban, and now the faculty has joined
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
in. Members of the SL and the Faculty
committee have consulted together several
times on their proposals.
In the face of this united opinion of
the University community, the Regents
will have to make their decision. After
almost a year of continuous pressure from
students, beginning well before the pre-
liminary electioneering last spring, some-
thing has been accomplished. It has taken
that length of time for the criticisms of
the ban to get a hearing before the Re-
gents.
The arguments against the ban have been
many and varied. They need not be re-
peated. If there is any subject where that
phantom called "Student Opinion" can be
said to be crystallized, it is in opposition to
the ban.
While it has often seemed that the Re-
gents operate in some kind of a vacuum
as far as the students are concerned (al-
though the secrecy surrounding Regent
meetings prevents the public from hearing
the other side of the story) they are
now face to face with the biggest Univer-
sity issue in several years.
It is hoped that the Regents this week
will realize that people in the University
community have as much right to hear
political discussion as any other group of
American citizens, and that any restrictions
on that right are intolerable to men and
women brought up in the traditions of this
country.
-Al Blumrosen.
Ratings
AFTER 35 YEARS of passing judgment on
the nation's institutions of higher learn-
ing, the erudite Associations of American
Universities has ended the practice of ac-
crediting colleges.
The AAU consists of 34 American uni-
versities, whose academic standards are
commonly thought to be the highest. The
dignified body has placed only 301 of
more than a thousand American univer-
sities and professional schools on its ap-
proved list.
Reasons for this laudatory move, accord-
ing to a New York Times interview with
President Henry Writson of Brown Univer-
sity include the fact that the need for rating
schools is rapidly becoming outdated and
the accredited bodies tend to strip the Uni-
versity officials of their power.
Original needs for the rating system
were to aid students in getting into grad-
uate schools, particularly in Europe; and
to separate the rapidly-disappearing di-
ploma mill from the better institutions.
Dr. Wriston used a University's wanting a
new building as an example of the power
of rating bodies. The school will ask its
officials for a new building using the
argument not that it simply needs a new
structure but that it must have it to stay
on some approved list.
Diversity of educational aims--the differ-
ence between vocational and academic
training, and the number of schools now
found in universities-make rating extreme-
ly difficult.
But the most important reason seems not
to be the technical difficulties or outmoded
purpose but the fact that a University's
paramount value lies in the effect it has on
the student.
A pompous, important university with
extensive facilities and a famous faculty
might well have less inspiration to its
students than a small, relatively poor
school with an obscure but effective fac-
ulty.
Obviously it is very difficult, if not down-
right impossible, to rate the effect of a
school on a student, even if salaries and
positions, of the graduates are tabulated by
the most scientific methods available.
If the other rating societies follow the
AAU's sterling example, perhaps American
universities can work on improving them-
selves and not merely making some honor
roll.
-John Davies.
1 .
"Housing, Prices, Minimum Wage, Civil Rights
a" .
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SDAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN
Letters to the Editor .
NIGHT EDITOR: DON McNEIL
At the Michigan .... At the State ...
EMBRACEABLE YOU, with Geraldine ISN'T IT ROMANTIC?, with No One of
Brooks, and Dane Clark. Consequence.
"EMBRACEABLE YOU" is just about what IN ANSWER to the joyous question posed
the title implies; two nice sweet kids on the marquee:
falling in love and that certain tune playing No, not especially.
over and over again in the background. But
the "B" picture boys are to be congratulated This, my young friends, is what happens
on this one, as the preliminaries to the in- to a musical comedy when there is no
evitable final clinch are handled rather music and no comedy. I have spent a
uiiquely. great deal of time thinking-as long as
Miss Brooks is an unemployed dancer, it takes to get from the State Theatre
struck down by minor hoodlum Clark to a Daily typewriter-about what was in-
while he is driving a getaway car. He's a tended by the people who made this pic-
good kid at heart (after all, he is the ture.
hero) and looks her up in the hospital. They must have realized that they had no
Finding that her days are numbered, a story.
small item she isn't aware of, he under- Tft
takes to give her a pleasant farewell to They knew, of course, that the music was
what has thus far been a pretty lousy about as memorable as a Zulu war chant.
life. And there could have been no doubt of the
This makes for numerous cozy scenes fact that the cast was something less than
right out of Hollywood or a vacation with appealing to anything save the low, ex-
pay, but meanwhile, his erstwhile chums teror senses.
the bad boys are brewing up quite a storm Briefly put (and thank heavens for
for the loving twosome. It all comes off space limitations) the story concerns a
rather neatly, though at times it is fraught Southern major who, at the turn of the
with the miraculous coincidences of such century, is still fighting the Civil War.
pictures. Such a plot just might have made His lovely daughter falls in love with an
a big dramatic splash, and while it falls unseemly character who is selling shares
far short of that, at least it doesn't belly- in a non-existent oil well. From this un-
flop. fortunate setup there evolve a number of
Coming attractions on the "Rope and complications too unintelligible to under-,
"Bambi" are a provocative lick and a prom- stand-much less relate.
ise of what we are going to miss next week,
(for some reason vacation time pictures al- The music-as we have intimated-shows
ways look so good) and there is a 1948 signs of being composed and performed un-
football summary that may interest the der the pressure of the almighty paycheck.
fans. In the comedy department, installment In view of these facts, the obvious ques-
umpteen of Mighty Mouse goes operatic, tion is: Why did they make the picture?
which shouldn't happen to a rat. Sorry-but don't ask me ---
-Gloria Hunter. -Bob White.
I'D RATHER BE RIGHT:
Self Des tract ion
MUSIC
By SAMUEL GRAFTON
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I have been
trying to figure out which way business
is going, and I have accumulated some bits
of information, which I pass along.
1. There are layoff rumors scattered al-
most all over the map. The layoff rumor is
the chief conversational tidbit of Decem-
ber, 1948. It has replaced the shortage
rumor of the war years. If some of my
more sheltered subscribers want to know
what working people are talking about
right now, the answer is they are talking
about their fears of being fired.
2. Most of the layoff rumors are exag-
gerated. Employment generally is far above
the wartime peak, let alone the prewar level.
But some of the layoff stories are true. In
this connection a leading financial writer
has said there is a suspicion that layoff
stories have been deliberately publicized by
some business circles. He points out that
news of layoffs would take the steam out
of the drive for a fourth-round wage in-
crease.
If this is true, it is certainly a clear
example of fouling one's own nest. When
one considers what layoff stories can do
to general business, the idea of deliberate-
ly using them to head off wage increases
has in it an incoherent and self-destruc-
tive element which almost passes under-
standing.
Yet again and again one hears it said
blandly that a slight amount of unemploy-
at the cost of shaving a little off
inflated profits, or waiting for a
price crash.
present
general
ANY CONCERT of choral music has spe-
cial perils most of which were avoided
at the Christmas Concert last night after
the University Choir under Maynard Klein
essayed the Kyrie and Gloria from a Pales-
trina Mass. After this warm-up, where tran-
sitions from one vocal group to anther
were too perceptible, things went well. Of
the first group I enjoyed the De Pres Ave,
Vernum Corpus most. The control imposed
here was delicate and the muted voice pro-
duced with a good sense of overtone. Having
a brass choir set high in the choral "bleach-
ers" was a happy idea but the resultant poor
coordination between all sections marred
the Gabrieli Angelus ad Pastores ait.
Of the second group the Holst Wassail
Song came nearest to a "traditional" carol.
Martin Shaw's Fanfare for Christmas Day
was rousing, brief, almost had the college
hoopla.
Britten's A Ceremony for Carols way
just that. It seemed an example of admir-
able musical scholarship in the tradition
of British music self-conscious of its long
sleep after Purcell, Byrd, and Boyce. The
difficulty of the diction probably cannot be
overstressed and the choir did well. Miss
Barrett's solo tones were not helped by her
uneven production. I enjoyed the Deo
Gracias most, and Miss Eitel's able harp
throughout.
The major event of the evening was the
U.S. premiere of Britten's cantata, Saint
Nicolas. In seven movemnents, it tells the
history of the Saint: his birth, devotion to
God, journey to Palestine, consecration as
Bishop of Myra, anecdote of the "stolen
boys," and death. This was taut music which
was immediately that of the composer of
Peter Grimes. The introduction set the gen-
eral tone with a muted violin solo against
a percussive pizzciato by the rest of the
strings and bass viols. Britten's long tense
line is devilish to produce. Mr. Haugh sang
clearly, always musically and with a rare
purity of tone in the journey section that
exceeded his previous adequacy in the third
section. It was obvious that Britten com-
poses opera in the consecration section. The
tense vocal line was alive again with Mr.
Haugh. Quite reminiscent in technique of
the court scene in Peter Grimes. The joy-
ously relieved alleluia's of the stolen boys
section were developed in an ascending order
of triumph. Nicolas dies and is sent to
Heaven by full chorus. I enjoyed Mr. Haugh
especially, though the orchestra, at times,
obscured him.
-W. B. Goodman.
' 5
Publication in The Daily Official
Bulietin is constructive notice .to all
members of the University. Notices
for the Bulletin should be sent in
typewritten form to the office of the
Assistant to the President, Room 1021
Angell Hall, by 3:00 p.m. on the day
preceding publication (11:00 a.m. Satur-
days.)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 17, 1948
VOL. LIX, No. 74
Notices
University of Michigan General
Library
During the University vacation,
Dec. 17- Dec. 31, the General Li-
brary will be open 8 a.m. to 6
p.m., with the exception of Fri.,
Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, when it will
close at 5 p.m. It will be closed all
day Christmas and New Year's
Day and there will be no Sunday
service.
The Divisional Libraries will be
open on short schedules Dec. 18-
Dec. 31. They will be closed on
Christmas and New Year's Day.
The usual hours are 10-12 and 2-4.
Exceptions are as follows:
Architecture Library, Open 10-
12 and 2-4, Monday through
Thursday. Closed Friday, Dec. 24
and Dec. 31.
Astronomy Library, Closed Dec.
18-31.
Chemistry Library, Open 10-12
and 2-4, Monday through Thurs-
day. Closed Dec. 24 and 27.
Dentistry Library, Open daily
9-12 and 2-4:30. Closed afternoon
of Dec. 24.
East Engineering Library and
Engineering Library, Open 9-12
and 2-5, Monday through Thurs-
day; 9-12, Friday, Dec. 24 and 31.
Forestry Library, Open 9-10,
Monday through Friday.
Hospital Library, Open 8-12, 1-5,
Monday through Friday.
PhysicshLibrary, Open 10-12,
Monday through Friday.
Transportation Library, Open
8-12, 1-5, Monday through Fri-
day.
Vocational Guidance, Closed
Dec. 18-31.
Willow Run Study Hall, Open
1-6:30, Monday through Thurs-
day; 1-5:30, Friday.
Detroit, Rackham Building Li-
brary, Open 9 a.n.-6 p.m. Closed
at noon, Dec. 24 and 31.
Automobile Regulations, Christ-
mas Holiday: The regulation will
be lifted for all students from noon
Fri., Dec. 17 until 8a.m., Jan. 3.
A women's all-campus singles
badminton tournament will be
held on Sat., Jan. 8, in Waterman
Gymnasium. Those interested in
entertaining must sign up on the
Barbour Gymnasium bulletin
board before noon Fri., Dec. 17.
Academic Notices
Doctoral Examination for Wil-
liam F. Soskin, Psychology: the-
sis: "Study of Personality Ratings
Based on Brief Observation of Be-
havior in Standard Situations,"
8:30 a.m., Sat., Dec. 18, 2125 Nat-
ural Science Bldg. Chairman, E. L.
Kelly.
Doctoral Examination for Roger
Williams Heyns, Psychology; the-
sis: "Effects of Variation in Lead-
ership on Participant Behavior in
Discussion Groups," 9 a.m., Mon.,
Dec. 20, East Council Room, Rack-
ham Bldg. Chairman, D. G. Mar-
quis.
Fifty-Ninth Year
I
Concert
Change of Time: After Janu-
ary 1 all evening programs spon-
sored by the School of Music will
begin at 8 p.m. instead of 8:30.
Coming Events
United World Federalists: Gen-
eral Membership and Executive
Council meeting, 4:15 p.m., Mon.,
Jan., 3, Michigan Union. All mem-
bers of the university chapter and
other interested students are asked
to attend this meeting.
B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation
will be closed until Jan. 7.
GEORGE GALLUP says that
election polls serve no "pos-
sible social good," but that other
types of surveys render invaluable
service to the nation. Reporting
that he plans to continue the elec-
tion survey, he added, "Our heads
are bloody but unbowed."
Dr. Gallup borrowed his phrase
from W. E. Henley's famous poem,
"Invictus," and this suggests a
parody.
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from poll to
poll,
I thank my market research fee
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of Harry S.
I have not winced nor cried
aloud,
Thanks to my other businesses
My head is bloody but unbowed.
-The St. Louis Star Times.
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.
Speakers Ban
To the Editor:
THE ARTICLE in The Daily,
Tuesday, Dec.. 14, indicates
that a report with recommenda-
tions on the political speaker's
ban will be submitted to the Board
of Regents at their meeting today.
Although I do not know what the
recommendations are, I hope they
request the complete removal of
the ban without compromising on
the constitutional guarantee of
freedom of speech and the right
of college students to govern
themselves.
It seems fairly reasonable to say
that freedom of speech in the
academic community should be
protected in the same way it is
in the regular community. We
take great pride in the fact that
under our form of government not
all think alike, but all alike think.
Slowly but surely the belief is
developing that it is the function
of a University not only to give
students the knowledge necessary
to earn their livelihood but also
to give them training in self-gov-
ernment. By such training, I
mean the opportunity to exercise
the political and social responsi-
bilities inherent in any democratic
society. To a certain extent, the
University has recognized this
fact.'
Presumably, there is a Univer-
sity lecture committee with the
responsibility for deciding wheth-
er a man may speak in Univer-
sity buildings, in order to prevent
the provocation of any disorderly
meeting which might reflect detri-
mentally on the University's
name. However, the Student Af-
fairs Committee this Spring
adopted certain criteria for the
recognition and withdrawal of
recognition from student organi-
zations, and certainly the respon-
sibility for the orderly conduct of
their meetings- is an implicit re-
quirement for continued recogni-
tion.
If this responsibility were made
explicit, students in each organ-
ization would understand that a
meeting under the sponsorship
which became disorderly would be
a possible ground for withdrawal
of their recognition. Knowing this,
I feel quite certain that they could
and would exercise any discretion
necessary in selecting their speak-
ers.
I realize that this idea goes be-
yond the proposed Michigan
Forum which has been discussed
in previous issues of The Daily,
but it does not involve setting up
any new committees or proce-
dures, and therefore may be easily
implemented. And moreover, it
represents the only real means by
which we can completely aban-
don the speakers' ban and simul-
taneously give full recognition to
the right of free speech and -the
right of students to govern.
-Harvey L. Weisberg,
NSA Regional Chairman.
* * *
Fine Performance
To the Editor:
RELAX folks. Put down those
bombs and threatening let-
ters. I-have no sure-fire panaceas
for the problems of state, no hot
rumors to dazzle you with and no
mud to sling at some errant mon-
ster in our midst. But if a peas-
ant and member of the proleta-
riat may be allowed to say a few
words, I would like to comment
on the performance of the "Mes-
sia" given by the members of the
Choral UJnion and the Univer-
sity Musical Society Orchestra
this past weekend.
It was one of the most inspiring
performances that I have wit-
nessed in years, and at this time
I would like to congratulate all
the performers for the superb job
that they did. Orchids to Lester
McCoy, the man with a smile for
his fellow performers, whose en-
thusiastic direction was an in-
spiration in itself, and a big
round of applause for the four
soloists who were so instrumental
in, making the performance a
huge success.
A show such as this is worth
two or three times the price of
admission (easy now, producers).
We need more entertainment of
this calibre badly since all that
the local sweat boxes feed us is a
line of lousy celluloid. This tre-
mendous performance df the
"Messiah" will be remembered by
a lot of people for a long time,
and I for one am eagerly looking
forward to next year's presenta
tion.
-Dick Mansfield
Cultural Lack
To the Editor:
IT MIGHT be argued that the
present American system of
broadcasting is better adapted to
the American scene than would be
the British, but the British sys-
tem has at least one point of su-
periority. The BBC considers it
part of its duty to "raise the pub-
lic taste." With us the commercial
element dominates so completely
that many stations, if left to
themselves, would be content to
carry only programs of mass ap-
peal. For that reason it is espe-
cially important for minorities in-
terested in bettering the quality
of programs to assert themselves
vigorously.
In order to protest WJR's policy
of too frequently slighting cul-
tural programs a group of stu-
dents and faculty have drawn up
a petition to be presented to the
Federal Communications Com-
mission. By authority of the FCC
WJR has an exclusive clear
channel, and is the sole outlet of
the Columbia Broadcasting Sys-
tem for between five and ten mil-
lion people. It is part of the duty
of the FCC to see to it that this
special privilege is used in the
public interest. It is particularly
important that such a station bal-
ance its soap operas and murder
mysteries with those programs,
too few at best, that have gen-
uine artistic or intellectual con-
tent.
The petition protest in partic-
ular that the program policy of
WJR does not justify the special
privileges it enjoys.
A good example, and an espe-
cially sore point with many peo-
ple, is their cancelling of the New
York Philharmonic broadcast.
This was their only untranscribed
broadcast of symphonic music. In
place of it they have been carry-
ing professional football, which
has a legitimate place on the air,
but could have been handled, like
professional baseball, through lo-
cal stations without depriving us
of the privilege of choosing music
in case we prefer it.
If you are interested enough to
circu:late a petition come to 521
Jefferson, directly behind the new
Administration Building, and pick
them up.
-Edward Lynd Kendall.
a
Poor Joke
To the Editor:
I BELIEVE that both the edio-
rial and the business staff of
The Daily owe an apology to the
families of those who died in
World War II for the shockingly
poor taste shown by the use in
The Daily for December 16' of a
picture of Adolph Hitler in what
was intended to bg a humorous
advertisement of the 1949 Ensian.
I hope that in the future the staff
will be more careful to ask itself
which matters are subjects for
humor and which are not.
-Joshua McClenlen
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The Daily and
the Ensian apologize for what was
evidently a very poor joke.)
Firm Convictions
To the Editor:
BOYS AND GIRLS: Why not
do as W. Niemann has done in
Thursday's Daily-and learn how
you too, can prove that everyone
else is wrong by simply acquiring
a set of "firm convictions"?
Niemann, for instance, chose to
ridicule the statement made by
SRA programs director, Dewitt
Baldwin, that "Many students
often experiment and look around
in other churches." So Niemann
provided the impressive statistics
.that 2,800,students attended the
same church last Sunday. These
students all had'"firm convictions,
Mr. Baldwin! We don't even have
to consider the other 18,000 stu-
dents for Niemann has already
proved you wrong.
'... . . ,
4. My feeling is that busless is hop ng
to avoid both alternatives, perhaps through
the workings of a miracle.
We were saved in 1946 by a bad corn
crop, and in 1947 by the world political
disturbance which led to the Marshall
Plan. I have a funny feeling that we are
still hoping, perhaps unconsciously, for
more such accidental outs. I note trade
talk to the effect that some makers of
men's clothing hope Army purchases of
uniforms will "stabilize" the industry. If
that's stability, I'll take vertigo, any time.
There is also increased dependence on the
Marshall Plan as a way out, which amounts
almost to a hope that world unsettlement
will continue, in the name of domestic sta-
bility.
It amounts also to a subtle transforma-
tion of concepts, changing the Marshall Plan
from a scheme for European equilibrium to
a scheme for American equilibrium.
5. It seems to me we ought to make a real
effort to grow up and achieve a prosperity
which will be based neither on unemploy-
ment at home nor on disturbance abroad.
Mr. Truman has an opportunity, in his
message to Congress next month, to ask
for a system of price rollbacks, plus ex-
cess profits taxes to be devoted to public
purposes, which could put to work those
forces for sustained production which
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 Editoi
Dick Maloy ................City Editoi
Naomi Stern .........Editorial Directoi
Allegra Pasqualetti .... Associate Editor
Arthur Higbee.......Associate Editor
Murray Grant............Sports Editor
Bud Weidenthai ..Associate Sports Ed.
Bev Bussey ..S..Sports Feature Writes
Audrey Buttery...... Women's Editor
Bess Hayes...............Librarian
Business Staff
Richard Hait......Business Manages
Jean Leonard ... .Advertising Manages
William Culman .....Finance Manages
Cole Christian ....Circulation Manager
Telephone 23-24-1
Member of The Associated Press
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of all news dispatches credited to it o3
otherwise credited to this newspaper,
All rights of republication of all other
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Entered at the Post Office at Ann
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Subscription during the regular
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in
of
6o let's go, gang Be the first one
your congregation to own a set
these "firm convictions!"
-Stan Challis
ASSOCIATED Press does every-
thing apparently. A note to
editors on Nov. 14 said:
"We plan to hold Elizabeth's
baby until around 6:30 p.m. for
latest lead."
-Editor and Publisher
Looking Back
BARNAB)
But i want to find Mr. O'Malley right away-
if it takes 46 years maybe by
4-.d
"I
I
Keep a civil tongue in your head,
moppef. . .If may fake even longer.
No well-read person expects the
7
It's a handicap, not having a tough shamus
who drives 90 miles an hour, drinks several
quarts of Arak for breakfast, moves all the
AA Z7 A-lr y %Alr
1'
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