f'1PE° T3R A l I*I ; AN' DAl ,,a I°R1CI)AY- DPCIRM-kM 111. 1 CIAR I 'ItE Cfl-W~AN' 1YAffY I I a' -vi--- l, L' l-.jJ l AnXV lip- 1U45 t 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" . ti y - c K ce. 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 The Associated Press is exclusivel entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it o3 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. 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' 0