OREGON
GENETICS
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Latest Deadline in the State
VOL. LIX, No. 100 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1949
MH
PRICE FIVE. CENTS
Fired Oregon
Man Shared
War Secreis
Nephew Recalls
Spitzer's Work
By AL BLUMROSEN
Prof. Robert Spitzer, who was
dismissed from the faculty of
Oregon state university for sup-
porting the Communist theory of
genetics, worked on secret gov-
ernment projects during the war,
according to his nephew, Marv
Wolf, '49.
Wolf said that his uncle, Prof.
Spitzer, had worked on secret ex-
plosives for the navy at Woods-
hole, Mass. during the war and
still had a naval contract to do
research.
PROF. SPITZER was not in-
terested in politics before the end
of the war, Wolf said. "Then, he
got aroused over the government's
treatment of Dr. Edward U. Con-
don and other atomic scientists."
After the Condon incident,
Prof. Spitzer joined the Wal-
lace Progressives, according to
Wolf.
Prof. Spitzer has a year's schol-
arship at Princeton's Institute for
Advanced Study which will begin
this summer, Wolf added.
Prof. Spitzer, who taught or-
ganic chemistry at Oregon State
was dismissed after he had writ-
ten a letter to the Chemical and
Engineering News defending the
Soviet theory of Lysenko Genetics.
OREGON'S PRESIDENT, A. L.
Strand said that, "taken along
with - Spitzer's pro-soviet propa-
ganda, the letter shows up in its
true light and cannot be ignored,"
according to the Associated Press.
Spitzer's letter to the maga-
zine took exception to an edi-
torial which had attacked state
controlled science in Russia, es-
pecially the imposition of the
theory of Lysenko Genetics.
"Lysenko genetics is the theory
that characteristics acquired by
an individual during his lifetime
can be inherited by his children."
according to Prof. A. F. Shull of
the zoology department, a noted
geneticist.
* * r
"THIS DOCTRINE suits the
Russians because they do not like
the accepted theory of genetics
which assumes some people are
naturally superior to others."
Prof. Shull said that the Russians
want it to appear that all people
can be raised to a completely equal
level.
Following the Lysenko theory,
the environment of a people
could be temporarily improved
and the improvement in the in-
dividuals would be inherited by
their offspring.
Modern Mendelian genetics is
based on the principle that heredi-
tary factors are carried in the
genes and that nothing which
happens to any other part of in-
dividual can modify the charac-
teristics which will be transmitted
to succeeding generations.
"NO GENETICIST believes the
Lysenko theory," Prof. Shull said.
He added that some psychologists,
doctors and naturalists who do
not understand genetics believe in
the theory.
Prof. Shull said that there
was nothing about the doctrine
which would warrant the dis-
missal of Prof. Spitzer, but his
defense of Lysenko "could be a
clue that he is a stooge of Stalin
and it deserves further investi-
gatioi."
"If Prof. Spitzer is getting his
ideas on Genetics from Moscow,
there is a question whether he is
an intellectually free agent, cap-
able of teaching anything."
PROF. SPITZR'S letter quot-
ed a statement from the USSR
academy of sciences denying that
Lysenko genetics was being used
for ideologic or propaganda pur-
poses.
In the letter, Prof. Spitzer com-
pared control of science by the
Communist party to control in
this country by boards of direc-
tors, Congress and the military,
claiming that there was little dif-
ference.
Zoniing Ordinance
Defeated by Council
Vote Installation of Taxicab Meters;
Some Fare Increases Will Result
A zoning ordinance amendment restricting the construction of
multiple dwellings or clubs in Double-A residence areas was defeated
by the City Council last night, while an ordinance amendment put-
ting meters in city cabs won the approval of the alderman.
Despite a City Planning Commission survey of Double-A prop-
erty owners which reported 261 for the amendment and 86 against it,
supporters eked out a 6 to 5 vote, insufficient majority for making
FRATERNITIES, League houses, religious groups and private
home owners, whose future expansion plans would have been affected
by the ordinance, were represented in the small group of spectators
--- ----- -- w--- which registered both protest and
Truman
Reaffirms
lits Press
Marshall
ure
Groups;
Plan
amendment.
Claim Spies
Admit Guilt
InIBulgaria,
SOFIA, Bulgaria--(P)-The Bul-
garian justice ministry made pub-
lic last night voluminous docu-
ments represented as mass pleas
of guilt and repentence by 15
Protestant churchmen going on
trial tomorrow on charges of spy-
ing for the United States and
Britain.
Through the 2,266 pages ran
such phrases as:
I admit my guilt.
"I repent.
"I beg clemency. ,
ILIA TIMEV, deputy minister of
justice, produced the statements
at a news conference. Newsmen
were shown three volumes of files
of the pre-trial investigations with
hundreds of pages in the hand-
writing, Timev said, of the de-
fendant
The government announced
previously that all had "fully
confessed."
Timev produced 144 pages.
which he said were in the hand-
writing of the Rev. Vassil Geor-
giev Ziapkov, 48, head of the
Congregational Church in Bul-
garia and religious representa-
tive of the United Evangelical
Churches-Congregational, Bap-
tist, Methodist and Pentecost.
Ziapkov is accused of being the
main figure in plots to send Amer-
ican and British observers infor-
mation about the Bulgarian army,
movements of troops, extent of
armaments and disposition of So-
vite troops in the country after
1944. He also is charged with slan-
dering Russia.
A MEMBER of the delegation
in Paris which negotiated the
peace treaty for Bulgaria, Ziapkov
is charged with "carrying out the
instructions of foreign intelligence
of England and America."
'Faust' Tickets
Still Available
A few tickets still remain for
the German department's pro-
duction of Goethe's tragedy
"Faust," according to Edward O.
Hascall, publicity chairman.
The performance, under the di-
rection of Dr. Harry Bergholz of
the German department, will be
given at 8 p.m. tomorrow at the
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre.
Tickets may be purchased at
the box office today from 2 to 5
p.m. and tomorrow from 2 to 8
p.m. Seats are priced at $.60 and
$1.20.
Faust will be portrayed by Sieg-
fried Feller '50,.Gretchen by
Franziska Isbell '51.
Other members of the cast are
John G. Cale, '49 Gra, Sybil
Widmann and Carol Tannen-
baum, '51 SM.
The taxicab ordinance
amendment, which got the
unanimous okay of the Council
will bring about some increase
in the transportation rates.
Under the meter system the rate
for one person will be 25 cents for
the first quarter of a mile and five
cents for each additional quarter-
mile or fraction.
THERE WILL be an additional
ten cents charged for other pas-
sengers in the same party.
During the discussion of the
proposed zoning amendment, Al-
derman A. D. Moore, Professor of
Engineering at the University de-
fended the plan, pointing out that.
"If fraternities are permitted in
Double-A zones we would have ne
defense against apartments and
other multiple dwellings. Every
city has the right to a single fam-
ily area."
Speaking for the student groups.
Alderman Henry F. Conlon ques-
tioned whether the Planning
Commission had "taken any steps
to work out a new area for frater-
nities and sororities."
AND FRATERNITY represen-
tatives, some reporting that their
groups had bought property in
the area and were ready to start
building, charged that no official
attempt was made to sound out
their feelings on the matter.
The City Planning Commis-
sion survey's accuracy was
challenged on the grounds that
while 910 property owners were
contacted, only 38.1 per cent or
347 responded.
Alderman Moore said that this
was "much better than the re-
sults of the primary election, in
which only 11.9 per cent of the
registered voters went to the polls.
large Request
For 'U' Budget
well Received
The University's budget request
for $12,500,000 in operating ex-
penses received a favorable recep-
tion, it was reported after a meet-
ing between University officials
and the House Ways and Means
Committee in Lansing.
"The need for the appropria-
tion seems to be quite well sup-
ported," Rep. Rollo G. Conlin
(R.) chairman of the sub-com-
mittee handling the University's
request, said following the Tues-
day meeting.
HE SAID the House Ways and
Means sub-committee will come to
Ann Arbor in two or three weeks
"to hear more of the University's
case."
In his budget report of a month
ago, Gov. Williams recommended
a $700,000 cut in the University's
operating expenses request. His
budget recommendations failed to
make any provision for the $8,855,-
000 asked for four new buildings.
Mass Protest
Held at Olivet
By Residents
Rally Sparked by
Picket Rumors
OLIVET, Mich.-(/P)-Founders
Day at strife ridden little Olivet
College today was m~arked by the
presence of a fact finding com-
mittee and a demonstration by
local businessmen and farmers.
The fact finding committee,
composed of nationally known
Congregational clergymen, met
with the Board of Trustees to dis-
2uss the current conflict between
the student body, some members
of the faculty and the college ad-
ministration.
* * *
A SPOKESMAN for the com-
mittee, Bryant Drake, chairman of
the Congregational Board of
Home Missions, said the group
had made a report to the trustees.
Ile refused to reveal the find-
ings of the report but he said:
"There is some possibility and
hope that the formula in the re-
port will be of assistance to the
Board in resolving the conflict."
THE DEMONSTRATION by
townspeople and farmers began
this morning at the athletic field
where about 100 persons gathered.
The gathering apparently was
sparked by a rumor that CIO
organizers from. Detroit wvere to
be imported as a show of
strength by dissident factions of
the student body and faculty.
The college sent a representa-
tive to ask the group to disband.
However, they refused to break
up and moved, instead, in a cara-
van of 27 cars to the Congrega-
tional Church which is on the
college campus.
A CONVOCATION in honor of
Founders Day was in progress and
the group milled around 'outside
the church for about half an hour
before seeming to be satisfied
there was to be no demonstration
by students.
Committee Okays
NewHousing Bill
WASHINGTON - (P) -A vast
new home building program call-
ing for construction of 810,000
low rent public housing units in
Aix years was approved yesterday
by the Senate Banking Commit-
Lee.
The multi-billion dollar measure
w~as endorsed by a 9 to 3 vote af-
,ser the committee had rejected
an amendment by Senator Brick-
nr (Rep., Ohio) to bar segregation
Dr discrimination in the federally
Financed projects.
ALTHOUGH THIS civil rights
dispute was settled momentarily
it probably will be revived tomor-
row when the housing bill is
thrown open to Senate debate.
On the anti-segregation
amendment only Senator Cain
(Rep., Wash.) supported Brick-
er's move.
Here are the major provisions
of the bill:
1. Public housing-the govern-
ment's cash contributions would
increase progressively the first five
years to a maximum of $308,000,-
000 and stay at that amount for
35 years longer. The 810,000 units
would be built at the rate of 135,-
000 a year, with the President
having authority to increase pro-
duction to 250,000 annually or to
cut it to 50,000.
2. A $1,500,000,000 slum clear-
ance program to help localities
in cleaning up blighted areas for
redevelopment. Of the total
$500,000,000 would be in grants
over a five year period and the
remainder in loans which Would
not run more than 40 years.
3. A $262,500,000 four-year rural
dwelling and building program to
be handled under direction of the
Secretary of Agriculture. Of this
amount, $250,000,000 would be for
loans and the remainder for
grants.
THE MEASURE also would au-
thorize the housing and home fi-
nance administration to undertake
a broad research program aimed
at reducing building costs and
speeding construction methods.
Board Meets
A~SSL Urges
Regent Plan
Student Legislature rushed
ahead last night with its efforts
to make the "Meet Your Regents"
get-together a reality, as the Re-
gents prepared to hold their Feb-
ruary meeting here today and to-
morrow.
Discussion of the Regent-stu-
dent meeting is not on the Re-
gents' agenda, according to Her-
bert G. Watkins, secretary and
assistant vice president of the
University.
* *
HOWEVER, he said that mem-
bers of the Board could possibly
bring the get-together up for dis-
cussion, if they chose.
Meanwhile, SL president Jim
Jans refused to comment on the
reaction of four of the eight
Regents he reached by tele-
phone and offered a point-
blank invitation yesterday.
At the same time, Legislators
drew up personal letter invitations
to each Regent, which they hoped
to put in their hands through Dr.
Watkins today.
Jans refused to release the
wording of the invitation.
PALESTINE . . . The outlook
for peace in the strife-ridden
Holy Land was brighter today,
according to Dr. Ralph J.
Bunche, UN mediator, following
an agreement among Egypt and
Israel to stack their arms.
French Vote
To Conden
Red Leaders
I
Jazz at the Philharmonic'
To Feature, Ella Fitzgerald
A newsman at
the townspeople
"ugly mood."
the scene said
were in an
One member of the gathering
spoke of it as a "counter demon-
stration" for an expected picket
line by students that failed to ma-
terialize.
The demonstration was another
in a long series of incidents that
have kept college affairs in a tur-
moil for almost a year.
World News
Round-Up
Bly The Associated Press
HELSINKI, Finland-A well-in-
formed Finnish source said yes-
terday Russia has strengthened
her garrisons along the Soviet-
Norwegian border.
NEW YORK-Federal Judge
Harold R. Medina yesterday
put down two more attempts by
counsel for 11 indicted U.S.
Communist leaders to further
their attacks on the Federal
jury system there.
WASHINGTON - "Axis Sally"
said yesterday that the man she
loved-a onetime college profes-
sor who was already married and
the father of three-influenced
her tremendously in her wartime
broadcasts from Germany.
WASHINGTON - "Good
squad" tactics, exploited to in-
tinidatetnon-strikers in a labor
dispute, were condemned by the
National Labor Relations Board
yesterday in a decision against
the CIO-United Furniture
Workers.
Ella Fitzgerald, often called the
"First Lady of Song," comes to
town tonight as star of Norman
Granz's "Jazz at the Philhar-
monic," to be held 8:30 p.m. in
Hill Auditorium.
Tickets are still available for
the, performance of the vocalist,
who was chosen as the outstand-
ing singer in the world by Esquire,
singing scene, Miss Fitzgerald has
won appreciative attention with
her twin recordings "Flying
Home" and "Oh, Lady be Good."
The Calypso group of popular
music enthusiasts was strong
in its praise of her best-seller
"Stone Cold Dead in the Mar-
ket."
Miss Fitzgerald's career began
16 years ago when she appeared in
"Amateur Nite in Harlem" in the
Harlem Opera House and was dis-
covered by the late Chick Wood.
MISS FITZGERALD, born in
Newport News, Va., lost both her
parents while still an infant and
was placed in a New York orphan-
age. For years, she has struggled
ceaselessly in the behalf of or-
phaned children.
Sharing the footlights with
Miss Fitzgerald will be such
well-known stars as Saxophon-
ists Coleman Hawkins and
"Flip" Phillips, Drummer Shelly
Manne, and Hornhounds Tom-
my Turk, "Fats" Navarro and
Sonny Criss.
SL is sponsoring the program.
Seats, which cost $1.80 and $1.50,
are on sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and before the program at Hill
Auditorium.
PARIS - OP) - The National
Assembly voted today condemna-
tion of 'French Communist leaders
for alleged treasonable statements
jand expressed confidence, in the
government to punish them.
The vote, 386 to 182, climaxed
lengthy debate in the lower house
of parliament.
* * *
THE VOTING would seem to
support the premier if he seeks
legal action against the Commu-
nists for statements interpreted
by many deputies as treasonable
appeals to the French people to
welcome the Red Army if Russia
should invade France.
But the assembly turned down
a motion calling on the gov-
ernment to prosecute Maurice
Thorez, secretary-general of the
Communist Party, on specific
charges of treason or incite-
ment to treason.
Thorez had said that Russia
would never attack anyone and
that if the Red Army occupied
France it would be to chase out
an aggressor - America - and
therefore the French would wel-
come the Russians.
Campus Adds
SocialistClub
A new addition to the campus
political roster, the Democratic
Socialist Club, has been given of-
ficial recognition by the Office of
Student Affairs.
The group, which is not affiliat-
ed with any national organization,
will be devoted to the study and
critical evaluation of democratic
socialism, will sponsor promin-
ent speakers and hold discussions,
according to Pat Stites, temporary
chairman.
Socialized medicine, the con-
tribution of socialist thinking to
the political scene, and the rise of
corporate capitalism will be stud-
ied during the course of the sem-
ester.
Stand
President To
Tour Against
Program Foes
Claims Meaning
Of Bills Twisted
WASHINGTON-()- President
Truman said last night he may
tour the country in a nationwide
fight against "pressure groups"
and "die-hard reactionaries" who,
he said, are trying to kill his leg-
islative program.
Mr. Truman lashed out against
the "special interests" in a strong-
ly-worded address prepared for
delivery before a packed Jeffer-
son-Jackson Day dinner. The
Democratic Party's annual fund-
raising event.
HE SAID these opponents are
using lobbies, advertising space,
editorial pages and columnists and
commentators whom. "they con-
trol" to "twistvand misrepresent
the measures the people voted
for."
The President pledged him-
self anew to fight for Taft-
Hartley repeal, social security
expansion, new housing, higher
minimum wages, river basin de-
velopment, farm price supports,
and full employment and pro-
duction.
Mr. Truman said that after the
election he thought he would have
the cooperation of "our Republi-
can friends" in repealing the Taft-
Hartley Act. He said he "felt sure"
the Republican party would be
anxious to throw that act over-
board "faster than the sailors got
rid of Jonhah."
* *
HE SAID HE is beginning to
think "Maybe I was wrong about
that," but regardless of what the
Republicans do, he added, the
Democratic party "is solemnly
committed to work for repeal of
the Taft-Hartley Act."
"The same die-hard reaction-
aries who want to cripple labor
unions have also started a cam-
paign of confusion against all
other measures for the welfare
of the people," Mr. Truman
went on.
Reviewing his campaign argu-
ments, he declared these persons
say they favor extendink social se-
curity but call administr tion pro-
posals to do so "a bu'eaucratic
system that will destroy the char-
acter of every American."
Earlier Mr. Truman reaffirmed
his stand that America should
stick by the Marshall Plan until
European recovery is won. But,
taking note of British optimism,.
he said the task might not take
four years, as originally contem-
plated.
* * *
MR. TRUMAN gave no support
to suggestions, arising on Capitol
Hill and elsewhere, that recovery
aid might be throttled down now
in view of optimistic reports on
British recovery.
If it takes four years, that's
all right, the President said.
Perhaps it will take less if the
British reports are correct, he
said, but the plan should be con-
tinued until recovery is assured.
Talk about a cut in Marshall
Plan aid cropped up as a result of
statements, yesterday by Chris-
topher P. Mayhew, British under-
secretary for Foreign Affairs.
SOME SENATORS told report-
ers this may bring a cut in aid
funds for Britain. Senator Smith
(Rep., N.J.) said it suggests shift-
ing the emphasis to other Euro-
pean countries.
The appropriations commit-
tee, said Senator McClellan
(Dem., Ark.), a member, is cer-
tain to look into the British sit-
uation to see whether cuts can
be made.
On the other hand, Senator
O'Mahoney (Dem., Wyo.) de-
clared it would be a mistake to
wield the paring knife until there
verse 4-... ta O'A ,.rnn a ofE., ..an aJ
ELLA FITZGERALD
*... at Hill tonight.
Downbeat and Metronome Maga-
zine for the past three years. Miss
Fitzgerald's range of singing runs
from the "scat" jazz style through
the calypso.
ON THE "SCAT" side of the
PRECARIOUS PROFESSION:
Actress Says iational
Theatre MightBe Boon
CONFIDENT OF VICTORY:
Comb Artist Will Put Teeth Into Contest
By PHYLLIS KULICK
"A state - supported theatre
might prove to be a boon to the
precarious profession of acting,"
said Cornelia Otis Skinner, com-
menting on the bill before Con-
gress, in a back-stage interview
last; night.
"More important than a na-
tional theatre is getting a pro-
fessional repertory theatre start-
ed," the actress emphasized.
She criticized summer-stock as
"makeshift" and "amateurish."
People seeing these "awful" pro-
By JO MISNER
A comb artist said last night
that he intends to win the Union-
League-Men's Glee Club talent
contest "hands down."
Irving Voyer, who said he's had
"My father once had a comb,"
Voyer explained, "but when he
saw me, he lost his hair. I've been
playing his comb ever since."
itT L ir~ti m ., tnit* *1 l o
for his try-out, or contact Bob
Perrin at 4211 in the evening.
* *
VOYER SAID he is confident of
winning, "on my looks and per-
sonality alone," the $100 first