THE MICHIGAN DAILY
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1949
...:..
Repairs and1
F THE HOUSE'S rent control bill allow-
ing individual localities to lift the con-
trols as they see fit is passed by the Senate
it is . conceivable that rents will skyrocket
upward in urban communities all over the
nation.
The logic employed by advocates of the
lifting of controls seems grossly distorted.
It appears obvious that with acute housing
shortages in the nation's urban areas the
demand for houses is far greater than the
existing supply. It would be much more
sensible to maintain controls until a state
nearer the equilibrium point is reached.
The House, however, has merrily handed
the reins over to pressure groups in indi-
vidual cities and towns and plans to allow
them to employ their faulty reasoning in
persuading naive local governments to lift
the controls.
Typical of the possibly well-meaning but
somewhat narrow-minded men found in
these pressure groups is Wynn C. Cooper,
vice-president of the National Association
of Home Builders, who spoke in Ann Arbor
Monday night.
According to Mr. Cooper, our unem-
ployment problems will be solved if we
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by 'members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR: JO MISNER
Rent Control
lift rent controls. Immediately, he says,
such a wave of home building and home
repair work will sweep the nation that
thousands of unemployed workers will
once more be sitting in the lap of luxury.
To clinch his argument, Mr. Cooper points
out that home-owners are making extensive
improvements while repairs made by land-
lords are almost negligible because "rents
are far too low to justify any other course
by landlords."
Mr. Cooper seems to forget that one of
the major problems of builders in the large
urban areas in which rent controls are
enforced is a shortage in the number of
skilled and semi-skilled laborers available.
It seems very unlikely, therefore, that with
the lifting of rent controls thousands of
men will be employed when builders are
already crying for more labor. One doesn't
become a mason or a plumber over night.
While it is possibly true that more re-
pairs would be made if the controls were
lifted, it appears rather doubtful that
large numbers of industrial workers could
step right in and make the repairs without
considerable training.
Mr. Cooper goes on to assert that if rents
are allowed to find their "proper" level "so
much housing will be erected that before
long tenants will be dictating the rents
they'll pay.
One wonders how much "dictating" ten-
ants did in the thirties when there was no
shortage of housing at all.
-Jim Brown.
'Grass Roots' Initiative
E PREROGATIVE of the people to in-
itiate action forms the very heart of
democracy.
When elected representatives and those in
positions of authority.fail to deal adequately
with essential problems of democracy, it is
the privilege-nay, the obligation of the
people themselves to supply the answers.
A heartening example of "grass-roots"
initiative which follows closely in the
footsteps of the highly-effective Commit-
tee to Abolish the Ban is the campus Com-
mittee to End Discrimination.
The CED was organized by students who
recognized that the university as a strong-
hold of the knowledge which "in every
country is the surest basis of public happi-
ness," must take the lead in making de-
mocracy a reality by first setting its own
house in order.
More than a dozen campus groups have
thus .far joined the movement to combat
racial and religious discrimination at the
University and in the immediate vicinity.
Surely, a more genuine expression of
democracy than the willingness of such
varied groups as the Young Progressives,
Student Religious Association and the
Nd4 Women's Residence Hall to check
their ideological differences at the door
at each meeting and devote their full
effort to the pursuance of a common ob-
jective would be difficult to visualize.
Needless to say, this example of the abil-
ity to stress areas of agreement rather than
disagreement might well serve as a model
for a troubled macrocosm.
The functioning of the CED is relatively
simple, with each member organization pos-
sessing one vote on any question that arises.
A simple majority decides all issues, though
significantly, nearly all votes up to now
have been unanimous.
Deserving particular commendation is
the mature, carefully-planned fashion in
which the CED has approached the prob-
lem of discrimination. Wisely deciding to
limit the scope of its endeavor to an area
that it can handle suitably and with some
expectation of success, the group is con-
centrating upon the University's admis-
sions and employment policies.
Again, the organization demonstrated ad-
mirable discretion in first undertaking a
comprehensive survey of the discrimination
situation within its defined areas rather
than merely launching an immediate cam-
paign against suspected bias.
Perhaps the only unfortunate aspect of
the CED is that not more campus groups
have seen fit to throw their strength behind
the movement. Certainly there are many
more than a dozen campus organizations
that agree all men should be judged on their
individual merit and not on the basis of
their skin color or religion.
What better way to combat totalitarian-
ism than to make democracy work?
-Buddy Aronson.
Peace Work
ONE BY ONE, the Arab states are slowly
signing armistices with the new republic
of Israel, bringing the end of years of Near
East struggling in sight and marking the
end of one of the UN's most effective jobs.
On Feb. 24, at the Island of Rhodes,
Egypt signed an armistic with Israel and
last week Trans-Jordan followed suit. The
other Arab states-Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Yemen, Syria and Lebanon are expected
to sign on the dotted line before too long,
too.
There are many satisfying things about
these developments, not the least of which
is that the homeless Jews of Europe get
their chance to found a modern, progressive
state; that at last a world which has given
them such a battering for several thousand
years is at last giving them a place to settle
down in peace.
Another pleasing aspect is the success of
the UN; for once it has worked; for once
it has brought peace, which is, after all,
what it is supposed to do. True, the UN
has brought peace in another part of the
world, in Indonesia, and it's true, also, that
the UN isn't the only factor in the dawning
Israel peace.
The other factor, it would seem, is the
fact that England gave Israel de facto
recognition in January, which the New
York Times says was a "clear warning
to the Arab states not to wait (to sign
the armistices) -any longer." Britain, of
course, has many treaties with the Arab
states.
But essentially, the approaching Israel
peace is a UN show; after all, it was in the
UN, two years or so ago, that the original
partitioning of Palestine into Israel and an
Arab state was conceived, and the UN Se-
curity Council, in the persons of the late
Count Bernadotte and Dr. Ralph Bunche,
have been the arbitors in the Arab-Israel
war.
The question then rises: if the UN is so
successful here, why can't it bring peace
in the other parts of the world, primarily
between the United States and Russia.
One answer, perhaps the chief answer,
is that the UN is equipped only to check
outright aggression-it doesn't recognize
a "cold war," although there have been a
number of ill-fated disarmament plans,
atomic energy control plans, and what
have you.
Another answer is the fact that, it seems,
the bigger a nation is, the less it respects
the UN and works by itself. This is cer-
tainly true of the United States, with its
Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan and North
Atlantic Treaty; Russia has done pretty
much what it pleases in the Balkans.
Thus we see the UN gradually slipping
into an idealistic vision of the past, so
far as real world,peace is concerned.
But even if the UN only continues to
bring peace in limited spheres, such as the
Near East, it is serving an invaluable pur-
pose.
-John P. Davies.
CIINIEMA
At Architect. Auditorium
SONG OF THE STREET, with assorted
urchins.
IN THE WORDS of the chap sitting next
to us at the preview of "Song of the
Street," just because a picture has a lot of
dirty people in it doesn't mean it's good.
We have a faint suspicion that the pro-
ducers were aiming at that touchstone of
"B" pictures-social significance. Because of
the way they went about it, however, the
suspicion remains very faint indeed. Several
extremely nondescript Paris street boys
romp pointlessly, and with very little con-
tinuity, through this opus.
Much as we deplore the Dead End Kids,
they occasionally manage to be funny in
their vulgar way, something their French
counterparts never even come close to. On
the other hand, these incipid Dillingers
are neither pathetic, terrifying, lovable,
clever. ... In fact they never emerge into
anything like individual characters.'
Even Jacques, the so-called hero, who
manages to look soulful at inappropriate
moments, is a nonentity. His first remark,
to the effect, that he won't go to work and
be treated like a slave, led us to the over-
hasty conclusion that he had Communistic
leanings. Unfortunately, nothing as drama-
tic as this was planned for our hero.
The highest he aspires to is leadership of
a seedy and disorganized street gang, and
love of a seedy and disrueputable blond, who
in the true Camille tradition, is willing to
give up her lover, "for his own good."
Things get progressively you-know-
what, until Jacques is forced to stand trial
for something he didn't do, but only be-
cause he didn't get the chance.
In a tense courtroom scene, his mother
rises to her feet and pleads with the court
to put the blame on her instead of on her
errant son. Aha, social significance at last?
Before she gets a chance to expound even
the most elementary tenets of environmen-
tal psychology, her son is released from
prison, and riding around on some sort of
wagon, supposedly finally adding a con-
arnia hit to cn-if
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DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN
I'D RATHER BE RIGHT:
The ,Grand Issue
(Continued from Page 2)
cedence over all other appoint-
ments.
Graduate Aptitude Test: March
17, 7-10 p.m., Lecture Hall, Rack-
ham Bldg.
Students enrolled in the Grad-
uate School for the first time must
take the Graduate Aptitude Test,
or they will not be permitted to
register again.
Other students who are appli
cants for degrees and who have
not previously taken this test or
the Graduate Record Examination,
must also be present.
Students planning to take the
examination must buy a $2.00 fee
ticket at the Cashier's office be-
fore going to the examination.
Veterans should report to the!
Graduate School offices before go-
ing to the Cashier's office for the
fee ticket so that a requisition
form may be signed.
Admission to the examination
will be restricted to those holding
examination receipts. Completion
of the Graduate Aptitude Test (or
the Graduate Record Examina-
tion) is a prerequisite for the mas-
ter's degree and for admission to
candidacy for the doctorate.
Seminar in Applied Mathemat-
ics: Thurs., March 17, 4:15 p.m.,
247 W. Engineering, Prof. C. L.
Dolph continues his talk on "Non-
linear eigenvalue problems for the
Sturm-Liouville Systems."
Geometry Seminar: Thurs.,
March 17, 3001 Angell Hall. Mr. D.
K. Kazarinoff will speak "On Pas-
cal's Theorem."
Orientation Seminar: Thurs., 3
p.m., 2019 Angell Hall. Mr. J. K.
Baumgart will speak on "Contin-
ued Fractions."
Zoology Seminar: Thurs., March
17, 7:30 p.m., Rackham Amphi-
theatre. Mr. Max A. Proffitt will
report on "Body-scale Relation-
ship in the Blue gill." Mr. Vernon
C. Applegate will report on "The
Sea Lamprey in Michigan." Open
meeting.
Events Today
Agenda for Senior Board Meet-
ing: 3 p.m., today, Michigan
Union ....... .... .... .... ..
I Executive Report:
A. Presidents' Conference.
B. Revision of elections.
C. Effect of discounts.
D. Newspaper.
II Committee Reports
III Old Business:
A. Class gift.
B. Constitution.
C. Senior Night.
IV New Business:
A. Guest Speakers.
B. Constructive projects.
C. Criticism of Board.
The Political Science Round
Table: 7:30 p.m. in the East Con-
ference Room, Rackham Building.
All political science graduate stu-
dents are expected to attend.
Gilbert and Sullivan Society:
Rehearsal for all principals and
cast, 7 p.m., Michigan League. The
action will be set and everyone
participating on stage must be
present.
International Center weekly tea
for all foreign students and Amer-
"Anybody Here Want to Cast The First Lump?"
---
-(1
I)
*"t.x '.
- -1
'4 r' '4
44bZZ
A L
Letters to the Editor-
ican friends, 4:30-6 p.m., Interna-
tional Center.
Arts Chorale and Education
Chorus rehearsal, 7:10 p.m., 506
Burton Tower.
American Institute of Electrical
Engineers and Institute of Radio
Engineers; Joint Student Branch.
Field trip to Michigan Bell Tele-
phone Company, Detroit, Michi-
gan. Busses will leave from in
front of East Engineering Bldg. at
exactly 1:10 p.m. today. Tickets
$.075 for members and $1 for non-
members are available in 2514 East
Engine. Tickets are also available
for the Banquet on March 23.
They can be purchased from any
officer of the organization.
Graduate Student Council Meet-
ing: 7:30 p.m. West Lecture Hall,
Rackham Bldg.
AVC: Meeting, Michigan Union,
7:30 p.m. Elections. Nominations
still open.
United World Federalists: Gen-
eral meeting, 4:15 p.m., Michigan,
Union. Plans will be made for a
state-wide meeting of student
U.W.F. chapters.
Hlillelzapoppin: Tickets on sale
starting today, 1 p.m., Michigan
League lobby.
La p'tite causette: 3:30 p.m.,
Grill Room, Michigan League.
U. of M. Rifle Club: Meeting, 7
p.m., ROTC range. Practice hours,
Wed., 12:30 to 3, Thurs., 7-9, and
Fri. 7-9.
Young Democrats: Meeting
7:30 p.m., Michigan League,
Speaker on "American Foreign
Policy."
U. of M. Dames Drama Group:
8 p.m., at the home of Mrs. James
Livingston, 417 Eighth St.
Coming Events
Political Science Graduate Cof-
fee Hour: Fri., March 18, 4-5,
Michigan League Cafeteria.
Eta Kappa Nu: Dinner meeting
and election of new members, 5:30
p.m., Fri., March 18, Faculty Din-
ing Room off the South Cafeteria
of the Michigan Union. All active
members must be present.
Undergraduate Psychological
Society, trip to Cassidy Lake
School. Bus leaves 12:45, Friday
from the east side of Hill Audito-
rium.
U. of M. Sailing Club: All new
and regular members meet at the
side door of the Union, Sat., March
19, 1 p.m., to go to the lake;
weather permitting.
German Coffee Hour: Fri., 3-
4:30 p.m., Russian Tea Room,
Michigan League.
Westminster Guild, First Pres-
byterian Church: "St. Pat Party,"
Fri., March 18, 8 to 11 p.m., social
hall, church building.
Motion Picture: "Marriage in
the Shadows" (German film), pre-
sented by Art Cinema League and
Association of Independent Men,
8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday
Hill Auditorium. Tiickets on sale
2 p.m. Thursday.
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 characterorssuch letters which
for any other reason are not in good
taste will not be published. The
editors reserve the privilege of con-
densing letters.
*s "
Mission to Moscow
To the Editor:
THREE CHEERS for Gil McMa-
hon! We are in hearty agree-
ment with the suggestion which
hie made in the March 12 Daily
that Mr. Ed Yellin (and all others
of the crimson hue) move to Rus-
sia. We hereby pledge $1.23 to-
wards a fund to pay his passage to
the "Proletarian's Heaven" (one
way, of course).
-Phil Daykin,
Bert Lum,
Chuck Carrol,
Joseph Neuman,
and 35 others.
* * *
Economic Serfs
To the Editor:
MR. BARND'S letter of March
10 challenged my letter, Feb-
ruary 20, concerning the Minds-
zenty trial. Neittur, however, un-
veiled the controversy: that Cath-
olic dogma and temporal politics
are two. That these were made one
by recent Catholic action through
out the world. That to question
the Cardinal's political activities
is a religious heresy. It is here
where Mr. Barnd's militant anti-
Communism of Catholic actions
and I differ. Today, while we
speak of the commies maintain-
ing foreign allegiance, who can
deny the allegiance of Roman
Catholics everywhere to the spir-
itual mandates of His Holiness
in Rome, especially when this
spiritual guidance has today
sworn a political anti-Communist
oath. When both Communists and
Catholics despise each other, what
objectivity can be expected to
render unprejudiced party, when
the former upholds dialectic ma-
terialism and the latter aims to
perpetuate institutionalism?
It is evident Mr. Barnds is a
Conservative Catholic. I too am
Catholic. But I cannot negate,
nor apologize for thehierarchial
compromises Mr. Barnds defends.
Cardinal Mindszenty's administra-
tion of the Hungarian Latifundia
was a historical fact before Com-
munist infiltration in Hungary.
To quote from Nagy, former Hun-
garian Prime Minister, a conserv-
ative anti-Communist: "Another
group of large estates which could
not be distributed was in the
hands of bishoprics. The Roman
and Greek Catholic Churches
owning large estates saw to it
that they remained in perpetual
possession as acquired lands." i
Since 1848, Hungarian serfs
were politically emancipated. But
peasants, peons, and cotton pick-
ers who must live a sub-standard
existence are indeed economic
serfs. Their serfdom is their
wretched economic plight. The
500 acres you say Cardinal Minds-
zenty owned totally ignored the
important fact that a priest re-
nounces wordly values at ordi-
nation. Cardinal Pa-y-Daniel of
Franco Spain, and Cardinal Cop-
pello of Peron Argentina today
strongly unhold neo-fascist ideals.
Why don't you oppose fascism
with the same vehemence you at-
tack Communism?
Liberalism, Mr. Barnds, ceases
to be liberalism when it sponsors
inquisitions, upholds censorship,
and extolls intransigency. In
spirit, it's cognizant of human
dignity; in function its inclusive
of knowledge and tolerant of con-
cept. Its intolerant of intolerance,
be it Communistic or reactionary.
-Manuel H. Guerra.
*4'**
Lovelorn
To the Editor:
BECAUSE I am so worried and.
concerned and do really wish
very much to make life more
wholesome for our straying young
Michigan coeds, I sincerely do
wish to have a love-lorn column to
advise them got up for our school
paper, as there must be a likeness
to Dorothy Dix on your -staff.
-Mr. Walsh.
* * *
Critic's Critic
To the Editor:
LAST FRIDAY evening I had
the great pleasure of hearing
the twin bill of opera presented at
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. After
the performance though, I was a
a loss to reconcile what I had
heard with the opening night re-
view of your critic, in which he
characterized Puccini's Sister An-
gelica"~ as being "insipid." While
it is not the purpose of this letter
to attack the validity of Mr.
Crohn's criticism. I. should like
to have made public certain pri-
vate opinions of my own which
differ from his, and which should
serve to balance the record.
The libretto for "Sister Angel-
ica" is most certainly insipid. It
is incredibly naive in its story,
and deadeningly static. Presum-
ably unaware of these three strikes
against him, Puccini set out to
write what must be one of his
finest and most lyric ofhscores.
One must certainly have been
moved by the antiphonal singing
in the opening tableau, the evok-
ing of the ecclesiastical spirit
through the use of organum-like
passages, and the rapid succession
of marvelous arias. What was
most incredible of all though, was
the fact that "Sister Angelica"
emerged very successfully as a
dramatic work of high emotional
impact. When one considers the
tremendous handicap imposed
upon Puccini by the libretto, one
realizes that he accomplished a
musical and dramatic miracle.
The main "burden" in "Sister
Angelica" falls to the soprano of
the title role. For her singing of
this part, Miss Mary Jane Al-
bright drew some faint praise, and
the comments "throaty . . , un-
pleasantly metallic ... strained."
I didn't hear the opening night
performance, but I seriously doubt
that this couldbhave been. I have
heard Miss Albright on many oc-
casions, and never has she proven
to be anything other than one of
the finest of sopranos to appear
in opera here.
While it is impossible for me
to make a positive statement
about Miss Albright's singing on
opening night, I am under no
such handicap in attempting to
describe her performance on Fri-
day. At that time, she gave the
best performance that I have ever
heard a soprano give in opera in
Ann Arbor. Her voice was big,
warm, and rich, her intonation
accurate, and diction clear. Her
melodic lines were sustained in
the best cantabile style. The tre-
mendous ovation at the final cur-
tain was a clear tribute to an ex-
ceptionally fine singer, produc-
tion, and opera.
-Martin B. Bernstein.
The deer and opossum in Mis-
souri's forests and the fish in
Ozark streams don't know a politi-
cian from a post oak. But the peo-
ple who appreciate. wildlife now
that it has fared better since con-
versation was removed from po-
litical control.
-St. Louis Star Times
By SAMUEL GRAFTON
W HEN THE SENATE votes on a matter
of foreign aid or rearmament, it puts
on its most solemn bipartisan look. Dis-
agreement is deprecated. A very special dis-
cipline takes over. You can almost see the
blue serge suits changing into togas as the
Hon. Gentlemen act in unison to save free-
dom on this planet.
What on earth leads the Senate to feel
that this same sort of spirit isn't necessary
on civil libertias?
Why does the Senate feel it is safe to
hang up its statesmen suits and go suddenly
formless, like a subway crowd, on the issue
of human freedom?
It is not safe. It is in the highest de-
gree unsafe for the Senate of the United
States, in a day in which freedom is the
chief issue on this earth, to split into three
groups when that issue comes before it in
concrete form-a group of Southerners
filibustering against civil rights legisla-
tion, a group of Republicans who, in the
main, are helping the Southerners to
continue their filibuster by siding with
them on the thinnest of technicalities, and
a group of Democrats whose party won
the election but who are being kept from
fulfilling their mandate and putting their
program over.
What do they think we gain when we
impress the world with our unity on the
issue of guns, and with our disunity on the
issue of freedom-to protect which, sup-
posedly, we want the guns?
Why, when it comes to human freedom,
do the Hon. Senators feel that the blinds
are drawn, that the neighbors aren't look-
ing, that it is safe to go technical and ob-
structionist?
But this is, as I say, not safe at all; it
is reckless and dangerous. It is precisely
for the issue of human freedom that the
Senate of the United States should, in this
bad hour, reserve its best behavior, its
deenest sense of unity, its finest discipline.
over human freedom
ber.
in the upper cham-
Are we to use our grand manner solely
for questions of guns and alliances, while
reserving a more uninspired approach for
the issue of human freedom? But it is hu-
man freedom which is the grand issue-this
is the one on the importance of which the
whole world is in substantial agreement, or
pretends to be. Even dictators can sell their
services today only on the plea that they
are increasing liberty. This is the issue
which stands at the absolute forefront of
the world's mind-and this is the one on
which our Senate chooses to split into help-
less fragments.
We have voted without a sense of history
on an issue that is pivotal to us, to the
world, to the hundreds of millions of colored
and exploited peoples on this earth. Unless
we undo the harm, we are in danger of
learning the hard way that men sometimes
make history when they do not realize they
are making history-perhaps more often
than when, in full dress, they think they are.
(Copyright, 1949, New York Post Corporation)
SLooking Back
50 YEARS AGO:
While The Daily estimated that it would
take a student 44 years to take all the sub-
jects offered in the literary college, a Uni-
versity bookstore offered 30 five-pound vol-
umes of the Encyclopedia Britannica-
nearly six feet of solid reading matter-
for the sum of one buck.
20 YEARS AGO:
The Junior Girls' Play "Forward March,"
a satire on women and warfare, was re-
ceived enthusiastically in its opening per-
formance at the Whitney Theatre.
1 YEAR AGO:
After rabid clubs for and against General
Fifty-Ninth Year
Edited and managed by students of
the University of Michigan under the
authority of the Board in Control of
Student Publications.
Editorial Staff
Harriett Friedman ....Managing Editor
Dick Maloy..............City Editor
Naomi Stern.......Editorial Director
Allegra Pasqualetti ...Associate Editor
Al Blumrosen ........Associate Editor
Leon Jaroff.........Associate Editor
Robert C. White. Associate Editor
B. S. Brown ............Sports Editor
Bud Weidenthal ..Associate Sports Ed.
Bev Bussey .....Sports Feature Writer
Audrey Buttery ......Women's Editor
Mary Ann Harris Asso. Women's Editor
Bess Hayes ..................Librarian
Business Staff
Richard Hait .......Business Manager
Jean Leonard ....Advertising Manager
william Culman ....Finance Manager
Cole Christian ... Circulation Manager
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BARNABY
Really kind of you to assist
us by acting as my stand-in,
-4
Gee! I'd like to be big
and strona like tha- - 1
I
Mr. Discobolus, if you'd like
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