T,1 IICHIGAN DAILY SATURDAY, _MARCH 4 , 1950 A F toin ted Pen C AMPUS cultural life is in danger of drastic curtailment unless something is done to straighten out the calendaring poli- cy of the SL and the Student Affairs Com- mittee.- It will be only a question of time before small groups will disband rather than face operating in the red. Thus far, despite the fact that even some of our largest dances have lost money, little has been done to straighten out a calendaring system which permits three and four activities to compete on weekend. A check on other campuses shows that the same problem has been encountered elsewhere and at New York University Stu- dent Government has come up with some concrete ideas that might well serve as a basis for investigation by our own SL calendar sub-committee. As a basic policy, it was suggested that no organization has the right, merely be- cause it exists, to*hold affairs on the campus to which it charges admission. It would seem that the interest of the student body, better expressed in a healthy self-supporting but protected cultural program than in a set-up where activities are competitive and in danger of elimination, should be fore- most. The NYU Student Government present- ed specific considerations for its calendar: 1-That the calendar should be a con- tinuous schedule always up to date (con- taining not only those programs actually okayed by the SAC but other events which would influence the attendance at them such as sports events). 2-That the calendar should also judge the factor of cost to the students. Past ex- perience here has shown that two big dances on the same weekend, or any two expensive events, are liable to cancel one another. 3-That classes and other organizations should have an opportunity to raise money -for charities. Purpose for which the function is being given, in other words, such as for the benefit of the Fresh Air Camp, should be a criterion. 4-That in arranging weekend activities where there is to be more than one function, consideration be given the the pocketbook of the student. There should be inexpen- sive as well as the more expensive events on any one weekend. It should be obvious to both SAC and SL that something must be done.. Student groups operating in the red are not going to continue sponsoring social functions. At the present time there is confusion as to just whose job it is. SL has a calen- daring committee but the SAC also oper- ates in this field. It is my opinion that the responsibility should rest with the student government. - Unless SL is allowed to shoulder the job of regulating student activities which are for the benefit of students there is no purpose for a student government. -Don McNeil. editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the wiriters only. NIGHT EDITOR: PAUL BRENTLINGER CJINJEMA At The Orpheum GERMANY YEAR ZERO directed by Roberto Rossellini, in German with sub- titles. THE degeneration and disillusionment of a 12 year old Berlin boy is shown in this descriptive semi-documentary which is a realistic portrayal of post-war Germany, but leaves something to be desired as drama. What little plot there is centers around a family of four - a bed-ridden father and his three children, Karl-Heinz, an ex-soldier hiding froi the police; Eva, the sister and family stabilizer; and the young boy Ed- mound. Food is even scarcer for this group than for other under-fed Germans because ,Marl-Heinz, minus ration card, refuses to surrender to the police or to go out into the streets to bring home provisions. Thus the task of stealing, cheating and black-market selling to add to ,the family's food supply falls on Edmound. Interwoven into this skeleton framework are all the problems of everyday living in a ruined and defeated Germany-juvenile delinquency, crowded and almost animal- like living conditions, remnants of Nazi ideology exemplified by a former school teacher and extreme inflation. The film represents a sincere attempt to depict a serious problem, but its slow pace, weak ending, and over-emphasis on pho- tographing bomb-shattered Berlin result in an only mediocre movie. -Roma Lipsky. Union - Two Proposals "WHAT SHALL WE DO with the Union?" HOW TO CHOOSE a Union president and is a perennially popular topic of con- secretary? troversy around here. A new solution to this question has Right no, fire has shifted from the been called for, and is clearly needed. The "no-women-through-the-front-door" tar- plan must give students a more direct get to the method of selecting the Union's voice in selection of these officers. But it must also insure that thoroughly qualified president and secretary. Some 200 stu- mnaegvntejbadta h dents have proposed an amendment to men are given the jobs, and that the the Union constitution which would pro- Union's huge alum membership is not forgotten. vide for direct campus-wide election of the organization's two top officers. The present method of indirect selection would doubtless be improved by having As it is, a seven-member selections com- vice-presidents elected by the Union's stu- mittee chooses these officers. This commit- dent membership as a whole, and by in- tee includes the Dean of Students, ex- creasing the number of these vice-presidents officio; three faculty or alumni members;centhe nsbromtee vic-pheses and three of the Union's six popularly elec- on the selections committee which chooses ted vice-presidents. The Dean serves as com- But this solution is unlikely to satisf mittee chairman.B those who seek direct election of the two Thus, faculty and alumni members of the top officers. Union have more to say about the choice of the president and secretary than do stu- Here, then, is a suggested compromise.- dents. Since students are here all the time It :would combine the best features of the to use the Union's facilities in large num- two plans of absolute election and in- bers, it seems that students should be given direct selection. It would be an improve- greater voice in the selection of the Union ment over both. ' 'Tis But Thy Nane That Is My ! Be Sonic Other Name: What's Enem'; ? In AName?" DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN ll l t t c 1 7 C C t k X A '- - C '= c -. '1 " C49f Tghi, W.'A 4f l,- 4 P.04rA ette/ TO THE EDITOR The Daily welcomes communications from its readers on matters of general interest, and will publish all letters which are signed by the writer and in good taste. Letters exceeding 300 words in length, defamatory or libelous letters, and letters which for any reason are not in good taste will be condensed, edited, or withheld from publication at the discretion of the editors. r , (Continued from Page 2) "The Work of Special Devices.Cen- ter." Doctoral Examination for Rolfe Alden Haatvedt, Classical Studies: Latin: thesis: "Coins from Karan- is," Sat., Mar. 4, 2009 Angell Hall, 9:30 a. m. Chairman, J. G. Win- ter. Events Today All students: Briefing meeting for students interested in solici- ting for WSSF, 2 p.m., Lane Hall. I.S.A.: Open House, 8-12 p.m., International Center. Inter-Arts Union: Meeting, 1 p.m., 500 BMT. U. of M. Hostel Club: Member- ship dance, potluck supper, and community sing, 6 to 11 p.m., Jones School. For potluck reser- vations call Jane Finkbeiner, 7804. Bring eating utensils. All dance admissions applicable toward the cost of membership if bought within 30 days. Coming Events All Students: Briefing meeting for all students on campus inter- ested in soliciting for WSSF, 3 p.- m., Sun., Mar. 5, Lane Hall. Grad Outing Club: Meet for to- bogganing Sun., Mar. 5, 2:15 p.m., northwest entrance, R a c k h a m Bldg. Naval Research Reserve Unit: Meeting, Mon., Mar. 6, 7:30 p.m., 18 Angell Hall. Mr. H. H. Goode: L i b r a r y Science Discussion Group: Meeting, 7:45 p.m., Mon., Mar. 6, East Conference Room, Rackham Bldg. Speaker: Profes- sor Gooch. Topic: Library Publi- city Through Displays and Posters. Women's Research Club: 8 p.m. Mon., Mar. 6, West Lecture Room, Rackham Building. Mrs. Dorothy R. Neuhaus will speak on "Pro- duction of Opacity of Soft Tissues to X-rays by Iodinated Com- pounds." Sigma Alpha Iota: Meeting, Mon., Mar. 6, 7:15 p.m., League. Compulsory attendance for all ac- tives. U. of M. Sailing Club: New members will sell tickets Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the Administration Building (instead of the League). Other members pick up tickets. from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tues., Mar. 7, League. Ballet Club: Meeting, Mon., Mar. 6, Dance Studio, Barbour Gym. Bring practice clothes. I.Z.F.A. Hillel: Hebrew Circle meeting, 11 a.m., Sun., Mar. 5, Un- ion. IZFA Purim Carnival: 7:30 p.m., Sun., Hillel Foundation. Newman Club Drama Group: Meeting, 8 p.m., Mon., Mar. 6, Chapel office. Bring copy of "You Can't Take It With You." { .;, . I leaders. The proposed constiutional change would rectify this weakness. But it still is far from satisfactory on many counts. To begin with, it fails to consider the interests of the Union's 30,000 alumni mem- bers, manyFof whom are quite interested in the affairs of the club. But more important, it is inadequate from the standpoint of inner administration. The jobs in question require a considerable amount of knowledge of what goes on in the Union, not to mention administrative and managerial abilities. Also, their exist- ence serves as incentive to junior staff mem- bers. A campus-wide electorate could hardly be expected to have enough information about the available candidates, even if they were limited to Union staff members, to make the wisest choice. What then can be done to reflect grass- roots sentiment and still provide for ef- fective functioning of the Union? Another Constitutional amendment, currently being considered by the Union board of directors, might solve the probe lem. It would increase the number of elected vice-presidents from six to seven. Five of these would be elected by the undergraduate student members as a whole, while the other two would be chosen by students in the graduate schools. Under this plan, each vice-president would be chosen by a large portion of the Union's membership. Now, students are permitted to vote only for a candidate from their own school or college or group of schools. Each vice-president now represents only a limited number of students-not the membership as a whole. This proposal in itself would express stu- dent wishes better. If, in addition, one or two more of these popularly elected vice-presi- dents were placed on the selections commit- tee, all should be well. This selections committee would still be a small group, capable of carefully studying the qualifications of the candi- dates. This small group, however, would represent a sizeable proportion of the stu- dent members, if four or five of its mem- bers were elected by most of the student body. By changing the balance of power in the selections committee, this proposal should give student members of the Union a great- er voice in selection of their officers. At the same time, it might provide a much needed "kick in the pants" to supply increased stu- dent interest in the affairs of their Union. -Paul Brentlinger. Let the Union student members elect the president and secretary. But have the pre- sent selections committee nominate the can- didates for each office - two or three for each position, according to the committee's sentiments as to how many people are qualified for the jobs. The president and secretary would thus be nominated by an informed committee capable of measuring their qualifications. They would be elected by a student body which would be given an opportunity to select those candidates which best repre- sent its views. Democracy would be served, but so would efficiency. nI Mencken 0 * If the president and secretary were to be elected on the basis of popularity without any thought as to their qualifications, with- out a screening by a Union committee, the positions would soon degenerate to mere honors sought for their attendant publicity and prestige. Conceivably, officers could be chosen who had never even been in the Union. Highly qualified men are needed to man- age the complicated affairs of the Uni- versity's huge men's club. If the Union's student officers proved to- be unworthy of their responsibility, control would drift away from students, leaving the club's man- agement completely in the hands of pro- fessionals or others who, while technically capable of filling their positions, might not heed student opinion in the operation of the students' own club. Such a situation might very possibly re- sult if officers were elected for popularity rather than for ability. Direct election without a Union selec- tions committee would take incentive away from the Union staff. These people would hardly be encouraged in their tasks if they knew that their chance at top offices de- pended entirely on the results of a popu- larity contest. The modified method of election sug- gested would bring the presidential can- didates to the students, making them more available for suggestions on future policy. However, let us hope that the selections committee picks candidates of sufficient integrity to resist making campaign is- sues of policy questions which can only be decided after thoughtful deliberation. If the electorate has gripes, let them be aired. But creation of false issues by the candidates will only harm the Union and the student members. Direct election of Union officers is de- sirable - but only on the basis of qualifi- cation for the job and reward for effort. The best choice can be made by the use of democracy, but it must be an informed democracy. -James Gregory. "other story. The point is that both need to act on faith. -Don Ervin To The Editor:, THE SQUIB from Mencken in Sunday's Daily about faith would hardly be worth a comment except that it is so typical of some of the muddled thinking about re- ligion that goes on these days. Such thinking is apt to assume as Mencken does that a faith in God is something pathological and so ends up with not much of any faith in a philosophy of life at all. We need to realize just what role faith can play in our rela- tionship to the nature of things around us. To begin with faith is a very important kind of attitude for the scientist. In fact if it weren't for faith, we wouldn't have scientific knowledge, because the building of this knowledge began with a faith thattcertain things were like certain other things and that these two sets of things could be compared and relationships be- tween them established. When scientists began to construct the- oretical systems, they again acted on faith-a faith that their sys- tems were relevant to the prob- lems being studied, and that if hy- potheses from these systems were tested in experiment, the results would reveal knowledge about these problems. A faith in God is strikingly similar to the faith necessary in science. I was amused recently in class when the instructor was be- ing a little dogmatic, but neces- sarily so, about some concepts needed in a particular theoretical system. A student cracked under his breath, "There is a God, be- cause there is a God, because there is a God." Now this particular system has been very fruitful for research and was set forth in the first place be- cause the founder was bold enough to propose outrageous concepts and methods of theorizing, i. e., to ,have faith in them. If, then, faith in scientific theories can pay off, what is so very unreasonable about having a faith in God? The one is very necessary and the other, though more difficult to achieve, is equally necessary. A scientist cannot make progress into the un- known without beginning with a fairly well structured idea of what the unknown is apt to be like. How do we expect to make our progress into our own unknown futures if we do not proceed likewise? Since our lives are related to the whole nature of things about us, we need a highly integrated theoreti- cal system to produce this fruit- fulness in our lives. A religious person puts God at the head of such a system, and, of course, establishes a relationship to God which makes his system- philosophy of life, if you like- more than something purely intel- lectual. Some atheists have phil- osophies of life equally well organ- ized and also founded on faith, the main difference being that they deny the exsitence of God. Both the philosophy of the atheist and the philosophy of the religious person are fraught with difficul- ties which stem from their own personalities and their relation- ships to groups, but that is an- Discrimination 0 * To the Editor: The issue of the students vs. an administration which perpetu- ates and carries out the most vile Jim-Crow practices is becoming more acute. Undoubtedly the ov- erwhelming amount of students have no clear-cut concept of the scope of these practices which de- grade and humiliate the Negro people. Let us take a few concrete ex- amples and ask if the administra- tion can answer these questions: Why are such surgeons as Dr. Sullenberger, who struck and in- sulted a Negro woman employee, allowed to practice in the Univer- sity Hospital? Why has there been a constant intimidation of all the Negro woman elevator operators with regard to this case? And why, we ask, after one year of existence of the Committee to End Discrimination, does the Uni- versity still refuse to remove dis- criminatory questions from appli- cation blanks? Why do these ques- tions exist on j application blanks and why does the Univer- sity aid and condone segregated housing? Why is it that the Uni- versity Library has no subscription to any Negro newspaper although many of them outsell a number of those displayed and purchased? Why does a dental laboratory set one small corner aside for a Negro dentist who works exclusively on Negro patients? And finally we must ask why certain history in- structors are allowed to slander and distort the contributions that Negro people have made to Amer- ican life? We live in a University corrupt- ed by these evil practices. How, in the context of this college society, can the Young Republicans dare to put forth the slogan of fan "op- portunity state"? And how im- portant can this be to the Young Democrats who have decided to fight fiercely this semester for cleaner toilet bowls!? It is time that campus groups and University officials woke to the fact that students can not long endure the dismissal of their most basic demands. -Hy Bershad Quota System . . To the Editor: THE STUDENT Legislature has taken action on thequota sys- tem. This combined with support from individual campus groups, the National Students Association which has chapters all over the country, and the Committee to End Discrimination composed of 36 campus organizations, show united student solidarity on this issue. Petitions being circulated among the faculty are receiving very favorable response. Yet noth- ing has happened. The questions are still on the blank! We are fortunate at the U. of M. to be able to place the blame squarely on the committee. In the current campaign on the Med. school, Dr. Whittaker and his. committee :on admissions (mem- bership made secret several years ago) have the final decision on what questions they would like to ask to aid in the selection of can- didates. There can be no cries nor complaining that the regents or the state legislature is responsible, although -passage of Sen. Blondy's Fair Educational Practices Act would make the entire affair a criminal offense as it is in New Jersey, Massachussetts, and New York. The Student Legislature in its recent resolution has hopes of achieving the removal of these questions by peaceful, academic, and polite .methods. It's up to Dr. Whittaker to determine if thisis sufficient. Nobody wants the name of our alma mater involved in a national controversy. students on other campuses have taken much more drastic action to promote the cause of racial and religious equal- ity. Dr. Whittaker and the admis- sions committee can avoid any further unfortunate publicity and repudiate that which now exists by removing the information asked for in the SL resolution. Dr. Whit- taker has said, as reported in the Dec. 24 issue of The Michigan Daily, "I think that all these ques- tions might be deleted without hampering the work of the admis- sions committee immeasurably." There seems no doubt in my mind that these questions can and must be removed now-right now. -Gordon MacDougall * * * President and a Federal Judge, de- cide simply whether to use or not to use the one method of action available to them under the pre- sent law when fact finding is ex- hausted, Morse would have the President certify to Congress the existance of a labor dispute which is or may imperil the national health or safety, leaving to Con- gress the decision as to what ac- tion should be taken by the gov- ernment. What's the advantage of that? Simply that the people of the United States through the pres- sure of public opinion would de- cide the action, not within the confines of a single attempted re- medy such as the TDaft act pro- vides but from all possible reme- dies after a Congressional debate in which the issues could be clear- ly and coherently presented to the country. This probably wouldn't solve alp our problems. Yet it is time that we adopted a policy which, instead of simply trying to coerce one of the parties, provides for a realistic consideration of each national emergency on its own facts. Such a debate and decision by Congress in which the American public would be the jury, would be much more likely to command the res- pect of the parties involved. -Tom Walsh t _, 4 4 41 ICoal Strife 0 . CURRENTf MlO0vIES, THE HISTORICAL FILMS Joan of Arc and Henry V exemplify the faults and virtues of their genre. The latter is success- ful because it turned history into plausible fiction. The former is unsuccessful because it divorced the history from the people who made it thereby substituting walking ideas for men. History being to most a persisting ro- mance bred in children's books, one can expect and demand that it be dramatized en- tertainingly. Facts for facts' sake aren't enough. And knowing that a writer and a historian aren't the same thing, we should insist that a speech only sound as if it were spoken at the time the film is set. Historical films must have then as the greater part of the dialogue general truths of human na- ture (platitudes), because dialogue that is too specific tends to be either twentieth century ideas put into historical-sounding 'lingo; or historical facts transposed lifeless- ly from the text to the script. The validly conceived platitude can transcend time and so I prefer it to the inaccurately applied speech that might have been spoken by someone (not necessarily the character) during the period. It's the appearance of reality that pleases us. To the audience the visual immediacy combined with the transitory nature of the film i.e., what you see you can't stop and check for facts, allow the film to achieve a realism that fiction is not so easily capable of. Costumes and sets are seldom responsible for the failure of historical films. Their failure has to do with: 1 - An underemphasis of the exciting quality of valid observations concerning the behavior of men in the .past (Joan of Arc) and 2 - An overemphasis of a contrived plot blooming with buttoxes and bosoms (Christ- opher Columbus). In other words, the way men would act is distorted for the sake of the story; and twentieth century miscon- ceptions of the past are substituted for transcending truths concerning the way man acts. History is always kind enough to supply the story. In a good film the author supplies his characters with the right reactions to it. -S. J. Winebaum. To the Editor: AS THE coal miners continue to sit idle without a contract while schools are closing and emergency rations are doled out, the time is appropriate to con- sider the demerits of the Taft- Hartley Act's injunction provisions as a means of settling a national emergency strike. At this writing it seems clear that injunctions and probably ev- en fines against the union are not going to force the miners to work in a situation which they consider involuntary servitude and which would mean victory for the mine owners. The press has been prompt to point out that one of the gravest concerns in the coal strike picture is the fact. that the situation has produced large scale disregard for Federal baw. A maverick Republican, Senator Wayne Morse who spoke here last year pointed out that a wise leg- islator does not pass laws which are liable to be openly flaunted and disregarded by any large seg- ment of. the population. The fact that the miners' passive resist- ance to the Fedetal Court order is weakening the status of the gov- ernment is one of the most scath- ing indictments of Taft's formula for dealing with John L. Lewis. Senator Morse had a construc- tive alternative to Taft's patent little formula which we would do well to consider during this chilly period. Rather than have two men, the A 4. Fifty-Ninth Year Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Pubications. a Editorial Staff Leon Jaroff.........Managing Editor Al Blumrosen..........;City Editor Philip Dawson....... Editorial Director Mary Stein..........Associate Editor Jo Misner...........Associate Editor George Walker ........ Associate Editor Don McNeil.........Associate Editor Wally Barth......Photography Editor Pres Holmes .......... Sports Co-Editor Merle Levin..........Sports Co-Editor Roger Goelz.. Associate Sports Editor Lee Kaltenbach ....... Women's Editor Barbara Smith... Associate Women's Ed. Allan Clamage................ Librarian Joyce Clark........Assistant Librarian Business Staff RogerWellington. ... Business Manager Dee Nelson. . Associate Business Manager Jim Dangi.......Advertising Manager Bernie Aidinoff....... Finance Manager Bob Daniels......Circulation Manager VVI Telephone 23-24-1 Member of The Associated Press The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or 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,rMichigan, as second-class mail matter. Subscription during the regular school year by carrier, $5.00. by mail, $6.00. , I ^ I BARNABY Here's a neat touch, Barnaby-When the Refrigerator Pixie is not refrigerating, You've been talking so much, Mr. n'Ara, a e.try/ _anHlen ("15 r t rp$nr ( of < 1' Pni Wake him up! So .1,1,. . | You can't fire me, O'Malley.1 .-...| We'll see -nh thi ! a. _ . tA JR I 1. a+. .. Don't worry about the radio, Barnaby. Your Fairy Godfather i