THE MICHIGAN DAILY
SAf1TJRIAY, APRIT 2~2, 1950
Umum
__
IJ'P Bill fh
AT long last, five years after the end of the
war, the United States has adopted a
sensible program for admitting displaced
persons.
"You Cli See What I'm Trying To Save You From"
In a lengthy midnight session,
ate finally succeeded in passing
gore bill, which eliminates the
restrictions of the 80th Congress
sure.
the Sen-
the Kil-
shameful
DP mea-
The Senate fight was mainly against one
man, who has consistently hampered the
establishment of a liberalized DP program
-Senator Pat McCarran of Nevada.
In a ten month struggle against the bill,
McCarran has put on one of the most dis-
graceful showings this nation has wit-
nessed. As a climax to his fight, McCar-
ran's opposition kept the Senate in session
for 12 hours before the bill reached a vote.
Some 137 amendments were proposed, 50
of them by McCarran himself, in an at-
tempt to retain the discriminatory pro-
visions of the previous DP bill.
When the new measure, sponsored by
Senator Harry Kilgore, was voted upon, the
split was 58 to 15.
The new pP act makes these changes:
1-Cancels the provisions that of all per-
sons admitted 40 per cent be from Baltic
states, and 30 per cent be farmers;
2-Moves up the "cutoff" date from De-
cember, 1945 to January, 1949. The earlier
date at which persons had to have entered
the western zones of Germany or Austria
to qualify for admission as a DP arbitrarily
barred many Catholics and Jews;
3-Extends the DP program for another
year and raises the number to be ad-
mitted to 344,000.
Both Democratic and Republican plat-
forms have long been pledged to the passage
of such a measure. The delay is deplorable,
but the bill which the Senate has now sanc-
tioned provides for a creditable DP program.
-Roma Lipsky
Wise Obstinacy
WHEN President Truman let it be known
that he would ignore the subpena from
the Senate subcommittee for the FBI in-
vestigative files, Senator Homer Ferguson
(R-Mich.) remarked, "What the President
says is that five senators on the Foreign
Relations subcommittee are not as compe-
tent to look at the files as 23 appointive
members of a loyalty board."
Exactly.
Particularly when one of the members of
the committee is Bourke Hickenlooper and
the accuser, who presumably would also see
the files, is Joseph McCarthy.
The members of the loyalty board are ap-
pointed because of their personal reputations
for ability and integrity to give confidence
that the loyalty review system will be both
sound and just. Senators may or may not be
of high ability and integrity. And their mo-
tives may be ulterior. The Red hunt and the
smear have become standard political tac-
tics. And it is a fact admitted by senators
themselves that little that is told to congress-
men can be kept secret. The Joint Con-
gressional Committee on Atomic Energy rec-
ognizes this and therefore refuses to be told
how many atomic bombs the United States
has.
The reasons for opposing release of the
files given by J. Edgar Hoover and Attorney
General Howard McGrath are good reasons:
That it would destroy the effectiveness of
the FBI investigative procedures and sources,
and that inevitably injustice to innocent
persons would be done. The tradition of the
President's independence from Congress in
matters such as this one is strong and clear
right from the days of George Washington's
first administration. Senators, who are so
quick to oppose presidential encroachment
upon legislative authority, should recognize
that the separation of powers works bc h
ways.
-St. Louis Star-Times
CIINIEMA
At The OipheiTm .. .
PASSIONNELLE - A French film from
a story by Emile Zola.
YOU'VE GOTTA watch those copy writers.
For this mostly innocuous little thing
they've come up with the adjectives "daring"
and "shocking," and then they've topped
these off with a tagline which usually is
most effective in drawing people to a film,
especially if it's French: "Dealing with
forbidden themes," the ad writers blurb.
Now I don't want to seem overly dense,
but I didn't see any forbidden themes
dealt with last night. True there were a
couple of hand-some scenes which some
might be shocked or dared by, scenes
which our Breen Office, I must admit,
would not let pass, but which the franker
French take as a matter of coarse.
Now come to think about it, the forbid-'
den theme might be piccolo playing. You
see, that's what starts it all. The hero-a
lonely but young postal clerk-is just set-
tling down for his evening piccolo practice,
when he glances in an open window across
the street and sees a vision of young de-
shonabilleovelne sftr a winkinL- court..
I feel that these merchants de-
serve some return for this sup-
port and that the students might
well note these advertisers and
show their appreciation by trading
at their establishments. By this I
do not mean that students should
avoid those merchants who failed
to advertise. It is very possible that
they were not approached or felt
financially unable to help us. At
any rate we might mentally note
the merchants who advertise in
the Michigras pamphlet and such
programs as those of the Union
and Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
Also take note of those merchants
who give prizes at the carnival
and support other campus activi-
ties during the year. These mer-
chants are helping to make these
activities possible and these acti-
vities are an integral part of our
University. There may be many
legitimate gripes against the mer-
chants of Ann Arbor, but let's not
condemn them for their faults
until we have also considered their
virtues.
-Bill Elson
Debate - Pro
.
/ete'4 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 areanot In good taste will
be condensed, edited, or withheld from publication at the discretion of the
editors.
Debate - Pro
>ledge. The
Lecture Committee
0 0
i
To the Editor:
IT IS MY OPINION that it is a
fundamental principle in our
government that there are but two
ways of checking the progress of
sentiments deemed erroneous and
injurious to the public good: by
law, or by argument. Whatever
these can not reach, it is useless
and criminal to attempt to sup-
press by force of whatever extra-
legal kind. I believe that in the
absence of any law to the contrary,
we are obligated to defend the
right of Prof. Phillips to speak,
quite as earnestly as we would de-
fend that of Prof. Wernette. To
do otherwise implies either a con-
sciousness of error on our part or
a distrust of tie ability of truth
to defeat error in free discussion.
In any case, to allow discretionary
power, without any basis in law,
or without argument, to prostrate
free speech is a virtual surrender
of the foundation of our civil gov-
ernment and of all toleration.
The Lecture Committee of the
University of Michigan has clearly
surrendered to mob pressure,'
which is the prelude to mob force,
the absence of all respect for law
and reason: The committee has
indicated its willingness to be mov-
ed by the unreasoned, momentary
passions of the multitude, in ut-
ter disregard for the process of law
and of democratic discussion; it
has indicated its lack of faith in
the ability of free discussion to de-
feat a philosophy it chooses to
consider false; it has betrayed its
grave doubt of the ability of a de-
fense of democracy and capitalism
to prevail over a defense of Com-
munism; it has betrayed its lack
of faith in the ability of free dis-
cussion to defeat a philosophy it
chooses to consider false; it has
betrayed its grave doubt of the
ability of a defense of democracy'
and capitalism to prevail over a
defense of Communism; it has be-
trayed its lack of faith in the com-
petence of the students of this
University to discriminate between
truth and error; it has thus by
indicating its complete lack of
faith in the most fundamental of
American ideals manifested its
own unfitness to continue to func-
tion as an administrative com-
mittee of the University of Michi-
gan.
Our duty now is not, I think, to
show our loyalty to this Univer-
sity, as Prof. Leslie of the history
department gratuitously informs
us; our duty is rather to be faith-
ful to the ideal of free inquiry
which is basic to our form of gov-
ernment. Indeed, if that ideal is
to be abandoned, I am not sure
that I desire even the continued
existence of the University of
Michigan.
-M. Dellon
** *
Debate - Pro . .
To the Editor:
O UNDERSTAND his place in
society, I think that the edu-
cated man~should be well-informed
on the existing conflict of Com-
munism vs. capitalism. Here at
Michigan we find it hard to be-
come informed on this conflict.
A group of rational students ar-
ranged for a debate on the sub-
ject. No one wanted to become a
Communist. We just wanted know-
bans the debate by interpreting a
rule that a year ago was not even
considered when Phillips spoke on
this campus. How come?
Furthermore, some students are
considering having Phillips speak
off-campus. I don't favor this! Do
students have to go off campus
to gain information that will be
pertinent in their future lives?
I'd like to point out that the
library subscribes to the Daily
Worker and Pravda. What about
this? What about explaining the
Russian system of government in
Political Science 52? What about
that article called The Little Red
School House?
Come now, members of the Lec-
ture Committee, this is Michigan
-a leader in education.
-George Roumell, '51
* * *
Debate - Pro .
To the Editor:
I WAS MORE than pleased to
read of your position on the
proposed debate. I think I under-
stand only too well why the Re-
gents of the University refused to
permit a discussion on Capitalism
vs. Communism. They are not
worried about Communism. What
they are worried about is Capital-
ism and they know the less said
on the subject the better.
I was graduated from the liter-
ary department of the University
many years ago, and it seemed to
me that what we got even then
was mostly propaganda. When it
was all over I felt like suing the
University for fraud and misre-
presentation in holding itself out
as an institution of higher learn-
ing.
Today both the student body
and the instructors must knuckle
down or immediately find them-
selves in hot water. I hope you
have the guts to keep on insisting
for open and free discussions of
issues that actually mean life or
death to us all.
-Charles C. Lockwood
* *
Merchants . .
To the Editor:
MANY COMPLAINTS have been
lodged against the merchants
of Ann Arbor by the students of
the University. In fact I feel that
it is the general consensus of stu-
dent opinion that these merchants
are guilty of charging entirely too
much for their merchandise and
services. I feel that these charges
might well be justified; however,
I also feel that there are certain
services rendered to the students
by these merchants which are; and
should not be, overlooked.
Recently I have been working
on one of the Michigras commit-
tees. It was my jol to solicit the
merchants for advertising in the
complimentary program which
will be distributed to those at-
tending Michigras. This advertis-
ing helped defray the cost of
printing, and the material bene-
fit to the merchants from such
advertising is negligible. I do not
think any of the merchants would
have suffered appreciably by re-
fusing to help us in this all campus
activity. Some of them did re-
fuse, but the support I encoun-
ered on the whole was overwhelm-
ing.
To the Editor:
IT IS AS ABSURD as it is sad to
watch the attempts of Univer-
sity authorities to stay in the good
graces of "the powers that be".
The ban on the debate "Com-
munism vs. Capitalism" is a case
in point.
If producing the best athletic
teams in the Big Ten is not the
aim of higher education, if edu-
cation is this aim, then we must
ask what the subject matter of
this education is to be. There are
two alternatives. Either there
should be some body which legis-
lates the revelent subject matter
or an educational institution
should endeavor to make available
to its students all the subjects
which the students manifest an
interest in studying.
By denying Prof. Phillips the
right to debate Communism this
University accepts the first alter-
native of benevolent paternalism.
The paternal body is the lecture
committee which has democratic-
ally decided (they voted) that
Communism is not a relevent sub-
ject for students to study.
Why Communism shouldn't be
studied (except in the hands of
anti-communists) is not quite
clear. Nearly half the world has
at present a Communist govern-
ment (and so does the U.S. ac-
cording to some distinguished Sen-
ators) and, if the newspapers are
any guide, the other half is very
interested in what these Commun-
ists are doing and saying. Thus,
unless the members of the lecture
committee are isolationists, we
might suppose they would be quite
happy to hear first hand what a
real, live, and capable American
Communist has to say for himself.
But apparently this is not the
case. Why? Do they fear him?
They say that Communists are out
to violently overthrow our govern-
ment (do they mean they once
heard one). Does this mean they
fear Phillips would try to assasi-
nate his business administration
opponent? or throw bombs at the
bourgeois students?
More likely they fear what he
has to say, either that his capital-
istic opponent could not counter
his arguments or that students
might e taken in by his silly
ways. If this is true then addition-
al measures are logically in order.
Our library contains many books
written by Communists. In fact,
we have one of the world's largest
collections of radical literature.
Surely if Communism is an unde-
sirable subject for an open debate
then it is even less desirable that
books which can be read in private
with no counter argument pre-
sented should be available to the
gullible student.
Let's be consistent. Either we
should be allowed to hear Phillips
or a vast book burning should be
coming up soon.
-Jack Barense,
George Witt
gaged in a war with Russia. To be
sure, this is merely a political ane
economic war but this has a habit
of turning into a shooting war.
The time has come for us
to choose our sides - demo-
cracy or Communism-while we
are still in a position to make a
choice. To encourage or even tol-
erate believers in Communism ii
our society is to invite weakness
and dissention. In other nations,
weakness has acted as an invita!
tion to Russian aggression. It could
happen here.
What harm could result from
allowing an avowed Communist
to speak at the University of Mi
chigan? Some of these immature
students, because they do not
comprehend the world conquest
aim of Russian Communism,
would certainly be swayed by the
high-sounding, apparently sincere,
but utterly false statements which
such a speaker would make. The
students which fall for this guff
make our nation only that mucl
weaker in resisting Russian pres-
sure. A united nation is the
fundamental defense of our ideal
against foreign aggression.
Because we are lacking in a re-
alistic understanding of our pre-
sent precarious position in world
affairs, the faculty committee ha
taken it upon themselves to do our
thinking for us. If we are so stu-
pid as to ignore the very real and
present danger to our freedom,
then we deserve to have our think-
ing regulated by a faculty cdm-
mittee.
-Charles Remsburg
Debate - Pro . .
To the Editor:
I AM TRYING to become more'
than a thing that keeps the
wheels of a factory going. Thank
God for the humanists and the
really human scientists among us.
But no thanks to the Lecture Com-
mittee, to all the frightened and
senseless people for whom life has.
been too much or never anything'
at all. I seriously propose that the
University appoint a dozen promi-
nent Communist scholars to its
faculty. Whatever their defects,
they at least dare to defend fre
speech and should be honored for
that. I also in all earnestness sug-
gest, because most of the world
quotes and misquotes, loves and
hates, defies and transports to hell
Messrs. Marx and Engels, that
they be given a special place of
honor in the curriculum of any
student who will ever hope to be
a living part of democratic govern-
ment. That course should be
taught by Communists, socialists
and non-Marxists who are not
anti-Marxists with blood-shot
eyes. And it should be called a
course in Marxism, and no one
should be forced to keep silent,
and even the writings of Lenin,
Trotsky and Stalin should be on
reserve in the study hall. I am
afraid that such proposals are(
merely a form of self-torture and
realize that it is said to be harm-
ful for anyone to make them. But
I am trying to become more than a
thing that keeps a factory going,
and wish more people would fee
like that.
-Jack A. Lucas
+~rj~u~u~
Bill Crane,
Leon Brown
* * *
0
Debate - Con . .
To the Editor:
THIS IS ADDRESSED to that
seemingly large and voluble
group of students who have ex-
pressed their disagreement with
the recent decision made by the
University Lecture Committee in
regard to Mr. Phillips. The mem-
bers of this committee evidently
feel that most students are imma-
ture and in need of adult super-
vision. How right they are! If our
national goyernment were to adopt
the political opinions of Univer-
sity students, I for one would start
digging myself a nice deep fox-
hole.
Students are so obsessed with
their protection of academic free-
dom that they utterly disregard
the hard fact that we are now en-
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BARNABY
All set, Barnaby. I'll open I
| the nrogram with a few vocal I
rA
nd then you'll do some magic--
Cushlamochree, Barnaby!
If I walk in there and
YOU go in. Ask Mr. Shultz
to take a card-Any card.
I