HIRE MICITGANDAILY THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1950 w. ~ '... .. n T " Y. Y.: .rv. .. . _ _ THOMAS L, STOKES:O A Tlh14 CORNER i i" 1 Maragon Conviction OXFORD UNIVERSITY, like a couple of venerable New England institutions, is often mentioned by earnest local reformers as a model for a reconstructed University of Michigan, But this emphasis on Oxford_at least, as a place that we can and ought to copy, is based largely on illusion, as an article in the New York Times Magazine this week makes clear. The writer, Eugene Burdick is a disillu- sioned Rhodes Scholar from California who apparently went to Oxford expecting a lot more than he got. His criticisms are pub- lished with a reply written in the form of footnotes by a witty, condescending Oxford don, Marcus Dick. The main thing that emerges from this article is the great difference in tradition,j attitude, and policy that separates American and English universities. It rapidly becomes apparent that, while Oxford institutions may to some extent be adapted here, we cannot hope to transplant what is glibly referred to as "the Oxford method" to this Univer- sity. JUST ONE example of the difference be-. tween English and American universities is provided by the Oxonian attitude toward political debate. Burdick, in his criticism of Oxford, ex- presses disappointment that the Oxford Union debating society was not as he had imagined it-that the actuality did not correspond to his picture "of wildly pre- cocious youth, their eyes firmly fixed on the main chance at Parliament, debating with cruelly deflating epigrams and punc- turing the windy argument with sly thrustsj ... In actual fact, the Union is very dull." The Oxonian's response to this is merely to insist that "the Union .. . has always been thoroughly dull." e don't have much chance to make this sort of comment about the Michi- gan Forum, for example, even though it is supposed to be set up on 'the Oxford model, with speakers selected by students and brought into full and vigorous debate. If the Oxford Union should propose to bring an avowed Communist in as a par- ticipant, this would probably be regarded by the authorities there not as a project of great importance--which might be either "an educational experience" or "subversive" -but merely as tedious BOHEMIANS at Oxford come in for rough treatment at the hands of Burdick, who blasts them for "the long beards, the quiet desperate reaching for an eccentric reputa- tion, the emphasis -on the shock value of what is said rather than on its insight, the little magazines, the experimental drama." Dick's reply to this is, "if people wish to wear beards and purple corduroy trou- sers, and talk about Mondrian, why should that excite comment? . . ." Imagining the comment it would excite, at any American university, lends plausibility at least to Dick's explanation: "Oxford pos- sesses a degree of civilized tolerance the depths of which Mr. Burdick has clearly not begun to understand"-nor any Ameri- can university to approach. * * * AGAIN, "Oxford drinking habits are .. . quite fantastic," Burdick says. "Most Americans like to drink and like to be re- laxed when they drink; .. . indeed often act vulgar and noisy. The surprising thing is to discover that Oxonians exceed Americans in this direction." To which Dick's response is: "No doubt there is some truth in what Mr. Burdick says; but he need not be so surprised or worried..." No suggestion of a liquor ban or disci- plinary measures against the youthful Ox- onians; no anxious efforts to maintain so- briety; merely a relaxed statement that there's no need to worry. THESE differences between English and American attitudes toward the univer- sity are highlighted when Burdick, discus- sing the versatility of Oxford students, points out that "the football player who writes poetry at Oxford is not only not a curiosity; Oxonians are genuinely incapable of seeing in it anything in the least odd." The Oxonian rejoinder: "But is it odd? Is it not the point of a university that young men and women should lead a full, and free intellectual life, and should be fired and stimulated by each other's en- thusiasm?" Ideally, of course, that is the point of an American university too. But there are limits to what Americans, -whether football player or poet, will accept in the name of this ideal. It is doubtful whether this University, for example, can or should ever attempt to pur- sue this ideal single-mindedly enough to tolerate all the things that Oxford tolerates. -Philip Dawson WASHINGTON-So they gave Johnny Maragon eight months to two years in the clink - pending appeal, of course. Johnny Maragon was the pushing and obliging little shot who got caught trying to be a big shot, peddling "influence" as it is known around here, buzzing about the White House amiably and importantly and in the outer corridors of government de- partments, posing as a friend of the mighty. They didn't get him for that - no. This city is full of smart guys doing that. They got him for perjury about his bank accounts and about that perfume he was charged with smuggling into the country while on a government mission to Greece So now we can sit back smugly knowing that they've got Johnny Maragon, and com- fort ourselves that righteousness prevails in government; and the really big fellows around here who get the big things done for really big clients and interests, but are smooth about it and always strictly legal, you may be sure, can look down their noses disdainfully at this crude fellow who bothered with peanut business. * * * NO ONE NEED CONDONE Johnny Mara- gon's operations to recognize at the same time that his business, which seeming- ly was profitable enough, affected favor- ably a few people, while the real "influence" magnates do their business in major eco- nomic and financial matters involved in legislation that affect millions of people. Johnny Maragon can not hold a candle to such as these, nor to such as the group of oil millionaires from the Southwest who gathered at a local hotel to celebrate pas- sage by Congress of the Kerr bill to ex- empt their natural gas business from regu- lation by the Federal Power Commission which, much to their chagrin but fortun- Tries te RUSSIA has shown a sudden new interest in the troubles of the so-called Free Ter- ritory of Trieste. Moscow's specific demands are that the United States and British troops be withdrawn from the area and that a governor be appointed immediately in keeping with terms of the Italian peace treaty. But what she is doing obviously is feeling out a soft spot on the cold war front. The basic troubles over Trieste stem from conflicting claims of Italy and Yu- goslavia for control of its shipyards, oil refineries and the rich resources of the adjacent hinterland. At the Paris peace conference the United States, Britain and France favored Italy's claims. Russia back- ed Yugoslavia, then a firm member of the Soviet coalition. The idea of creating a free territory under the United Nations fi- nally was agreed upon. But Russian stub- bornness in the Security Council blocked all attempts to name a governor and com- plete the territorial organization. The re- sult is that Trieste remains under a pro- visional government, with Great Britain, the United States and France controlling one zone and Yugoslavia the other. In the meantime Italy has refused to re- linquish its claims on Trieste. The United States, Britain and France backed these claims in 1948 on the eve of the Italian elec- tions. But now the United States says any settlement of the Trieste question must take into account the interests of Yugoslavia. Neither Italy nor Yugoslavia has shown any willingness to compromise their differences between themselves. Establishment of the free territorial gov- ernment now would close the doors to hopes of both Italy and Yugoslavia to win control of the territory eventually. It would remove British and American military forces from the Adriatic and weaken Yugoslavia's posi- tion in its current resistance to Russian pressures. There are many indications that Rus- sia is preparing to increase these pres- sures. There is the report, for instance, that Russia is building a submarine base on the Albanian island at the mouth of the Adriatic, from which it could dom- inate the whole Yugoslavian coast. Russia is bidding for a diplomatic show- down in a sensitive area where the western powers have chosen to be patient. It is at- tempting to create a crisis from which it alone could gain. The western powers have no alternative but to refuse the bait, even though that means keeping Trieste in a state of uncertainty for some time to come. -St. Louis Star-Times Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. NIGHT EDITOR: NANCY BYLAN ately for millions of us consumers, sub- sequently was vetoed by President Tru- man. These know their way among key figures in Corigress in both Democratic and Re- publican parties. They play for high stakes. It is all perfectly legal, surely, just as, on the other hand, are the activities of agents and lobbyists for labor and social welfare organizations. But it is good every so often to remind ourselves of their function and their influence. Johnny Maragon offers an opportunity to do that by contrast. * * * IT WAS NOT just party loyalty, for in- stance, that brought together a group of big oil men at the $100-a-plate Jefferson- Jackson Day banquet in a huge auditorium a few weeks back. Those fellows are what we call "realistic." Oil men had their eyes on the Kerr bill, as they have it on the bill to remove juris- diction over oil-bearing tidelands from the Federal government to. the states, which always have been found more amen- able about regulation, and on the bill to increase depletion allowances for tax pur- poses in oil-drilling operations. These interests and others are represent- ed here, in and out of season, by skillful lawyers, some of them formerly with official positions in the Truman, Roosevelt and pre- vious administrations, as well as by lobbyists who look after their business as individual members of organized groups - steel, utili- ties, real estate, and the like. They know how to get circuitous legal language in leg- islation and administrative orders to pro- tect their clients and groups, as has been revealed time after time. It has always been so. They operate at the center of things, not around the edges, as do smaller fry of the Maragon variety. They have of late become more powerfi and more vocal, exploiting the confusion caused by the Communist exposes, so that they have been able to stop virtually all social welfare measures, which of them- selves have become, for their purposes, "Communistic" or "socialistic" endeavors. Let's not forget the bigger picture in as- sessing the operations of Johnny Maragon. (Copyright, 1950, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.) DREW PEARSON Washington Merry-Go-Round Senator Tom Connally, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, snorted like a Texas longhorn when he heard Presi- dent Truman had made peace with GOP Senator Bridges of New Hampshire. Off-the- record, Connally called the President's ac- tion a "blunder" and an "affront." .. , "Cotton Elmer" Thomas, the speculating senator is now sending out a weekly farm letter to attract farm votes. The catch is, it's being ghost written by a Senate Agri- culture Committee clerk-Rollis Nelson- whose salary is paid by the taxpayers .... Senator Neely of West Virginia is anxious to name a certain high-up official govern- ing the Nation's Capital whom he thinks is in league with the underworld .... Senator McCarran's new immigration bill is full of camouflaged clauses aimed at un- doing the displaced persons bill ... . Chiang Kai-Shek is chartering a special airplane next month to fly American news- men to Formosa. All expenses are paid by the nationalists, who consider it a good in- vestment in publicity. The idea was cooked up by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek and Ma- dame H. H. Kung, real powers behind the throne and among the wealthiest people re- siding in the U.S.A.... . Two Franco agents are trying to swing a loan of between $700,000 and $1,000,000 from the Export-Import Bank to build a nitrogen plant in Spain. They claim the nitrogen is to be used for fertilizer, though nitrogen can also be used in explosives. (Copyright, 1950, by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.) Lost and Found JUST got back from the University's Lost and Found Department where a most startling thing happened. We found a pair of badly needed rubbers we lost during an Economics exam a week ago, and a pen, yes a pen, we lost about a month ago in the history department. There's lots more where those items came from too. If you've lost something in the last year or so, let us suggest you drop over to the main desk on the Administration Building's second floor. Having proved "be- yond a reasonable doubt" that an item is yours, the charming lady at the desk is happy to liberate it. -Rich Thomas "That's A Kind Of Bi-Partisan Combination Too" \ - r M , KDAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN /ete 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. Go To Russia <-lems that can and should be takent . . To the Editor IT'S happened again! For a mo- ment I thought my twenty inch slide rule, Cornu's spiral, and Mo- liere chart had gone haywire. But no! at precisely the time designa- ted by these respectable scientific tools, the prophecy was fulfilled by no less a personage than John C. Tobin. Frantically I scanned the Sun- day Daily searching for this veri- fication, that the eternal sine curve has again actually intersect- ed the x-axis at 360n. Sure enough, someone had uttered, RADICAL, GO TO RUSSIA. My faith in the scientific method is restored. I can now confidently return to my ivory tower to compute once more when the cyclic sine wil form the proper intersection. Then, as today, all I need do is consult the Daily and someone will have said, RADICAL, GO TO RUSSIA. This periodic uncanny pheno- menon cannot be appreciated by the laymen who do not cease to be awed at these seemingly conclu- sive intellectual rebuttals for a lib- eral education., but to the scien- tists it is a matter of course. These men have met similar situations in theiratomic study. Again they were able to determine exactly when a uranium electron would explode, and, indeed, the very na- ture of the explosion, but (this is the unfortunate limitation) they cannot specify which electron will comply with the requirement. The helpless electrons, thinking them- selves unique and entirely free- willed, roam about in a helter- skelter fashion, apparently satis- fying every whim and fancy. How- ever, one of them must decide (perhaps, through collective arbi- tration) to explode at the Nth sec- ond. The Daily's electron has explod- ed in the typical fashion-entirely irational. No explanation for the outburst is offered by the elec- tron-there can't be-and no rea- son can be found other than the fact that it occurs and must con- tinue to do so. The next John C. Tobin, imagining himself as a cle- ver defender of intellectual steril- ity, not just a multiple of 360, not just a helpless electron, will cry out: RADICAL, GO TO RUS- SIA. -Jerry Zinnes P.S. The last time this occurred a donation was offered to the radi- cal. All contributions raised for my deportation will be humbly accepted and used to aid my sum- mer study abroad. * * * West Quad Protest . . To the Editor: I wish to commend The Michigan Daily for publishing the article on Wednesday, April 5, about the intense dissatisfaction of the stu- dents for the living conditions in the West Quadrangle. However, I believe that the crowded condition was overstressed. It is not the cause for the most undesirable conditions. The University is try- ing to remedy the crowded con- ditions by building the South Quadrangle. There are many prob- care of as soon as possible. The lighting is inefficient. Many of the floor lamps are in very bad condition, and all of them have a glare which is very bad for the eyes. Intense studying is bad enough on the eyes without hav- ing bad lighting. The blankets are too small for the beds. They are also very dirty. They cannot be properly tucked into the regular sized beds. They fit the smaller Navy bunk beds a little better except one out of every two of them cannot be tucked in at the foot of the bed! If new blankets that will fit the beds cannot be acquired than certainly the existing ones should be clean- ed. They are filthy! The easy chairs have not been properly taken care of ever since they were put in the rooms. They, too, are disgustingly dirty. The West Quadrangle will not have the cushions vacuum cleaned because it would bring more dirt to the surface. One of the cleaning women said that they should be put out in the court in the rain for several weeks so the dirt could be washed out of them. Many of the men will not sit in them while wearing clothes they wish to keep clean, I being one of them. They definitely need a thorough clean- ing. Something should be done about the radiator valves also. The tem- perature of the rooms cannot be adjusted to suit the unfortunate residents. The University does not furnish any bookcases for the rooms. Many of the men have resorted to using unsightly crates for book- cases. These things are not at all caused by the overcrowded condi- tions in the West Quadrangle. They are the most undesirable conditions in the Quad and should be taken care of as soon as pos- sible. It seems to me that the' money the Quad makes should be spent on maintaining good liv- ing conditions in the West Quad before it should be used to build a new dorm. How about it, Mr. Shiel? -Ronald B. Foulds, '53E * * * Communism . . To the Editor: HAS Mr. Marx now abandoned his idea that the Communist group is a party in order to give us another illusory view of it?' The Communist group now be- comes, in twisted logic, the con- science of the nation. The latest editorial goes on to illustrate in some detail how many social in- justices we might have missed had it not been for the Communist vi- gilance. What the editorial ne- glects to say is that the same awareness should be brought about by an awakened conscience in our- selves, by a true sense of social justice in the Christian spirit, by a positive faith-certainly more positive than "freedom in its broadest sense." We must all agree that the Com- munist group is physically and spi- ritually impotent in the United States. We can even agree with Mr. Marx that the Communist "menace" has been greatly over- (Continued from Page 2) P r e 1u,d e to "Khovantchina" Moussorgsky;rConcerto No. 3 for Piano & Orchestra, Rachmanin- off; Symphony No. 5, Tschaikow- sky. Sunday, May 7, 2:30 - Nathan Milstein, violinist; U n i v e r s i t y Choral Union; Thor Johnson, con- ductor. Song of Destiny, Brahms; "The Cycle", Peter Mennin; Concerto in D major, violin and orchestra, Brahms. Sunday, May 7, 8:30 - Marian Anderson, contralto; Eugene Or- mandy, conductor. "Classical" Symphony, Prokof- eff; Kindertotenlieder, Mahler; Two Hispanic Pieces, McDonald; Jeanne d'Arc au Bucher, Liszt; "Pines of Rome", Respighi. Concerts will begin on time, and the doors will be closed during numbers. Official program books, with annotations by Professor Glenn D. McGeoch, historical informa- tion, etc., will be on sale in the main lobby of Hill Auditorium preceding each concert. Events Today Theology Forum: Lane Hall, 9 am. WSSF Executive Committee: Lane Hall, 7:30 p.m. Social Ethics Forum. Lane Hall, '7:15 p.m. B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation United Jewish Appeal Solicitors' Tea at the Foundation, 4 p.m. So- licitors requested to bring in all pledge cards completed and all money collected thus far. University Marketing Club: Mr. Chester Ogden, Purchasing De- partment, Detroit Edison Com- pany, willspeak on the topic "Pur- chasing as a Function pf the Mar- keting Process." 130 School , of Business Administration, 7:30 p.- m. Refreshments. All interested students invited. Gilbert and Sullivan Society: Full rehearsal of chorus and prin- cipals, 6:30 p.m., League. Please note time change. 'Michigan Crib: Meeting, 8 p.m., Rm. A., League. Election of off i- cers and ratification of proposed rated. The real menace exists with- in ourselves. The danger is ex- actly the kind of thinking charac- terized by The Daily's editorial on the Communist "Menace." This type of thinking does not look to itself, or to legitimate authority for guide to conscience or to so- cial living. It looks rather to an irresponsible group which bases its arguments on a materialistic dialectic. The Daily accepts its criticisms of the social system with a credulity that it gives to no other minority group. Certainly there are American injustices, but that in'no wap jus- tifies the position of the Commu- nist who denies the very basis of justice in the natural and the Divine Law. Does The Daily rea- lize the absurdity of its position in making the Communist group the 'national conscience? Con- science itself is held as "medi- aeval" by the Marxist. The idea of natural law or of Divine Law, hence of real justice, is a bour- geoise concept in Marxian eyes. The issue, having apocalyptic sig- nificance, is between our strength in the Christian tradition and the zealous faith of the Communist in the material dialectic. The Daily continues to obscure the issues. -E. J. McCullough * * * !Debate... I To the Editor: WHEN such VIPs as Winston Churchill and Joe Stalin, or even our own Harry Truman, de- cied that in order to promote peace and International Under- standing, they will organize them- selves into a three-way debating team, under the sponsorship of the United Nations Organization, they will be fully justified in plan- ning to appear in only the largest halls. Perhaps such spots as Mad-1 ison Square Garden, Soldiers Field and the Hollywood Bowl would prove too small to hold the au- diences which would gather to hear such a debate. Personally, I don't want to be around when this great debating team rolls into Ann Arbor, Michi- gan and finds that this great' University of Michigan can only offer a cafeteria with a seating capacity of 200 persons! -Edward R. Jobsonj Corning Events Special Meeting of Union Memr bers to take action on the propos- ed constitutional amendments, Tues., May 1B, 7:30 p.m. (instead of Wed., May 10, as previously .an- nounced.) B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation Sabbath evening services, 7:15 p.i m. Please note change in time be- cause of May Festival. Visitors' Night, Department of Astronomy, Fri., May 5, 7:45 p.m,, Angell Hall. A' short illustrated talk will be given by Miss Jean McDonald in 3017 Angell Hall : Following the talk the student ob- servatory, fifth floor, Angell Hall; 'will be open for observation of Sa- turn and Mars with the telescopes provided the sky is clear. ChildreA must be accompanied by adults. German Coffee Hour: Fri., May 5, 3:15-4:30 p.m., League Coffee Bar. All students and faculty members invited. I.Z.F.A.: Executive council, 4:15 p.m., Fri., May 5; Union. Undergraduate Psychological So- ciety: Field Trip No. 2, to the Kaiser-Frazer Plant will leave b# bus at 1 p.m., Fri., May 5, from Hill Auditorium. The trip includes a tour of the plant and a lecture on personnel problems and man- agement by the plant's industrial psychologist. A few remaining tickets may be purchased at the bus. The bus will be back on cams pus by 5 p.m. All interested are invited. University Museums: "The Lar. ger Mammals of Michigan" wig be featured in the University Mu- seums exhibits Friday evening, May 5, 7 to 9 p.m. A list of Michl gan Mammals will be distributed; portraits of them by R. P. Gros- senheider are on display in th* rotunda of the Museums building. Three short reels of moving Pic: tures: "Common animals of thb woods," "The deer and its rela- tives," and "The horse and itg relatives," 7:30 p.m., Kellogg Au- ditorium. '1 Y constitution. Dr. William Leslie will speak on the topic, "The Inte- grated Program-Old and New." All members urged to attend. . International Center Weedy Te : 4:30-6 'p.m. U. of M. Sailing Club: Busines meeting and shore school, 7:30 p.m., 311 W. Engine. Polonia Club, 7:30 p.m., Inter- national Center. Discussion 01 plans for picnic. Members request- ed to attend. U. of M. Sociological Society: Thursday afternoon coffee hour 307 Haven Hall, 3 to 5 p.m. U. of M. Hostel Club: Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Lane Hall. p. 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 LeonJaroff.........Managing Editor Al Blumrosen.......City Editor Philip Dawson .... Editorial Director Don McNeil ........... Feature Editor Mary Stein ... .... Associate Edit Jo Misner . ... Associate Editor George Walker....... Associate Editor wally Barth.......Photography Editor. Pres Holmes ........ Sports Co-Editdt Merle Levin ........ Sports Co-Editor Roger Goelz .Associate Sports Editor Lee Kaltenbach ...... Women's Editor Barbara Smith..Associate Women's Ed. Business Staff Roger Wellington .. Business Manager -Dee Nelson Associate Business Manager Jim Dang.......Advertising Manager Bernie Aidinoff ......Finance Manager Bob Daniels .... 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 or otherwise credited to this newspaper. All rights of republication of all othi matters herein are also reserved Entered at the Post Office at Ann Arbor,Michigan, as second-class mail matter. Subscription during regular school year by carrier, $5.00, by mail, $6.00. BARNABY t. Here's more ice for your head, John- 8arnaby. Go out and play! Barnaby! There IS no Mr. O'Malley! Baby this is serjous! At least I can't recal talking with any census - - - -1 n Unless . . That's it! Of course! Your dear mother fwas a little worried there for a moment, m'boy-Either Mom said NO, Mr. O'Malley. 4,