THE MiCHIGAN DAILY
ALL OF THE name calling and
reputation breaking'"that is going on in
Congress, charges have been made that our
national representatives are abusing their
constitutional guarantee of immunity
against legal attack for what they say on
the floor of their respective houses.
Some of the opponents to immunity
have come out in favor of doing away
with it altogether. As these critics see it,
members of Congress are using their im-
munity as a cloak for their own. personal
gain. The critics feel that the courts
should decide if the Congressman has
committed slander or libel in his work.
Legislative immunity is an old practice.
It dates back to the House of Commons
under King James I. It was placed in our
Constitution in Article I, Section 6, which
says: "They (Senators and Representatives)
shall in all cases except Treason, Felony, and
Breach of the Peace, be privileged from
arrest. for any Speech or Debate in either
House, they shall not be questioned in any
other place."
The whole idea behind granting this im-
munity was to protect the legislator from
an imposing executive, who might shut off
their freedom of expression. Thomas Jeffer-
son explained that the immunity was grant-
ed to support the rights of the people by,
enabling representatives to execute the func-
tions of their office without fear of prosecu-
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR:. JAMES GREGORY
A Immunity
tion. He noted that if they were taken from
the floor of Congress in an investigation of
slander, their constituents would be un-
represented at that time.
The people who oppose any end to this
immunity, who include the editors of the
Congressional Digest and some members of
the political science department here, say
that abuses are only a fraction of the bene-
fits of immunity. They say that Congress
cannot function properly without immunity.
In the heat of debate, they will tell you,
things are likely to be said that may not be
strictly true, but that this is not reason
for limiting debate.
This heated type of debate however is
exactly the thing that must be somewhat
limited. It would be well for Congressmen
to know that they will be punished with
more than a verbal slap on the hand by'
their collegues, when they speak without
thinking. More than this, such limits would
perhaps end intentional smear campaigns
started by members of Congress for per-
sonal or party gain.
And limits can be imposed on Congress-
men without doing away with immunity
totally. As has been suggested by less
harsh critics of immunity, Congress can
set up restraints within that body itself.
A joint committee could be established to
review charges against members of Con-
gress after they have had time to prove
their claims. This would in no way in-
volve the courts and direct judicial pro-
cess or the executive.
It is up to Congress to begin consideration
of such action. Without doing so they may
find that strict opponents to Congressional
immunity will take their own action.
-Vernon Emerson
THOMAS L. STOKES:
Capital Self-Government
WASHINGTON-Sometimes only a small
thing dramatizes a major injustice, such
as one that exists in your national capital
This injustice is that we can't vote and
run our own affairs in this big city. Con-
gress, which really has enough to do handl-
ing national and international matters, has
to do that job for us here. It operates through
an administrative body, three commission-
ers appointed by the President. They don't
have much discretion. Congress lays down
the rules and controls the pocketbook.
Similarly, another element, : a minority
one powerful in Congress, has kept Congress
from permitting local self-government in
its national capital, though periodic plebis-
New Books at the Library ...
Bottome, Phyllis, Under TheSkin. New
York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1950.
Bromfield, Louis, Out of the Earth. New
York, Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1950.
Guevremont, Germaine, The Outlander.
New York, Whittlesey House, 1950.
Weston, Christine, The World Is A Bridge.
New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1950.
Weyl, Nathaniel, Treason. Washington,
Public Affairs Press, 1950.
Wilder, Robert, Wait For Tomorrow. New
York, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1950.
cites through the years also have shown an
who want to vote and conduct their own
city government.
This obstructive minority is the Southern
Democrats who occupy important key posts
in Congress, including those on the District
of Columbia committees of House and Sen-
ate which handle our affairs initially. They
block action on bills for local self-govern-
ment because of the large Negro popula-
tion here, which they fear might give Ne-
groes a balance of power politically. They
thus deprive all citizens here of their civic
rights because of their own prejudices and,
presumably, because of a belief that their
approval might have a bad effect politically
on them back home.
There is much activity in Congress now
toward giving statehood to two of our ter-
ritories-Alaska and Hawaii. That is about
due. So, we think, is local self-government
for our Territory of Washington, D.C., which,
as a matter of fact, would seem to deserve
priority.
Local civic groups have been working
hard for years, and still are, but they find
themselves hard put to it. It would help
if people in the nation, itself, would exert
pressure upon their Congressmen who hold
the key so that their national capital could
be admitted to the union, too, as a part
of its democracy.
(Copyright, 1950, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)
(Pt e
WITH BIG NAME candidates, factional
voting and all out campaigns, Student
Legislature elections are proof of the prac-
tical training which future citizens gain by
participation.
Unfortunately, this type of campaign,
while preparng the student leaders for
the practical side of politics, works to the
detriment of student government.
People with little ambition and ability and
would-be politicias who attempt to organize
the voters into blind unthinking blocs have
made some campaigns and their resulting
legislatures a questionable value factor.
Particularly distressing to the sincere stu-
dent leader is the "deadwood" on SL which
has run for election with the attitude that
this is "another student activity" for BMOCs
and not a responsible assembly of legis-
lators. They spend their terms in office lit-
erally glued to their legislative seats-show-
ing up at meetings but doing little and con-
tributing nothing in the way of advice on
policy other than their vote.
These people have been elected in many
cases by the second malodorous factor-the
sophmoric imitation of the smoke filled pol-
iticians who tried to arrange to bloc voting.
The SL has tried to correct this situa-
tion through its Citizenship Committee.
Candidates are required to take part in
a training program before the elections
and attend several meetings of the legis-
lature. The Committee also arranged open
houses on all parts of the campus, at which
the candidates can state their views.
A logical next step would be to require
candidates to serve a full semester either on
an SL committee or in an administrative ca-
pacity with the secretariat before being
qualified for the ballot. Such criteria
for nominees and attendance before elec-
tions were recommended at the Student
Government Conference here last spring in
which most of Michigan's NSA colleges took
part.
Student leadership training programs have
also been advocated by NSA officials both
here and at other colleges. In the form of
two or three day retreats or on-campus pa-
nel discussions, an attempt is made to get
student leaders of all campus activities to
take part. They exchange information on
techniques and are impressed with the moral
responsibility of their positions.
Such conferences have been tried at
Michigan several times in the past years.
It is an indication of the number of inert
people in campus activities that attendance
at them has been poor.
The bloc voting is a more difficult prob-
lem for SL to deal with. A great deal of de-
pendence must be put on the intelligence of
the voters.
FortunatelX...due to bad publicity most of
the bloc voting machines have broken down.
The Association of Independent Men persist-
ed in publishing an election time pamphlet
designed to drive a wedge between "inde-
pendents" and "affiliates" but the election
results indicated their failure.
IFC has recently dropped the bloc voting
policy in favor of urging through its IFC
newsletter that the voters choose legislators
who represent their views and not just some
one who comes from the same house.
The student opinion on this method of
voting seems to have been expressed in
the last election. With a record vote which
seemingly would bring a defeat for affi-
liates if the voters were deciding along
factional lines, 17 affiliated candidates
were elected and 9 independents. And SL
publicity had indicated the affiliation of
every candidate.
It was with considerable satisfaction that
we watched one politico woefully check off
the defeated candidates from the AIM list
-satisfaction not because these people would
have been bad legislators but because an ill-
conceived political idea had broken down-
-Don McNeil
DREW PEARSON
Merry-Go-Round
CAPITAL NEWS CAPSULES
KANSAS CITY CLEANUP-Most interest-
ing fact developed at the Kansas City crime
probe is that big racketeers are carefully
obeying federal laws. They aren't afraid of
state and city laws where local officials are
easier to bribe. But they are afraid of fed-
eral laws . . . That's why the underworld is
leaning over backward not to get caught in
conspiracy. In Kansas City, at least, they
operate in small groups, rather than in
syndicates that cross state lines.
, ,
BYRD'S LOBBY -- Senators can thank
their colleague, Harry Byrd of Virginia, for
increasing their office work. Byrd secretly
inspired a flood of telegrams to Congress
on deficit spending. He even dictated what
several groups should say in their wires to
Congress. The Farm Equipment Association
promptly appealed to its dealers to carry out
Byrd's bidding, but warned: "Please do not
mention Senator Byrd's name in your tele-
gram to Congressmen, and change the word-
ing around so that all wires will not read
the same."
* * *
+ MUSIC +4
"How You Coming With Your Work, Pally?"
a SS
a.
Xtt/'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 340words 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.
Coed...
To the Editor:
MICHIGAN men complain about
the ratio problem and the
difficulty of obtaining dates; how-
ever, if they would exert them-
selves and swallow their pride,
they would realize that it is not a
problem of numbers, but of their
own fat heads.
Every weekend girls with per-
sonality, looks, and money sit
home and study because indivi-
duals have written bitter articles
about the lack of decent women
on campus. Consequently,aother
men don't even ask for dates to
avoid the risk of being refused.
This false pride ends in a jea-
lousy of all campus femininity
which these pompous men try to
hide by acting big. When they Co
lower themselves enough to go
out with a girl, they bore her with
tales of how many women they've
seduced and the fabulous places
they've been.
Having been big wheels in high
school and realizing that they're
nowjust one in a multitude, they
feel they must take it out on the
women. In class they belittle women
who get higher marks than they
do and question the fact than any-
one would date a brain; in The
aily they write articles about
women pushing them off the side-
walks, how washed out Michigan
coeds look, and how slovenly they
dress. Haven't they heard of Emily
Post? Haven't they ever noticed
their pasty-faced roommates?
Haven't they noticed the attire
which they themselves deem man-
ly?
Michigan women are sick of
putting on their own coats, open-
ing doors, and walking on the out-
side. If the men must show their
independence, they could do it
constructively in working on SL or
improving their marks, instead of
sitting around their houses talk-
ing about the motley group of
women they have to contend with
on campus.
-Sally Johnson,
Janet Moore,
Carole Phillips
Debate.. .
To the Editor:
NOT without amusement and
with a certain pale satisfaction
I recognize myself in Mr. Tobin's
classification as a prospective st-
dent at the University of Moscow.
I proclaim this publicly not to
reveal deep-seated sympathies for
that institution of higher learn-
ing, a conclusion at which I am
certain many of my dear fellow-
students will be only too ready to
jump, but to point at a flaw, if
it be such, in the arguments
voiced recently by three gentle-
men. I wonder if we have yet
reached the point where we can
equate the University of Michigan,
as an agency for the indoctrina-
tion of Capitalist dogma and the
religion of American imperialism,
with the glimpses the press pro-
vides for us of the Soviet indoc-
trination center? It is very likely
that there is no fundamental dif-
ference between the two institu-
tions, if we take intoaccount dif-
,ferences in tradition. Were I a
Russian I should probably not be-
moan the lack of our brand of
free speech, but it seems that I
have identified myself with an
American tradition that has es-
caped the aforementioned writers.
I am averse to Fuehrers and dis-
like the new tradition here being
created. The whole country is
reeking with dense heads who
can't understand the difference
between the American Legion ver-
sion of Americanism and intelli-
gent popular government. Maybe
the one is actual and the other
ideal, but then at least don't be
muddle-headed or hypocritical:
come out for fascism (whose es-
sential doctrines are authority,
anti-socialism, militaristic nation-
alism, economic control by pri-
vately owned monopolies under
state supervision, control of pub-
lic opinion through press, radio,
etc., and through educational in-
stitutions, defense of prevailing
views and conditions by a power-
ful secret police). Weloeme a little
bit of it and you might have to
take it all.
--Jack A. Lucas
Fire Drill . ..
To the Editor:
A SHORT TIME AGO the West
Quad had a fire drill which,
unfortunately, was called during
a rain. Many disconsolate stu-
dents grumbled about the rain
and asked themselves these ques-
tions: "What would happen if
there was a fire after the gates
were locked, and, why ARE the
gates locked?" Wondering what
would happen if a fire did oc-
cur, I decided to find out what
precautions the Quad had taken.
In answer to the second ques-
tion, the gates were locked mainly
because of thievery. Not only
were rooms entered while the oc-
cupants slept, but many bicycles
were taken. Locking the gates has
reducedmuch of this.
Now, to answer the first ques-
tion: The houses in the Quad are
fireproof, but a catastrophe could
occur. The fact that there WAS
a fire drill proves the possibility of
this. In case of fire, the night
watchman has instructions to
open the north gate immediately,
and four people in Allen-Rumsey
House have keys to open the south
gate. Also, the maintenance men
and dieticians have keys for the
gates. All of the students, except
those in Michigan House could
get to the outside through first
floor windows.
Consequently, it probably is best
to keep the gates locked because
there is little danger of fire, and
loss through theft will be kept at
a minimum.
William La Nouette.
* * *
Debate-Pro .. .
To the Editor:
AM CONTINUALLY amazed by
the large number of people who
can justify the banning of the
Phillips-Slosson Debate by main-
taining that such a debate would
not be allowed in Russia.
By a similar reasoning process
we should be allowed no free elec-
tions because they are not allowed
in Russia. It is too bad to have to
remind "thinking" students on a
university campus that the great
difference between the United
States aid the USSR is that here
there is not only a bill of rights,
but a great tradition of personal
freedom, open discussion and hu-
man dignity. It is what America
stands for, and not the seven let-
ters which make up her name,
which is great, lasting, and worth
defending.
I was fully convinced, even be-
fore attending the "great debate"
that Prof. Slosson would be more
than capable of answering any
(charges levelled against our in-
I stitutions. In the present grim
days there is no place for fear
that the very institutions which
make us strong will destroy us.
Such fear can only lead to the
destruction of those very institu-
tions; and destruction of those in-
stitutions means destruction of
America.
In my opinion, those people who
actually believe that American de-
mocracy can't stand up in open
debate against Russian commu-
nism, had better attend the next
debate and find out. As for those
who believe that such debates be
banned, as they are in Russia, I
recommend a good reading course
in Voltaire, Jefferson and Locke.
Gellert A. Seel.
Budenz .. .
To the Editor:
NOW that we've heard all about
Americanism from Budehz
and his like, perhaps we should
carry this form of inquiry a little
further. Let's have some ex-bank
robbers and embezzlers sit on the
Federal Reserve Board, and a few
jailbreakers assist the Supreme
Court.
These former left-handed Amer-
icans ought to be content to live
humble and unassuming lives, and
be thankful they didn't end up in
somebody's salt mines.
-Joseph T. Paull
* * *
Debate-P ro ...
To the Editor:
ONLY those who are real fana-
tics, after being at the Phillips-
Slossen debate, could object to it
or to future ones. The relative
merits of capitalism were com-
pared to those of communism, and
free speech certainly succeeded in
pointing out to most of us which
system is preferabledto the other.
In my° case, it made my dislike
for communism even greater than
before. Moreover, it was really a
good feeling to sit in the audience
and listen to a "verboten" subject
being openly discussed-to have
communism stand on its own two
feet without the aid of martyr-
dom or "capitalist suppression."
I wish to congratulate Prof.
Slosson. He performed a real ser-
vice to the University by taking
advantage of the opportunity to
oppose communism by free speech.
Moreover, he helped to salvage our
little academic freedom remaining
at the U. of M.
I certainly hope that this debate
will be ground enough to show the
lecture committee how foolish they
were, and that subsequently they
will change their policies towards
future debates.
-Leonard Sandweiss
Democracy ...
To the Editor:
ACCORDING to H. B. Maloney,
21-year-old students should
"submit themselves to University
authority regardless of the issue,"
the issue in this case being the
banning of the Phillips debate on
Communism. Yet if our colleges
turn out a generation of. students
trained to submit to authority on
all issues it would make little dif-
ference .when or whether the
Communists took over. Democracy
would fall of itself. Mr. Maloney
must have had to dredge pretty
deep in history for this idea. He
didn't find it in the American tra-
dition he ostensibly defends. The
Russians might understand it,
though.
-Clara Park
* * *
To the Editor:
IT WAS A shame to see thou-
sands of students on State
Street {who like to hear the debate
between Prof. Phillips and Prof.
Slosspn, but couldn't get in be-
cause there was no space; while
the great halls like Hill Audito-
rium and other halls in town were
unavailable. It was a pity, there-
fore, to pay taxes and support
state institutions available only
to the Republicans Stassen, Van-
denberg, and Dewey.
The debate was in its progress
when I got in to hear the argu-
ments of both sides. It was no
debate between two philosophies,
Capitalism and Communism. It
was a debate or discussion of the
U.S.A. and U.S.SR.
For instance Prof. Slosson's ar-
guments were often ,the follow-
ing: Why were the Communists
against war until June 21, 141,
when German Nazis attacked the
U.S.S.R.? Which argument has
been used over and over and does
not have apything to do with
Communism. That move was a
political one between the great
powers on whose territory would
the war be fought and all coun-
tries played politics.
Mr. Slosson condemns Russia
for signing a treaty' with Ger-
many: the Molotov and Ribben-
trop treaty. But Mr. Slosson did-
n't condemn the U.S.A. who sent
scrap iron to Japan, and oil for
Japanese air fleet to bomb Shang-
hai. He didn't condemn the U.S.A.
under our great, great Engineer
former President Hoover who said,
"prosperity is around the corner"
in the early thirties, and "a chi-
cken in every pot," and "a car in
every garage;" declared a morato-
rium to all German debt to the
U.S.A. to enable Germany under
Hitler to build her war machine
and to start World War II.
Mr. Slosson didn't mention the
appeals of the Chinese people to
the U.S.A., before the second
World War when Japan bombed
Chinese cities, to stop sending
scrap iron and oil to Japan, and
the U.S. Congress said-"We are
a neutral country; we sell to any
country; business is business .
Russia saw she was on the spot;
the wild bull, Hitler, was readyto
strike. She decided to play the
same policy-business is business
too-just like the other countries
-and signed the treaty only to
delay the war a few months.
These same gentlemen in Wash-
ington who said businessis busi-
ness, when they learned about the
treaty between Russia and Ger-
many, began to howl and yell--
betrayal-Russia must fight Ger-
many. Russia remembered all
these maneuvers of the West--
and the second front which took
two years to materialize.
-George P. Moskoff
* * *
Debate - Pro
To the Editor
I WAS one of the 2000 disappoint-
ed students that were turned
away and were unable to hea the
Phillips-Slosson debate on "Com-
munism vs. Capitalism."
This letter is written to urge
the Forum Committee or some
other campus organization to re-
invite Phillips (or some other
Communis) to speak on the cam-
pus in a place where those of us
who were unable to hear him
could do so.
It is unthinkable that the lec-
ture committee, the administra-
tion of the University, the Re-
gents, et al., will repeat an ar-
bitrary decision to prevent us, the
student body from hearing whom
ever we wish. The interests of the
students and of Democracy de-
mand that such a policy of thought
control be abandoned by the Uni-
versity.
-Bob Evans
}-
r
'k,
4
4
SATURDAY AFTERNOON'S concert of-
fered the most diverse program of the
entire May Festival, with music ranging
from naive childrens' songs to a symphony.
Far from being a hodge-podge, the concert
was unified through fine instrumental work
by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted
by Alexander Hilsberg.
After two exciting and dramatic concerts
thus far, Percy Fletcher's "The Walrus and
the Carpenter" with its nonsense verse and
comparatively light music provided a def in-
ite contrast. The less sophisticated found
the freshness of the Youth Chorus' voices
charming.
Jan Peerce released a flood of Italian
opera in Hill Auditorium. The pure melody
and dramatic intensity of the music plus
Mr. Peerce's excellent voice completely cap-
tivated the audience. Mr. Peerce was not as
forceful in the Handel arias as the Italian,
but he used the Handel to display a re-
markbbly fluent technique in the florid
passages.
Alexander Hilsberg did a very reputable
job of conducting Berlioz' Overture to "Ben-
venuto Cellini" and Schubert's Second Sym-
phony, although he did have some trouble
getting a good ensemble in the accompani-
ments for Mr. -nPeerce.
The violins showed an exceptionally rich
tone, even in the fastest passages, where
the basses and cellos played too harshly.
Contrary to some expectations, Saturday
afternoon's concert was not a low spot in
May Festival. Most of the credit should
go to Jan Peerce for transforming what
nromised to be a pleasant concert into a
k
IT IS AS UNUSUAL as it is pleasant to
hear a concert of extremely familiar mu-
sic played as if it were entirely new and
fresh to the performers. Such was emphati-
cally the case in Saturday night's Festival
concert.-
After a rather hurried, though tastefully
shaded performance of the Prelude to
"Khovantschina" by Moussorgsky, came the
playing of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto
in D Minor, with William Kapell as soloist.
Virtuoso music undoubtedly has its attri-
butes, which are doubled when the composi-
tion in question also happens to be good
music. This, the D Minor Concerto is. As to
the performance, it was, stated succinctly,
unbeatable. The quiet, introspective first'
movement was played with uncommon re-
straint, the second with a keen appreciation
of its brpoding melancholy, and the last with
reckless, yet self-controlled abandon. No
small share of the credit must go to Mr.
Ormandy, who was there with the orchestra'
just precisely when needed.
The last item on the program was the
well-known (too'well-known for music lit
students) Tschaikovsky E Minor Symphony.
Anyone familiar with Ormandy's recording
of this work was probably as astonished as I
at Ormandy's tremendous growth as con-
ductor in this piece. The earlier per-
formance was quite correct, but rather pro-
saic; no such complaint could be leveled at
last night's performance. It was straight-
forward. unaffected, and shot thrnuh and
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
Leon Jaroffr........Managing Editor
Al Blumrosen.............City Editor
Philip Dawsor' .... Editorial Director
Don McNeil........... Feature Editor
Mary Stein .. ... Associate Editor
Jo Misner ........ Associate Editor
George Walker..... Associate Editor
Wally Barth...... Photography Editor
Pros Haolmes.....Sports Co-Editor
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 Dangl....... Advertising Manager
Bernie Aidinoff ...... Finance Manager
Bob Daniels .... Circulation Manager
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, Michigan, as second-class molU
matter.
Subscription during regular school
year by carrier, $5.00, by mail, $6.00.
,4
A
4'
BARNABY
I wasn't counted in the census, Gus
wasn't counted in the census-Why,
Yes. And all the Elves and Gnomes
and the Wood Nymphs-It would be
But there are certainly as many of us folk
as there are people in this community And
.r