TIlII MICHIGAN DAILY
MMaAY, WAY 19, 195W,
_____________________________________ ___________________________________
a
Birth of
IN DECIDING to sponsor a showing of
Birth of a Nation, the Student Legisla-
ture has taken a courageous stand on an
issue which is vitally important to a univ-
versitey community.
Coming as it did in the midst of mount-
ing campus controversy over the showing
of the film, SL's action forcefully demon-
strated its confidence in the ability of stu-
dents to see, -hear and properly evaluate all
viewpoints-those of the extreme right as
well as the extreme left.
Although very few students on campus
have seen the picture, which in part de-
picts the Negro during the Reconstruction
Period, it is a commonly accepted fact
that it is filled with racism and anti-
Negro bias in its most despicable and in-
sulting form.
For this reason, a group of students and
faculty members are violently opposed to
the showing of the film on campus. They
believe that Birth of a Nation would not
only slander the Negro people, but would
also stimulate "inherent racial antagon-
isms."
* * * *
B UT AS MUCH as The Daily senior staff
abhors racial prejudice, we believe thatl
the harm done by suppressing the film
would outweigh any possible injury to the
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR: PAmL BRENTLINGER
a Nation'
feelings of individual students if the film
were shown.
It has been repeatedly demonstrated that
the banning of films and speakers has re-
sulted in a greater public desire to see and
hear them. Such has been the case with
Birth of a Nation.
Because of the protests of the student-
faculty "committee" and the resulting de-
cision of the speech department to cancel
showing of the film, interest on campus has
risen to a high pitch.
If students are prevented from seeing
the film on campus, they will probably
make every effort to see it at home during
the summer when it is to be re-released
in theatres all over the country.
Certainly it is preferable to see the film
in an academic atmosphere where the fal-
lacies of the production can be adequately
exposed. and explained.
* * * *
IT IS OF INTEREST to note that the
strongest protests against the showing
of Birth of a Nation come from many of
those who, with The Daily, violently opposed
the banning of the Phillips debate-suppos-
edly not because they agreed with Phillips'
political philosophy, but because they in-
sisted on the student's right to investigate
his viewpoint.
But now these same "pseudo-liberals"
have decided that students should be denied
the right to examine the propagandistic,
historical and technical aspects of an ad-
mittedly significant film.
The inconsistency and insincerity of their
actions is obvious.
-The Senior Editors
DREW PEARSON:
"Wait A Minute, Fellas - Don't Go Yet"
Viet Nam Civil Strife
EDITOR'S NOTE -, This is the second in a
series of three editorials on the present-day situ-
ation in Southeastern Asia, and the policies of
Russia and the United States in that area.
THE hottest sector of the cold war battle
front in Southeastern Asia is Indo-China.
It is also the best place to see the failure of
the Western powers and the success of the
Communists in winning popular support in
this area.
Indo-China in name was, and in fact
'still is, a part of the French colonial sys-
tem. After the last war, the French agreed
to give the most important section of that
land, Viet Nam, its "freedom" in the
French Union. The people of Viet Nam
hoped this meant dominion status such
as Canada has. But in reality it meant
nothing more than having a puppet ruler,
Boa Dal, set up as emporer, and a con-
tinuation of a French colonial policy.
Boa's strongest and most successful op-
position comes from naotile Communists
ender the leadership of Moscow trained Ho
Chi Minh. Much of their success stems from
the strong desire of Ho's followers to be free
of French domiation rather than from any
appeal of the Communist doctrine. And the
obstinate policy of the French in hanging
on to an outdated colonial system has aided
the Communists more than hindered them.
The Communists have capitalized on the
new spirit of nationalism prevelent in Indo-
China. The people follow Ho and his aides
with the promise of eventual freedom.
Ho himself is partially responsible for
this new movement. He kindled the flame
of nationalism, which had never before
greatly existed, in 1942 when he formed a
guerilla group to drive the Japanese out of
the land.
Ho, who had gained the support of the
Chinese government, had such a foothold
in Viet Nam by the war's end that he was
a large factor in forcing the French to agree
to Viet Nam's freedom. But the long run re-
sult was the establishment of the farcical
Boa regime.
President Roosevelt long opposed continu-
ation of French rule in Indo-China and call-
ed for the UN to set the area up as a trustee-
ship after the war. But with his death the
United States assumed a policy of hesitancy.
We 'feared that if we aided the French to
fight Ho's Communists, who were receiving
full support from Russia, we would strength-
en France's hold over the territory. But we
did not demand that the French clear out
and take the unpopular Boa with them.'
So native Communists went on opposed
by a government that was unsupported by
the people.
Now the State Department has decided to
send financial and military aid to Indo-
China. We feel that we have gotten around
the French bloc by giving the aid equally
to France and the Indo-Chinese states. But
some of the experts are saying that we have
waited too long to wipe out the Communists
now.
It is apparent that aid to the disfavored
Boa will not further what little chance
we have of beating Russia out of Indo-
China unless he can capture the national-
ist spirit, which seems unlikely.
As it is, our policy and French stubborness
have no doubt lost the critical area of Indo-
China for the West. And if this policy is not
changed, the whole of Southeast Asia may
go alse.
(Next: The change needed in American
policy in Southeastern Asia.)
-Vernon Emerson
Washington
Merry-Go-Round
WASHINGTON-Civil rights is the rock
on which Abraham Lincoln founded the
Republican Party. Yet Senator Taft of Ohio,
who is Mr. Republican himself, has just
made a cold-blooded deal with southern
Democrats to help them defeat civil rights.
Taft has promised to hold back enough
Republican votes to prevent cloture - in
other words, prevent the Senate from
breaking the civil rights filibuster. In re-
turn, Taft got southern votes 'to support
him in blocking the proposed Truman-
Herbert Hoover reorganization of the Na-
tional Labor Relations Board.
Under present rules it requires 64 votes
to break the filibuster - which means that
every available northern Democrat and Re-
publican must be present and vote for clo-
ture. Therefore, if Taft can keep only four
or five Republicans from voting, southern
Senators will be able to talk civil rights to
death.
This is exactly the deal which the Senator
from Ohio made with Sen. Dick Russell .of
Georgia, the astute southern spokesman.
The agreement has been kept a top political
secret, and undoubtedly will be denied. How-
ever, other senators were in on it, and this
column has carefully confirmed the 'facts.
Taft not only estimated that he could keep
at least six GOP Senators from voting to
end the filibuster, but he actually named
them. They are: Senators Milliken of Color-
ado, Malone of Nevada, Bridges of New
Hampshire, Gurney of South Dakota, Young
of North Dakota and Hickenlooper of Iowa
-and two or three others might also be
persuaded, Taft said.
However, the six GOP Senators whom
Taft has said ne would de ive: to the
southern Democrats have already expressed
their views privately as against cloture. This
is probably something which Taft did not
tell Senator Russell.
For, in secret Republican councils, the
above-mentioned six had argued against
the rrinciple of srtting off senate debate.
in fact, Taft had little to do with wooing
them over to the other side.
Meanwhile, it is significant that Taft has
been noticeably uncooperative in rounding
up Republican votes against the filibuster,
thci:gh fellow republicans havs not sus-
peted the reason, Senator Wherry of Nc-
braska. on the other hand, has been *uue
s- ive
CIINEMA
At Architecture A.d...
CARMEN DE LA TRIANA, in Spanish
HE SEDUCTIVE gypsy girl Carmen, hav-
ing her genesis in Prosper Merimee's
short story, has appeared in practically every
other art medium, and always she was rec-
ognizable by her brazen flirting, heartless
in difference to cast-off lovers and complete
self-centeredness.
It has remained for the movies to show
that under her decollete gown lurks a lov-
ing heart, and in doing it they have di-
luted the peculiar charm that makes every
man desire Carmen and every woman want
to be like her. From the deadly feline she
has become a little kitten who can love
one man sincerely and be tolerably fond
of another.
Of course she still flirts, but generally to
attain some favor, not for the sheer joy of
flirting. If you can forget that this is sup-
posed to be Carmen, however, the film is
redeemed by skilfull acting and a generous
helping of enchanting Spanish folk music
and dancing.
-Fredrica Winters
T""- A
7ir
Xetter4 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
naingo ,,and IL~r - xe neui,.n .,,.. .oras-in iengrn A-V------r or
and in good taste. Letters exceeding
libelous letters, and letters which for
be condensed edited or withheld fron
editors.
"Birth of a Nation"
. 0
I-
Weekend
In Town
To the Editor:
THE banning of "Birth of a Na-
tion" raises an issue of free
speech not dissimilar to that in-
volved in the Slosson-Phillips af-
fair.
I joined those who protested
showing the film without proper
orientation to its racism and his-
torical bias, but objected to the
attempt to prohibit its exhibition
which followed when the Speech
Department accepted partially
the demand for an orientation
session. It might be noted that
the film now contains, in addi-
tion, a prologue and an epilogue
appealing for the brotherhood of
man.
Agreed that racism is an abso-
lute evil. But so is Communist to-
talitarianism. Yet when the Phil-
lips debate was banned students
protested this insult to their ma-
turity and judgment. The ban-
ning of this film is a similar in-
sult, especially when the movie's
vicious nature was to be discussed
at the time of showing.
!There is no "clear and present
danger" of incitement to riot or to
the denial of minorities' civil
rights attendant upon exhibiting
"Birth of a Nation" on this cam-
pus-as there would have been if
the locale were one with high
racial tensions. If democratic at-
titudes at Michigan are as weak
as the advocates of the ban have
tacitly and openly assumed, then
we are far worse off than I and
many others believe to be the
case. To assume "clear and pres-
ent danger" in this situation is to
extend that doctrine over a dan-
gerously wide area, amounting to
over-use of censorship.
The showing of this. film could
be an event of the greatest ed-
ucational value to those interest-
ed in the techniques of successful
propaganda and racial stereotyp-
ing, quite apart from its unques-
tioned technical excellence. To ar-
gue that a Mchigan audience, es-
pecially one armed with an oaien-
tation, would not benefit .rom
seeing "Birth of a Nation" i to
demonstrate the same lack of faith
in students manifested by the ban
on Phillips. If students are not
permitted to ingest a little moral
roughage along with the strictly
pure diet prescribed by our so-
ciety's best thought, our ability to
understand and deal with anti-
democratic philosophies will be
weakened.
Banning has never worked in the
long run. Every author expects
additional royalties when his book
is banned in Boston. Writers plac-
ed on Rome's Index nonetheless
thrive. The Church's ban of Vol-
taire increased his popularity
enormously.
"Birth of a Nation" is now be-
ing released nationally. Students
will be all the more anxious to see
it elsewhere now that it has been
declared verboten for them on
campus. The technique of the out-
right ban is self-defeating
Censorship-it is where there is
no clear and present danger, no
matter how sincere and el-in-
tentioned the censors, is a grave
threat to traditional fraedoms of
expression and self-decision. I
therefore urge that "Birth of a
Nation" be displayed on campus
DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN"
{." ( CAPIOL -
MOATR
h Y ~i
g 300 words in length, defamatory or
any reason are not in good taste will
n publication at the discretion of the
Sunder circumstances which will
be of benefit both to Lhe cause of
free speech and to students wish-
ing to prepaie themselves as able
defenders of democracy:
-Allan Silver
"Birth of a Nation" . .
To the Editor:
AM AWARE of the fact that
"Birth of A Nation" has been
accused, with considerable legi-
timacy, of portraying one of our
racial minorities in an unfavor-
able light. It was also related to
the revival ofrthe K.K.K. after
the first World War. But this
iniversity is an educational in-
stitution. I am one of Professor
Dumond's students in his course
"Roosevelt to Roosevelt," and
would enjoy seeing it from the
standpoint of its relation to that
period of history. The student-
faculty group objecting to its
showing has also been incapable
of distinguishing between its ar-
tistic and educational value and
its "questionable content." Might
this be because they ar2 over-
conscious of discrimination them-
selves? Would University students
be likely to criticize "All the King's
Men" as divorced from its realis-
tic, dramatic and artistic qualities,
because it depicted American poli-
tics in an unfavorable manner -
and referred to hicks?
As one of the students who
heard Herby Phillips in the in-
terest of both education and aca-
demic freedom, and who con-
structed a resolution criticizing
the lecture committee for their
stand on the matter, I would like
to suggest to the Ad Hoc commit-
tee that they show "Birth of a
Nation" in Miller's Restaurant.
-Lyle Thumme.
Reply to Greene .. .
To the Editor:
IN response to Mr. Saul I.
Greene's letter of May 16, 1950:
Mr. Green, have you ever heard
of Santa Claus? When one is
young his parents weave fine and
lovely tales about his gifts and
presents and love. When one grows
older, however, his parents give
him the real "low down" on this
fellow. It is clearly evident that
you have not yet been given the
"lowdown" on this "inevitable
day" of which you speak. That
day, Santa Claus in this analogy,
will never bring the fine and love-
ly gifts you predict. I dread to
think of the legacies he will
bring!
Concerning this "Great Depres-
sion," it was, indeed, a terrible
catastrophe. But I am glad to
say that we were able to have it.
In that country of the world
which you clearly revere, there
is not enough money to be able
to have one! Yes, we have thou-
sands of unemployed-and so does
your lover-state. But there is a
tremendous difference. Your un-
employed are locked in prisons
and salt mines-"for political di-
vergences " At least our unem-
ployed have a freedom to do as
they choose, not pace a wired cell
or swing a pick against a solid wall
of salt.
I am proud to say we have a
Taft-Hartley Law also. For that
shows our workers do have the
(Continued from Page 3)
Delta Tau Delta
Eta Kappa Nu
Greene House
Helen Newberry Residence
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lloyd House
Phi Sigma Delta
Phi Sigma Kappa
Pre-Medical Society
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Phi
Theta Chi
Trigon
Tyler House
Wenley House
Zeta Psi
Sunday, May 21
Fletcher Hall
Hayden House
B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation
Jordan Hall
Fulbright Grants for Teaching
and Advanced Research in Egypt,
India and Iran are available for
the next academic year. Appli-
cations must be filed with the
Conference Board of Associated
Research Councils, 2101 Constitu-
tion Avenue, Washington 25, D.C.
before June 15, 1950. Further in-
formation on these awards is
available at the office of the
Graduate School.
Counselor Interviews:
Representative of Camp Penda-
louan (boys), Holton, Michigan,
will be at Bureau of Appointments
Friday afternoon to interview can-
didates for, positions of Nature
Counselor and Canoe Trip counsel-
ors. For appointment call at 3528
Administration Building or call
extension 2614.
Interviews:
A representative of The Kawn-
eer Conipany of Niles, Michigan
will be at the Bureauof Appoint-
ments on Tues., May 23, and inter-
ested in interviewing June grad-
uates taking a degree in Indust-
rial-Mechanical Engineering. They
will also talk to any engineers in-
terested in Design, Product De-
velopment or sales.
right to strike-as our recent rail-
road strike proves. You, and I
speak collectively, do not have such
a law, it is true. Why? Because
your, again collectively, workers
cannot strike.
And now the Marshall Plan.
At any rate it is going through
the motions of helping the torn
countries of Europe. Is your, still
speaking collectively of course,
"Marshall Plan" the Iron Cur-
tain, arresting of key diplomats,
closingrof foreign embassies, and
the Berlin Blockade? I prefer to
hold to the U.S. Marshall Plan.
These "fruits of labor" you
speak of lastly-are you sure they
are not the fruit Adma and Eve
tasted in the Garden of Eden?
I fear they are.
I eagerly await your reply-
-Ted Heyliger
Reply to Slosson.. .
Ti the Editor:
N his letter to the Editors Pub-
lished May 12, 1850 Professor
Slosson contends that Russia is
not typical of a capitalist economy.
Likewise, I contended that Russia
is not representative of Commu-
nism, bie. Socialism. Hence, as
I stated previously, the issue of
Communism (Socialism) vs. Cap-
talism was not debated by Profes-
sors Slosson and Phillips.
Professor Slosson has, by letter
to me dated May 6, 1950, agreed
to debate a representative of the
Socialist Labor Party of America
on the question of Socialism vs.
Capitalism. If the "Daily" Editors
are desirous of preserving academ-
ic freedom at the University of
Mchigan, they will support ef-
forts now being made to have this
debate held on campus.
-Ralph W. Muncey
* * *
"Birth of a Nation" . .
To the Editor:
I'VE GOT ten bucks that say the
stalwart souls who leaped into
the breach to denounce the fla-
grant violation of all our dear civil
liberties in the Phillips debate ban
are the same self-less defenders
of the-public mores who are res-
ponsible for the 'suppression of
"Birth of a Nation."
But, of course, THIS IS SOME-
THING DIFFERENT!
It sure is. This incident shows
just how disgustingly petty our
campus pseudo-intellectuals can
be.
I, for one, am fed up with having
a loud-mouthed group of self-
styled liberals telling me what is
wrong with the world and what I
should or should not believe.
-Kenneth K. Bay
For further information and a
pointments call The Bureau of Ap-
pointments, Ext. 371.
The Dearborn Motor Company,
Dearborn, Michigan will be at the
Bureau of Appointments on Mon.;,
May 22, to interview accounting
majors.
Foradditional information and
appointments, call at the Bureau
of Appointments, 3528 Adminis-
tration Bldg.
Civil Service Examinations:
The United States Civil Service
Commission announces an exani-
nation for Chief, Test Develop-
ment Section, U.S. Civil Service
Commission. Closing date July 5.
The State of Michigan Civil Ser-
vice Commission announces the
following examinations: Bacteri-
ologist, Institution Chaplain, and
Game Farm Manager. Closing
date,; June 7.
For further information call at
the Bureau of Appointments, 3528
Administration Bldg.
Lectures
University Lecture. "The Mecha-
nism of Fat Absorption." Alastai9
C. Frazer, M.D., Ph.D., M.R.C.P.,
Professor of Pharmacology, Uni-
versity of Birmingham, England;
auspices of the Departments of
Bacteriology, Biological Chemistry,
and Pharmacology. 4:15 p.m., Fri.,
May 19, Kellogg Auditorium,
Academic Notices
Actuarial Examinations: Parts I,
II, and III, Fri., May 19, 140 Busi-
ness Administration Bldg.
History Language Examinations.
A list of people passing the lan-
guage examinations has been post-
ed in 119 Haven Hall.
Doctoral Examination for John
Johnson Craighead, Forestry and
Conservation; thesis: "The Ecolo-
gy of Raptor Predation in Spring
and Summer," Fri., May 19, 204
Natural Science Bldg., 2 p.m,
Chairman, S. A. Graham.
Doctoral Examination for Don-
old John Lewis, Mathematics;
thesis: "Cubic Homogeneous Poly-
nomials Over a Padic Number
Field," Sat., May 20, 3003 Angell
Hall, 9:30 a.m. Chairman, R. Brau-
er.
Doctoral Examination for Rich-
ard Allen Carroll, English Lang.
and Lit.; thesis: "Johnson's 'Lives
of the Poets' and Currents of Eng-
lish Criticism, 1750-1779," Sat.,
May 20, East Council Room, Rack-
ham Bldg., 2 p.m. Chairman, L. I.
Bredvold.
Concerts
Collegium Musicum, in collabor-
ation with the Department of
Speech and the Museum of Art,
will present a program at 8:30
p.m., May 21, Main Concourse, of
Alumni Memorial Hall. It has been
(Continued on Page 6)
i t ta
" k.
4
E VENTS OF INTEREST around campus
and town this weekend:
DANCE FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL OF DANCE, by the Inter-Arts
nion and Women's Physical Education De-
partment, 8:30 p.m. today at Pattengill Au-
ditorium.
DUDLEY-MASLOW-BALES Dance Trio
at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. A dance exhibit will
be at the Rackham Galleries all week.
DANCING
UN ON- DANCE, with Frank Tinker and
his oreastra, Saturday night, plus various
girl-bid dorm and sorority dances.
OPERA AND DRAMA
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE HISTORY of
Opera and Drama, presented by the Colleg-
ium Musicum, Department of Speech and
Museum of Art, at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at
Alumni Memorial Hall, Main Concourse.
SPORTS
FINAL SPRING FOOTBALL Scrimmage
open to anyone at the stadium at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday.
DRAMA
THE TEMPEST, Shakespeare's play about
the wind and monsters, with Arnold Moss
and Vera Zorina, neither of whom are mon-
sters, at 8:30 p.m. today and Saturday at
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre.
MOVIES
THE RED SHOES, at regular prices
through Sunday at the Orpheum, continu-
ous from 1 p.m.
CARMEN DE LA TRIANA, a film in Span-
ish, at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. today and tomor-
row at Architecture Auditorium, sponsored
by Art Cinema League and Sociedad His-
panica. See review on this page.
PAID IN FULL, at the State, advertised
0.
CURREt 7MVE
At The State ...
PAID IN FULL with Lizabeth Scott, Ro-
bert Cummings, Diana Lynn and Eve Ar-
den.
THE LAST time I can remember Lizabeth
Scott as good girl was in the first picture
she made. It must have been about five
years go. Since that time she's been the bad
girl of the movies. In her latest film, "Paid
in Full" she reverts back to her old form
and as a result is on the raw end of a raw
deal.
The story is concerned with the old-
fashioned love triangle but, this time, with
a new twist. Lizabeth falls madly in love
with Robert Cummings, a business associate,
but the feeling isn't mutual (for a while,
that is). To make the triangle complete,
Cummings falls for Diana Lynn, Lizabeth's
sister and a spoiled brat. Cummings and
Lynn marry while Scott watches from the
background like the over-joyed sister. From
this point on, complication upon complica-
tion arises until, finally, the picture resolves
itself to an unhappy ending.
All of the acting is good. The principals
behave somewhat as people would under the
At The Michigan...
CONSPIRATOR - with Elizabeth Tay-
lor and Robert Taylor
THIS PICTURE had all the usual elements
of interest; a love affair, a Communist
spy, an attempted murder and a suicide.
All were mixed together to produce the
most boring picture to reach Ann Arbor in
many many months.
The movie opens at the scene of a dance
where two wallflowers sit deserted. One of
the wallflowers is that male's delight, ta-
lented Elizabeth Taylor. Our heroine is just
becoming disgusted with life when in walks
her prince charming (Robert-of course).
He marries her shortly afterward.
Just to keep the movies dragged out an-
other hour, the audience is led to believe
that Robert is engaged in exciting spy ac-
tivities. Take my word for it; they aren't
exciting.
After discovering the awful truth, Liz
asks Robert to give it all up for her. Poor
Liz! Her heart nearly broke when she learn-
ed her husband was a spy. And her blood
almost flowed when Robert decided to give
Fifty-Ninth Year
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the University of Michigan under the
authority of the Board in Control of
Student Publications.
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Al Blumrosen................City Editor
Philip Dawson ....... Editorial Director
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George Walker........Associate Editor
Wally Barth......Photography Editor
Pres Holmes...........Sports Co-Editor
Merle Levin..... .. .Sports Co-Editor
Roger noe... .Associate Sports Editor
Lee Kaltenbach ....... Women's Editor
Barbara Smith..Associate Women's 3d.
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Roger Wellington.....Business Manaor
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Jim Dangl........ Advertising Manager
Bernie Aidinoff......Finance Manager
Bob Daniels.......Circulation Manager
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BARNABY
If I'm to complete my census
.
No, bL
ut here comes a likelyl
I'm too tired. I'm terribly
I
I