PAGE FOUR
T HE MICHIGAN DAILY
TITTIUSDA'V, DEC1EMBEU t,15, 1949
Is There a Santa Claus?
EDITOR'S NOTE-As some of our readers are
probably aware, the New York Sun, in 1897 re-
ceived the following letter from Virginia O.
Hanlon:
"Dear Editor: I am eight years old. Some of
ny little friends 'say that there is no Santa
Claus. Please tell me the truth. Is there a
Santa Claus?"
SANTA, Virginia, is the spirit of Christmas.
He exists if you want him to; if you be-
lieve in the idea of giving to others-the idea
of love.
But as we approach the half-way mark
of the 20th century Santa Claus has be-
come a jolly old man outside ourselves-
with no connection to our own actions.
This we cannot afford if there are going
to be many more Christmases in the latter
half of the century.
No, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus. The
most we can say is that there is a hope for
Santa Claus. But there must be a Santa in
Chungking too, Virginia, and in Paris, and
Rome, and Hyderabad if he is to exist at all.
Unless there is love there, in Holland, and
no fear in the cities of China he is only a
selfish idea in our own minds.
The world has had fifty years since you
wrote your letter to try and make things
easy for a Santa, but it has failed. In all
that time, the only things we have learned
have been how to start the two most terrible
wars in history and how to create ways of
killing millions of people at once. We have-
n't even tried to learn how to love millions
of people at one time.
This Christmas morning you will feel a
touch of love, but then on December 26th you
will have to face reality again. You will have
to face the fact that if there is to be a
chance for a Santa in the next fifty years
you will have to become an adult. You will
have to stop being uninterested in what hap-
pens in Hindustan or Iran and recognize all
these people as members of your own fam-
ily.
Awake to the responsibility which is
yours, Virginia-to see to it that not just
you but all people have a chance to cele-
brate Christmas-to see that America is
a free country that is doing something
about peace on earth, goodwill to men, and
not constantly worrying about a war. Then
the idea of Santa will be a reality.
When our one-day-a-year goodness be-
comes applicable to all, from January 1st to
December 31st, then people of every age, not
just you at eight, can believe in Santa for
thousands of years. Otherwise, there will be
no Santa in 1999-nor a Christmas-in fact,
perhaps no mankind.
-Don McNeil
± ART
THE COLLECTION of textiles and figur-
ines assembled by the Ann Arbor Arts
Association, on exhibit at the University
Museum at Alumni Memorial Hall until the
end of December, shows an amazing range
of styles and techniques.
The batik cloths from Java, for example,
are especially rich. Those who are inter-
ested in the possibilities of working the
human figure into abstract patterns will
be particularly pleased by the contrast of
angular and curvilinear rhythms worked
into the anatomy of the women in the
fabric lent by Mr. and Mrs. Myron Chapin.
Anyone who has never seen a tapa cloth,
the textile equivalent of African wood-carv-
ing in modern interior decoration, must take
a look at the example lent by Mr. Thomas S.
Tanner. Despite the fact that it is currently
so fashionable, it is quite handsome.
The ceremonial piece from Santa Maria
Jesus in Guatamala, lent by Miss Mina
Winslow, has all the geometry of early ;
cubism, plus a great deal more feeling for
pattern. The jerky rigid movement in the
birds seems to our eyes to represent a par-
ticularly mystic birdism.
On a much higher level of sophistication,
the great Paisley Shawl lent by the Rev.
Eitorials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
anid represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR: ROMA LIPSKY
I
R. Wallace Tweed weaves a microcosm of
minute detail into an easy harmony, appear-
ing casual at first glance, but worked out
with relentless thoroughness.
The Japanese calendar, printed on cot-
ton cloth, from the collection of Mr. and
Mrs. Everett S. Brown, though perhaps
not as high in quality, is a delightfully
amusing and much more unusual work.
Among the sculptural figurines, there are
several African and a Philippine wood carv-
ing, all well worth noting. Mr. and Mrs. Har-
old E. Wethey have lent a wood Virgin of
the Immaculate Conception from Peru,
which reflects the Indian's struggle to ab-
sorb the Spanish Baroque which he never
really understood.
The two playful little Chinese Han
horses belonging to Mrs. Dorothy Goss, are
over 2,000 years old. This will give you
some idea of the extension of the show,
not only in space, but in time.
Incidentally, I came to the show with the
idea that it would be something like an old
clothes collection assembled by proud local
residents. So I had planned to write about
the "historical importance" of the objects.
When an unmarried woman is unbeautiful,
she is often described as having "lots of
personality", and when an art object is un-
beautiful a critic often speaks of its "his-
torical importance". Of course, there are
some objects in this exhibit which, from a
qualitative standpoint, are rather shabby. I
was delighted to find, however, that there
are truly a great many works which can bd
enjoyed by themselves independently of their
history.
-Robert Enggass
MATTER OF FACT:.
The New
New Look
By JOSEPH and STEWART ALSOP
WASHINGTON-Behind the bland, busi-
ness-as-usual facade of the Truman
administration, some relatively serious soul-
searching is going on about American
atomic policy. To be specific, a number of
the leading men of the general advisory
committee of the Atomic Energy Commis-
sion have earnestly urged the desirability
of a new look at the whole problem of
international control.
The warnings of these scientists have in
turn led to a re-examination of the prob-
lem by the highest government policy-
makers. The chances are, as usual, that
nothing will be done in the end. Yet the
mere fact that this debate has been going
on behind the closed doors of the Adminis-
tration, is a somber commentary on the
almost idiotic complacency which has, thus
far, been the official public response to
,the explosion of the Soviet atomic bomb.
THE GENERAL advisory committee, which
started the whole business, is Mt a
body to be disregarded. It includes such
men as Conant, Oppenheimer, Dubridge,
Fermi, Buckley and Rabi. It. reports direct
to the President, rather than to the Atomic
Energy Commission. And since the an-
nouncement of last September, it has sh.n
no complacency whatever."
These scientific leaders would almost
certainly be less disturbed if any serius
effort were on foot to organize the defeses
of the Western World. For reasons which
must be examined later, the experts are
now sharply writing down the strategic
value of atomic weapons, when employed
against a nation that is adequately de-
fended. The trouble is that the defenses
of the Western World, and particularly
Western Europe, are anything but ade-
quate.
While this condition persists-and noth-
ing solid is being done to change it-an
atomic stockpile in Soviet hands retains
the dreadful potentialities of the world's
nightmare at the time of Hiroshima. Fur-
thermore, as has been disclosed already in
this space, the Soviets are thought to have
the capability of accumulating an atomic
stockpile at a comparatively early date.
The official best guess is that the Kremlin
will possess more than fifty atomic bombs
by September, 1952.
S * *
SUCH IS THE background of the pressure
for a "new look" at the question of
international control of atomic energy.
What is being urged is essentially simple.
This country would try to negotiate a
new agreement with the Soviet Union.
Under this agreement, atomic weapons
would be outlawed.
Atomic energy would be demilitarized. Ex-
isting atomic stockpiles (principally our own
thus far) would be somehow sterilized. Mo-
dified provisions for international inspection
would be adopted, which would insure
prompt discovery of any breach of the agree-
ment, if backed up by an efficient intelli-
gence service. Finally-and this is under-
stood to be the heart of the plan--a meas-
ure of disarmament would also be agreed up-
on, sufficient to guarantee Western Europe
against any sudden aggression.
* * *
THE WHOLE PROJECT would sound like
the most wishful dream, if it were not
for its context. In the first place, there are
reasons to believe that the Soviet Union may
be receptive to an overture along the lines
very crudely sketched above. Signs have
already been given, in the usual indirect
manner. All that is being discussed at pre-
sent, is whether this country should try to
find out whether these signs mean anything.
In the second place, no one thinks there
is more than an even chance, at best, that
the Soviets seriously desire even a modi-
fied agreement for international control
of atomic energy. Those who urge the de-
sirability of a "new look" at this time sim-
ply argue that it is our duty to find out
what can be done.
It is idiotic to under-rate the arguments
against the kind of radical new departure
that is now under discussion. Two-party
talks between this country and Russia have
long been an objective of Kremlin policy,
and their avoidance has long been one of
our objectives. Yet two party talks would
now be embarked upon. Equally, we are al-
ready committed to the stringent provisions
of the Baruch plan for atomic energy con-
trol. We have also committed our friends in
the United Nations, who would certainly be
upset by any change in our stand.
Above all, the kind of Soviet-American
agreement that is envisioned would cony-
tag great elements of risk, no matter how
carefully drawn.
Yet in the bleak situation in which we
find ourselves, the new look at atomic en-
ergy control still seems to be the best way
out. If the new look fails, we shall at least
know where we are. And we can then take
a new look at the disarmament program
which has been so oddly launched, as a uni-
lateral policy, by the Truman administra-
tion.
(Copyright, 1949, New York Herald Tribune, Inc.)
, And an A in Calculus."
Xetted 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.
ON THE
Washington Merry-Go-Round
WITH DREW PEARSON
WASHINGTON-The inflation row be-
tween Secretary of the Treasury Snyder
and Federal Reserve dynamo Marriner Eccles
attracted headlines a few days ago. But
when the two men met behind the closed
doors of a Senate committee, the final re-
sults of the feud were hushed up.
It was Snyder who, perhaps knowing he
would be no match for the shrewd and ex-
perienced Eccles, insisted on a closed-door
meeting. However, here is what happened.
"The press has made this a personal dis-
pute between Secretary Snyder and myself,
but it's not that at all," Eccles declared. "It's
a question of deep, fundamental policy that
affects the future welfare of every man,
woman and child in the United States. The
Federal Reserve System cannot adequately
carry out its obligation to control inflation-
ary trends while the Treasury continues to
borrow at fixed, low interest charges."
* .* *
- GOVERNMENT BONDS DUMPED -
HE INTEREST rate (now averaging about
2.2 per cent on long-and-short-term
government securities) should be somewhat
higher, Eccles contended, to discourage
dumping of government bonds by banks, in-
surance companies and , other big
purchasers. Also, it should be more
flexible, he argued, so the Federal Reserve
Board could use it as a lever to prevent
either an overexpansion or a tightening of
bank credit.
Interest rates on government securities
naturally influence the rates on commercial
loans, Eccles pointed out, and therefore
the quantity of such credit-which the Re-
serve System is expected to control.
"Well, the treasury has obligations, also,"
argued Snyder. "Let the interest rate go up
on government bonds and there will be a
howl from farmers and other groups, who
will then have to pay higher financing
charges on private loans and mortgages."
Turning to Senator Douglas of Illinois,
chairman of the meeting, Snyder remarked
that Congress was chiefly responsible for
inflation trends.
"Inflation originates in the Congress," he
commented, tartly. "If Congress votes to
appropriate great sums of money and then
doesn't increase taxes to balance this spend-
ing, you are making inflation. You can't
build up big deficits without taking risks."
- ROBBING PETER -
THE TREASURY CHIEF added that the
low interest the government was paying
on its bond issues represented that much of
a saving to the taxpayer and helped to bal-
ance the budget. However, Eccles shot back
that it did nothing of the kind, but was a
rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul policy that actually
cost the taxpayers more in the long run.
Low interest rates on government bonds
often lead to dumping by big investors, who
prefer to reinvest their money in less se-
cure, but more profitable commercial loans,
he explained. Since the Federal Reserve Sys-
tem is required by law to buy up the bonds
dumped on the open market, this further in-
creases national bank reserves - against
which more inflationary money is then is-
sued.
The amount of money the Treasury is
saving now by its fixed, low interest rates, is
only a pittance compared with the future,
cost of inflation-if Snyder continues his
present policy, Eccles warned.
Progressives' Answer ...
To the Editor:
DURING recent weeks the Young
Progressives of America have
been directly and by innuendo at-
tacked on their part in the fight
to end discrimination on campus.
Attacks have come from indivi
duals writing in The Michigan
Daily and from individuals repre-
senting a number of campus or-
ganizations. This is the YPA ans-
wer: -
Ever since we organized, the
fight against discrimination has
been a major part of our program.
This semester, we have concen-
trated all our efforts on this one
issues. We believe that any pro-
gress in the fight depends on how
aware all students are of actual
and possible forms of discrimina-
tion. Only if the direct effects of
racial bias on the lives of many
Americans, and its indirect effects
on all our lives, are in all their
seriousness understood, can we
gather forces strong enough to
eliminate practices, such as cer-
tain questions on application
blanks, that make discrimination
possible and easy.
To this end we have, since our
inception, campaigned for a Fair
Employment Practices and a Fair
Educational Practices measure;,
have petitioned to end discrimina-
tion in the armed forces; and have
distributed two leaflets concern-
ing discrimination on campus. In
addition, we have sponsored inter-
racial parties and have, within
our group, established an area of
friendly relations among students
of all races.
We were one of the groups in-
strumental in organizinz the Com-
mittee to End Discrimination. The
others were AVC, IRA, and The
Michigan Daily. We have tried, in
the past, to further CED aims by
proposing activities and by offer-
ing means to carry them out; have
consistently acted according to
the spirit and letter of CED rules;
and intend to do so in the future.
We are one of the few groups
whose name has appeared on all
CED projects.
Our primary interest is to end
discrimination; and it makes little
difference to us who is responsible
for concrete results. To end dis-
crimination is also the aim of
those who attack us. Their attacks,
we believe, will be justified only if
they can present a record of action
comparable to ours. Should they
do this, show vividly how the 'lev-
el-headed' sort of action they pro-
pose differs from inaction, and in-
dicate how it will do more than
let things take their own course,
we shall humbly bow our heads
and follow their lead.
--Young Progressives of America
Executive Board
*' * *
Hindu-Moslem Riots ...
To the Editor:
TH reference to The Daily's
interview with John Clark, re-
ported on 13 December, I should
like to call your attention to the
biased nature of the statement
made about the Hindu-Muslim
riots in India, presumably mean-
ing those of August-September
[1947.
Clark "charges" that the "gov-
ernment of 'Hindu' India (as
Clark calls it) deliberately
planned and executed riots and
massacres, with the full know-
ledge of Gandhi and Nehru." As
a matter of fact some of the worst
disorders took place in Karachi,
Rawalpindi, Lahore and countless
other Panjab towns and villages
before the partition of August 15,
1947. Even in July 1947 streams of
Hindu refugees had been forced to
evacutee their homes and places
of business, and take shelter in
Kashmir, Delhi, etc. With the of-
ficial establishment of Pakistan
conditions grew worse on both
sides of the border.
Moreover, even in 1946, Mr.
Jinnah. (the Muslim League
leader) announced that 16 August
1946 was to be "Direct Action
Day," for the purpose of realiz-
ing Pakistan; does not this clear-
ly show who took the initiative,
a full year before the final parti-
tion, "in planning riots and
massacres?" On the other hand,
throughout 1946-47 Gandhiji was
actively working for a last-minute
rapprochement, and avoidance of
division and disorder at any cost.
The Mahatma even risked his life
for three monts in predominantly
Muslim East Bengal in Sept.-
Oct.-Nov. 1946, tramping on foot
through marshes and jungles,
trying to restore confidence to the
Hindu and Muslim villagers, not-
ably in Noakhali. Again, on 13
January 1948, Ganhiji made his
last epia fast unto death for the
specific purpose of assuring safe-
ty to the Muslim residents of In-
dia. By 18 January 1948 the
"Peace Pledge" was signed by all
Hindu and Sikh organizations in
Delhi, and was subscribed to
throughout India. Gandhiji him-
self said: "Hindus and Sikhs and
Muslims must live as brothers
here . . . Hindus and Sikhs must
see that there is no retaliation,
whatever Muslims elsewhere may
do."-Is it not thus inconceivable
that Gandhiji, and also his
staunch disciple Pandit Nehlru,
could possibly have backed riots
and massacres of Muslims in In-
dia, as Clark has charged?
Clark has stated that the pur-
pose behind the riots was to force
"Muslim refugees into the newly-
created nation of Pakistan to
break it financially and socially."
But in reality, the riots wiere
brought about by the demand for
Pakistan in the first place, and by
Mohammed Ali Jinnah's insist-
ence on "Direct Action." More-
over, the financial and social dis-
order in Pakistan subsequent to
the partition resulted not only
from the entry of Muslim refugees
from Indian, but also from the en-
forced departure of the Hindu
and Sikh bankers and business-
men, shopkeepers and farmers
from Pakistan,-a factor which is
totally ignored here.
In his biased enthusiasm, Clark
bemoans the fate of 4 million
Muslims who poured into Paki-
stan, but completely neglects the
sufferings and losses of the tragic
milions of Hindus and Sikhs who
were likewise slaughtered and
driven out of their homes and
lands in Pakistan.
It is reported that Clark talked
with a random selection of about
a hundred Muslims who had
fled to Pakistan. But what about
the Hindu and Sikh refugees
driven out of Pakistan into In-
dia? - Perhaps Clark would have
gained a Tess one-sided picture of
the whole situation if he had
taken the pains to talk to Hindu
and Sikh refugees in Delhi, Alla-
habad, Lubknow and Madras, etc.,
etc., as I have, during my work
and study in India from 1944 to
1948. (It is understood that Clark
has just "returned from a 14
month trip through China and
India.") And yet he dares to claim
that "by these methods of selec-
tion I have avoided the possibili-
ty of having witnesses influenced
by propaganda from either side."
Clark accuses the "Hindu"
Government of "deliberately
planning and executing riots and
massacres," and further states
that "two weeks before partition
time, groups of police and soldiers
... searched Muhammadan homes
and removed all arms and wea-
pons" and then "on partition day
these same police and soldiers re-
turned and started murdering the
helpless people they had previous-
ly disarmed." - May I remind
Clark that the so-called "Hindu"
Government did not come into
power until 15 August 1947, the
day of partition, and thus cannot
be responsible for actions before
that date?
-Maureen L. P. Patterson.
* * *
To the Editor:
WAS at first surprised and
later amused by the ridiculous
and mistaken remarks made by
John Clark as reported in Tues-
day's -Daily about the riots in
India. I can understand the Hin-
dus being blamed, but I can't un-
derstand how a person like Mr.
Clark, being in a respectable pro-
fession like' teaching, having tra-
velled in India and also being
widely informed in a country like
the United States, could accuse
Mahatma ' Gandhi and Pandit
Nehru 'of' "being responsible for
the riots. I have met people in
this country who have spent as
much 'as fourteen years in India,
and still have misinterpreted In-
dia and her problems to Ameri-
can friends here.
I think most of us have a
tendency ,to underestimate others
and overestimate ourselves. That
is the reason why today the
thinking people of the world are
fighting against narrow nation-
alities, racialism, religious and
other differences which' occur
because we stick to our ideas and
don't learn from men like Christ,
Lincoln and Gandhi. Either Mr.
Clark has judged Gandhi and
Nehru from his own point of
view with some set ideas of his
personal background or he is mis-
informed. Does Mr. Clark really
believe the best informers are
people with a "lack of education"
because this prevents "contact
with any written propaganda?"
I have always heard that the
great value of the American edu-
cational system was that en-
lightened, informed citizens are
more responsible than those who
are illiterate and unable to in-
telligently ferret out the truth
of a rumor.
There is much good evidence to
show that both Hindus and Mos-
lems were responsible for the riot.
The reasons are deep rooted so-
cial, economic, historical and poli-
tical problems. To explain all
these factors would take a long
time. But I would like to remind
Mr. Clark that even in this coun-
try during the fight for inde-
pendencein 1776, only one-third
of the people actually fought.
One-third. was neutral and the re-
maining one-third was against the
idea. Similarly in my country the
people, both Hindu and Moslem,
who actually fought for inde-
pendence in the pacifist manner
did not participate in the riots.
Those who did not have any
sacrifice to make for the freedom
of the country, started fighting
when they saw they could share
the fruits of victory by doing so.
At the age of 78 the great leader,
Mahatma Gandhi, sometimes
walked fourteen miles a day un-
der a hottsun in the midst of the
rioting to the ruined villages, un-
protected and unarmed. Wher-
ever he went, no matter whether
it was a city or a village, peace
followed him.
I don't see why India has been
called "Hindu India." Our govern-
ment is not based on any parti-
cular religion but relies on God.
Mahatma Gandhi gave his life for
these religious troubles. After his
To the Editor:
, *
FOR SEVERAL semesters -we
have read with chagrin The
Daily's continuous rebukes of
artists visiting this campus. But
the review by Miss Goss of Miss
Stevens' concert was unquestion-
ably one of the worse pieces of
literary comment ever to' appear
in The Daily.
We attended Miss Stevens' con-
cert and were greatly impressed by
the presentation and interpreta-
tion of her numbers. The rich,
smooth tone and the quality of her
voice is acclaimed by the music
critics throughout the world, and
we, two lowly engineering stu-
dents,. not professing to be music
critics, tend to lean towards these
professional music critics,- who
acclaim Miss Stevens one of the
leading mezzo-sopranos in the
world.
So please Mr. Editor, Just once
before we leave this institution
we would like to read a favorable
review about a visiting artist
whose fame is already world wide.
-Charles P. Laurenson,
Nornian C. Seurinck.
~I14
r
death there was complete peace
among all religious groups iri 1h-
dia. In the words of Pandit Nehru,
we will never accept the two na-
tion theory on the basis of re-
ligious differences. We accepted
partition for the long range bene-
fit and also because it was un-
avoidable. But we did not like it.
I would like to ask Mr. Clark
to let us look at Mahatma Gandhi
through the eyes of the world. If
we find that our individual's
opinion is different than the
world's opinion, then it won't
lower Gandhi's position, but will
only reflect upon ourselves.
-Deba Dutt.
* * *
Criticism.
To the Editor:
THIS LETTER is dedicated to
all participants in the theater
arts, past and present, the fruits
of whose labors have come in con-
tact with the cynical taste of The
Michigan Daily's conception of
theater and music criticism. We
do not reprimand any single per-
son or critique. We merely con-
demn them all for lacking in the
basic graciousness this University
community needs so much.
The real issue is the heartless-
ness of response which indicates
no real love for the world they
perceive, combined perhaps, with
an exhibitionistic tendency to have
their names made conspicuous for
any reason. The saying on campus
has become "Let's buy The Daily
and find out how bad the program
was". This is a serious charge
against the critics on the staff of
The Daily. Consider it well for so
consistently malicious have the
reviews been of late that few peo-
ple take them seriously.
In consequence of these sub-
jective idiocyncracies the thous-
ands of people who were thrilled
by the beautiful effects introduced
into their lives by Nelson Eddy,
Italo Tajo, Rise Stevens and others-
find no reflection of their truly
human reactions in the petty col-
umns of the campus critics.
-John J. Wright
W. Rioux
.
4
.t
4
4.
Fifty-Ninth Year
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Lee Kaltenbach.. Associate Women'
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Allan Clamage......Assistant LUbrazial
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