PAGE FOUR THE MICHIGAN DAILY SUNDAY, *OCTOBER 8, 1956 PAGE FOUR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1950 U ___________________________________________________ I _______________________________________________________________________________ U ., Freshmen Eligibility Contrary to prevalent campus information first-semester freshmen are actually eligible to participate in any non-credit student group-provided that they do not take part in rehearsals and public performances, do not hold office and arenot members of any staff. Restrictive as this rule appears it does not prevent the freshmen from joining any civic or town'group in Ann Arbor or from joining campus groups such as the Young Politicians and the athletic teams. Also under exceptions recently granted by the Student Affairs Committee, first semes- ter freshmen can play in the Marching Band and sing in the Glee Clubs. They can participate in the University Choir, the Concert Band and, the Symphony Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. NIGHT EDITOR: RICH THOMAS Orchestra provided that they are receiving credit. Moreover, the Choral Union which is not regarded as a student group is open to all. The only student organizations that are restricted are the publications, the Arts Chorale, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the several dramatic groups. The reasons behind these restrictions are vague if at all existent. There is talk about too much time away from studies, but with these groups being the exception rather than, the rule freshmen can find other organiza- tions in which to spend their week withot the Office of Student Affairs caring in the least. Recently the SAC announced a belated year long study of the entire freshmen eli- gibility system. In the meantime the re- stricted groups need to petition SAC in order to be allowed freshmen membership. By the spring semester, however, it can be hoped that the inconsistencies will be re- mover and freshmen placed on an equal eligibility status with other students. -Leonard Greenbaum + BOOKS +1 STAR OF EMPIRE, A Study of Britain as a World Power, 1485-1945. William B. Willcox. By DAVID P. LEONARD FOT THOSE STUDENTS who have enjoy- ed a course in English history with Prof. Willcox, no review of his new book, "Star of Empire," is needed to arouse enthusiasm. It is enough to announce it for them to know the high intellectual adventure that is theirs for the reading. But to the many who, as a result of numbing experience in high schol or college, have set down history as a dreary catalogue of facts and dates, a veritable for- est of Roman numerals, Mr. Willcox's book is recommended as an antidote. For those who have stigmatized history as not merely dead but deadly, this book will come as a happy surprise. In a field as old and noted for distinguish- ed scholars as English history, a writer must be both bold and gifted with original in- sights to produce an account of modern Britain that is both fresh in treatment and unhackneyed in interpretation. Yet this is Just what Mr. Willcox has done in a single volume. In some 400 pages he has inter- woven all the essential threads of British developments from the dawn of empire with the advent of the Tudors, through the apo- gee of empire in the 19th century, to the twi- light of empire in the present. To a clean, swift-moving account of the major stages and themes of British history since 1500 he combines a concomitantly illuminating in- terpretation which is as lucid as it is provo- cative for those who believe that the past lives on to infuse in the mind of living men a sense of continuity and direction. The re- sut is a near masterpiece of historical liter- 1ture * * 4 TO THE EXTENT that history is one of the liberal arts, it must, if it is not to remain the insulated domain of a scholarly elect, appeal to a wide audience. This means that to realize its function of providing per- spective and large purpose for action in the present, it must delight as well as instruct- in short, It must be readable. Mr. Willcox is keenly aware of this. For him history is in one sense a branch of literature. And he writes superbly. He does so in part because he avoids both the formidable argot of the scholar and the condescension of the popularizer. But more importantly, his writing excites because he is a master of metaphor and the precise phrase. His forte is the extend- ed metaphor that compares, contrasts, suggests, fires the imagination, and links confusing elements of a complex whole to convey meaning with clarity and force. This is heightened by his adroit but never pretentious use of epigramatic or poetic excerpts from English letters. Wit and irony, compression and control, are his metier. I have seldom read a historical exposition more brilliantly organized, more economical in words. To enhance clarity, remarkably few names are mentioned. He includes only those per- sons he believes indispensable to fixing the significance of a period or problem. Each character is fixed sharply in a few deft, or- iginal twists of phrase. James I, for example, is no longer pigeon-holed as "the wisest fool in Christendom." Instead: "He was no fool, not even a wise one, and in many ways h was more intelligent than most of his sub- jects . . . at bottom he was an obstinate little man wandering in dignified bewilder- ment through an earthquake." His prose is as esthetically pleasing as his argument is intellectually compelling. * * * . WILLCOX has not attempted to write the whole of British history. This would not only entail many volumes and duplicate already extant works, but would defeat his purpose of an integration designed to appeal to the large audience of intelligent laymen. Besides, as he says himself, English history does not need telling again so much as digestion and summary, the extraction of vital issues and solutions from the bulk of events, and forceful presentation for what. nub of each period of English history and linked the successive stages to produce an amazingly-clear picture of the whole devel- opment. To omit so many details, yet show precisely how and why the elements retained are of the essence; to compress exposition to the limit yet state the meaning of each component; to write leanly yet avoid the distortions of bias-this marks the gifted historian. s s s SELECTION and the handling of material imply a criterion of values, or philosophy of history. Whatever may be its ultimate meaning, history is not a random chaos, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. But it is nnothing if not complex. No single, simple cause or logic accounts for the whole. In this study of moden Britain, Mr. Willcox has emphasized one pattern and perspective. Throughout the book he is say- ing that because of her unique insular posi- tion, close to, inseparable from but never subordinate to the continent, Britain has been able to develop a society and an em- pire based not upon military coercion so much as on consent, compromise, and the rule of law. The key lies in the peculiar role of sea power. Though naval power has been the means by which England has kept free of continental domination and by which she built her empire, it has remained subor- dinate to the civil government. This fact has permitted England- to experment with a system of government that minimizes co- ercive force. The tragic exception Is Ireland, where England, basing her rule' on sheer military power, never achieved either a just or stable regime. When the American revo- lution revealed as bluntly for the empire as Cromwell's army had for England the futil- ity of bonds based on military force, Britain slowly developed the dominion to replace the colony, and the Commonwealth of Nations with its great paradox of unity in indepen- dence. British history is a mounting series of variations on the profound theme that no human society can long endure except it rest on the ties of voluntary collaboration, the ties which, as Edmund Burke said in 1776, are light as air but strong as links of iron. The failures and the evils in British history-as indeed with all nations, past and present-lie precisely in those areas and times when in exasperation or blindness, the bonds of goodwill and compromise were set aside for the shackles of military coercion. It is true that in the past fifty years Britain has declined as a world power. But the empire, instead of crumbling like the empires in Europe and Asia, has ma- tured spiritually into a larger society of free yet united nations. Britain in her decline has become greater than she was at her height. Now American power, grown to maturity through British naval protec- tion in the 19th century, has replaced her waning sea power, and the two nations have entered into voluntary collaboration. It began with. the crisis of 1939, as the spirit of partnership replaced the former isolation and mutual Jealousy which were the unhappy legacies of 1776 and 1812. Mr. Willcox concludes that the hope of free men everywhererests on the continuance of this partnership and its expansion through the United Nations to include, eventually, if war can be averted, all nations. The acute danger to America and the Commonwealth, to the free United Nations forces fighting today to contain Soviet expansion, is that fear and military coercion wil corrupt the basis of free society and replace the spirit of compro- mise and law with the cult of force. If this occurs, and there are alarming signs at hand that the process is far advanced here, then it will matter little what, if anything, emerges from the terminal wars of the 20th century. No one can any longer deny that the Communists have utilized with supreme effectiveness the Marxist philosophy of his- tory. Its merits In truth aside-for these are ultimately matters of faith-it gives coherence, meaning and a sustaining sense of destiny to its believers. The free nations of the West can ill afford to overlook the ISeems to Me THOSE WHO advocate the rearming of Germany argue that the West cannot hope to defend itself against Soviet aggres- sion if it does not enlist the support of German manpower. This argument is based on the assump- tion that a German army of the future could be depended upon to cooperate with the West against Russia; but this reasoning is open to considerable ques- tion. First of all, the Germans of 1950 are not sold on our idea of democracy. Too many people in this country labor under the Illusion that during the past five years Western occupation authorities have succeeded in teaching the Germans demo- cracy; it often is assumed that because the Germans are strongly anti-communist, they therefore must be staunch supporters of democracy. This simply is not the case. On the surface one probably would get the impression that West Germany is a demo- cratio country today. The constitution of the Republic and the functioning of the Bonn Government seem to bear this out. The courts function effectively; the secret police has vanished and free speech and free as- sembly prevail throughout the Western zones. But the mark of whether a nation is democratic, it seems to me, is how the people themselves view the political situation, and not how a constitution imposed by occupa- tion authorities is being followed. The Ger- mans of today lack that critical attitude in politics which we consider so essential to the effective functioning of democracy. And the most serious aspect of this problem is the apathetic attitude toward politics that exists among most Germans. ,A businessman in Nuremberg told me that "there's too much politics and tooblittle action in Bonn." When I asked why he didn't do something about it he answered quite seriously: "It isn't proper for an ordi- nary man to criticize publicly the nation's leaders." For many years the Germans have been taught not to meddle in politics, to leave the work of government in the hands of experts who know what is best for the na- tion. This attitude was partly responsible for Hitler's rise to power, and it has not been overcome sufficiently in the past five years to insure real democratic think- ing among the Germans. There is no doubt that the Germans are afraid of the Communists and the Russians. This fear undoubtedly accounts for the fact that Germans do not want the occupation forces withdrawn at this time. However, this does not mean that the Germans have any love for our soldiers. On the contrary, they look upon them wth much disdain. And this hostility undoubtedly reflects itself in the German attitude toward democracy, which to their mind has been imposed by the occupation powers rather than being the true expression of German thinking. If democracy were strongly rooted in the German mind, if ordinary Germans like our businessman felt free to level public blasts agahst their leaders, as we do, the danger of German rearmament might not be so great. But five years of freedom is not very long compared with a hundred years of German militaristic occupation. Under these conditions I believe that German rearmament would serve to make Germany an independent force between Russia and the West, rather than an active partner of the West. In such circumstances the Germans would be in a position to bar- gain with both East and West, a frightening possibility. This may seem far-fetched today, but consider the astonishing economic recovery of Germany during the past three years; consider also the German pride, the sense of superiority and the nationalism which still exist in Germany; add to this a German army free of foreign control, and the possibilities are there for another aggressive Reich. , An enlarged German police force. for internal security would be a wise move. Enlisting German troops in a European army may also be advisable; but creating a Ger- man army with German commanders at this time is asking for trouble. If the Germans had an army to defend themselves, they could rightly demand the withdrawal of allied troops from German soil. When this happens, we will have lost our last hope of keeping the Germans in line. Prime Minister Chamberlain during the 1930's thought that he could direct the ambitions of Nazi Germany toward the East; he learned too late how independent the Germans can be when- they have their own army. We should not make the same mistake. -Don Nuechterlein. The Week's News ... IN RETROSPECT .. . i fl lL ,, -Daily-Bill Hampton "Way I understand it, he lost one in a row.. ." *" * * * THIS WEEK we watched the Korean War come to a victorious cli- max, helped launch the Phoenix Project, and began studying again. The Daily decked itself out for its 60th anniversary celebration, and Ann Arbor in general looked forward to another football Saturday. Local ... PHOENIX LAUNCHED-Four years of planning came to a head Monday night as the Phoenix Project fund-raising campaign was launched. The occasion was Atom Day, so proclaimed by Governor G. Mennen Williams a few days earlier to be observed throughout the state in recognition of the Project. Gordon E. Dean, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission was the chief speaker at the kickoff rally held in Hill Auditorium, and Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, president of Columbia University, and Warren Austin, United States delegate to the United Nations, spoke to the assembly by special telephone hookup. Dean hailed the University for its initiative in undertaking in the Phoenix Project, the enormously important task of learning more about the forces and potentials of atomic energy. PUBLICATIONS-This week was a big one for student publica- tions, as The Daily and the 'Ensian each opened their doors to try- outs. The Daily prepared for its gala 60th anniversary celebration yesterday. Also, The Daily got its new rotary press operating for the first time early Thursday morning. SL-Wednesday night, the Student Legislature voted after warm debate, to conduct a campaign to get signatures on the Crusade for Freedom scroll.. PEP RALLY-One the "social" side, a pep rally and free dance rounded out the pre-game campus week Friday night. MUSIC-Ann Arbor concert-goers were given a treat when Helen Traubel opened the new Choral Union Series in Hill Auditorium on Thursday night. OATH PROTEST - The Council of Arts, Sciences, and Profes- sions, a group made up of faculty and graduate students, voted Thurs- day to circulate petitions condemning the firing of 44 University of California faculty members for refusing to sign a non-Commuiist oath. National PRODUCTION-The Issue of increased production for defense and war came once more to the fore this week. On Monday, the Na- tional Production Authority, a government' agency, ordered into ef- fect a mandatory priority system giving first call to the armed services on any essential materials. STASSEN-President Harold E. Stassen of the University of Penn- sylvania announced this week that he has written a personal letter to Soviet Premier Stalin requesting a face-to-face meeting "to stop the drift toward war." Looked upon by some as a purely political gesture, the suggestion brought varying degrees of disapproval from Capitol Hill. MARINES-Chairman Vinson of the House Armed Services Com- mittee sparked a move Wednesday to allow the Marine Corps to double its present size making a total of about 326,000 men. RED PAPERS-In Pittsburgh, Judge Michael A. Musmanno pro- duced a bundle of paper and documents which he says will prove that the Communist Party in America Is a war machine which seeks to overthrow the government by force. SERIES-On the sports scene, the big news this week was the World Series. The New York Yankees had the balance of power over the Philadelphia Phillies as they handily took the first four games in a row to win the world championship. DOCTOR DRAFT - President Truman announced Friday that registration of doctors trained at government expense would begin soon. Registration for other medical men trained under the same circumstances will be shortly forthcoming. Around the World .. . UNITED NATIONS-On Wednesday, the Political Committee of the United Nations overwhelmingly approved an eight power plan for uniting and rebuilding Korea under a UN commission. The action of this committee is nearly tantamount to passage of that plan by the whole assembly in the near future. The committee also gave tacit per- mission for UN forces to cross the 38th parallel. Later in the week, the UN Assembly's steering committee advised a full airing of the question of Formosa, the last foothold of the Na- tionalist Chinese government. THE WAR-On the Korean front, the week was begun with the announcement that South Korean troops had sped 35 miles into the interior of North Korea. Other UN troops have been massing all week along the 38th parallel boundary line, waiting for orders from the UN to move across. During the week, South Koreans advanced 70 miles before they met any Communist resistance. Meanwhile, bombers continued raids into North Korea. VIENNA-Communist inspired strikes flared up in the four-power city of Vienna last week, but a possible blockade and general sabotage was avoided. The Communists ordered the strike called off on Thurs- day after their planned program failed to live up to expectations. ELSEWHERE-Elsewhere in the world: Turkey agreed to tie in their defense planning with the Mediterrenean strategy of the Atlan- tic Treaty bloc. French Indo-China lost a two-hundred mile chunk of their border area to Communist led guerillas. Pakistan was invaded by a force of Afgan tribesmen but successfully beat them back. -Chuck Elliott Publication In The Daily Official Bulletin isconstructive notice to all members of the University. Notices for the Bulletin should be sent in typewritten form to the Office of the Assistant to the President, Room 255 Administration Building, by 3:00 p.m. on the day preceding publication (11:00 a.m. Saturdays). SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1950 VOL. LXI, No. 11 Notices Group Hospitalization and Sur- gical Service: During the period from Oct. 9 through Oct. 13, the University Business Office, 3012 Administration Building, will ac- cept new applications as well as requests for changes in contracts now in effect. These new appli- cations and changes become effec- tive Dec. 5, with the first payroll deduction on Nov. 30. After Oct. 13 no new applications or changes can be accepted until April, 1951. Lectures Lecture: Mr. Wilfred T. C. King, editor of "The Banker" and as- istant editor of "The Economist" will give two lectures, the first on Tues., Oct. 10, 4:15 p.m., Archi- tecture Auditorium, on "Britain's Economy since the war"; the sec- ond on Wed., Oct. 11, 4:15 p.m., 101 Economics Building, on "Free- dom and Controls in British Bank- ing." Academic Notices Bacteriology Seminar: Wed., Oct. 11, 10 a.m., 1520 E. Medical Bldg. Speaker: Dr. Malcolm H. Soule, Subject: The 5th International Congress of Microbiology held in Rio de Janeiro, August 17-24. Inorganic - Analytical Seminar: Tues., Oct. 10, 2308 Chemistry Bldg., 7:30 p.m. Prof. C. L. Rulfs will speak on "Properties of the Group 7A Ele- ments." Geometry Seminar: Wed. Oct. 11, 2 p.m., in 3001 Angell Hall. Mr. Titus will speak on "Topological Properties of Special Classes of Plane Curves." Set Theory Seminar meets on Mondays, 4 p.m., 3010 Angell Hall. Mathematics Colloquium: Tues., Oct. 10, 4:10 p.m., 3011 Angell Hall. Prof. L. Tornheim will speak on "Lattice Packing In The Plane." Doctoral Examination for John Charles Johnson, Physics; thesis: "Application of Geiger-Muller Counters and Electron Multiplier Tubes to Measurement of High Temperatures," Mon., Oct. 9, East Council Room, Rackham Bldg., 3:15 p.m. Chairman, R. A. Wolfe. Doctoral Examination for Ro- bert B. Lindberg, Bacteriology; thesis: "The Antigenic Structure of H. capulatum, Particularly the Yeast Phase," Tues., Oct. 10, 1562 E. Medical Bldg., 2 p.m. Chairman, M. H. Soule. Concerts Concert. The University Musi- cal Society will present Lauritz Melchior, tenor, with George Roth at the piano, in the opening pro- gram of the Fifth Annual Extra Concert Series, Tuesday evening, Oct. 10, 8:30, in Hill Auditorium. Mr. Melchior will present a var- ied program, which will include folk songs in Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Danish; arias from Wag- ner's operas "Lohengrin," "Die Meistersinger," "The Flying Dutchman," "Tristan nd Isolde"; as well as a group of contemporary songs in English. Tickets are available at the of- fices of the University Musical So- ciety in Burton Memorial Tower. Organ Recital: Robert Noehren, University Organist, will play the second program in the current series of recitals at 4:15 Sunday' afternoon, Oct. 8, Hill Auditorium. Compositions by Buxtehude, Men- delssohn, Franck, Hindemith, Vaughan Williams, and Alain. Public invited. Faculty Concert: Emil Raab, vi- olinist, and Digby Bell, pianist, will be heard at 8:30 Sunday evening, Dct. 8, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, in a program of sonatas by Mo- zart, Hindemith, and Beethoven. Public invited. Student Recital: Paul Pankotan, Pianist, will be heard at 8:30 Mon- day evening, Oct. 9, Lydia Men- delssohn Theatre, presenting a program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree. A pupil of Ben- ning Dexter, Mr. Pankotan will play compositions by Bach, Beet- hoven, Stravinsky, Schumann, and Chopin. Public invited. Exhibitions Museum of Art, Alumni Memor- ial Hall: Art Schools, U.S.A., 1949; through October 22. Weekdays 9- 5, Sundays 2-5. Public invited. Events Today Roger Williams Guild: 10 a.m., Bible Class: II Thessalonians. 6 p.m., Guild Supper and Discussion; Prof. Charles Brassfileld: "Does Science Cancel Religion?" Presbyterian Guild: 9 a.m., cof- fee and rolls. 9:30 a.m., Student Seminar in Religion. Topic: The New Testament Idea of Love. 1:30 p.m., CAPOS Presbytary meeting (College Age Presbytary of Synod). 6 p.m., supper. 7 p.m., program: "Set Aflame His Story"; speaker: John Bathgate. Congregational, Disciples and Evangelical and Reformed Guild: First Congregational Church, 6 p.m., dinner, followed by sound movie, Prejudice, and a brief wor- ship service. Michigan Christian Fellowship: 4:30 p.m., Lane Hall (Fireside Room). Rev. W. Douglas Roe Executive Secretary of the Mon- trose Bible Conference Association will speak on the subject: "Why Be a Christian?" Canterbury Club: 4 p.m. leave Canterbury House for a picnic on the Island. 9 a.m., Holy Commun- ion followed by student breakfast. Gamma Delta, Lutheran Stu- dent Club: Supper-program, 5:30 p.m. Speaker, Mr. James Zum- berge, "Concerning the Age of the Earth." Wesley Foundation: Seminar and breakfast, 9:30 a.m. Meet in the Pine Room. 5:30 p.m., Supper. 6:30 p.m., program. Subject: "Do You Believe in Military Prepared- ness." Discussion by student panel. Newman Club: First general meeting, 3 p.m. Chapel Clubrooms. Graduate Outing Club: Meet at 2:15 p.m., northwest corner of Rackham for paper chase followed by a picnic. Wear old clothes. All grads welcome. IZFA: First general meeting, 7:30 p.m., League. Talk by mem- bers who have returned from Is- rael. Inter-Arts Union: Meeting, 2 p.m., League. Interested persons welcome. U. of M. Hot Record Society: Election of officers and business meeting, League, 8 p.m. Everyone invited. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity: Meeting, 2 p.m., Rm. 3R, Union. Membes are urged to attend. Coming Events Economics Club: Open meeting, Mon., Oct. 9, 7:45 p.m., Rackham Amphitheater. Dr. Paul W. McCracken, Profes- sor of Business Conditions. "Eco- nomic Policies for a Warmer War." (Continued on Page ) ffir~ogau lai- Lr I DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN Fifty-Ninth Year Edited and managed by students CA the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Publications. Editorial Staff Jim Brown.........Managing Editor Paul Brentlinger.........City Editor Roma Lipsky....... Editorial Director Dave Thomas .......... Feature Editor Janet Watts ...... .. Associate Editor Nancy Bylan... .Associate Editor James Gregory ...... Associate Editor Bill Connolly..........Sports Editor Bob Sandell .. Associate Sports Editor Bill Brenton .. Associate Sports Editor Barbara Jans. ...Women's Editor Pat Brownson Associate Women's Editor Business Staff Bob Daniels ........ Business Manager Walter Shapero Assoc. Business Manager Paul Schaible .... Advertising Manager Bob Mersereau ...... Finance Manager Carl Breitkreitz .. Circulation Manager Telephone 23-24-1 Member of The Associated Press The Associated Press isexclusively 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 Past Office at Ann Arbor, Michigan. as second-class mail mater. Subscription during regular sokool year: by carrier, $6.00; by mail, $7.00. Looking Back 30 YEARS AGO A STUDEN editorial asked freshmen and second year students "of real loyalty" to be quick to comply with reasonable request of upper classmen. Huston Bros. advertised their Billiard Room as a; place where gambling, profanity and other undesirable elements were abso- lutely TABOO. 20 YEARS AGO BARNABY Presents? Surely you childr.eo | don't selfishly -xpec to get I 7 lflal rfrlh ie he hiIeI*in.cfs 1 "r ISS'Cr.ke.U John R.V. RP&L O~ M.O'Maley, you don't expect r On Fairy Godfathers Day) everybody GIVES things. I1 II