PAGE + LFOU3W THE MICHIGAN ODAILY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1950 U U Movies & Discrimination T E RECENT SHOWING of the movie "Steamboat 'Round the Bend" posed a problem as to the justification of its revival and- the critical reception that the film deserved. Produced some twenty yeargs ago, the movie brought back to the screen the common misuse of the Negro in motion pictures. It laughed at the Negro stereo- type and calmly accepted several realistic conditions of the race line of the South. The reason for the revival was to bring back the famous home-spun humorist, Will Rogers, an individual to whom the film did absolutely no justice either in plot or comedy. Today the motion picture industry has deemphasized the stereotype and in his place has presented a series of dramatic anti- discrimination films -- "Lost Boundaries," "Home of the Brave," "Pinky," and the latest addition to the list, "No Way Out." Each of these films served as a positive step in presenting the problem of the Negro in a white society. Yet, they failed to drive home their message. As the old films such as "Steamboat 'Round the Bend" were all one sided so are these present day produc- tions, but in the opposite direction. "No Way Out," wiheh was temporarily banned in Chicago, comes close to being great. Instead, it slips into speech making, the portrayalof all racists as degenerates, of all Negroes.as self-righteous. The pic- ture contains dramatic sequences that in our marginal society are unforgettable. yet in the movie the entire impetus of ant-Negro feeling comes from a psychotic crilinaf who uses the term "nigger" over od over again until you fail to hear it, and the word no longer evokes a response. The' musical-drama "The Barrier" which layed in Ann Arbor last spring failed for ha NOmxt reason. There were no shades of gray in, the characters. They were either whiteend rotten or Negro and good. The end result is that regardless of their M4istic intentions, the films and the play "Vitorials published' in The Michigan Daily *re written by members of The Daily staff sndrepresent the views of the writers only. &GHT EDITOR: CHUCK ELLIOTT dissolve into obvious, poor propaganda and as such are rejected. For movies to leave the race question alone, to ignore it, to say it doesn't exist, is naive. If there is one thing our country East and West, North and South--has in common it is discrimination against the Negro. In the South the discrimination is pur- sued on a viscious wholesale basis with one maxim, the Negro is not a human being. It is difficult to make someone who has not been south visualize the actual conditions under which white supremacy rules, con- ditions that have over the years taken from the southern Negro his self respect and his initiative. Discrimination in the North takes lesser,. milder paths such as the refusal of Ann Arbor barbers to cut a Negro's hair and restrictive swimming at Whitmore Lake. In combatting white supremacism most reformers forget one essential fact-that the majority of these people who speak and act so vehemently against the Negro are not the scum or the criminals of society. Nor are they ignorant. They come from all socio- economic classes and from all religions. They have desires and ambitions that are perfectly normal. But they dislike the Negro, even hate him, invariably fear him.. Their attitude stems from their environ- ment which they in turn will pass on to their children and perpetuate - unless a change in social conditions and thinking occurs. This change can be helped to be brought about through the educational use of movies, one of the most extensive mediums we possess. When the Negro, however, is stereo- typed as in "Steamboat 'Round the Bend" or in innumerable cartoons, the effect is negative. Though a picture like "No Way Out" is a positive factor it misses the gist of the problem by not realizing that the person who discriminates is not the outcast in society but rather the man next door, your very good neighbor and the city's leading citizen. The answer for the movie industry lies in a more realistic approach to the prob- lems of discrimination. By making people complex rather than extreme, by giving its message through actions not speeches, it can produce films that will convince the public of the drastic need for reform. -Leonard Greenbaum. THOMAS L. STOKES: Outspoken President WASHINGTON-However else Harry Tru- man goes down in history, he probably will hold some sort of record for salty and blunt language. His private remarks and person letters will form a much more inter- esting and spicy collection than his office papers. He strikes out, too, on all sides, at all sorts of characters, some in the "eminent" class, some almost in the folklore category, and at sainted institutions as, for example, the U.S. Marines. Some who resented very much his desig- nation of Jimmy Byrnes of South Carolina as "a miserable failure"-as reported by Jonathan Daniels in "The Man of Indepen- dence" and not denied by the President- will, on the other hand, be very pleased and chortle merrily over Mr. Truman's remark in another of his letters that has just come to light. In this one he wrote he would not appoint John L. Lewis "Dog-Catcher" which, if not very original, yet makes its point clearly. * * MANY PEOPLE have suggested privately, as did the writer of the letter to the President which brought this retort, that John Lewis would make a good ambassador to Russia, just the sort of a fellow who could talk up to Joe Stalin. They now have an answer as far as Harry Truman is con- cerned. He has had his run-ins with John L. and came off pretty well-much better, to hear Republicans tell it, than he has with the man he once called "good old Joe." The Lewis letter, if offered on the auc- tion block for some charity, probably would bring from some highly placed gentleman in our big industrial fraternity who has no reason to like John L. a much handsomer sum than the $2,500 which President Truman's letter about the Marines fetched. Anyone of a dozen or so might like to have that letter framed and hanging prominently in his office. In its tone of belittlement, the Lewis let- ter, though not near so original or expres- sive, recalls the remark President Theodore Roosevelt once made about a Supreme Court Justice-"An old fuddy-duddy with sweet- bread brains." Harry Truman perhaps comes the closest in his use of stout language to Teddy Roosevelt than does any other chief executive in our century. * * * OF ALL OUR Presidents, Mr. Truman more nearly approaches Andrew Jackson in the use of plain and bald expressions, both about men and issues, as he does also in some other ways. Although he has not yet rivaled 'the remark accredited to Old Hickory on his deathbed that he was sorry he hadn't shot Henry Clay and hanged John C. Calhoun. That is, as far as has become public in Mr. Truman's case. There may be a letter as strong some- where. For the John L. Lewis letter, writ- ten to Neal Bishop of Denver, a Colorado state senator and a Democrat, was dated May 5, 1949, and much time has passed since them-and before, as Mr. Truman has been President now over five years. There's some speculation around here as to what other letter about what other prominent figures still are "out," so to speak. The President just dashes these brusque notes off, himself, without benefit of secretarial assistance, advice, or an editor. These missives naturally stir up a lot of talk, and set off conjectures about their possible political effect, to which no answer will be attempted here other than to ob- serve that the American people do not seem to object a great deal to plain speaking, even from their President. * * * HIS CAMPAIGN speaking is littered with what the meticulous might call "corny" phrases and "worn-out" cliches-such as "special interests," "gluttons of privilege," "reactionaries," "standpatters," with "wall street" thrown in. But Jonathan Daniels advances a theory that this is effective on the ground that the President uses terms with which people have long been familiar and they know exactly what Harry Truman means. There may be something in that. Occasionally he gives his ghost writers and advisers the shivers when he does his own variations, as, for instance, after the use of "gluttons of privilege" in his printed text at the mammoth Dexter, Iowa, farm meeting in the 1948 campaign. Late that night, in a back-platform appearance from his special train, he leaped off to "blood-suckers of privilege" in an off-the-cuff speech. Harry Truman probably gets some of his plain-speaking from his late mother, who was pungent of expression and a strong partisan politically, as is her son. In a magazine article some time ago George Allen; an associate of the present occupant of the White House as of President Roose- velt, told about the first time he met President Truman's mother. The intro- duction by the President was prefaced by an explanation that the visitor, who is from Mississippi, was 12 years old before he saw a Republican. "He didn't miss much," was the quick re- tort from the little old lady, her eyes twinkl- ing. (Copyright 1950, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.) Looking Back "Open Wide" -w X11 A r (f --a- - - - ----- n- -No-s-"-- e --- t'4 TO THE EDITOR The Dally welcomes communications from its readers on matters of generalinterest, and will publish all letters whichsare signedby 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. Communists for quite different reasons. The Russians realize they would lose any future war involv- ing the atomic bomb, they have- n't the stockpile we have or the means of delivering the bomb in quantity. By exploiting the Stock- holm Peace Appeal, which brands the first country to use atomic weapons as the aggressor regard- less of who instigated the war, the Russians are attempting to draw a distinction between warfare and atomic warfare, the former style they feel they have a better chance at. They are trying to alienate the people of the world and citizens of the United States from supporting an atomic war against Russia. The Stockholm Peace Appeal, has been signed by 100,000,000 Russians, people who are at the present time supporting the North Korea breach of the peace and their slaughter of 25,000 South Korean political opponents. When will people realize that the Russians are playing for keeps and that to them foul is fair and fair is foul? Alfred B. Lang '52E * * * Freedom Crusade. To the Editor: LAST WEDNESDAY, the Stu- dent Legislature endorsed the Crusade for Freedom by a unani- mous vote. On October 10 and 11, Tuesday and Wednesday, we will conduct a drive to obtain signa- tures for the Crusade*forFreedom petitions. No one is demanding that every- one must sign these petitions. No one demanded that the SL endorse the Crusade for Freedom. The SL initiated the Crusade, and now, after much consideration has en- dorsed it. We feel that the Crus- ade could have a tremendous im- pact on the international situation. We feel that the University of Michigan students can play an im- portant part in the international picture. All we ask our fellow stu- dents to do is to consider signing the Crusade for Freedom petitions. We hope you do! a surgeon. The lesser breed uses a cutlass! -Arthur K. Buchbinder * * * Words, Words To the Editor: WOIDS, WOIDS AND more woids," said the American- Primitive Brooklinese, lets have a common understanding; just what WOID do youse chose?" Sometimes, in these high intel- lectual levels, on the upper-upper strata of hoodlumism known as "candidate", we get so damn en- grossed in the infinite-animal dif- ferences of an idea or an ideal that we forget all about the main issue. CRUSADE FOR PEACE or the STOCKHOLM PEACE SCROLL, what is the difference as long as politicians and war pro- fiteers keep their filthy signatures off the list. While people are dy- ing and suffering all over the world the ivy-covered halls filled with super-brain power, at best, offer a self centered, and consid- erably self conscious, intelligence quotient sheet to the world, as a solution. C'mon boys - IT IS a one world, forget the white collar, and that blue blood. BE HUMANI- TARIAN, less a republican, a com- munist, a democrat, a good-for- nothing but WOIDS! - Ed Anthony Reply to MacDougall... To the Editor: GORDON MacDougall's reason- ing, as expressed in his letter last Saturday supporting the Stockholm Peace Appeal, is typi- cal of one who is lost in the realm of unrealistic idealism and stupid- ity. We would like to remind Mac- Dougall that a few weeks before the invasion of South Korea, the North Korean government backed the Stockholm Peace Appeal and the petition was endorsed by the people. Three thousand American nen were killed by this "peace loving" Communist nation. Mr. and Mrs. Porter M. Kier, Grads. We Said It First 1 4 Ai' . VeHINGTON-- Last week it was reveal- ed that GOP congressman Walter Brehm of Millersport, Ohio, had been taking salary kickbacks from Mrs. Clara Soliday, a 70- year-old lady who worked in his office from J)to 1948. During that time Mrs Soliday kept $200 a month for herself and paid the balance of her government salary-around $300 a mojh-back to the congressman. This Is ilegal. NoW, additional and highly significant Facts have come to light which may make the congressman's violation of the law even more serious. The FBI, in investigating Mr. Brehm's kickback arrangement, talked to Ray Soli- day, son of Mrs. Soliday, who sometimes carried the kickback money to the congress- man. Because of the FBI investigation; con- gressman Brehm went to young Soliday and urged him to tell the FBI the same story he (Brehm) had told the FBI-namely, that he had paid the kickback money to the Re- publican Campaign Committee in the 11th congressional district of Ohio. 'Brehm also wanted Soliday to agree that the money kicked back amounted to only $1,200 during the three years his mother worked for him. Soliday refused. Actually the total amount kicked back In nearer $10,000. However, the amazing thing is the con- gressman's explanation that the money was_ contributed to the Republican committee in Ohio, because such a contribution is a viola- tion of the corrupt practices act. Money paid to a congressman for clerical hire is paid by the taxpayers to help him serve his constituents back home and oper- ate his office efficiently. It is not paid him for his personal use or to help out any cam- paign fund or party treasury. It will be interesting to see what, if any-, thing, the Justice Department does with this one. TRUMAN'S CRITIC Explanation which the White House inner circle has put out regarding the President's intemperate tirade against the Marine Corps is that he thought the many he was writing to-GOP congressman Gordon McDonough of California-was an old artillery comrade of World War I. However, the President, even now, prob- ably doesn't realize how badly he was mis- taken. This column, wanting to know in what artillery unit congressman McDonough served, telephoned the Congressman's of- fice. In his congressional biography, Mc- artillery unit in which the congressman him- self served." The secretary still ducked the question, still wanted to talk about the congressman's children. Later in the day and after repeated calls to the office of the Republican gentleman from California, it became apparent why his office was ducking. The congressman, though raising cain with Truman and though of the right military age in World War I, simply did not serve. He was busy, his office explained, working in a war plant. ECONOMY VS. WOUNDED Behind the announcement that three army hospitals, closed last June 30, would now be reopened, is an amazing story of how the Defense department and its ousted boss, Louis Johnson, "economized" on the medical care of Korean war casualties. The House Armed Services committee has hushed it up, for fear of shocking the public. However, here are some of the grim facts: While the Navy and Marine Corps medi- cal program is in good shape, the army has only 15,500 hospital beds in the United States available for its Korean war wounded. This is barely enough to take care of the more critically wounded soldiers, or "spec- ialty" cases-amputees and others who are so badly shot up that they will never be able to return to combat. Meanwhile, General MacArthur has in- formed the Defense Department that hos- pital bed requirements (in the United States) for wounded army evacuees of all categories will reach 19,281 by October - -almost 4,0'00 more than now available. MacArthur has further estimated that army casualties requiring hospitalization in the United States may exceed 35,000 by De- cember 1-or more than double the number of beds available in U.S. army hospital at the present time. STUBBORN ECONOMIZER This shortage wouldn't exist but for the fact that ex-Secretary Johnson arbitarily ordered the closing of three army hospitals on June 30-five days after the Korean war started. The hospitals affected were Percy Jones General of Battle Creek, Mich.; Murphy General of Waltham, Mass.; and the Valley Forge General at Phoenixville, Pa., the same three now being reopened. A fourth, Oliver General of Augusta, Ga., was technically closed by Johnson, though turned over to the Veterans Administration. As late as August 1, when it was apparent that the army's hospital beds would run be- 1mi ,..., mi~Vir0 ?'VV~c n~r v +0 tav Franki. Christensen Back ... To the Editor: I AGREE w'ith Mr. Hoffmyer that there is wiore to football than the winning or losing of games. That is why I voice my opinion of the leadership of our winning team. If insippropriate, my sin is in saying publicly what many others are saying privately. Last night an old "M" man who doesn't know my name whispered to me, "You know, Bennie just hasn't got the old zip." The crux of the matter is that if a team is unprepared mentally, it can be charged against the coach. If a team displays leader- ship one year and not the next, then one cam look beyond the coach. After the Minnesota game, the Michigan rooters stood under the press box and yelled "We Want Devine." Peitaps they were more thin-skinned than the players but I doubt it. B. S. Brown has re- ported the atmosphere of the dressing-roam after the North- western game. There is no indi- cation that Oosterbaan had any- thing to do with firing them up for Minnescta in his account. I hear that Ftennie stood bemused between the halves of the State game giving no encouragement to the team. With due acknowledgment to Ortmann, Kceski, et al, I believe that the Crisler trained men were the difference in 1948. Ortmann has been forced out of parts of 4 or 5 games before this year and no great absolute reliance should have been placed on his ability to remain in the game. It might shock Mr. Kyle to know that Mfichigan lost 22 out of 32 football games in 1934-37 and I saw quite a few of them in- cluding successive 40-0 and 38-0 scores. Michigan tacklers then were missing shots at opposing runners in much the same man- ner as they missed Jesse Thomas on the punt return leading to the late score. - Ralph L. Christensen * * * New Enary..- To the Editor: B. S. BROWN's reply, to Ralph Christensen in Wednesday's Daily was very nice, and must have been the proper etiquette for a former contributor to the Daily's sport page. But aside from these questionable attributes I find nothing of Value in the letter. Mr. Brown uses Coach Ooster- baan's won and lost record as a main point in his defense of Ben- nie's prowess as head football man since 1948. To me, this record shows something entirely differ- ent. In 194; Oosterbaan of Michi- gan was coach of the year, and the Wolvearines were national champions. All this happened after losses by graduation, including our All-Americam left half, and a bad break in ait eligibility ruling on Bump Elliot. Nevertheless, Michi- gan football. fans had the pleasure of watching their team use what had nationally come to be known as the "Dichigan system," and that phrase became synonymous with " a single wing and a full spinning fullback." There wasn't a single man remaining from the magician backfield of '47, but there was a Crisler trained spinner by the name of Tom Peterson, and with this nucleus we saw the same brand of ball that we had seen the year before. Oosterbaan was very lucky that he had two Weber trained Sophs that took over his tailback and wingback spots, and were able to work with Pete Elliott and Peterson. In other words, the '48 team was just about handed down in a nice little package. Then came '49 and we saw an entirely different type of football. Why Tommy Petersen sat on the bench is an unanswered question, but a hard and fast Soph took >ver the position. It became apparent from the first game that Dufek could not spin, and Michigan football fans stopped losing the ball after it left the center's legs. Thus with three starters from the '48 back- field and plenty of line material Oosterbaan could do nothing more than have a team that had to play over their heads to beat Minne- sota. Now in '50 we still have great potential, but a football team that plays like they were in a nick-up game, compared to the smooth working elevens we had just a few years back. Who's fault is that? Of course spinners just don't come along when you need them, and it's possible that for the last two years Bennie just couldn't find one. But why then didn't he take advantage of the material that he had? There are few who will deny that a "T" backfield of Ortmann at quarter, Petersen and Koceski at halves, and Dufek at full would be a great combination. But we would have to give up the Michi- gan system some will say, but so what, the little use it was put to against State isn't worth having it around. Mr. Brown's only other plausible argument is that our athletic di- rector knows coaching and will see to it that we have a full stadium. But it isn't that easy to get rid of a coach. Look at the trouble they had doing it at the University of Wisconsin. Anyway let's hope that it doesn't take that long here. We can't say "Good Bye Bennie" for that would be copying our Madison friends, but I don't think "HELLO FRITZ" sounds too bad. -Richard Elconin Freedom Crusade *. * To the Editor: AT THE last meeting of the SL, the sponsorship of two current petitions were discussed. It was decided that the Student Legis- lature would back and support the Crusade for Freedom petition in preference to the Stockholm Peace Appeal. It was interesting to note that this decision was only reach- ed after a rather lengthy discus- sion. To realize the significance of the debate one must examine the motivation between these two separate attempts to restore peace to this troubled world. The Crusade for Freedom was designed as a contra propaganda measure, attempting to nullify and detract attention from the Stockholm Peace Appeal by giv- ing the pacifists something to sign that was of American origin and more in line with American ideals. The Stockholm petition, on the other hand, was instigated by the George Roumell President of * * * Time & Space .,. To the Editor: I WOULD be grateful if one of your readers could tell me if I am suffering from a problem that has already been solved. My sense of reason is baffled by the thought that time and space can neither be finite nor infinite. I wouldn't have too much trouble accepting the idea that within a puny universe of trillions of light years, time and space. are relative, interwoven, circular, or observable from planes beyond my compre- hension. When all is said and done, doesn't thiscrelativityrequire a setting, which it is difficult to ac- cept as either infinite or finite. Is my problem simply lack of education? Does a comforting hy- pothesis exist, or does science ad- mit bafflement? -John Thomas * * * Amendment , To the Editor: IN RESPECT TO your coverage of_ Thursday's meeting of the Council of Arts, Sciences, and Pro- fessions, I would like to point out what I believe to be a rather im- portant omission. I understand, of course, the difficulties involved in finding space for reports turned in late in the evening. I am not cri- ticizing. Still, I would like to in- dicate to your readers the impli- cations as well as the substance of the missing datum. The Michigan Anti-Subversive amendment which the council will try to help defeat states in part, "Subversion is . . . a crime against the state and punishable by any penalty provided by law." This was recorded in your columns. What wasn't printed, however, was that part of the amendment which states that the rights of free speech and press shall be denied to all those charged with subversion. The proposed amendment makes no bones about it. Any person who is charged with "subversion" by a governmental board cannot avail himself of the basic civil rights granted him in the Constitution. And what is more, when this amendment appears on the ballot on November seventh, it will not be quoted verbatim - but, rather, referred to by paragraph and number. The people will only know the meaning of the amend- ment if they ferret out the min- utes of the legislature which pro- posed the statute. It seems that our state congress- men are more heavyhanded than their big brothers in Washington who helped produce the Mundt- Ferguson-McCarran Act. The sen- ior politicians could teach our small-fry a few lessons in legal double-talk. These gentlemen can cut the heart out of the Constitu- tion with the refinery and skill of IN A HELPFUL, if not ovexly modest mood, the Chicago Daily News has rushed to clear up a certain fuzziness in a recent News- week advertisement. That ad said that "someone" had labeled the Korean fighting World War 11%. "The someone," said the Chicago Daily News, "was the Chicago Daily News, and the label appeared over an editorial on Sept. 1 . . Students of the language often spend a lot of time and effort try- ing to run down the origin of striking phrases. They needn't lose any sleep over this one. In this case the inventor is fully iden- tified." Now it's always pleasant to have momentous things like this com- pletely settled, and we'd feel down- right grateful to the Daily News if it weren't for one little thing. The little thing is that Holmes Alexander, columnist in The Star- Times, called the war in Korea World War II% in a column that appeared July 3. That gives him a clear two-month head start on the Daily News. -St. Louis Star-Times. . Jr. SL .1 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 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 Staf 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 isexciusively 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 schooi year: by carrier, $6.00; by mail, $7.00. I i,'. I I -----"-- BARNABY There are a lot of old traditions about this holiday I am about to originate. On Fairy GodfIcthers Day Eve, gifts are left outside .iL L . _ aJ - - r_ ..__!L _ L. _[- I J__. r. iii '1 -_ 1 Anything you want to give. It's the spirit of the thins, not the present itself. A box of dlear Havanas, or an R*"0 "The " di a 1".Iu~ Why, you get the joy of giving! You get a SPLENDID reward!