THURSDAY, MARCU 22, 1951 FOUa THE MICHIGAN DAILY I ________________________________________________________________________________ I I Aris Festival THIS WEEKEND student creative art will get its annual boost from the Inter-Arts Union Festival. Student poetry, musical compositions, opera, ballet, modern dance and art will be included in the four Festival programs opening tomorrow and ending Sun- dIay night. Since its inception in 1949 the Festival has been the highpoint in IAU's encour- agement of such creative work on campus. It has given a practical answer to the serious need of expression without which student efforts have little meaning and serve little purpose. Just as imporatant as the actual presenta- tion is the scheduling of forums and dis- cussion groups to provide criticism and evaluation of the student works. Though, as in any student endeavor, oc- cassional faults occur both in the quality of the works presented and in the manner of scheduling, the overall effect is indisputedly one of progress and benefit for both the young artists and the campus. The fact that the Arts Festival con- siders criticism an important part of the program (this year a forum evaluating the entire Festival has been scheduled) is proof of the constructive direction in which it aims. A perusal of the Festival program marks it as one of the better educational and en- tertainment offerings of the semester. The support of a responsive student body is the only thing needed to make the Festival a complete success. --Leonard Greenbaum. Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by mernbers of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. NIGHT EDITOR: CHUCK ELLIOTT .t "We'll Give You Some More When You Need It" tion before being shipped to Cdih'op4 7kte r i A THE HUE AND CRY aroused by the Willie McGee case here on campus has sim- mered down to little more than an occasional bubble. Aside from a handful of conscientious citizens, the majority of the students have settled back to their parties and books-- forgetting that a man is still condemned to die in Mississippi. The Committee to Save McGee is to be commended for its prompt and vigorous ac- tion to combat another evidence of the double standard of-justice which exists in tho South-a standard by which Negroes are hanged for committing crimes for which no white man has ever died. We might, however, criticize the commit- tee's willing and open-armed embracement of the Civil Rights Congress-a group whose goals and purposes are at least open to sus- pect. And by adopting the Congress' tactics, the local Committee to Save McGee actually defeated the very purpose which they had hoped to accomplish. Instead of winning new support for the cause of civil rights, the committee actually embittered many stu- dents who otherwise would have been more than willing to lend their voice in the fight to save McGee. An interesting commentary on this aspect of the problem-and on the entireMcGee case-was submitted to me (at my request) by Mr. Albin Krebs, editor of "The Mississip- pian," student newspaper at the University of Mississippi. His letter is more than suffi- cient evidence that he is not the "typical" white-robed Southerner pictured in the minds of many Northerners. To Mr. Krebs goes my whole-hearted support and a rous- ing cheer. * * Dear Mr. Brown: T AM A SOUTHERNER by birth-my family settled a Gulf Coast hamlet 240 years ago and we've been there ever since. I am not a traditional Southerner, however. I believe that Negroes are entitled to civil equality. I am giving you background, because I think it is important in any evaluation I might make of the McGee case. Let me introduce myself farther: On October 27 I wrote an editorial advocating the admis- sion of Negroes into Mississippi Graduate schools. The editorial got nation-wide pub- licity, when three days-nights, really- after it appeared, a mob of students burned a cross under my window in protest of my sentiments. I am, then, a Southerner who loves his country, his region, and wants to see it-the country and the region, which are one, really-advance. And so I stuck by my opinions, despite the fact thatI had to walk rather foolishly, perhaps bravely, through a mob of cross-burners, that there were attacks, written and spoken, upon the body, almost, and certainly upon the human spirit. But it was worth it, be- I MUSIC T HOSE WHO were fortunate enough to attend last night's concert at Hill Audi- torium were rewarded with some very fine music. The program consisted of Haydn's "Seven Last Words of Christ" and Beethov- en's "Ninth" Symphony performed by the University Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Wayne Dunlap. The University Choir sang the "Chorale" movement of the "Ninth." Haydn's "Seven Last Words of Christ" was first published in 1801 and reveals the deep influence 'that religion had on him towards the end of his life. (He had just completed "The Creation" a few years earlier.) The gaiety and light-heartedness of the earlier Haydn are missing in this work. The agony and torture of Christ are very well portrayed, especially in the last inter- lude which opens with a pizzicato passage by the second violins which was probably meant to symbolize Christ's words of "I thirst." The tension increases indicating the growing agony of Christ with the constant return of the pizzicato theme. Mr. Dunlap led the orchestra in a very beautiful and ma- ture performance of this work. The magnificent "Ninth" Symphony of Beethoven closed the program. This was un- doubtedly one of the very few all-college performances of this work. The orchestra and choir are therefore to be highly com- mended for attempting this extremely dif- ficult work. The extremely intricate and varying rhythms of this piece were generally very capably handled 65y Mr. Dunlap and the orchestra, This reviewer thought, however, that Mr. Dunlap tended to be too restrained, especially in the third movement. Here was a passionately yearning Beethoven, a wist- ful melancholy Beethoven. One could almost hear Beethoven himself singing out to the world the/,full import of his mixed feelings. In the final movement, the baritone commands, "0 friends, no more these dis- ords! Let us raise a song of sympathy, of gladness. O Joy, let us praise Thee!" This is the moment for which the entire work was striving. The choir, singing in Eng. lish, performed an almost impossible task very admirably. They were contsantly in tune, a feat in itself, and imparted all the joy and exhileration which Beethoven in- tended. The Quartet blended with the orchestra and choir very well. Miss Raves- loot, the soprano, deserves secial mention for her very fine voice in the solo pas- sages. One of the largest audiences of the year at Hill Auditorium gave the orchestra, con- ductor, choir and soloists a long standing ovation. -Bob Kapell 'Soak the Rich' It has finally happened. The "soak the rich" policy has come to an end and from now on the big burden of taxes is going to fall more and more heavily upon the small income people. This was inevitable once we began to have a New Deal and a welfare state, and a government which sought to supplant the rights of the individual and to make him into a spineless specimen depen- dent pon the state for a greater and great- er sh.re in a very dubious security. The fact cause I found out that the number of people in my state, the South, who want justice are legion, and that they are work- ing for justice in their own way, despite the fact that their way is slow. They are human beings, thugh, and their an- cestors were the vanquished in *he Civil War. The vanquished cannot forget as easily as the victors. The Willie McGee case is a complex affair, one that is practically a closed issue in Mississippi. The man had what most people think was a succession of fair trials. The Supreme Court backed up the Mississippi courts, in spirit, if iiot in actuality. The people, like myself, who feel that McGee is perhaps innocent, are deeply resentful of the methods used by militant groups such as the Civil Rights Congress, which is listed by the Justice department as a Red-front organiza- tion. We feel that such hell's-fire-and- damnation rallies as the one on the Michigan campus are Northern versions of Klan meet- ings. People who use such means of getting the sympathy of emotional people are no more to be trusted or respected than the Mississippi redneck who fires up his ignorant brother against a minority, by playing upon his heartstrings and his fears. The violently cixiecrat press in the state, particularly an influential newspaper in Jackson, has used the fact that the Civil Rights Congress came to Mississippi last summer and tried to stir up trouble by high- pressure methods, to point out that the whole affair is a "Truman plot." (Right now I should point out that I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a dixiecrat. Rather, I am a Democrat who'd like to see the party in the hands of a man a little more competent than the President. Even so, I believe in backing up the present leadership of the Democratic party and this country in times so uncertain as these.) It is unfortunate that the Jackson Daily News has so much influence. It is also un- fortunate that many Mississippians who wanted to help McGee lost interest in doing so because the Civil Rights Congress rigged attacks upon its leaders for their own not too honorable purposes. (One of them called the desk at his hotel, said he had been beaten up, demanded that the following be sent up to his room, in this order: 1-a photographer, 2-his press agent, 3-reporters from the lo- cal papers, 4--the doctor! He was unable to give a description of any of his attackers, it seems, and there is some doubt as to whether there were any attackers at all.) * * * I WONDER if Willie McGee is innocent. If he is, I want nothing more than to see him go free. I wish there were something we could do to save him from the death penalty, for it is true that the Mississippi law that provides the death penalty for rape is seldom if ever applied in the case of a whiteman accused of aslault. The fact that McGee's skin is black no doubt had something to do with the sentence he received; this is a fundamental injustice. Neither McGee nor the woman who brought charges against him seem to be bastions of society; it is too bad that only one of them must suffer for what happened. I am happy that Justice Hugo Black granted a stay of execution, but like him, I am sorry that such pressure methods as avalanches of mail from persons incited in mobs were used to get it. One might argue along the line of the ends justifying the means, but I wonder if, in the long run, the means used here might not serve to hurt Willie McGee, rather than aid him. I have read The Daily carefully in the past year, especially your editorials and letters on the McGee case. I think your idea of pub- lishing the varying opinions of several editorial writers an excellent one; the case is one that cannot be summed up by one person, with one opinion. I was grieved to note that at the mass meeting up there, a man who had something constructive to say-William Lynch, by name-could not quite voice his opinion as it should have been voiced because persons of a mob-like spirit used the fact of his last name-Lynch-so unfairly. I was saddened when I read the letters of persons who repeatedly said "there is no justice in Mississippi," or words to that effect, for it is true that often a man of dark skin cannot get justice in this state. I won- der if all Negroes, all whitemen, get com- plete justice in Michigan, especially in De- troit. ** '* BY THESE REMARKS I am not trying to excuse Mississippi justice; injustice any- where of any sort cannot be shrugged off. Many of us down here want to further the cause of justice and we are doing what we can, at the expense of loss of friends, of jobs (a motion to kick me out as editor of this paper was defeated 43 to 21 in the Student Senate, when the reaction to my editorial became so violent), or personal happiness. Again, I think that these losses are worth what they might gain. We will continue in our fight for justice, for the dignity of the individual, for human rights. Is the case of Willie McGee the proper one to wage a campaign for justice around? I sincerely wish it were. Too many courts, too mant frias too many years have served to gab. C ',.u7 ,91 Yr i ~ J( N ON *fo + XetePd 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. f CURRENT MOVE III I I i, i AtI, The Michigan.. THE 13th LETTER, with Charles Boyer, Lina Darnell, and a Quebec French-Ca- nadian community, DON'T KNOW WHY this had to be the 13th letter rather than the 12th or 14th. No one really counted the letters as they wafted down from church balconies or were slipped under doors causing mild conster- nation among unrighteous citizens. As the first 10 feet of film whip it up, someone is writing "poison-pen" letters about an old doctors young wife's supposed affair with a young doctor A severe case of cinemacomplications sets in. The film does not recover. This is just another of the adequately- entertaining formula movies that Hollywood manufactures all too consistently It con- tains elements of melodrama, mystery, love, maternal affection, but none to a signifi- cant or striking degree. It throws in a couple of standard dependables in Boyer and Dar- nell, and adds a few minor names. An au- thentic background community is supplied although the plot makes absolutely no use of it. This kind of movie will be made be- cause they are passively accepted by the- atre-goers. And don't think that because Boyer is nearing the Berry Fitzgerald category re- lief is in sight. Others will fill the depleting ranks. -Craig Wilson LookingBack 25 YEARS AGO: CLARENCE DARROW, "criminal lawyer who a year ago became nationally fa- mous in the Scopes' trial"' blasted the League of Nations in a debate with Prof. M. O. Hudson of Harvard, at Hill Auditor- ium. 20 YEARS AGO: Criticism e.*. To the Editor: TN DEFENDING himself against counter critics Mr. Gross has set up a strong man to knock down. He has made himself the paladin of independent criticism in art, which few contributors to The Daily have sought to destroy. A letter of mine appearing in the paper some weeks ago cited a number of well-known periodicals recognizing the accomplishment of the Budapest String Quartet. This was not designed to force Mr. Gros to conform to public opinion but rather to take a slap at one offensively indulgent and con- descending remark which he made. There was no effort here or in the letters of others I have seen to liquidate f u r t h e r independent criticism from the reviewer but simple irritation because he caste doubt upon the very competence of noted performers as well as up- on technique or interpretation. It takes considerable impudence in anyone to suggest that reference to leading New York and London periodicals is like reference to Aristotle. Actually many of them have columns of musical criticism as dynamic and independent as The Daily's. Men like Olin Downes, Virgil Thomson, Bernard Haggin, and Irving Kolodin are not the scholastic fathers of a formalistic and rigid musical taste. Your read- ers may turn to them without fear of obsequious flattery... . To my mind Mr. Gross is right in saying that a critic's duty is to communicate his impressions hon- estly, but the practical duty of a general, daily newspaper is to find a critic who will be the trusted, if not kowtowing, guide of a maxi- mum number of those wanting ad- vice. It cannot properly use the services of someone who is out of touch with the musical tastes of its interested readers. The place for such a complete independent and dissenter is with a periodical having a more selected clientele. -Brenton Smith. . * Criticism . a To the Editor: DON'T "kill the dog" just because "he's a reviewer." In fact, don't kill him at all; just kill his column. Furthermore, Harvey Gross is neither a "dog" nor a "reviewer" (see, Harvey, I don't fit in with Argument No. 5). Harvey Gross' defense of the in- defensible was a flagrant violation of the critics' (real honest-to- goodness critics, that is) cdde of ethics and an insult to the intelli- gence of any person having an IQ rating of 75 or better. If we are to accept what Mr. Gross said in his ridiculous attempt to justify his Heifetz criticism, it would be nec- assary to accept the following principles: 1. Do NOT read the New York Times, London Times, or Phila- delphia Inquirer for intelligent music criticism; instead read The Michigan Daily or consult with one Harvey Gross. 2. Don't applaud in Hill Audi- torium; instead hiss and' boo the performers. 3. M. K. Rasnick and the authors of other letters complaining about Mr. Gross' stpuid attack on Hei- fetz are anti-intellectual and in- American (are we Communists too Mr. Gross?). 4. "Unsophisticated and humble" music lovers are also anti-intellec- tual. (By the way, what does "anti- intellectual" mean? - But Mr. Gross, can we accept Webster's Collegiate Dictionary or must we consult The Daily?) 5. Keats died of consumption. (Apparently he consumed too much of the poison of the Black- wood reviewers and didn't take enough of Gross' antidote.) Mr. Gross' Six Arguments can't be rated with Wilson's Fourteen Points, but they rate high in com- parison with the "wisdom" pro- mulgated by many other Daily "critics" whom Roma Lipsky so valiantly tried to defend. -M. K. Rasnick '51. * * * SAC Motion . . To the Editor: I WOULD LIKE TO congratulate the Student Affairs Commit- tee and the Student Legislature for taking a forward step in fra- ternity affairs. Since the IFC refused to take a step which was almost demand- ed of them, the SAC could do nothing else but pass this regula- tion. Many fraternity men may re- sent this inroad into their own "private affairs," but the time has come for men to realize that these "private affairs" have become the considerations of every student at the University. Having been affiliated with a campus social fraternity for three years, and being here at Harvard, a school which has no fraternities, I fervently believe that the social fraternity has a definite place on the carrpus. But IFC must realize that the principle of equals-regardless of color or creed-is further ingrain- ed into the mores of this country than these vicious discriminatory clauses. SL has further consoli- dated its position on campus, and everyone cannot help but benefit from their decision. It is indeed gratifying to hear such good news from Michigan, and our fine reputation that ex- tends even into this '"cradle of knowledge" will surely be enhan- ced by such a forthright action. --Murray P. Greenblatt, '50BAd. *% * 3 * Student Draft . . . To the Editor: T HAVE worked up a head of steam over a letter written by one Mr. Stan Challis USAFR ap- pearing in today's Daily, and I am going to let off this steam at the expense of stepping on his toes. If I am wrong in the assumption that I am forced to make, I trust that you will forgive me. Just who are you 1 r. Challis (you did not make this clear in your letter) to be so patriotic for the rest of- us? I assume that since you are reading the Michi- gan Daily that you must be going to school here. Possibly you are in the ROTC or maybe on this special Airforce program. At any rate I assume that you are as- sured of completing your educa- Korea. If this be the case, and I4 am forced to assume so, it is easy for you to dare to talk as boldly1 as you have. Before you have license to speak in such a man- ner, you had better drop out of school and request active duty and specifically ask to be earmarked for Kore~a. Remember the old adage, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?" Apply this to yourself in this sit- uation. Sure, pull every college student out of school and give him a uni- form and a gun; and if any are not given the beckoning finger by Uncle Sam, put them under social pressure that it is their social ob- ligation to join the military serv- ice . . . If all present college stu- dents were yanked at this time and put into uniform, think of how much the V-12 and other ROTC programs would have to be expanded, for qualified high school graduates, to get the re- quired number of officers. Think of the time and money that would be wasted in such a policy. Would it not be more economical ad Metter sense to allow these quali- fied ones who have had a good share of their training already to complete their training before going into service? I am .ure it would. I know that I would be a greater asset to my country if I were allowed to finish my senior year. Iyhope that the Na- val Reserve Board realizes this also. -Marvin E. Trim '52E Democratic Appeal ... To the Editor: THE CONSTITUTION of our United States should be the absolute determinant for the con- duct of our individual lives. It ensures the freedoms that we cherish, of our right to worship unto God as we choose; of our rights to engage in the American ways of living that we all are so justly proud. The Constitution is a flexible mechanism. It has been amended in the past just as it will be amended in the future to fit the-needs of our people. Grant- ed, at times, the process of gov- ernment may seem unduly slow But where else in the world does an individual have so com- pletely direct access to appeal to the highest source of government, if that individual be afflicted wit a grievance or an alleged wrong? It is with great consternation that I view articles that relate to forms of mass hysteria, or at- tempts on the behalf of individuals to deviate from the channel of appeal that our Constitution guar- antees. I firmly believe in my Country's Constitution because I believe in my Country. Nothing can deter me from that belief, most cer- tainly, not individuals who shun direct democratic appeal; in fa- vor of hysterical mass appeal; which in itself constitutes appea without direction. The accom- plishments of our government un- der our Constitution, which we the people endorse, are many and nfuch more powerful than the im- pact of mere words to describe them. The accomplishments of people who attempt to undermime our legal processes or our way of life are totally lacking and evoke nothing but despicable hatred and contempt. There is no room in America for any individual or any individual group which transpires to flout or ridicule our Constitution; or our way of life. If an individual has a grievance then let that person face the issue squarely and ap- peal it with democratic machinery provided for that express purpose Z should rather, have the person- al fortitude to advance my own cause under our system of demo- cratic government . . . and lose . . . than to have my cause ad- vanced in the interest of mass hysterical action; which in m. opinion, at best, incites only ulti- mate defeat for all concerned. -Clarence H. Baxter, Jr. * * * dom-loving" giant fails to muster enough strength to prevent a mis- carriage of justice within its own bowels? I am happy to say that my faith in the American people has now been indelibly confirmed-I have at this moment received the won- derful news thatsWillie McGee has beers granted a stay of execution. My first reaction to the news was to revise or not to mail this letter for fear of being redundant or anticlimactic. However, I do be- lieve it would be well for all of us to keep this experience in mind whenever democracy and freedom are endangered. I think the six members of the McGee family are thankful for the modicum of help we've extended to them. "Democracy is that form of society, no matter what its politi- cal classification, in which every man has a chance and knows that he has it."-James Russell Lowell. -Sherwin H. Cooper Mee Case* To the Editor: DURING the past week tere has been much adverse criticism concerning the propensity of-many of us in the Law School to "con- fuse" and "harass" the issue of the McGee Case by the use of "legal technicalities." It ys widely felt-- I believe honestly, however errone- ously-that the law as we saw it would block action In saving Mr. McGee's life, that the true course was to flood President Truman, the Supreme Court, and Governor Wright of Mississippi with protest- ing communiques. Now Mr. McGee has been grant- ed a temporary stay of execution. Without surprise we may note that this stay is the direct resuit of a legal "technicality": application for a writ of habeas corpus (grounds: lack of equal protection in the death penalty) in the United States District Court, the adverse rulings on which have now been brought to the United States Supreme Court; the flood of tele- grams did not cause the ruling ... I am in full accord with any de- sire to promote justice. But in this desire we need not throw up our hands in despair over the Amer-. can system of law. True, it must admit to faults; but it has, through hundreds of years of turmoil, be- come the best of all existence sys- tems. It has, in this case, once again conclusively demonstrated its ability to come to grips with, an ever-recurrent problem. Whatever the final result of the present pro- ceedings, we may be assured that Mr. McGee had the protection of the greatest system for justice ever' devised. If we would further im- prove it, we must improve men's minds: for it is in the prejudice of the mind that the major faults of the system lie. I do not believe those faults can be eradicated by misdirection. If we cannot defend our position by truth, it is inde- fensible. --William Lynch, '52L f 0 e 'j tAtr4~ zt j ,; . i t McGee Case " r To the Editor: "FREEDOM IS everybody's bus- iness" has been a popular ra- dio slogan in recent weeks. That a substantial segment of our stu- dent body considers freedom its business has been hearteningly demonstrated in the tremendous activity on campus evolving from the Willie McGee case. At two meetings to date, people of almost startlingly diverse beliefs and backgrounds, assembled to hear and to air views on a case for freedom with far-reaching effects. America has presented itself with the role of "vanguard of de- mocracy," but how can it success- fully tackle a world situation in- volving millions or even billions of human beings (teaching its professed ideology) if this "free- Sixty-First 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 Brentlingerr.........City Editor Roma Lipsky ........ Editoriai Director Dave Thomas...........Feature Editor Janet Watts.........Associate Editor Nancy Bylan.. Associate Editor James Gregory ........ Associate #itor Bili 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 ?..'anager Walter Shapero Assoc. 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