THE MICHIGAN DAILY

TUEh~SDAY, MARCH 27, 1951



College Deferment

A SHORT TIME ago, Selective Service Di-
rector Lewis B. Hershey submitted to
Mobilization Director Charles E. Wilson a
proposal that would give draft deferments
to scholastically superior high school and-
college students. Because of a strong need
for some sort of deferment-for-college pro-
gram, the plan has merit. But close exami-
nation of the actual provisions of the college
deferment proposal lead to the conclusion
that the Hershey proposal is quite unsound.
The proposal, known as the Trytten Plan,
contains three main points:
1. High school graduates and first, second,
and third year college students would be
deferred only upon demonstrating ability
to pass a "general educational aptitude test"
with a score of 70 or above. -
2. College freshmen in the tipper half of
their class and sophomores in the upper two-
thirds of their class would be deferred for
a year. In addition, juniors in the upper
three-fourths of their class would be allowed
to continue until graduation.
3. Deferred students would be pern tted to
take any programof study they wish so long
,as they are enrolled in an "accredited"
four-year college or university as a full-time
student.
The first weaknessesr the Trytten Plan
is the question of what constitutes "gen-
eral educational aptitude." A noted so-
cial psychologist, Prof. Robert C. Myers,
speaks of "general education aptitude" in
a test as "whatever is measured by a test
that someone has put together." Prof.
Myers states further' that "you could get
a high score on one test and a low one on
another depending upon what items hap-
pened to be in each test."
Such a test is not the same as an intelli-
gence test but would attempt to predict suc-
Fjitor'ials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
N
NIGHT EDITOR: BOB VAUGHN

cess in college on the basis of past scholastic
training.
The tests are based on the type of scho-
lastic training that students in Eastern pri-
Since wide difference exists in high school
curriculum and training throughout the
country, students in these private schools
would have an advantage over many public
school students in getting a draft deferment
based on results of the test.
The Trytten plan is also weak when we
cpnsider the extent to which the "education-
al aptitude" test would be equally predicative
of success for students already in college.
For example, would the test be as fair to
students majoring in physics as to those
majoring in dairy husbandry.
The provision for deferment on the basis
of high grades is useless as to whether this
refers to the upper half of the freshman
class of the entire school or college, or only
to the upper half of those students on a
particular curriculum. Would pre-meds be
compared to other pre-meds in their fresh-
man class or to all students in the freshman
class of a particular college? It makes quite
a difference.
But the most unfortunate aspect of the
plan to defer college students with high
grades is that in effect it would make col-
lege instructors draft deferment officials.
And students might attempt to keep 'their
grades up by just seeking the easiest curri-
culm or perhaps the easiest college.
A final weakness in the Trytten Plan is
that while it provides for the deferment
of full-time students attending "accredit-
ed" four-year colleges and universities, it
makes no provision for students attending
one, two and three year technical and
trade schools. Thus a philosophy major
might be deferred ahead of a radar-tele-
vision technical student attending a trade
school. For effective national security the
situation actually should be the other way
around.
Since many of the Trytten Plan's pro-
visions are unsound and could give rise to
difficulties and unfortunate situations, it
should be rejected and a more equitable so-
lution found.
-Clancy Borns

1

M ATTE7 P

0OrF FACT

By JOSEPH ALSOP

:i

NERVE WAR OFFtNSIVE
BERLIN-The shape of things to come, at
least for the months immediately ahead,
is foreshadowed by two massive facts. The
first fact is simply the power of the six So-
viet armies In East Germany. These are
now moving, nearly a fortnight earlier than
usual, to their maneuver areas close to the
zonal border. There they will remain all
summer, a permanent, open threat to all of
Western Europe.
The second fact is more complex. No
one can say whether the Kremlin is even
considering using these armies this sum-
mer in the way that armies are normally
used. The probabilities are.certainly quite
heavily against such an act of madness.
But there is no doubt at all that the Krem-
lin has already begun to use these armies
in quite another way, as powerful wea-
pons in an offensive in the war of nerves,
aimed to disrupt the Western alliance and
prevent the rebuilding of the defenses of
the West.
This war of nerves offensive thus far
takes the crude form of having Soviet and
satellite diplomats and officials whisper
"confidential" warnings into appropriate
ears, for transmission to Paris, London
and other capitals. President Petitpierre of
Switzerland and several other European
neutrals have been used as channels for
these warnings, that the Soviet armies in
East Germany may really attack-that the

Kremlin really will not "tolerate" any West
German rearmament-that the only way to
escape war this year i to abandon the pro-
ject of a German contribution to the de-
fense of the West.
A previous report examined the evidence
for and against a rather different Soviet
gambit, which until recently was the one
mainly feared by the State Department.
This was, in brief, an attempt toblock the
Western defense effort by offering to trade
the Soviet imperial province of East Ger-
many for the demilitarization of all Ger-
many and the withdrawal of all occupa-
tion forces. It now seems clear that the
preferred gambit is the cheaper, simpler
and more promising war of nerves offen-
sive.
Thus at Paris Andrei Gromyko has hard-
ly mentioned the German unity which has
been so loudly emphasized in Soviet pro-
paganda all winter. He has talked solely
about "German demilitarization and the
return to Potsdam." This is a pretty clear
indication of what his master, Vishinsky,
will mainly demand when and if the Con-
ference of Foreign Ministers of the Big
Four is at last convened. One can hear the
demand being yelled, perhaps against the
background of reinforcement in East Ger-
many.
* * *
EANWHILE, AT PARIS, the behavior of
the French representative, Alexandre
Parodi, and in a lesser degree of the British-
er, Ernest Davies, suggests that the war of
nerves offensive, even in this very prelim-
inary stage, is already having some success.
The tendency of the French and British to
want to hold a Big Four Conference at any
cost has other reasons besides public opin-
ion.
For the future, it is clear that the or-
ganizers of the defense of Jhe West are
impaled on the horns of an agonizing di-
lpemma. One horn is the fact, acknow-
ledged by every general staff in Europe
with the French and British conspicuous-
ly in the lead, that a solid defense of
Western Europe cannot possibly be
built up without a fairly important con-
tribution of Germany divisions. The other
horn is the fact, which has already made
so many difficulties, that natural nation-
al memories make the French people in-
tensely, emotionally reluctant to see Ger-
man armed forces recreated.
By their war of nerves offensive, the So-
viets are now taking shrewd advantage of
this dilemma. They too recognize that a
solid Western defense is not possible with-
out an eventual German contribution. And
they therefore hope to scuttle Western de-
fense plans by playing on the French na-
tional mood, causing the French leaders to
say "we cannot risk a war over German
divisions," just as they once said, "We can-
not fight for Berlin." Already here in Ger-
many, certain eminent Frenchmen are say-

The New Army
THE TRIALS and tribulations of Pvt. Pe-
ter Hotton at Camp Polk, Louisiana and
later at Fort Ord, California, sound some-
what like' a rehashed version of "Sad Sack."
His articles whi h have been appearing on
the back pages of The Daily make highly
amusing reading, but the thoroughness of
some of his statements is questionable.
In denouncing the lack of recreational
facilities at Camp Polk, Private Ilotton
writes that the pastimes of the enlisted
men amount to dreaming about their
girls back home or attending a dull box-
ing match. But in his anguish, he skill-
fully neglects to mention that every train-
ing 'camp has a snack bar, a post ex-
change where beer is sold, a library, and a
movie-house where the latest films are
shown.
In addition, dances on the post aie us-
ually held with hostesses provided from
nearby towns and many sight-seeing trips
are also planned. Private Hotton also "for-
got" to mention that it is a rare Army post
that doesn't offer a bus service to the near-
est town.
There is always a special staff of officers
and non-coms that plan the sport programs
for the men on the post. Although not ev-
ery post has a gym when weather permits
outdoor sports are arranged and many times
bowling alleys fill the bill for indoor sports.
The complaint about the preparation of
Army food is an old one. Admittedly the
food is not always prepared in the most
tasty manner, but if Private Hotton will
give the Army a little more time he may
find the food to be appetizing and well-
'prepared at a future base. But to judge all
Army food by his experience at a training
camp alone is not viewing the situation
clearly.
Inspection, Private Hotton goes on, is al-
so another pain in the neck. Perhaps if he
would try to understand why the Army is so
strict about this regulation, he might find it
less irritating.
The Army requires that a soldier's
equipment be kept in top condition at all
times and that it must be in its proper
place. From experience, the Army knows
that unless this regulation is enforced, the
cost of missing equipment would reach a
staggering sum. And Army officers also
know that when a neophyte soldier is ac-
customed to having Mom sew on his but-
tons for him, it is easy for him to mis-
place a rifle bolt and never bother to look
for it.
Many of the basic facts that Private Hot-
ton describes are true. But his interpreta-
tion of them shows a lack of consideration of
why some of these conditions exist. No one
likes being drafted and no one relishes the
idea of doing some of the disagreeable tasks
that the Army assigns. But the sooner he
realizes that these tasks are purposely as-
signed to help accustom the draftee to any
like. hardships he may meet against the
enemy in the future, the better off he wi
be.
-Mary Letsis
Mispla4ed
*s -I
MXR. FLOYD THOMAS ha ben w~a thing
too much television lately, for it is bur-
ring and warping his powers of association.
In his editorial in Sunday's Daily he
got crooks, principles, and sarcasm all
mixed up in ai odd way. Humor is cer-
tainly good and can serve many func-
tions, but in this case the attempt at hu-
mor was completely misplaced.
Somehow he connected the Willie McGee
"crusade" with television's crime circus (in
his own subtle way, of course). This is simply

flagrant rudeness to those who have been
sincerely and earnestly concerned about jus-
tice in the McGee case.
I am sure Mr. Thomas is aware that the
McGee case goes a little more deeply than
just the guilt or innocence of one man. It is
a question of probing into something which
is slightly afoul in our system of democratic
justice; that is, when a penalty for a crime
is determined by a man's color rather than
the nature of the crime.
It is obvious there is no connection be-
tween the McGee case and the expose of
political corruption and money grabbing
so vividly displayed over TV.
Perhaps, Mr. Thomas was feeling sprightly
when he wrote his strange satire, but his
sincongruous attempt to draw parallels
shows a lack of understanding of the issues
involved in either case.
-Paula Edelman
fity or sixty thousand men already under
arms.
Rence the Kremlin can easily sacrifcee
this German force. In addition Vishiusky
can also offer to reduce the Soviet divi-
sions in East Germany to perhaps twenty,
asking in return guarantee that no West
Germans will be rearmed, and that British
French and American divisions in West-
ern Germany will also be limited. The
Western defense effort will then be stop-
ped dead in its tracks. Yet the Kremlin
will still be able at any moment to draw
on its vast reserves in the Soviet Union,
rebuilding its E :ast erman armies at the

When The Pie Was Ojbe. The Birds Began to Sing
iki
,yr
r Y.N". E PEASN
-ECONOMIC BELT-TIGHTENING-
(CNE OF THE most important economic reports ever prepared by
Congress will soon recommend the removal of farm support prices
and a high tax program which may set American living'standards for
the next 10 to 20 years. It is also proposed to abolish all federal sub-
sidies to the states.
The report has the support of both Senators Joe O'Mahoney
of Wyoming, Democrat, ani Bob Taft, Ohio Republican, and has
been adopted, so far confidential, by the Joint Congressional
Committee on the econom'c report.
Though the report as not ben made public, this column has
obtained a copy. Its reommenaions are based upon a "long pull,'
which is expected to strain the nion' economy for the next 10 to
20 years.
In blunt language, the reort urges: "It is essential that new
and heavier taxes be prompt assessed. Increases in withholding
rates and corporation proit txes are vital now. They are neces-
sary to put a damper on iie i creases which are steadily gnaw-
ing away at civiian income ad government appropriations."
The report adds, however, that "people with incomes of $3,000 a
year or less are already o'erburde'ied by the increasing cost of living
and the present level of taxes. The goernment cannot look to them
for any substantial new i'cvenue."
S* * *

IAU Cancelation

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Al

o the Editor:
CHE STATEMENT of the Inter
Arts Union in connection with
s decision to cancel the produc-
on of the play "War Sky" strikes
S as a shallow inconsistent and
doriferous shirking of responsi-
ility.
The reason given by the IAU
or its decision was that unauthor-
zed publicity was given the play
nd that this constituted a break
faith between the author of
he play and the organization.
his raises some interesting ques-
ons concerning both the defini-
on of the word "publicity" and
he IAU's own particular concep-
ion of it . . . No "publicity" in
he ordinary meaning of the word
obviously not the IAU's) either
ublished in any newspaper,
rinted on any poster, distributed
n any handbill, ranted by any
rator appeared anywhere on
r off of the campus. If com-
ments of the members of the cast
o friends about the content of
he play be publicity, then the In-
er Arts Union has certainly
'eached the level of perfumed
sotericism for which it seems so
hard to be striving.
Does the IAU seriously imply
hat an author and/or the mem-
bers of his cast cannot discuss
heir work to anyone showing in-
erest? Is the IAU's definition of
publicity any street corner re-
mark?
"The Inter Arts Union affirms
ts right and responsibility to
choose works solely on the basiE
of artistic interest and excellence'
says the published statement of
the IAU. The play "War Sky" was
obviously chosen by this criter-
on for the IAU statement alsc
says "The play was selected fo
production on the basis of its ar-
tistic merit over any considera-
tions of controversial subject mat-
ter." Here let us pause and not(
that the IAU also publishes Gen-
eration, in which "War Sky" origi
nally appeared..
The artistic merit of the plat
could certainly not have change(
overnight .. Although the IAt
insists it is non-political an(
tries so hard to isolate itself fron
political considerations, its suddex
refusal to continue the play after
weeks of rehearsal was evident1
stimulated by political considera.
Lions (or fear of political reper,
cussions) on their part ...
-Seymour Baxter
Daniel Greenberg
Sidney Goldberg
Vincent Giuliano
Stephen Smale
Arthur Rose
* * *

1 t

the present challenge insomewhat
the ,same way it has surmolnted
similar crisesin the past?
-Marshall Knappen
* * *
To the Editor:
F I COULD read Harvey Gross'
" "Oefense of Criticism," without
reading his Heifetz review, I might
consider it rather witty. How-
ever, it presents but one side of
the picture; the other is best
presented. by comparing thg two
articles.
The "Arguments" listed all be-
come valid when a critic disre-
gards them for a display of his
erudition. "Authority" is ,valid-
when the critic takes pleasure I
disproving the critics and showi
how he finds faults unnoticed
others. Similarly with "Audien
Appreciation." Perhaps the "Fol -
sy Argument" would be iet
named if Harvey knew that t
artist is conveying his concept
the works; the critic should t
to understand those concepts
is certainly not difficult wi
Heifetz). Even the "Argument
ad Hominum" is good when t
critic must use a score, rath
than trusting his human sen
tivities and tastes, Certainly
good example of "artful hafidi
of the shifted construction"
Harvey's term "Anti-intellectu 
an article such as this, filled wi
such emotional exaggeration,
not "intellectual." (Mr. ors
should also tell us how he co -
siders music "intellectual" - t
would be interesting.)
The "Argument on huma
Grounds" becomes valid when e
campus music picture looks
black as it does when Harvey
himself with a score and starts
charge his windmills. Any pe -
son, in my estimation, is justif
- in using these arguments itgat
- Harvey's inhumane treatment f
our musical reputation. (Hurin
ity towards him need not conce n
- us, either, for surely Harvey cou d
work for "The Nation.") I
y lieve that the hypocrisy of W
d Gross' article should only furt
J show us his inadequacy as r
d music critic.
--Don W. Krummel, Grad
School of Music
r * *


ette 4 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 vill
be condensed, edited or withheld from publication at the discretion of the
editors.

WATCh Till: MILITA--!-
WARNING AGAINST wvting a bank check for the military, thet
report declares: In an period of heavy defense expenditures,
there does not ei the ui'wn i o sed first and then look around
and see how mu('h the oove ent wil ned to borrow in order to pay
its bills ...,.The defense g nt" houd be cut to the revenue cloth4
.... Military hoarding of n' mpoc and materials must be kept toga
minimum."
The report also warns tat "decit spening cannot be con-
templated even for the current defense program, unless we are
willing to invitethecrack-up'the me nsystem-.. . Con-
gress, short of all-out war, should make no military appropriation
unless and until ade-uate tax revenues are definitely in sight."
Here are other impt nt iighhghts of the Taft-O'Mahoney eco-
nomic blueprint.
1. The report drastical.y suggests abolishing federal aid to states
and relying upon "traditional lcali methods of financing education
and medical aid and public health." The report points out that in a
period of long-run n C;tion and economic strain, the "role of the
federal government wilh respect to state governments might well be
reversed."
- Nt PARITY PRICELS-
2. TI'HE REPORT dcst'ib-s a'm parity as a "device which was in-
vented at the depths J the aiiultural depression" and hints
strongly that it i's no out of date. "To permit private price sup-
port programs to op'iaTe with undiminished force," says the report,
"is merely to set up an unbeniable mechanism of built-in inflation."
3. The report also takes a dim view of public housing and rent
control, deLring: "The Ifel r government provision of housing
and community fe is an ad be large . . . the need for ex-
tending any strengthei ret control has not yet been clearly
established."
4. The report views with suspicion the tremendous tax deductions
that have been granted to (Orporations for _xpanding defejse plants.
Warning against "chiseling fon the inside," the report notes that
"corporations and ether busiesses hav( been granted certificates of
eligibility for tax deductions in phenomenally large amounts with
respect to facilities which had e'n planned aind begun in many cases
months before the war broke out in Korea"
5. The report also advocates a tough anti-trust program. "Far
from granting exemptions 0' post on(ment of anti-trust action," the
report urges, "the government nmst mere vigorously than ever push
the program to aid small husiness and to preserve free, private, com-
petitive enterprise."
. The report takes a a commodity speculation, warn-
ing that "the co 'e of cyr's uring 1950 has demon-
strated again thai the c o not to speak of costs of pro-
duction in geeral, ho' f m informed and indis-
criminate spec laie ma e pl~i~i'
After pointing out 1ha( touh road a1ad, the report adds hope-
fully: "TIhe United txates l's the spiritual power, the economic
strength and the produtive -resoutrcs to perform the task it has un-
dertaken.
(C'upvL' ht, 19,1, ) I, th. 1 Synd 5 iat1 Inc.)

Warning
To the Editor:
NOTE TO M. K. Rasnick, re
ton Smith, Bob Kapell
Hoeper, Harvey Gross, Roma'
sky, et al.:
As my good friend F. Roosev
once observed: "A plague on
your houses."
In brief: Lay off.!
-George S. May

G.

Modern Science

* s *

I

CURRENTM MOIE

To the Editor:
PACIFIST MqVEMENTS have
flourished after all major wars
in recent history. It is therefore
quite natural that Professor Bould-
.ing, along with other people of
intelligence and good will, should
react as he does against the waste
and destiuctiveness-of modern war.
IP seems regrettable, however, that
he should go so far as to maintain
in the letter published in your col-
umns on March 15-that "the de-
mands of military defense are es-
sentially insatiable and ultimate-
ly incompatible with the mainten-
ance of either democracy or cap-
italism" and to assert that "mili-
tary conscription is the beginning
of totalitarianism." -
Possibly there is a realm of ab-
stract theory in which these gen-
eralizations hold true, but it is
difficult to square them with the
facts of history. The capitalistic
Dutch Republic defended itself by
force of arms for the better part
of two centuries. Great Britain has
done the same for an even longer
period without turning totalitar-
ian. Switzerland has had universal
and compulsory military service
since 1874. This country used con-
scription during the Civil War and
has employed the same device dur-
ing two later ones.
Granted that we are facing ser-
ious problems, why picture them
as worse than they are? In the
1930's pessimists said that any
future world war would mean the
end of democracy and civilization.
The pessimists of 1910 said much
the same thing. Seen in historical
perspective the problems of this
generation are perhaps not greater
than the great resources we have
at our disposal. If Stalin anjl his
kind can be persuaded to follow
Ghandi's principles, by all means
let us also subscribe to.them. If not,
is it unreasonable to believe that
our country may be able to meet

Sixty-First Year
Edited and managed by studentsof
the University of Michigan uder he
authority of the Board in Corntrol of
Student Publications.
Editorial Staff
Jim Brown.... ........Managing EdCor
Paul Brentlinger ...........Ciy Ecor
Roma Lipsky .........Editorial Dlrebor
Dave Thomas ..........Feature Edor
Janet Watts ...........Associate Er
Nancy Bylan ..,.......Associate E r
James Gregory ........Associate Eq3r
Bill Connolly ............Sports FK or
Bob Sandell ....Associate Sporis E ,r
Bill Brenton .. .. Associate Spotss E :)r
Barbara Jans ....Women'sE
Pat Brownson Associate Womer'E r

i

t 74

0


i

At The State

4

0 .

THE MATING SEASON, with Thelma
Ritter, Gene Tierney, and John Lund.
FOR THOSE few who have not yet dis-
covered the. comedy talents of Thelma
Ritter, late of "Letter to Three Wives" and
"All About Eve," here is an ideal place to
begin. Along about the first five minutes of
this picture, she wraps it up, puts it in her
hip pocket, and is off to the races with the
rest of the cast trailing behind. Who needs
Bette Davis anyway?
The situation in which our heroine finds
herself is a more or less routine comedy
complicatign of poor boy marries rich girl.
But as the structures of formula do not much
bother Miss Ritter, the minor characters
seem to take heart and the results are, in
general, lively and amusing, This is parti-
cularly true when Miss Ritter presents her-
self for a job as cook in the household of
her social-climbing son (John Lund) and his
wife (Gene Tierney). Ma, being from the
wrong side of the tracks, does not reveal her
true identity to the social set, and so we
get the classic "well-made" comic situation

Business Staff
Bob Daniels .........Business Maier
Walter Shapero Assoc. Business Marfer
Paul Schaible .....Advertising Maier'
Bob Mersereau.......Finance 'Msier ..
Bob Miller....... Circuation Mauier
Telephone 23-24-1'
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Your intrepid Fairyo
went fearlessly ina

Tennessee Hennessy
will stop them, I bet.

6arnaby, doesn't your
Fairy Godfather like

I