1951

TIHE MICHIGAN DAILY'

THURSDAY, MARCH 29,

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DORIS FLEESON:
Inflation Scores heet

WASHINGTON-President Truman's first
post holiday meeting with his cabinet
was a serious occasion.,
Inflation got the star billing.
It requires immediate, drastic action on
the whole front with a genuine equality
of sacrifice from all, the President was
told.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Lovett made
the principal presentation of the issue in that
marvelously lucid and exact manner Wash-
ington has long admired. Lovett was able
to drive it home with his account of how,
almost from day to day, it costs more to
buy the defenses which America has ordered
for her protection against Communism.
He summed up plainly: everyone is ready
for the sacrifices of others but what is re-
quired is sacrifice from every segment of
America-labor, farmers, business, the con-
sumer-and nothing less will suffice.
The President appeared to be impressed.
Chief Mobilizer Wilson, who now attends
cabinet sessions regularly, did not put up an
argument either against the seriousness of
the situation.
How much the President was impressed
will be seen shortly. In the past he has
inclined to the view that inflation would
wear itself out, that the controls now in
existence were taking hold; it was tem-
porarily aggravating but not, for the long
run, catastrophic.
His draft of a special message asking for
renewal and some reinforcement of the de-
fense production act is said still to reflect
that optimism. It asks for the control of
prices at retail, the use of subsidies if neces-
sary. As yet it ignores the political dynamite
of farm prices.
It has summed up by one insider as "ade-
quate perhaps for last Setember, absurd
now."
The President Will not be allowed to for-
get the inflation story, however.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will show
a further rise in the cost of living April 1
next, perhaps 2 per cent. Its estimated rise
for the three months following is currently
figured as 5 per cent. But it may go higher.
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
THE UNION OPERA, produced by
Mimes Society of the Michigan Union and
featuring some of the best looking women
on campus.
O WEST-MADAM" is the 31st Union
Opera to rattle the boards in these
parts and last night's opening performance
indicates that it has all of the qualifications
to insure that its three remaining local per-
formances and the road shows to come
will be as successful as any in the past.
In fact, using as a touchstone the two pre-
vious operas which this reviewer has seen,
"Go West-Madam" is a distinct success.
The music of Don Wyatt, William Edmunds
and Harold Singer incuded some of the
most lively numbers since the revival at
least, and Jimmie Lobaugh and George
Boucher, both making their third appear-
ances in leading roles were better than ever.
And while the ladies and gentlemen of
the chorus didn't display the sort of polish
which would force the marching band
into spring practice, their routines showed
the vigor and imagination which has be-
come a William Holbrook trademark.
Holbrook's expert touch and exacting
standards were much in evidence through-
out the whole performance but showed to
particular advantage in the first act.
As usual, the opera was unable to avoid a
few dead moments in plot and dialogue in

the second act, but it seems to me that the
chief virtue of this year's opera is that it
managed to escape any prolonged calms,
perhaps because there were fewer specialty
acts.
**
T HE SINGING was some of the best I've
heard. Pres Holmes, besides turning
in a sterling performance as the medicine
man was right up with Don Stout, Pete
Dendrinos and Lobough and Boucher when
it comes to vocal honors.rAll received good
support from the orchestra.
Jim Wright was another familiar and
competent face in the cast and Mark Ne-
ville perhaps deserves some sort of mention
for his "specialty number," as does Ted
Blumenstein.
"Go West-Madam" also had fever of
the sort of gags which married students
don't make a practice of explaining to
their children and it was probably just as
well. At least the omissions should prove
popular with the alumni wives.
The shadowgraph number was an imag-
inative touch as was this year's re-doing of
the black light specialty.
All in all the show reflected credit on all
concerned right down to the final curtain
although it seems that they might possibly
have found something better than 5,000

Corporate profits for the first quarter will
also reach new highs. For 1950 they were
one-third higher than in 1949. Fifty major
companies in 1950 earned $25,000,000,000
after taxes.
The zooming costs of defense, which mean
that Congress won't get all the ships, planes
and material it ordered, are the subject of
a report coming up from Sen. Lyndon John-
son's preparedness subcommittee. The John-
son figures are so dramatic that they may
be made the subject of some kind of public
hearing instead of merely being released in
a report.
Some months ago Senator Johnson told
the story of post-Korean inflation's first
bite out of the defense budget. Now the bite
is even bigger, as deputy secretary Lovett
-so eloquently expounded.
The Senate is beginning to realize the
seriousness of the problem, Senators Taft
and O'Mahoney are said to be ready to
tackle even farm prices and parity plus
taxes in an effort to stem the tide. Senator
Maybank has begun a fight against the
lush amortization privileges demanded by
business.
As yet, however, no one has blown a bugle
call that will drown out or even compete
with crime and mink coats. Some Democrats
believe that these fringerrevelations, bad as
they are, can still be overcome in 1952 if in-
flation is fought to a standstill. They are
perfectly certain that not just their de-
feat but disaster for the country are ahead
unless this is done.
(Copyright, 1951, by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.)

New Garg
IT WAS raining yesterday, but the campus
got Garg and things brightened abruptly.
In fact, the campus couldn't help get-
ting Garg. It was crammed down its col-
lective throat. Enthusiastic solicitors were
all over the place-so many in fact that
they were virtually floating along the curb
streams selling the benevolently malicious
magazine.
You couldn't avoid the rain, and you
couldn't avoid the Garg.
Certainly any success attained by the
March Garg could not have been possible
without the vigorous efforts of its circula-
tion staff.
On the other hand, it probably would have
been a success anyway. The editorial staff
did a fine job in conglomerating a bunch of
inane ballyhoo into a highly readable issue.
Although a staff member had to inform
me that the bizarre cover was a "parody"
on Generation, the insides are quite legible
and amusing. Special Accolades should go
to: (1) Spider Webb for his aesthetic taste;
the guy who's still looking for his dinosaur;
the ingenious cartoonists; the decorous Em-
ily Pillar; Don Malcom for his equivocal,
de-generate but poetic equinox; and ,to the
guy who finally made it.
Harvey Goss' analysis of "Concerto for
Violin and Rest" was excellent and should
put a damper on indiscriminate critics of
Daily critics.
And Garg's version of the University's
Official Publication will probably render
the authentic one obsolete.
All in all, the March Garg was well worth
a quarter.
-Cal Samra

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'Te Golden Grains

Xetter' 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.
-MM4-


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ON THE
Washington Merry-Go-Round
with DREW PEARSON
.WASHINGTON-It is a scientific fact that men who spend their
lives working in sewers lose their sense of smell.
Coming back to Washington after several weeks' absence, I ;am
struck with the fact that many officials of the Truman administration
also have lost their sense of smell.
Not only do they not realize what has been going on around
them, but they fail to understand that these stories of graft,
played up in the European press, are giving us a black eye every-
where.
What they further do not realize is that the men below take their
cue from the top. This is one of the truest facts of political life,
true in every administration whether Democratic or Republican. For
instance, here are two cues given by two leaders of two administrations,
which set the pattern for everyone below:

Spring Election.. .
To the Editor:
QIXTY PER CENT of the Michi-
gan voters who read this letter
traditionally stay away from the
polls at spring elections.
There are, however, issues in the
election next Monday, April 2nd,
which warrant their voting.
Take one currently in the news.
School lists were padded in Litch-
field Township to get more funds
from the state. At a forum last
wreek Lee Thurston, Republican
ncumbent Superintendent of Pub-
lic Instruction expressed regret
but noted simply that such inci-
dents are part of the cost of local
administration of education. I
Edgar Waugh, the Democratic
candidate, pledged that if elected
he would insure an adequate check
on such reports.
Do you want 150,000,000 of
state funds distri uted annually
to 4,800 school districts without an
adequate check?
More important, though a bit
more subtle, are the educational
philosophies involved. Democrat
Waugh criticized the ban prohibit-
ing Michigan State faculty from
participating in partisan politics,
the Regent's abolishment of Work-
ers' Education Service, and the
secret meetings of these boards.
Thurston, (I might add here that
the Republicans have controlled
the education offices for half a
century) in defense of the present
Republicans, suggested a "prag-
matic test." Praising Michigan
and Michigan State as great
schools, he suggested that if we
liked the end product we should
not tamper with the procedures
used.
Waugh- disliked this philosophy
of "benevolent despotism" in
which the rulers make the deci-
sions and the people hope for ,a
good end product. 'N
If you like Thurston's idea of
expending public funds on the
honor system and you want "bene-
volent despotism" continued in
Michigan education,.y-ou can sim-
ply stay home and let him be
elected again by default.
If you feel that perhaps a closer
control over state expenditures is
desireable and that the end prod-
uct and the processes by which
it is achieved are both matters of
public concern, your answer is
more difficult. The name is Ed-
gar Waugh, election day is next
Monday, April 2nd, and the polling
booth is in your neighborhood.
--Tom Walsh
* * *

and reactions of a rookie and was
not making an attempt to present
a complete analysis 'of the Army
and its function. The latter 1s
something we know as well as he
does, and therefore he is not dis-
cussing that. Russian aggressidn,
actual and potential, leaves us no
choice but to mobilize.
But we can still gripe, responsib-
ly, irresponsibly, and even with a
sense of humor. I have it on good
authority that Pete is no Commu-
nist and is not trying to demor-
alize the Army. After all, he's
not in the Austrian Army of the
good soldier Schweik,. but in the
best Army, Uncle Sam's outfit,
which treats its boys better all
the time-all told-, even in basio
training.
They never had it so good, and
look what they are learning. Thay
are even learning to shoot now.
Back in the old days, the emplia-
sis was on nomenclature and dis-
assembling of weapons, not on
holding and shooting them . .
in World War II. Heaven knows I
shot everything from the M-3
grease gun to the barretta aiid
the 105 Howitzer, but I never
qualified in anything, and nobody
cared particularly.
I 'wonder what makes Miss Let-
sis think that inspections have
saved the taxpayer money, now
or in the past. Many an overseas.
veteran, coming home for a fir-
lough, has been loaded up with
equipment he did not need ,or
want. I wish I had half the stui
that was thrown overboard during
the last war, or sold on the black
market because it was too heavy
to lug around. The statement
about requiring that "a soldier's
equipment be kept in top condi-
tion at all times" is so wet, it
doesn't hold any water. Not when
you have to loot other motorpools
to find vital parts for your jeep.
No, I was grateful for Pete's un-
censored report of Army life. I
hope we hear more from him.
-John Neufeld
* * *
grain of Salt
To the Editor:
WHY SO MANY letters? I'm t r-
ed of it all! Let's forget it.
I think we are all convinced that
Heifitz is one of our leading art-
ists today, and regardless of what
Mr. Gross says we don't have to
get our dandruff up just because
we don't agree with him. Every-
body is entitled to his own opinignI
Why don't we take it all with
a grain of salt and expend all of
our excess energy on offering- a
plan for world peace? Seems to me
that all of the paper used in writ-
ing letters to Mr. Gross could have
been used to better advantage.
Sally Robertson, Grad,

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By JOSEPH ALSOP

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A MATTER OF PRIDE
BONN-It is an odd experience to return
to this little university town which is
the capital of Western Germany. Only
twelve months ago everything here, from
the political parties to the buildings shel-
tering the government, seemed to have been
hastily improvised for the look of the thing.
On every side, Germans and foreign
observers predicted then that the Bonn
experiment was doomed to early and in-
glorious failure. But today, the predictions
have been disproven.
This by no means implies that there is
nothing wrong. The debits are in fact con-
siderable. West German youth has found
no place a yet in German politics, and
lacks a faith. Millions of tragic refugees
from the East have found no place as y
in West German society. They lack both
jobs and housing, and this social ulcer has
already given birth to a distinctly sinister
refugees' party with an extremist and ir-
redentist platform.
The general economic situation is also
serious. The rather reckless methods of
the Economics Minister, Doctor Erhard,
have brought on another balance of pay-
ments crisis. The big businessmen of the
Ruhr are making huge profits, while the
workers are suffering from a 13 per cent
rise in the cost of living without compen-
sating wage increases. Social contrasts
are begetting social bitterness. In short
there are plenty of cruel reefs and rocks
on which the Bonn experiment can floun-
der utterly.
But you cannot judge any government by
the unsolved problems, which all govern-
ments have except in utopia. What is en-
couraging about Bonn is simply that, des-
pite many failures, the broad tendency is
healthy and even, in a sort of tentative
incipient way, downright vigorous.
Discipline
.policies
THE UNIVERSITY'S recent announcement
of a new plan to substitute hospital work
for suspension is an encouraging sign that
some experimentation is being done with
outdated policies.
There is no reason, however, why this
experimentation could not be extended to
an investigation of all rules and regula-
tions governing student conduct.
For some time there has been arguments
advocating both the conservative and the
liberal viewpoints of these regulations, par-
ticularly the ones on women's hours and
liquor.
So far we have observed the conservative
policy practices in this respect. But if we
ever hope to arrive at a healthy conclusion-
to any conclusion for that matter-we
should also be allowed to experience the
liberal way. Otherwise we can keep debat-
ing indefinitely on theoretical grounds get-
ting nowhere.
The best solution to this problem seems
to be for the discipline committee to re-
lease the regulations during a definite

BARRING THE refugee group, the extre-
mist political elements are at the mo-
ment losing out in Germany all down the
line. The West German Communist party,
always small, is currently almost vanishing
from sight in a ruthless purge carried out
on the usual principles of loyalty to the So-
viet Union and Comrade Stalin. What is
more striking, the right wing nationalists,
who had everyone so worried a year ago,
have also proven an empty threat.
Indeed this reporter had the quaintly
comic experience of hearing this latter
fact from the same man who had rather
pompously warned him last year that the
much-talked about "Bruderschaft," a se-
cret veterans' organization would shortly
take over the new Germany as Hitler
took over the old. "I can tell you confi-
dentially," the ex-prophet now said, "that
the Bruderschaft would collapse com-
pletely if the British Intelligence stop-
ped paying the agents they hired to keep
an eye on it."
Meanwhile, the Christian Democrats, the
Socialists and the other centrist political
parties are gaining a certain maturity from
the simple practice of politics, so long de-
nied to them, but now afforded by Bonn.
In Chancellor Adenauer and the powerful
Socialist chieftain, Doctor Schumacher,
they have produced two German leaders of
European stature. Their younger men, who
had never been in politics before, are learn-
ing the business and making headway.
Above all the party organizations are put-
ting down roots in the country, are becom-
ing real and solid and important.
IN THE SAME manner, the Bundestag,
which used to resemble a caucus of
madmen, is transforming itself by practice
into a rather respectable European Parlia-
ment. And meanwhile, other organisms of
government have been born or are now
taking shape. It is a bit surprising', for in-
stance, to find the German defense forces
of the future being planned by an enthusi-
astic coalition between the mineworkers'
union leader, Herr Blank, and a group of
survivors of the July 20 General Staff plot
against Hitler. Outwardly the combination
is a bit incongruous, yet the augury is good.
Some of these things, like the big po-
litical parties, are obviously enduring.
Others may not endure. While the Bonn
government itself has acquired authority,
it does not have much prestige with the
German people. They are likely to change
the structure here and there, to make it
really their own, when they get the
chance. The real point about Bonn is that
it is a place where the raw ma-
terials for a decent German political
situation gives the G e r m a ns half
a chance, it looks today as if a decent,
stable political life would eventually be
built up here in Germany from these
vital raw materials.
Considering how often they have been
denigrated by their own people, it is only
fair to say that much of the responsibility
for this remarkable achievement belongs to
two Americans. Just as Gen. Lucius D. Clay
almost single handed forced the transfer
of political responsibility to the Germans,
so High Commissioner John J. McCloy has
fought continuously, doughtily and suc-
cessfully to give the Bonn experiment its
chance. It should be a matter of pride that

Ni

* # C *

I

CUE NO. 1-Shortly after Franklin Roosevelt entered the White$
House, he issued a barbed White House statement criticising Demo-
cratic National Committeemen who had come to Washington to lobbye
-such men as Arthur Mullen, political boss of Nebraska, Robert Jack-1
son, Democratic boss of New Hampshire, and Bruce Kremer of Mon-
tana. Some of them declined to take the hint. They had worked hard
for a Democratic victory, wanted to cash in. Whereupon Rooseveltl
forced their resignation.
Cue No. 2-Came shortly after Harry Truman entered the White
House. One man who pulled powerful wires for his nomination was4
Ed Pauley, big west coast oilman and Democratic boss of Southern
California. Pauley had raised around $100,000 for the Democratic
Party, later tried to cash in by lobbying for California oil interests.
Roosevelt would have pulled him up short, but Mr. Truman appointed
Pauley Under-secretary of the Navy, a job supervising the purchase of1
more oil than any other in the world. The Senate objected, Truman7
persisted. One of his most potent cabinet members, Harold Ickes, re-
signed in protest. Finally, faced with certain Senate defeat, Pauley
withdrew.
Cue No. 3-Shortly after becoming vice .president, Harry Truman
flew to Kansas City in an army plane plane to attend the funeral
of boss Tom Pendergast, the man who made him senator and later
served a prison term for taking bribes from insurance companies.-
Reading about this trip in the newspapers, some said: "Harry is a
loyal friend." Others took the cue that what the party bosses did
was what they could do.
* * * *
CUE NO. 4-After Harry Truman became president, just about his
first official act was to fire the U.S. Attorney in Kansas City,
Maurice Milligan, who had sent Tom Pendergast to jail. This deepened
the. conviction on the part of people down below that the cue of
the new administration was not to detect crime but to protect criminals.
Other significant cues followed.°
Cue No. 5-The president's personal physician, Brig. Gen. '
Wallace Graham, got caught speculating in commodities at a time
when it was decidedly against public policy to speculate. Sitting
right inside the White House, seeing the president daily, he saw
nothing wrong with using his inside knowledge of government food
purchases to gamble in food futures at the public's expense. In-
stead of being penalized, Graham eventually was promoted.
Naturally, the public realized that he knew and understood the
president well.
Cue No. 6--Another close friend of the president, Maj. Gen.
Harry Vaughan, also was loyal to his friends. His friends gave him
deep-freezes and he pulled wires in return. Vaughan even pulled
wires to get precious building materials for the Tanforan Race Track
at a time when veterans' homes were desperately needed and when
he was White House adviser on Veterans' affairs. He also wrote letters.
aimed at helping friends get valuable war contracts and surplus
materials which netted them millions. When all this was published,
the public was shocked, but not the president. He hurled names at
those who criticised his military aide.
CUE NO. 7-For three years, despite periodic exposures in the Press,
a semi-underworld character named John Maragon occupied a
privileged position in and around the White House, was able to pull
wires and demote generals. Though Maragon was finally convicted"
of lying and sent to jail, the White House never uttered one word of
criticsism of this' 'friend."
With these cues tacked on the public horizon for all the
world to see, it is not hard to understand why subordinates followed
suit. It is not hard to understand why certain big income-tax
cases, such as the Guaranty Finance Company of Los Angeles an#
Midwest Petroleum, were smoothed over; nor why a prominent
executive of internal revenue has been seen fin the company of
Frankie Costello; nor why Costello has never been deported.
That is why it is so important for those in high places to get
back their sense of smell.
(Copyright, 1951, by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.)

Arts Festival .

. .

To the Editor:

THIS PAST week-end has been
a rare one, for the Inter-Arts
Union has staged a festival worthy
of more than a little praise. Hav-
ing mourned the fate of three
dismally unsuccessful attempts to
form such a group in a Western
college, I can appreciate the dif-
ficulties that must be -itet. To
present a worthwhile program and
present it well is perhaps the big-
gest problem; to accomplish it as
skillfully as has IAU is nothing
less than astonishing.
Coursing through my veins is
the blood of an artist, but it is
blood without corpuscles - I am
doomed to be a listener. Intelli-
gent listening, however, is an ob-
ligation, and the panel discussions
gave me an invaluable opportunity
to ask questions and have them
answered sincerely and candidly
by those most qualified to give
answers. Music, poetry, painting,
and the dance were presented, but
this presentation was heightened
by the desire of the creators to
help us to understand these arts
more fully.
To say merely "Thank you" to
IAU is more than weak, but any
expression would be equally limp
in view of what they have given
me.
-Dave Cram '52
N *75 * '*
New Army .
To the Editor:
I TOO WAS AMUSED by Pvt.
Peter Hotton's account of the
New Army, but I wasn't amused
by Mary Letsis' editorial. I won't
suggest that she got her material
from the Public Information Of-
ficer, or that she doesn't have a
point about Pete's quasi-oneside-
edness.
But then he was apparently
trying only to give the experiences

41,
Iffir4igan

Sixty-First Year
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Student Publications.
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James Gregory . ........Associate Editor
Bill Connolly............Sports Editor
Bob Sandell ....Associate Sports Editor
Bill Brenton ....Associate Sports Editor
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BARNABY

Ws just that new kid 1

Little boy, you shouldn't go 1

. s~w w t. . ab C~mt* a)

Goclmor/
Gush! And you