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THE MICHIGAN DAILY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1952
Mm
New Chin
A NEW "tough" policy towards Red China
is reportedly in the offing. The United
States is now ready, it is said, to lay down
the law to the Reds, loose our Air Force to
perform aerial exercises on the Chinese
mainland, if need be.
The time appears to be ripe for a read-
justment of our Asia strategy. Dilatory
tactics of Communist truce negotiators
and ominous hints of new Chinese moves
in Southeast Asia force a reconsideration
of the unpleasant strategem of retaliation
against the mainland.
In Korea, interminable petty quibbling,
phoney interruptions, needless delays for
the most part fomented by the Communist
delegations, make it evident that Mao Tse
Tung considers the truce talks as only a
useful strategy, to be continued as long as
they play a worthwhile role in his foreign
policy. The Communists will not allow the
talks to be completely broken off, but neither
will they agree to any settlement.
In Southeast Asia, the Reds have long
gazed with baleful eye at the unstable coun-
tries now under non-Communist rule. Lately,
Russian and Chinese officials have been
manufacturing the stereotyped charges of
"aggression" and "border violations" by these
"Rice Bowl" countries, charges which usually
presage "defensive" invasions by Peoples'
Armies.
If the Chinese sent large-scale "volun-
teer" armies into Indo-China, Burma, or
Thailand, only sizable American interven-
tion could halt a short-or'der conquest.
At this critical period in European rearma-
ment, it would be disastrous to be forced
to wage another big-time military opera-
tion in Asia.
Therefore, our objective must be to pre-
vent any more "limited wars"-or, for that
matter, any large-scale resumption of hos-
tilities in Korea.
Apparently, sugar-coated appeals only
serve to make the Communist appetite more
insatiable. Therefore, force is the only pre-
ventative medicine we may turn to-nasty
and distasteful though it be.
Military strategists avow that China's
internal transportation system is highly
vulnerable. Only a slim thread of trans-
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writer only.
Thismust be noted in all ieprints.
NIGHT EDITOR: HARLAND BRITZ
ra Policy
continental land communications are
available in that sprawling country. A
few well-placed bombs would cause ser-
ious problems to Mao's already impover-
ished millions, while a naval blockade
could make sea transportation virtually
impossible.
Actually bombing China is an eventuality
unpleasant to us as well as the Chinese which
we must hope, by warning of it now, we may
avoid later. Inherent in such an action are -
myriad dangers of igniting a global conflag-
ration. But should we be involved in more
Asian wars, the Pentagon would undoubted-
ly yield sooner or later to the inevitable
public hue and cry for punitive action. By
threatening this retaliation now, we might
sidetrack Chinese ambitions which other-I
wise seem likely to assert themselves in new
aggression.
However, this policy shift should not be
construed by armchair strategists of the
MacArthurian school as retroactive endorse-
ment of their "let's blast Manchuria" pleas.I
It must be remembered that the exigencies
which made the Pacific Hero's aggressive
policy unwise have changed, that decisions
today are being made in a different frame-
work of circumstance.
In the first place, bombing Chinese ter-
ritory at this time last year could only
have resulted in a bigger war. The Reds
would have rolled their large Manchurian
air detachments out of the hangers to
strike our hitherto untouched land forces,
a military disadvantage which the Penta-
gon held 'as outweighing the strategic ad-
vantages to be gained from blasting the
sources of supply of the Red armies. Fur-
ther, such a policy would -have run the
additional risk of setting off World War
III which is incurred any time we actually
' find it necessary to send our bombers into
action over the mainland.
The essential differences is that bombing
last year could only have had negative ef-
fects, while delivering an ultimatum declar-
ing our intentions now is at worst the least
unpleasant of a choice of evils, at best, a
possibility that further fighting in Asia may
be prevented.
It seems obvious that the time is past when
we could deal with Mao's expansive ideas
with soft words;-It must be made clear to
the Chinese that further aggression can only
bring home economic destruction which could
have catastrophic effects on their new-found
political stability. The new Asian policy, re-
cast along harsher lines, is fully justified by
the present situation.
-Crawford Young
Brotherhood
Week
HE NATIONAL Council of Christians and
Jews which sponsored Brotherhood Week
proposes to "make America safe for differ-
ences." A brotherhood which embraces dif-
ferences and a human understanding of
them is its ultimate aim.
4s Americans we pride ourselves on our
democratic heritage and boast of our lib-
erty and equality-of our brotherhood.
And in many ways we are justified. The
United States certainly is more democratic
than many other countries.
But there is still room for improvement.
In these times of stress brotherhood among
mankind is the only way of. maintaining a
decent sanity in this country and of healing
a ravaged world.
Peace is needed so that men can lead
normal lives once more, so 'war torn areas
can recover their equilibrium, and the world
function as an even-keeled unit rather than
in hysterical factions.
In the light of this it is in the interests of
all, as groups and as individuals, to further
brotherhood among all 'people at all times.
Although we do well to, take a week each
year to give special emphasis to brotherhood,
to examine our progress toward it, and to
resolve to do more toward its attainment,
there is no reason to limit our endeavor to
one week.
In these days of prejudice and propaganda
brotherhood will not spring up of its own
accord. To achieve our goal we must work
constantly 'toward it.
As Brotherhood Week comes to a close
today, people throughout the world will
let its premises slip to the back of their
minds in the bustle of modern living.
Let's be different here.
-Alice Sicher.
DREW PEARSON:
Washington
Merry-Go-Round
- TOP BILLING -
MICHIGAN'S senior Senator Homer Fer-
guson always insists upon top billing
when his name appears with Michigan's
junior Senator Blair Moody.
For example, Moody joined Sen. George
Aiken, Vermont Republican, in drafting a
letter urging the Senate Foreigns Rela-
tions Committee to approve the St. Law-
rence Seaway. Aiken jokingly insisted that
Moody sign his name first so that he,
rather than Aiken, would-draw the wrath
of the Seaway's acid-tongued opponent,
Sen. Tom Connally, Texas Democrat.
So Moody signed his name at the top,
Aiken added his name underneath, and
they circulated the letter around the Senate
for other signatures. When it was passed
to Ferguson, he refused to sign below
Moody's name. There wasn't room at the
top for another dull signature, so Ferguson
cramped his handwriting and crowded his
name at the top anyway-triumphantly
above Moody's.
The Week's News
. ..IN RETROSPECT .. .
tette4d 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 ofthe
editors.
Y,
Brecht's Creed.. .
By JSEa AOrT rAP
By JOSEPH and STEWART ALSOP
WASHINGTON-The , American govern-
ment has been having a hard new look at
Soviet technical and scientific capabilities.
The stimulus was the shocking discovery, in
Korea, that the Red Air Force jet inter-
ceptor, the famous MIG 15, has more speed,
thrust and altitude than any fighter air-
craft yet produced in the United States.
The results of this new look have been even
more dismaying.
The most important result, in fact, is
nothing less than an upward revision of
the estimates of Soviet atomic capabilities.
A year ago, the planners and experts
forecast Soviet stockpiles of 48 atomio
bombs by January, 1952; between .110 and
130 bombs by the next new year; between
170 and 210 bombs by January, 1954, and
between 230 and 300 bombs by January,
1955.
This curve was quite bad enough. It is
not known how much more steeply the
curve is now supposed to climb but one can
guess that the old estimates have been
increased by about 50 per cent. That is, of
coarse, just another way of saying that the
time when the Soviets will have a potenti-
ally decisive stock of atomic weapons has
been brought nearer by half.
At the same time, moreover, the term,
"potentially decisive," has been given up for
reconsideration. Our rather rigid planners
originally gave these two ominous words the
meaning of the virtually total destruction
of the American industrial bases, which
would require several hundred bombs on
targe. More recently, however, the planners
have realized that our industrial base can
be neutralized more cheaply than it can
be destroyed.
* * *
IT is now considered, for example, that it
would be potentially decisive for the
Soviets to separate this country from its
allies and bases overseas by blocking the
American East Coast ports.
Because of the early warning problem
and the greater destructiveness of water-
dropped atomic weapons, coastal cities
are especially vulnerable to atomic attack.
Because of the shape of our road and
rail nets, trans-Atlantic exports of Ameri-
can troops and weapons could be effec-
tively halted by taking out the major
ports, such as New York, Boston, Portland
(Me.), Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah,
New Orleans and Galveston. Thirty or
forty bombs of medium power on target
should be more than enough to do the job.
The Soviets will therefore have the bombs
for this special job by 1953, with enough
left over to allow for American intercep-
tion, isse~d iare'pts resrve stocks- e tc_
of artificial ports, like the famous "Mul-
berry" of, the Normandy beachheads, that
would carry some trans-Atlantic traffic
after destruction of normal part facilities.
None the less, fighting a war after being
three-quarters cut off from both our allies
and our overseas bases, certainly hardly
bears thinking about. Yet there is little hope
that air defense developments will rescue
us from such thoughts as these.
* * *
"pROJECT Lincoln" is the Air Force study
of the air defense problem, which is
being carried on under contract with the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It
has already pointed the way to many im-
portant new air defensedevelopments. But'
it has also pointed to the conclusion, un-
fortunately, that anything like an airtight
defense against attacking bomber forces
cannot be built now and probably will never
be built during our lifetimes.
According to the theories evolved by
such planners as the new British War
Secretary, Brigadier Anthony Head, all
these dangers can be overcome by build-
ing a solid, conventional defense of the
West. When the divisions are ready and
in the line, these planners say, the atomic
.potentials will matter less; for then the
Soviets will no longer hope for an easy
victory as a mere result of crippling or
neutralizing the American industrial base.
This theory gives the people of the United
States a rather direct personal interest in
the outcome of the NATO conference at
Lisbon.
Yet a complete, solid, conventional de-
fense of the West now seems to be an
optimist's dream. For all these reasons,
therefore, several of the leading American
physicists are now agitating for a new look,
not just at Soviet atomic capabilities, but
at the whole strategic-political problem
created by the atomic production race. God
knows where such a wide new look would
lead; but it certainly seems to be time to
drag this ghastly complex of problems out
from under the bed and to face these prob-
lems squarely with all their implications.
(Copyright, 1952, New York Herald Tribune, Inc.)
Washington
NO GILDED DOME swells from the lowly
roof to catch the morning or evening
beam; but the love and gratitude of united
Americausettle upon it in one eternal sun-
shine.
From beneath that humble roof went forth
the intrepid and unselfish warrior, the mag-
istrate who knew no glory but his country's
-Daily-Bill Hampton1
The Week's Mystery: Who dropped the marriage lecture series?]
* * * *
THE CONTROVERSY which arose over the cancellation of the
Marriage Lecture Series last week seemed to indicate that not many
students really wanted the lectures, but no one was in favor of their
suspension. Student Legislature touched off the debate in their meet-;
ing Wednesday night. In an effort to revive the recently suspended
series, SL members heatedly protested the "influence" of University
officials on the student-faculty-administration Marriage Lecture Com-
mittee. Because most of the Committee's members reported a lack
of student interest in the lectures, it was suspended earlier this month.
SL criticism was directed mainly at a poll of the League Board of;
Representatives indicating coed's apathy towards the lecture program.
Local. ..
CRUCIAL YEAR?-The dismal rushing cloud which hung over
fraternity row Tuesday was dispersed at the end of the week as 327
registered rushees made their rounds as usual. The issue flared up
over a hasty prediction of Spider Webb, '52, Chairman of IFC's En-
forcement Committee, that fraternities needed 350 pledges to fill this
semester's quota. Registration at the time numbered 254. The Daily
concluded from past pledge lists that, unless the registration list grew,
eleven houses faced imminent failure.
But the next day, incensed IFC officials proved Webb's rumor
inaccurate. When the final total of 327 registered rushees was com-
piled, the IFC ExecutiVe Committee stated that the figure exceeded
the minimum fraternity pledge quota which they were keeping secret.
Viewing the rushing picture in perspective, it appeared that the steady
drop in rushing totals since 1950 ran parallel to the enrollment decline
over the same period.
Though fraternities were taking rushing seriously, some enter-
prising residents of South Quad's Gomberg House had a gay time
with the traditional procedure and took a few good-natured digs at
it as well. The Gomberg men held a mock rushing session attended
by a group of Phi Gams, some masquerading Stockwell coeds, and
two eager members of the grade-school set.
LOCAL PRIMARIES-The voting turnout slumped even lower
than was expected in municipal primary elections held in three wards
Monday. Only 600 voters went to the polls.to elect University.Museum
technician James O. Mason and WUOM radio engineer Dean Cost6hl
to Democratic nominations in the fourth and fifth wards and Russell
J. Burns to the Republican candidacy in *ard three.
When the retu-rns were in, Ann Arbor took a look at the budget
and came up with the amazing conclusion that the primary set the
city back 55 to 65 cents for each voter.
National ..
NEW ENGLAND STORM-Old sea skippers in little New Englatld
towns knew this would be a big one. The coast guard sent up storm
warnings along the eastern coast from Maine to South Carolina. The
fishing fleet headed for home. When the storm struck, lashing the
rugged coast line, almost everyone was prepared for it.
But out in the howling Atlantic two ships Were in trouble. The
tanker Pendleton split in two. However most of its crew was rescued
from the turbulent waters. Then the tanker Mercer cracked apart.
Some of its crew were also rescued, but a gallant thirteen remained
aboard the disabled stern, and were safely towed into port.
* *. * *
International,. .
NO CIRCUS IN THAT TENT-According to Webster, a neutral is
a "state of power lending no active assistance to any belligerent." At
Panmunjom, truce negotiators this week were arguing whether this
definition applied to the Soviet Union.
The North Koreans want to name Russia as one of six neutral
nations which would provide teams for supervising an armistice. But
the UN team told the Reds that Russia couldn't be classed as neutral
because of her "record of past participation" in the Korean war-
referring to Russian built tanks and planes now used by the Reds.
The Communists retorted that Russia was a neutral because "she was
for peace." So the big stall continued.
Meanwhile to the south of Panmunjom, on the island of Koje off
the rocky Korean peninsula, a Red-inspired riot promised to stall
truce talks even more. The riots began when a thousand civilians
interned on the island attacked American guards in protest over the
private screening of internees to separate South Koreans from the
communists. When the bloody battle was over, 69 Korean civilians
and one U.S. soldier were dead and the Reds had plenty of material
for a new propoganda blast.
* * * *
CONFERENCE AT LISBON-Pooling of military forces of France,
West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg into
a one-uniform West European army was approved by the foreign
ministers of the 14 NATO countries Friday. But the plan has a long
way to travel before it becomes a reality. Each of the six governments
involved must ratify the treaty-This means that the French Assembly
must approve the rearming of West Germany. The uniform-makers
are not taking measurements just yet.
-Virginia Voss and Sid Klaus
To the Editor:
QUITE APART from the, in my
opinion, philosophical insigni-;
ficance, of the discussed play by
Bertold Brecht, he is a writer of
importance. Therefore we should
not overlook some other aspects,
which throw a significant light on
his personality.
Is the writer of the criticism,
published in The Daily, .actually
convinced of his statement that
Mr. Brecht gives us a warning
against a totalitarian society?
Doesn't he know that Brecht is
one of the old "intellectual" Com-
munists? And therefore definite-
ly against our conception of a
free society .. . And didn't Brecht
prove it? Didn't he live in the
Russian-ruled Eastern part of
Germany? Not only live, didn't
he write lots of government-
planned "progressive people's
art?" Wasn't he finally ordered
to write an opera, the style of
which was supposed to replace the
"reactionary" "capitalist" opera
of past centuries. It was staged
in Berlin recently, and though
completely in line with the Com-
munist theories, it did not, for
some strange reason, find the ap-
proval of the government, the rep-
resentatives of which left during
the performance. This apparently
gave him reason to leave his spon-
sors, and now, as the Arts Theater
Club proudly announced, Mr.
Brecht lives in Switzerland. An-
other political refugee . . . But
what about the "poor peasants"
who are so frequently quoted.
They also want to flee the sys-
tem, but are compelled to work
in one of the people's owned fac-
tories, and have to sing Brecht's
"activist"-working songs. Well,
"man equals man," and it's so
easy to change into a "democrat,"
--for people like Brecht, unfor-
tunately. And unfortunate for us,
to be told about the importance
of a play, which actually does
nothing but reflect a prophetical
thought, Brecht had had about
himself, as far back as in 1931.
-Dieter H. Krause
** *
Daily Opinion. ..
To the Editor:
A FUNDAMENTAL precept of
American journalism is.its
free, unbiased coverage of news
material. Expressions of opinion
from the editors are customarily
placed on a special page apart
from ordinary news fare.
It is with according dismay that
I note the increasing tendency of
The Daily to editorialize articles
which it presents to the public as
straight news. The Daily seems
to have hit a new low in its double
column, page one spread of last
Tuesday entitled, "Rushing Cru-
cial for Fraternities," The article
is a wondrous compilation of spec-
ulation and hearsay, graced with
a minimum of bedrock truth.
Says Daily staffman Helman in
paragraph two, "According to sta-
tistics compiled from past pledge
lists . .." But Mr. Helman com-
piled by whom, and from how
many pledge lists?
Reading on, I find, "Although
several members of the IFC are
optimistic . . ." What members,
for instance? Every fraternity
member pays dues to the IFC.
Just how many of these men com-
prise "several" in Mr. Helman's
mind?
"The small number of rushees
in general may force several
houses off campus . . " Which
houses? And couldn't we have
the name of the observer who
draws such conclusions about the
future of "five houses on campus
which face imminent failure and
and the six with dangerously few
members?" Is our commentator
a competent judge of the frater-
nity situation?
"Many residents/of South Quad
. ." Who are they, and how
many is ."many?" "Since infor-
mal initiation is now being held,
it is also evident that many sor-
ority houses will not meet their
quotas." Which houses? Evident
to whom? And once again, how
many is "many"?
Such vague generalities are un-
worthy of the conscientious cover-
age The Daily normally provides.
At a time when Michigan frater-
nities are conducting spring rush-
ing, an article making dark whis-
pers about eleven fraternity hous-
es, while failing to single out
these houses by name, has an
unfairly adverse effect on all
forty-four of Michigan's fraterni-
ties in the eyes of a rushee. But
this unkind cut to fraternities is
a small issue compared to the be-
trayal of trust to the reading pub-
lic which The Daily commits by
such sloppy journalism as this
article.
In fairness to its readers The
Daily should make more energetic
attempts to justify its "it is re-
ported" statements, to purge it-
self of news articles which smack
of opinionated writing. We have
enough McCarthyism as it is.
-James A. Sellgren
President, Trigon Fraternity
New Organization ...
To the Editor:
THE VITAL need for interesting
discussion and significant, pro-
gressive action on the broad, dy-
namic political scene is not now
fulfilled by any single liberal cam-
pus organization. Cal Samra's
Tuesday editorial made clear that
the Young Democrats at Ann Ar-
bor has not provided the desired
"vigorous espousal of democratic
ideals." Yet a positive, vigorous
expression of democratic princi-
ples, at home and abroad, is an
urgent intention shared by many.
An answer to this need for a
"hard - working, idea - pregnant"
student organization has been
found.
Tuesday, Feb. 26,'at 7:30, at the
Union, the first Spring meetig of
the reorganized Americans for
Democratic Action will be held.
The ADA is a vital, non-partisan
"organization of progressives,"
headed by Eleanor Roosevelt,
Walter Reuther, Hubert Hum-
phries, Charles LaFollette, etc.
Its objectives are raising living
standards, lasting peace, democra-
tic planning, and the achievepment
of freedom and economic secur-
ity for all people everywhere
through education and political
action. It holds that all forms
of totalitarianism, of the Fascist
Right and the Communist Left,
are incompatible with these ob-
jectives.
The campus ADA is developing
plans for provocative discussion
and action rn important current
topics, and for faculty and public
figure aid and participation, At
Tuesday's meeting the club's fac-
ulty adviser, Prof. Preston Slosson
of the History Department',will
speak on the principles and .pro-
gram of he ADA and of the liberal
student and citizen. We hope
that many of the searching liber-
als of Ann Arbor will initiate and
continue their political action and
interest through the revitalized
ADA at this occasion.
Ted Friedman
Paul Marx
Frank Yeager
i.
-I
- UNEXPECTED HELP -
CONGRESSMAN Ed Hebert of Louisiana,
who has been probing miiltary extrava-
gance, got some unexpected help the other
day from one of his severest critics, Vice
Adm. Charles Fox, Chief of Naval Materiel.
Hebert was chiding Fox about a news-
paper interview in which the admiral
assailed the House Armed Services Com-
mittee's "Chamber of Horrors," an exhi-
bit illustrating military waste.
Perhaps the most shocking example of
this has been indiscriminate purchasing by
the three services of identical items-such
as blankets and shoes-under different
specifications (or "numbers") at varying
costs to the taxpayers.
"Do you mean that this comifiittee or this
hearing is dealing in bunk?" inquired
Hebert.
"No, I think it is a good thing," back-
tracked Fox. "But I am proud of the Navy
and keenly hurt by unwarranted criticism
in the press."
"Well, do you still challenge this com-
mittee for making statements that are dis-
torted or misleading?" pressed Hebert.
Admiral Fox replied that GOP Con-
gressman Jack Anderson of California
erred in saying that there were 1,108 dif-
ferent number listings of an identical
item-a simple cotter pin-at the Me-
.chanicsburg, Pa., supply depot.
"That figure is wrong," declared Fox in-
dignantly. "We have 1,181 different num-
bers for that identical item. Not 1,108."
HOOVER vs. Ike-Herbert Hoover, long-
time isolationist, is secretly trying to
line up delegates against Eisenhower in
New York and New Hampshire . . . By an
ironic twist of fate, Hoover underwent
exactly the same criticism as Taft now
makes against Eisenhower. When Hoover
ran for President, he had never registered
I:
Sixty-Second Year
Edited and managed by students of
the University of Michigan under the
authority of the Board 'of Control of
Student Publications.
Editorial Staff
Chuck Elliott ........Managing Editor
Bob Keith ..................City Editor
Leonard Greenbaum, Editorial Director
Vern Emerson ..........Feature Editor
Rich Thomas........Associate Editor
Ron Watts ............Associate Editor
Bob Vaughn..........Associate Editor
Ted Papes.............. Sports Editor
George Flint ... .Associate Sports Editor
Jim Parker .....Associate Sports Editor
Jan James .............Women's Editor
Jo Ketelhut, Associate Women's Editor
Business Staff
Bob Miller .. .......Business Manager
Gene Kuthy, Assoc. Business Manager
Charles Cuson ....Advertising Manager
Sally Fish . ..,.. ...Finance Manager
Circulation Manager........Milt Goetz
Telephone 23-24-1
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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 Post Office at Ann
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-y,
BARNABY
We have a birthday Well, I-er-No. I
cake and ice cream, haven't the time.
A i ..I i tit /R musfhaa i .
I didn't mean it-l didn't
grow up. on purpose. I-
A,
- I I
I
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