PAGE FOUR
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1952
PAGE FOUR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26. 1952
______________________________________________________ I I
Closed Meetings
RECENT reports from the Korean peace
negotiations that the meetings on the
exchange of prisoners may go into secret
session vividly dramatize a problem faced
every day by the press.
The decision for closing the sessions,
temporarily at least, was based on the rea-
soning that the negotiators could have
more leeway in tackling difficult ques-
tions. The questions could be worked out
with more ease if, during the development
of the views, the negotiators were spared
continual public scrutiny. According to the
report, the Communists were anxious to
work in this face-saving atmosphere.
And here in Ann Arbor, members of The
Daily continually run up against the same
problem-closed meetings for the alleged
reason that business and plans, while in
the formative stage, can be carried on with
a greater expediency. One of the most
prominent practicers of this policy is the
Inter-Fraternity Council, but they are often
joined by political clubs, temporary student-
faculty bodies and pure faculty bodies such
as the American Association of University
Professors.
It is easy, in most cases, to see what these
organizations on the international and local
levels are trying to accomplish by their
arbitrary decisions to go into secrecy. For
one thing individual members do not have
to answer to the public for what is said and
decided while the sessions are in progress.
Particular members can express opinions or
make statements that are pretty far off
base without fear that he may be brought
to account for his words. When the final
result is announced, the decision of such
secret groups is usually unanimous. Then,
the group, not the individual, is judged for
its decision-a situation, incidently, which
is mighty comfortable for the group mem-
bers.
The press, as a whole, feels that these
secret sessions should be reported. There
are obvious exceptions, as might be the
case when the Board of Regents discuss
personalities, or the truce teams need
secrecy for a final settlement, but these
exceptions should be more or less obvious.
However, newspapers do feel that they
have a certain obligation to report the
activities of public and quasi-public groups
(such as the IFC). When these organiza-
tions take some action, it is news, mainly
because of its impact upon the rest of the
community. If the IFC wants to initiate
a Help Week, the public as well as IFC
members want to know about it. In the
same sense, if the IFC is working on a
plan to eliminate bias clauses, the public
and IFC members also want to know what
is being said and done.
What can be more democratic than the
expression of people's will toward a prob-
lem concerning them? Obviously it is im-
possible for this will be be heard as long
as opinions, reasons and decisions are ex-
pressed and made behind closed doors. To
make democracy work, the community must
be informed. And this job of informing is
a duty of the press.
-Ron Watts
Riot Debt
FORTUNATELY for the University and
the student body, some good has
emerged from under the depressing blanket
of childishness and vandalism which
abounded on this campus Thursday night.
At a meeting Sunday, the student lead-
ers of the residence halls properly recog-
nized and accepted responsibility for the
$180 damage 'to University property. In
voting to pay the bill, the dorm chiefs
said they realized that dormitory students
were the main participants in the demon-
stration.
The Student Legislature, in quickly
bringing the dorm representatives together
and then stepping out of the picture when
the matter was resting in firm hands, also
acted maturely and can be congratulated.
As for the results of Sunday's meeting:
the immediate acceptance of the bill
brought high praise from University offi-
cials, and it will certainly help dispel the
administration's lack of confidence in the
student body which no doubt developed
from the "riot." News of the payment will
also raise the University's standing in the
minds of those who, in first learning of the
melee, did not regard it merely as college
fun.
In working out the details of the plan
with the individual houses, the dorm
leaders should be sure to see that it in-
cludes some provision to reimburse both
individuals and house groups which suf-
fered loss or damage Thursday night.
One point in the dorm leaders statement
should be emphasized here: ". . . the wo-
men's residence halls' presidents and the
executive committees of the three men's
quadrangles go on record as condemning
the destructive elements in the demonstra-
tion . . ." The acceptance of financial re-
sponsibility does not mean that vandalism
is forgiven or condoned-and it should not
be regarded as license for students next
year to again run rampant all over campus.
Capitol Investigations
THE Sunday issue of the New York Times
reported that the Eighty-Second, Con-
gress, with still four months to go, has set
a new record in Congressional investiga-
tions.
Since January third, 1951, 225 inquiries
have taken place and more than 60 are
still active.
"Funds authorizations for the inquiries
during the Eighty-Second Congress have
reached about $4,100,000," the article re-
ported, and "more than a score of pro-
posals for additional investigations that
would call for an estimated $987,000 of new
funds are now pending."
Showing the deluge of hearings, the arti-
cle pointed out that there are not enough
quarters in the Capitol to house all the
inquiries, and a House investigation of the
Department of Justice had to rent rooms
in a nearby hotel.
Pointing also to the drain on personnel,
and time, the Times asserted that the in-
vestigations "are concededly slowing down
the legislative process in a session which
members hope to close by the last of July
and get away for the political campaigns.
They continue at a rate which makes
them almost as difficult to keep up with
as the voting returns on election night.
"Many investigations of one chamber dup-
licate those of the other."
Realizing the tremendous cost and time
the committees demand, we must ask the
question whether their value is commen-
surate with- the expense. Here, the word
'value' involves effectiveness and ethics.
It is interesting to note how a Times
Washington correspondent feels about
these important questions.
William S. White published an article in
last Sunday's New York Times Magazine
entitled, "An Inquiry Into Congressional In-
quiries."
In the article the newspaperman decries
the investigations as a "corruption of a fair
and valid function.,,
Citing that "It is entirely likely that
the situation will get worse before it gets
better, if it ever does," White lists several
valid complaints against Congressional
committees as they now function.
The correspondent first points to fear in
government circles, caused by the scope
and nature of the hearings. He then attacks
the procedures of the committees which
function without legal evidence, without
due process of law and which trample on
the rights of the individual citizen, who be-
comes the "defendant" in the hearings.
"Fear pervades the scene-a kind of psy-
chotic terror prevents top officials from
giving the faintest voice to a swollen appre-
hension at what seems to be happening to
due process-..
"Men in the State Department trim
their reports, and their views in fear of
. oetdfrpj to ihe &/itor .
r
the present, or of another, Senator Mc-
Carthy."
As to the effectiveness of committees
which were set up to discover facts for
legislation, White asserts "Congressional
inquiries have now for the most part become
punitive rather than factfinding.
".. ..the Grand Jury receives legal evi-
dence. Not so the Congressional committee.
"Being not more than human the parti-
sans pull bitterly at the facts, until the rope
of truth is broken and tattered beyond all
resemblance."
Attacking the committees for 'over-
simplification' ... "The committees be-
come a prosecuting agency happily free
of the evidence in towns or bureaus where
the established legal authority has not
acted.
"The accused may have a lawyer, but one
whose teeth are drawn and whose voice, by
the rules, is nearly always mute. No cross
examination worthy of the name is per-
mitted. The lawyer and the accused must
confront the following:
A panel of judges which is hostile.
A bank of lightsrand recording machines
and sometimes a row of microphones for
radio and television.
A committee counsel who is on the way
up.
A press table which is in great part
ridden by competitive pressure and must
scramble as best it can toward the leaping
headlines.
"Here are good men out to visit their
just wrath upon the malefactor. It is the
old morality play bereft of the skill and
essential pity of the ancient author. In the
real sense, the verdict is in before the evi-
dence begins."
With an emphasis on the rights of the
witness as an individual, White goes on:
" .it is a jury of the whole nation. It
is said thatthese verdicts of national pseu-
dojuries do not convict for felonies before
the law. Perhaps they do not put men in
jail; sometimes they only take away his job,
his life work, and his honor.
"Congressional scrutiny," he concludes,
"is something less than the ablest, the
fairest and best for man's motives. The
courthouse is still a pretty good place for
that."
These opinions from a man who has seen
the inside workings of the committees can
not be shrugged off. Few, including White,
deny that a Congressional committee set up
to aid Congress pass legislation has an in-
dispensable function. But anyone who is
deeply concerned with the rights of indi-
viduals and a government atmosphere de-
void of fear must be willing to acknowledge
that the committees have gone beyond their
function.
-Alice Bogdonoff
Geology 12 -.
To the Editors:
PITY, PITY, Mr. Sader! Because
you have applied the usually
employed concept of organization
by letter rows to your Geology 12
lecture, you seem to think your
low grade has received little atten-
tion. Have you noticed, however,
how much concern has been regis-
tered by the persons sitting in
front and in back of you? Had you
bothered to investigate, you would
have learned, to your benefit, that
the newer method of group org-
anization - vertically, by number
rows is now being used in Geology
12, and with great success. Let us
hope that henceforth you have the
sensitivity to respond enthusiastic-
ally to this sincere attempt to keep
spirit at Michigan at a consistent-
ly high level.
-Joseph I. Gallon.
GOP Convention .. .
To the Editors:
I am writing to you in my ca-'
pacity as the Chairman of the
Washtenaw County Republican
Convention held on Tuesday of
this week in response to the re-I
marks made by Mr. Zander Hol-
lander in his editorial entitled
'Republican Convention.'
I feel that Mr. Hollander is
guilty of slanting in a number of
respects, and that fairness de-
mands a correction of the record.
With respect to my ruling out
Dave Cargo as a delegate from
Manchester it should be pointed
out that this was not done on a
mere 'technicality.' The ruling was
based upon the Michigan Election
Law which states among other
things, 'No delegate elected to any
city or county convention shall
give a proxy to represent him at
"Couldn't We Let Him Do Somethiog Besides Point?"
- do
d0
work, and planning their own bud-
gets, their rates for room and
board have increased from $300.-
.00 to only $360.00 since 1949. Ac-
cording to their financial commit-
tee they might even be able to de-
crease rates for the fall semester.
There are many to whom fi-
nancial matters are of no concern,
so this whole business will be of
no consequences. But to those who
cannot readily "shell out" more
and more each semester, I think
they might find this comparison
between the residence halls oper-
ated by the University, and the 5
Co-op houses student-operated by
their Inter-Cooperative Council,
fairly interesting.
-Sanford Rosenzweig
* - *
Recruiting * *
To the 'Editor:
DEPARTMENT OF SILENT
COMMENT
Marquee of Liberty Street movie
theater featuring a Jane "glands"
Russell film. Actress' name on
non-academic (Main Street) side-
6 inch lettering. Same name on
campus side-12 inch lettering.
Ratio 1:2.
-Chuck Kauffman
consumption during severe cam-
paigns was many times between
700 to 1000 pints. Itis impossible
for me to stress the inestimable
importance of this drive to the
lives of our fighting men. The best
possible medical equipment that
modern science can provide is on
the battlefield. But without blood
this equipment is useless if the
G. I. dies of shock.
Science can not provide whole
blood. This must come from you.
-Jules S. Margoles
* * *
McPhIEilrSpeech
To the Editor:
such convention.
occuring in any+
be filled by a
All vacancies
delegation shallf
majority vote
Political Action
T HE coordinated effort of the five major
campus political clubs to present a
united front against the existence of a
University Lecture Committee stands as the
most encouraging sample of political action
the campus has witnessed this year.
The clubs are planning to mobilize stu-
dent opinion against the speaker ban by
means of a rally March 31 in the League
Ballroom. Two student and two faculty
speakers will urge a "yes" vote on the
anti-speaker ban referendum on the April
1 and 2 SL ballot.
Advocates of the coordination plan, spon-
sored initially by the Students for Demo-
cratic Action, had a major hurdle to over-
come before a coalition of the five groups
was possible. As was the case in the Young
Republicans club, certain ultra-conserva-
tive members were unreasonably fearful of
allying themselves with any group on which
they saw a faint tinge of the "subversive"
element. And according to their reasoning,
it would have been detrimental to YR to
affiliate with clubs like the Civil Liberties
Committees and the Young Progressives who
INTERPRETING THE NEWS:
Russian Plan.
By J. M. ROBERTS Jr.
Associated Press News Analyst
ONE OF THE great issues between the
Allies and Soviet Russia in Germany is
whether Western Europe is to remain free
to establish itself as a community rather
than a group of competing states.
The Allied note replying to Russia's
suggestion for a peace conference takes
this into account.
Russia has suggested a.newly nationalized
Germany. She has upset her Communist fol-
lowers throughout Europe by proposing to
let Germany have a national army. She
would, however, bind this army to neutrality
between Germany's former enemies.
This would almost surely nullify the ef-
fort, led by France and supported by West-
ern German Chancellor Adenauer, to estab-
lish a cooperative if not yet federated Eur-
ope.
France, of course, would reject any peace
treaty which allowed Germany to have an
army. The Russians know that, and merely
injected the idea to stir up the Germans
against the international army to which
Germany is now expected to contribute.
That was the real motive behind the
Russian proposal at this time-not to get a
attempted to sponsor allegedly subversive
speakers later banned by the University.
Their failure to see any deeper into the
matter than the labeling level and their
complete neglect of any ideology outside of
their own carefully bounded code is unfor-
tunately typical of too much student rea-
soning. What becomes doubly encouraging
then is the success of the more reasonable
liberal elements of YR in overriding these
objections and the nearly unanimous deci-
sion of the remaining four clubs-YP, SDA,
CLC and the Young Democrats-to get to-
gether behind the anti-speaker ban cause.
Further, it is noteworthy that atten-
dance at political meetings has increased
substantially since Arthur McPhaul and
Abner Green were denied permission to
speak, since the Un-American Activities
Committee conducted hearings in Detroit,
and since the five political groups joined
in the "Vote Yes" drive. It is at least evi-
dent that controversy in political affairs
is still capable of attracting student in-
terest.
Because the coming rally has the solid
backing of all organized campus political
clubs, it would be a good idea for students
not affiliated with political groups to turn
out to hear the four speakers' arguments.
Right now, a "yes", "no", or an "undecided"
vote isn't of final importance; some sort
of campus recognition of enlivened student
political activity is.
-Virginia Voss
Pamp hle tee lrs
TVHE snowy white decorations strewn all
over campus yesterday were not a pro-
ject of an impatient Easter bunny.
Once again finding the urge to voice
their protest against an evil of society,
modern Tom Paines were on the job hand-
ing out their mimeographed sheets to all
passersby. This one, signed by the Labor
Youth League expressed indignation over
the unfair action of the Meisner case.
As usual the accosted passerby took a
sheet, glanced at it perfunctorily and let it
fall gently to the ground.
Freedom of speech, press, pamphleteering
and everything is a wonderful thing. But
when a marred landscape endangers the
aesthetic well being of the community regu-
latory measures should be, taken.
Perhaps a law prohibiting the distri-
bution of literature printed on media
less permanent than wood or wrought
iron would eliminate the litter. Another
of such delegation . . .' Mr. Car-
go was a delegate by tele-
phone proxy as was called to my
attention by a member of the com-
mittee on credentials. This being
in direct conflict with the applic-
able statute I had no alternative
but to rule him out as a delegate.
Since I am a charter member of
the Eisenhower for President
Committee in this community it
should be observed that I was
most anxious to have Mr. Cargo,
an Eisenhower supporter, remain
a delegate. The challenge by the
member of the Credentials Com-
mittee, however, could not be
ignored in view of the plain lan-
guage of the statute ..
Mr. Hollander's comments that
the Party at the local level re-
mains the Party of few is not the
fact now nor was it ever. The
Party does contain Republicans of
many different views, including
the arch conservatives, with whom
both Mr. Hollander and I will dis-
agree .... I am sure Mr. Hollander
would not want to deny these
people a voice in the governmental
process however much he might
disagree withtheir views, and my
feeling is quite the same ...
-John S. Dobson I
Who Shall Judge?.
To the Editor:
[N FRIDAY'S Daily a letter was
printed signed by the president
of the five groups backing the
referendum on the Lecture Com-
mittee. This letter eroneously
stated that we must dispose of the
Lecture committee because of its
not allowing political speakers on
campus. In 1948 the ban on polit-
ical speakers was lifted. However,
the force of the five presidents'
argument is not diminished. For
under the present situation it is
the Lecture Committee which de-
cides whether a man is subversivef
or not. The Attorney General's
list has been declared illegal and
at present the state and nation
have not drawn up any such list. In
other words the Lecture Commit-
tee is not trying to make the cam-
pus into an ivory tower, rather
it is saying in effect that only cer-
tain "reputable" speakers shall be
heard. But is it right for anyone
except the student to judge who
shall be heard?
-Mayer Zald
Blood . .
To the Editor:
U NDOUBTEDLY Jim Nickelson's'
statement concerning blood
donation was pure satire. At least
I am unsophisticated enough to
hope such is the case and still find
that this is the apparent attitude
on the campus. To me the funda-
mental goal of education is hu-
manitarianism, to seek human
understanding and relieve human
suffering throughout the world.
Perhaps I am wrong. Certainly
many of us must find that here
nn *- ha ren , njc ofn- n a nof+., a rn..-
A CCORDING
ters to the
Schor seems to
TO his recent let-
editor. Mr. Robert
be quite impressed
with what Mr. Arthur McPhaul]
said at the recent dinner-meeting+
at which he spoke.
As one who attended the dinner
also-and who heard the speech-
I would like to say that Mr. Mc-
Phaul neither impressed me as be-
ing an inspiring speaker-a logi-
cal one-or even a truthful one.
McPhaul charged the govern-
ment of this nation and the gov-'
ernments of the respective states
with having a policy of extermin-
ating the Negro race. He cited as
his examples: some lynchings in
the South, a shooting in Detroit,
and a statement on segregation by
Gov. James Byrnes of South Caro-
lina. This was "proof" to him, Mr.
Schor refers to these as "concrete
and vivid examples" of how Neg-
roes are deprived of social, politi-
cal and economic rights.;
Although I believe there is yet;
much to be done in the field of
civil rights, and though I believe,
that much inequality does exist
today, I cannot accept four or five,
or even a hundred isolated cases1
as proof that our government is
practicing or even condoning gen-
ocide. McPhaul-no place in his
speech-produced any proof! ;
It is unfortunate, I think, that
Mr. McPhaul could not speak on
campus. If he did, I am positive,
that what he would say would be
swallowed by very few people. Any
person with an eighth grade edu-
cation could have shot holes
through McPhaul's statements.
By having his speech banned,
however, McPhaul has become a
martyr to manypeople. He and his
ilk have probably gained more fol-
lowers by the ban than if he had
spoken in Hill Auditorium to a
packed house..1
The Administration should re-
alize now that by lifting the
Speakers' Ban they can do a great
service to this campus. By allow-
ing the students of Michigan to
see and hear for themselves, they
will be furthering the cause of
showing just how utterly stupid
and unfounded the arguments of
men like Arthur McPhaul really
are!
-Gene Mossner
in the census to give Ann Arbor
greater appropriations, the least
the city can do is keep order for.
us.
I think also that if it hadn't
been for the quick thinking of the
students in the building, the boys
would have gotten through either,
the first or second time. Our stu-
dent night chaperone was stand-
ing in the office fighting people
off with a coke bottle while one
3fficial of the University stood by
murmuring something to the 'ef-
fect of "Take it easy, boys" and1
not lifting a finger.'
After the 1:00 raid, one mem-
ber of the Administration accused
us of having opened the side door
from the inside. I don't think that
after having fought to keep the
mob out twice we would have been
likely to open it then. True the
door was opened from the inside.
Further investigation, however,l
would have shown that the base-
ment kitchen window was jimmied
open and mud tracks led from the
window to the door. Also, the kit-
chen door is locked from the out-
side so that none of the girls could
have gotten into the kitchen with-E
out going outside first-an abso-
lute impossibility at that time. Al-
so, there was another basement
window broken in.
-Ina Sussman1
* * *
. .
TGOP thepEitr:.
To the Editor: l
WAS SHOCKED, ashamed, and1
amazed as a Republican and
a human being to observe the
austereand heartless antics of
state Rep. Lewis Christman in his
opposition to a state fair employ-
ment practices act. He certainly
reached a new low in his opposi-
tion to the bill this year when he
referred to those Republicans
supporting it as "backsliders" and
"tearjerkers". My immediate re-
action was that he was too callous'
to ever shed a tear for a fellow'
human being but that he was justj
a-bit misinformed on the sub-
ject.
There is no sense in my appeal-
ing to such legislators as Christ-
man on religious, moral, or even
intellectual grounds to support
this legislation because they just
do not seem to understand this
kind of language. But politically
I can hardly see why they want
to kick a minimum of 600,000
voters in this state in the teeth.
Don't they ever want to elect Re-
publicans to state and national
office?
It appears to me that the Re-
publican Party as a whole has far
more faith and confidence in
Negroes and other minority
groups than Mr. Christman and
his comrades have. The GOP in
its national platform in 1944 &
1948 endorsed F.E.P.C.-four state
conventions have done the same
and only three weeks ago the U.
of M. Young Republican Club en-
dosed it unanimously. Does Christ-
man and his small group of co-
horts have the right as Republi-
cans to repeal these endorse-
ments?
-David Cargo
* * *
Campus Appeal . .
To the Editor:
SEVERAL DAYS ago the Univer-
announced another rent
raise for the residence halls. This
will increase rents to $650.00 (for
doubles) a year, a rise of $130.00
since 1949. Little protest has been
raised to the ever-increasing rates
for living in University operated
Danger Sign .. .
To the Editor:
IN THE LAST few weeks the Su-
preme Court legalized the un-
precedented jailing of attorneys
who defended the leaders of a poli-
tical party. In the same period it
declared legal the jailing of "sub-
versives" up for deportation inde-
finitely without bail. The Fein-
berg thought-control law was de-
clared legal.
There is a motion in the Senate
that the U.S. issue an "Order of
the Stoolpigeon," a medal to be
given to loyal Americans who spy
on their neighbors; or perhaps to
little children who detect "sub-
versive conversation" between
their parents. The ex-mayor of
Detroit calls for the city to destroy
its most famous work of art. A
coed is expelled from Wayne for
exercising a constitutional right.
Citizens are to be expelled from
public housing-not just on the
grounds that they might be com-
munists-but what seems to be
worse, that they are atheists.
This drive of domestic reaction
and hysteria does not, however,
exist in a vacuum apart from the
international scene. Neither can
we consistantly recognizd the do-
mestic hysteria in its fraudulance
and yet swallow as complete truth
the international counterpart of
the home front anti-red drive. The
propaganda about an imminent
violent "red danger from within"
is quite transparent since we are
here and have never seen nor
heard of red ammunition dumps or
of communists drilling in base-
ments. The war propaganda de-
scribing the struggles of colonial
peoples as "Russian Aggression" is
much harder for us here in Ameri-
ca to identify. It is obvious, though,
that it radiates from the 'U'nited
States and decreases in intensity
with distance fom it.
Just as war would mean un-
bridled unconstitutional oppres-
sion of all dissension i.e. fascism,
so would the present trend towards
complete loss of civil liberties, i.e.
towards fascism, mean the silenc-
ing of all opposition to war. Thus
all students should band together
in the dual defense of civil liberties
and peace-for to lose one is to
lose both and all that we cherish.
-Vincent E. Giuliano
I
7'
Riot ...
To the Editor:
DON'T WANT to discuss the
actions of the rioters, but I
do feel that the Ann Arbor Police
Dept. and the University adminis-
tration showed a great lack of
comprehension of the situation.
When the crowd was gathering
outside Martha Cook to make the
third attempt to get in-the suc-
cessful one - our dietitian tele-
phoned the police departmentand
asked for a few squad cars to come
down and try to stop them from
breaking in. The policeman who
answered the phone told her to
tell the girls to go into their
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
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
Milt Goetz......Circulation Manager
/
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