, r- -
FOUR
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
bulllijrkl, -NiAi 25, 195Z
I OUR ~I~jjE MICHIGAN DAILY
.- . .
he Lecture Committee
Government
& Freedom
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, debate on the
Lecture Committee has taken place in
campus political clubs, discussion groups,
and classrooms.
The debate has centered chiefly on six
questions. Listed below are these questions
and the viewpoint of those who are against
and those who favor the Lecture Committee:
1-Is the disapproval of the Lecture
Committee, expressed by the students in a
campus referendum and the Student Leg-
islature in a recently approved resolution,
a good reason for eliminating the Lecture
Committee?
YES:, Unless University officials have no
faith in student opinion and government,
hey should abide by the student's desire to
eliminate the Lecture Committee.
NO: The student's opinion of the Lecture
Committee is to be seriously considered.
But, so must the Administration's, faculty's,
'egents', alumni's, and State Legislature's
opinion be taken into account. Although the
;tudents seem to be opposed to the Lecture
Committee, the opinion of the other five
;roups outweigh the student's position on
;his question.
2-Does state law adequately protect the
University from the "danger" the Lecture
Committee is trying to prevent?
YES: State and national law prohibits
overthrow of the government. If any speak-
er was to advocate this, he would be subject
;o court action.
N,: The University created the Lecture
Committee because it wishes to prevent any
advocacy of overthrowing the government
oefore it occurs.
3-Is the publicity coming from ban-
ning a speaker worse than the publicity
that comes from allowing him to speak?
YES: Many high school students who
ead of a speaker's ban believe the Univer-
ity 'prohibits free speech. They prefer to
o somewhere else where they can hear
anyone they wish.
NO: Many of the adults hearing about a
onmunist speaker coming to the Univer-
sity believe the school is infested with Reds.
There is constant pressure on the Univer-
sity to prevent these.speakers from coming
again.
'4-Is a speaker glamorized by being
banned?
YES:* A certain degree of curiosity, ad-
venture, and martyrdom surrounds any
banned speaker?
NO: Just as any admiration received by
criminals or other irresponsible people is
not a reason to stop arresting criminals,
any martyrdom received by a banned speak-
er is hardly reason not to ban a speaker.
5-Is there danger that the Lecture
Committee might extend its powers to in-
clude any "unfavorable" political speaker?
YES: The Lecture Committee is constant-
ly extending its ban so that it now prohibits
anyone who belongs to an alleged "subver-
sive" group from participating in any event
on campus. There is no telling how far the
Committee might extend its ban, nor are
there concrete limits on its powers.
NO: In every law,'there is danger in using
it as a means for discriminatory action. But
the Lecture Committee has not extended its
powers beyond itsoriginal limits. The only
rational approach to this problem is to take
each application of a iule separately, pro-
testing only when the rule has been abused.
6-Is the Lecture Committee practicing
guilt by association?'
YES: Guilt by association, the present
method used in screening speakers, was im-
plicit in the banning of Abner Greene, Ar-
thur McPhaul, and Ann Shore, because they
hold membership in the Civil Rights Con-
gress.
NO: The Lecture Committee bases each
decision on individual merit. Those speak-
ers banned thus far were not banned be-
cause of the organizations they belong to,
but, rather, the activities they engaged in
while in their organizations.
Though there are, of course, other argu-
ments that have been advanced, these rep-
resent the core of the controversy, which
promises to continue as long as the Lecture
Committee exists. -Bernie Backhaut
M A rTER O
96,AC '!
l
By JOSEPH and STEWART ALSOP
WASHINGTON -- While Sen. Taft is
straining to beat Gen. Eisenhower at
the Republican convention in July, Presi-
dent Truman is blocking out his ,plan for
defeating the General in the election in
November. This is the real meaning of the
otherwise amazing Presidential gyration of
recent weeks.
The President's idea of his own role in
his party is that of a pilot who charts the
ship's future course before he leaves the
bridge. Until fairly recently, the course
he was charting was laid out in the be-
lief that Sen. Taft would be the Republi-
can nominee.
With Taft as the Republican standard-
bearer, the President rightly anticipated
that foreign policy would be the main issue
of the campaign. Being firmly convinced
that national survival depends on the con-
tinuity of American foreign policy, Truman
tackled his problem with the sobriety he
reserves for the weightiest issues. The re-
sult was a beat-Taft plan based on uni-
fying the Democratic Party, and attracting
the maximum number of moderate inde-
pendents and anti-isolationist Republicans
to the Democratic standard.
Both the great factions among the Dem-
ocrats were to be conciliated by the nomina-
tion of Gov. Stevenson of Illinois for the
Presidency and Sen. Richard Russell of
Georgia for the Vice Presidency. Civil rights
and other controversial domestic issues were
to be subordinated. Persons of every sort
of view on internal policy were to be rallied
by the battle cry, "Save freedom in the
world."
The beat-Eisenhower plan is almost
the exact opposite, both in mood and;
content, of the beat-Taft plan. With Gen.
Eisenhower as the Republican nominee,
the President does not expect foreign pol-
icy to be a dominant issue. By all the
signs, moreover, he feels a strong sense
of release because foreign policy will be
out of the way, and the coming campaign
will thus not be such a solemn, life-and-
death business.
At any rate, the beat-Eisenhower plan
casts party unity to the winds. The Presi-
dent inclines to think that nothing can
prevent the- General from making inroads
in the South. Hence, anticipated losses in
the South are partly to be balanced by the
strongest kind of line on civil rights, which
is to attract a solid Negro vote to the
Democrats in the North.
By the same token, the President sus-
pects moderate, middleclass voters may
be hard to detach from Eisenhower.
Hence, losses in this sector are to be
compensated for by the most powerful
appeals to every sort of special interest
in lower-income groups. Gen. Eisenhower
is meanwhile to be portrayed as the un-
witting tool of the sinister barons of big
business, right perhaps in his instinct, but
the prisoner of those who would oppress
the farmer, enchain the laboring man
and grind the faces of the down-trodden.
Meanwhile, however-and this should ir-
ritate the Republicans-Truman none the
less retains his power of maneuver. If Sen.
Taft is nominated by the Republicans, the
strategy can be altered overnight.
(Copyright, 1952, New York Herald Tribune, Inc.)j
FROM THE earliest days of our Constitu-
tional history, the dominant idea of
American political philosophy has been gov-
ernment by law rather than by men.
Today, however, after two devasting
world wars and with the prospect of a
third looming large, the American people
have become so fearful and insecure
that they have given government a man-
date to expand the powers heretofore
stringently restricted by law. The body
and spirit of the Constitution has been in-
vaded in the process and, as a result, very
little now stands in the way of a comple-
hensive grab of power by the President
and Congress, which may sweep away
both property and civil rights.
The present trend, which may culminate
in a governmental dictatorship, has been ap-
parent in recent court decisions, presidential
directives, and congressional laws.
Take for example the summary seizure of
the steel industry which seems to be a blat-
ant negation of the Fifth Amendment. Pres-
ident Truman, regardless of any extenuating
conditions, has set a precedent which is
harmful to our democratic foundations. The
President has also identified himself with
the times by publicly declaring in an off-
the-cuff statement that he has the right
to take over the press and radio.
Consider also the Constitutional guaran-
tee of freedom of speech, which has often
been violated. The recent conviction of the
eleven Communists, who were tried for vio-
lation of the Smith Act, bears testimony to
this fact, and also has set a pattern for
other infringements. This act makes it un-
lawful "to knowingly or willfully advocate
... or teach the duty, necessity, desireability
or propriety of overthrowing or destroying
any government in the United States by
force or violence." The Supreme Court in
upholding the lower court conviction of the
defendants asserted the "Gravity of Evil"
doctrine, which contends that speech may
be limited if it would tend to produce the
substantive evils (such as overthrow of the
government by force or violence), which
Congress is empowered to prevent.
Mr. Justice Black in a dissenting opin-
ion alludes to the danger of such inter-,
pretations and their consequences. "Pub-
lic opinion being what it now is, few will
protest the conviction of the Communist
petitioners. There is hope, however, that
in calmer times, when present pressures,
passions, and fears subside this or some
later court will restore thi first amend-
ment liberties to the high preferred place
where they belong in a free society."
Another facet of American liberty recent-
ly endangered is the oft-heralded principle
which seeks to maintain education and poli-
tics as separate entities. The Supreme Court
has upheld New York's Feinberg Law which
forbids teachers, under penalty of dismissal
to belong to any organization labeled sub-
versive by the State Board of Regents. The
impilcations of this law are clear. Now, any
teacher in any group or teachers' union is
directly at the mercy of the State's regents.
Furthermore, the passage of the Mc-
Carran Act by Congress is another exam-
ple of this trend towards wielding a club.
This act makes legal the immediate de-
portation without trial of an alien on the
grounds of previous association (not ne-
cessarily active participation) with any
"totalitarian" group. This act also pro-
vides for the arbitrary detention of all
.suspected subversives in a "national"
emergency; it denies, in effect, the right
of habeas corpus.
Numerous other examples could be cited
to illustrate this trend toward governmental
encroachment.
Meanwhile, the American people have
made themselves vulnerable to the attacks
of home-grown demagogues as well as Com-
munist infiltrators. This has opened the
door for the House Un-American Activities
Committee. Acting with the sanction of
public sentiment, this committee, aided by
a certain vociferous Senator, has used its
cloak of immunity without restraint, smear-
ing honorable as well as dubious characters,
condemning in the present the peccadilloes
of the past.
Fear, hysteria, and insecurity on the
part of the American people have condon-
ed' these practices.
The present trend in the United States is
an indication that a new, potentially dan-
gerous, relationship between government and
governed is forthcoming. It may well be
likely that a form of totalitarianism will
supercede our present structure.
--Dave Markowitz
Editorials printed In The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writer only.
This must be noted in all reprints.
NIGHT EDITOR: HARRY LUNN
War&Peace
"AS LONG AS capitalism and Socialism
THE WEEK'S NEWS
IN RETROSPECT . .
A CHAIN OF related incidents ANOTHER BAN-In its fourth
occuring last week seemed to and most muddled banning since
confirm observations that an un- early March, the University Lee-
pleasant rift was growing between ture Committee last Saturday told
students and the University ad- student sponsors of a planned
ministration. genocide debate that Civil Rights
Indications that the University Congress officer Ann Shore was
held a low opinion of student gov- --barred from speaking on campus.
ernment and student expressionEx ig e so*
seemed apparent as Ann Shore Explaining the decision, Coin
was banned from campus, the mittee secretary Prof. Carl G.
anti-bias bill was vetoed by Pres- Brandt of the speech depart-
ident Hatcher and the SL fund re- ment said no positive evidence
quest was turned down by admin-. existed to balance the "negative"
istration officials. fact that Mrs. Shore belonged to
s s * an allegedly "subversive" or-
ganization. The decision assum-
months of consideration on the ed a contradictory aspect when
SL-sponsored SAC-approved anti- prved ater Lebrn Sim n
bias plan, President Hatcher hand- had appeared in the recent Un-
ed down his veto Thursday with ahadereAcitercent Un-
shor, trse tatmen of is ea-American Activities Committee's
short, terse statement of his rea- $Detroit probe.
sons. The essence of his veto was
expressed in the words "we be- z;But campus reaction to the word
lieve that the processes of educa- "ban" had, In the course of Co-
tion and personal and group con- I mittee actions, evidently been
victions will bring us forward fast- dulled. By comparison with the
er, and on a sounder basis, than banned Slosson-Phillips debate in
the proposed methods of coercion." t 1950 which drew 2,000, the 100-
odd student group, packed in a
President Hatcher relayed hissmall church chap for the off-
veto through the SAC which im-scmugcdch eote of-
stateen ';campus genocide debate, was or-
mediately issued a statement derly and mild. In the debate it-
taking "strong exception" with r self, Prof. Preston Slosson of the
his action. SAC members em- - - ----- itrteatmnoeo h
phasized that the legisltion was history department, one of. the
non-coercive and saw the deci- negative speakers, had no trouble
nion-coercivandow sawsthdeci- -answering Mrs. Shore's charge of
sonme asa blow to student gov- genocide by the United States
einent. -Daily-Bill Hampton Government.
Meeting on Friday, the SL cab- "Run around to the other end, Schultz, and see if it's true!'" Student Legislature, taking erx
inet called the veto "regrettable" ception to apathetic reaction to the
but decided that an educational banning, ended week-long contro-
rather than a legislative approach President Hatcher's action was submitted requests to the admin- versy with a middle-of-the-road
was the answer for the time be- "just and realistic" and continued istration for grants from student move to give recognized student
ing. They discussed plans for work- work on the new anti-bias or- fees. groups their own hand in choos-
ing with the newly created IFC- ganization. -*However, the University was not ing speakers. SL's proposal, how-
Panhel Big Ten Counseling and * * prepared to give further grants to ever, has to pass the Board of Re-
Information Service as well as FUND VETO-Earlier in the "that area of student activity," gents before any liberalization of
fighting bias through their own week SL members had received a and the SL request was loped off the speakers ban goes Into effect.
Human Relations Committee. serious blow in the worst place- as administrators sought ways to
IFC and Panhel leaders as well their treasury. After a long study, take care of all University needs in -By Harry Lunn and
as most campus greeks thought student government leaders had a curtailed budget. Virginia Voss
o ,CC tkPtO CditOP *0+
A
4.
:y
Shore Recording .. .
To the Editor:
THE L E C T U R E Committee's
.reason for banning Mrs. Shore
was that her past connections in-
dicated a high degree of probabil-
ity to them that she might deliver
a subversive speech. A tape re-
cording was taken of the entire
meeting. It is now a matter of ob-
servable fact that the speech of
Mrs. Shore is not subversive by
any stretch of the imagination,
Both Mr. Ragland and Prof. Slos-
son stated this the next day in
The Daily. Thus the original ob-
jection of the Lecture Committee,
that the speech might possibly be
subversive, was invalidated.
After discussing this with Dean
Rae, permission to play the re-
cording in Lane Hall, a University
building, was granted. Before do-
ing this Dean Rea sought the ad-
vice of Prof. Brandt of the Lecture
Committee. Prof. Brandt said that
he did not wish to call a meeting
of the Lecture Committee and felt
that permission should be granted
on my word that the speech was
not subversive.
This method of approving the
recording to be played worked out
to the satisfaction of both the ad-
ministration and the Unitarian
Student Group. Rather than de-
veloping a spirit of anltagonism
which is quite often connected
with the Lecture Conxiaittee, a spi-
rit of cooperation prevailed. It is
this policy toward outside speak-
ers that the SL has advocated.
Therefore, a complete recording
of the two hour debate will be
played at the U.S.G. meeting Sun-
day night at Lane Hall. It will
start at 7:00 promptly. An oppor-
tunity for discussion and criticism
wil periodically be provided by
stopping the recorder. The U.S.G.
regrets that all those who wanted
to were unable to hear the debate
Tuesday night. We therefore wish
to afford an opportunity to those
who are interested to hear the
program.
.-Dick Phillips
Chairman Unitarian Student n
Chairman
Unitarian Student Group
* .* .
tisrepresentation .
To the Editor:
AS one of eight students chosen
to represent this year's gradu-
ating class in the 1952 Ensian, I
was shocked to discover that I had
been misquoted. By this misrepre-
sentation, the obvious picture of
me as a graduating senior was
one of a stage-struck young thing
totally uninterested in anything
but "knocking on every door on
Broadway." Having spent an hour
at the Ensian office being inter-
viewed on every subject from the
"world situation" to my own indi-
vidual plans for the future, I feel
it is grossly unfair of the writer
to have presented such a distorted
picture of my aspirations. I had
specifically made a point of in-
forming him that I was going to
try radio and television in Detroit
rather than starve artistically in
New York.
My interviewer took no notes
and I can only conclude 1) that by
the time he wrote the article he
had forgotten what I had said,
2) that he was only looking for
"types" and ignored anything that
might not establish me as one, or
3) that he simply has no sense of
responsibility to me as a person,
but more important to the student
body in general who will be read-
ing the Ensian and who rightly
expect such a publication to pre-
sent a somewhat authentic picture
of the University and his students.
I can only hope that if the idea
of having students representing
their class is to continue in future
yearbooks, that less exploitation
and a more honest presentation
of the facts will grow out of this
year's mistake for I strongly sus-
pect that this blatant misrepre-
sentation applies not only to me
but to the other selected students
as well.
-Shirley Forsyth
* * *
it to become a part, albeit small, of
that hysterical phliosophy which
could carry us all the way to de-
struction.
-Lyle A. Carr
* * *
Hysterical Philosophy.. . Causa Belli .. .
To the Editor:
The point I wish to make is
that the philosophy underlying the
Lecture Conenittee as it exists all
over the country in various forms
and degrees of intensity is funda-
mentally wrong because the free-
dom it disapproves cannot be
crushed without also crushing the
freedom it approves..
The whole philosophy behind
lecture committees and the like,
like an organism, will continue to
grow until it encompasses an ever
widening area. For example, if
students are denied the right .to
hear a speaker, how long will it
be until the books we can read,
the movies we can see and the
editorials we can write are also
determined for us? It might not
be as long as we think. If so and
so cannot speak here, it would be
inconsistent to allow this or that
book to be used, or permit a pro-
fessor to teach whose views on
economic organization differ from
some committee's. Loyalty boards
are already on the scene at some
colleges. This is partly speculation
and speculation it is true, may go
astray, but speculation frequently
hits the bulls-eye, as any scientist
will attest.'
By denying a student organiza-
tion the right to invite a speaker
to campus the University seems
to be admitting that its library,
its world famous faculty and its
students are not equal to the task
of refuting any nonsense any
speaker might utter. I think the
University underestimates the ans-
wers its libraries can yield up, the
wisdom of its faculty and the in-
tellectual wisdom of its students.
Such underestimation has allowed
To the Editor:
YOUR EDITORIAL of today has
charges against the Interna-
tional Center; those charges -are
not ;ipported by any other infor-
mation in The Daily.
I would be certainly very sur-
prised if the foreign students-
who- are supposed to know best
about their own organization-
share your opinion or find it rea-
sonable.
Perhaps none of you has ever
been in the International Center,
only that would explain your com-
ments. The International Center
has a very wide variety of func-
tions and activities. Among others
are, Cultural, Financial, Social, e
Sports, Field Trips and above all
an evident, sincere desire to serve.
Your informer must be a very
misanthropic character, indeed, if
he becomes antagonistic to things
that usually please people.
It's very remarkable that in
spite of what you said even the
students from other campuses in
this vicinity come continuously to
Ann Arbor for advice and help
which in many cases has been of
a very personal kind. Would you
call this a failure?
I think you would do a great fa-
vor to the foreign students, for
whom you seem to be so concern-
ed, by not making of our Inter-
national Center a "causa belli"
for entirely different issues or by
guessing, so wrongly, of our own
feelings.
-Luis B. Escobar
;I .' '
,a
1'
BOOKS
THE LOVELY SEASON by Virginia Ev-
ans. Appleton-Century Crofts, Inc.
THE LOVELY SEASON deals with one of
the more tragic figures in society-the
epileptic.
Frank and Margaret Higgens, the cen-
tral characters, are a completely happy
young couple, even though they are so
poor that Frank has to get the daily news-
paper by picking it out of the subway
station wastebasket. Everyone admires
them, and they in turn, are crazy about
the whole world-especially Margaret who
has a certain charm which makes people
feel important and self-confident. Frank
is a struggling law clerk-the twentieth
man in a twenty-man law firm--with
"purpose straight as an arrow." That pur-
pose is "To love my wife, to ge good at
the law, and, when we can afford them,
to raise our children well.
Suddenly, the couple's life of ideal happi-
ness is thrown out of its rosy cloud with
the discovery that Margaret has epilepsy.
However, much worse than the physical
manifestations of the affliction are the spir-
Frank, too, feels homself becoming more and
more like his father, an insecure and cow-
ardly individual. He fears that someday
he will run away and leave the wife he
loves.
Society also seems to be turning its back
to the young couple at a time when they
need help and understanding. Thus, Mar-
garet and Frank begin to hate everyone from
the stupid woman who screams at Margaret,
"Don't touch my babies," to the pet shop
owner who knows that Margaret insists on
buying guppies of opposite sex because she
knows she can't have any children.
However, the young Higgens couple fin-
ally manage to rise above these setbacks
when Margaret, mysteriously enough, begins
on her way toward becoming' a psychologi-
cally, though not a physically, normal per-
son.
The subject of the epileptic has the po-
tential of providing a really fine piece of
literature. Unfortunately, Miss Evans has
not developed her talents enough to treat
the pathetic story of an epileptic with the
sensitivity and understanding it 'deserves.
This lack' is especially evident in her pol-
I
DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN
(Continued from Page 2)
and Mozart's Requiem, and will be
open to the general public.
University of Michigan , Symphony
Band, william D. Revelli, conductor,
presents its second twilight concert of
the season "On the Mall," Tues., May
27, 7:15 p.m.
PROGRAM
March-U. S. and You ..............
......................Louis Castellucci
Cachucha from the Suite "In Malaga"
........Frederic Curzon
The Trumpeter's Lullaby ............
.......................Leroy Anderson
Marvin Andersen, Soloist
members of the University Varsity Band.
In case of inclement weather, the
concert will be presented on wed.,
May 28, 7:15 p.m
Exhibitions
Rackham Galleries: 1st Michigan Re-
gional Art Exhibition, auspices Exten-
sion Service, Museum of Art, College
of Architecture and Design. Daily 10
a.m. to 10 p.m., through May 31. The
public is invited.
Events Today
nmmaD net2 .Lutheran Stiident
7 p.m. at Lane Hall to hear the re-
cording of the Genocide Debate. An
opportunity for discussion and criti-
cism of the debate will be provided'
Graduate History Club. Picnic. Meet
at 1:30 at Rackham for transportation.
Actuarial Club Picnic. Meet in front
of Angell Hall at 2 p.m. Transportation
furnished-to be held at Pleasant Lakes
Club on Bass Lake.
Coming Events
The University of Michigan Marching
Band will hold a meeting for all pros-
Sixty-Second Year
Edited and managed by students of
the University o1 Michigan under the
authority of the Board in Control of
Student Publications.
Editorial Staff
Chuck Elliott ........Managing Editor
Bob Keith ................ City Editor
Leonard Greenbaum, Editorial ,Director
Vern Emerson ..........Peature 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 Keteihut. Associate Women's Editor
Binstn'ss Sea f
Bol Miller.........EusinessManager
Gene Kuthy Assoc. Business Manager
Charles Cuson ... .Advertising Manager
.1
, 'IT