THE MICHIGAN DAILY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1952
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By CHUCK ELLIOTT
A RATHER UNFORTUNATE series of mis-
understandings and general confusion of
facts brought the Student Legislature into
a regrettable argument Wednesday night.
The topic, which many legislators got
considerably worked up over, was the sus-
pension of the Marriage Lecture Series.
Many charges were cast about, focusing
on the assertion that the series had been
arbitrarily cut off by University authori-
ties, acting hurriedly and without regard
for student opinion. Names were called,
resolutions were made, votes were taken,
and a thick haze of anger was generated.
I have called the argument a regretable
one; this is why: In the first place, the topic
* * *
SBackground
THE CORE of the disagreement over the
Marriage Lecture Series seems to stem
from an interpretation of what happened
at a meeting of the League Board of Re-
presentatives.
The decision to suspend the Series was
made at a meeting of the Marriage Lee-
ture Series Committee after reports and
informal discussion. The reports, mainly
concerned with the degree of student in-
terest, were made by representatives of
the Student Legislature, the Student Reli-
gious Association, and League, the Union,
and The Daily.
The students representing the SL, SRA
and The Daily strongly supported the con-
tinuation of the series. The Union repre-
sentative was less enthusiastic, but still in
favor of the project.
The woman member of the committee, re-
presenting the League, was not able to at-
tend, and she was replaced by Miss Ethel
McCormick, Social Director of Women. The
sense of Miss McCormick's report to the
committee was that practically no interest
existed among the women on campus, to-
ward a Marriage Lecture Series.
The members of the committee, realiz-
ing that the League speaks for a large
segment of the campus population, then
decided under the leadership of Dean of
Students Erich Walter to suspend the
series.
The most controversial element was the
strong negative report delivered by Miss
McCormick.
The basis for her report, it seems to me,
was unfounded and ill-advised if she knew
the exact background of the League report.
The background seems to be this:
An informal poll concerning the senti-
ment toward the Series was taken during
a meeting of the Board of Representatives
the evening before the Series was sus-
pended.
The Board consists of a representative
from each women's housing unit. The per-
son does not necessarily have to be the
president of the house, and'in many cases
is only a sophomore or junior delegate.
The topic of the Marriage Lecture Series
was brought before the group near the
end of the agenda. The Board members were
tired after a long discussion on changes in
calling hours. Many of the younger mem-
bers had no idea what the Series was, or
how their particular house might feel about
supporting it. As a result only a straw vote
was taken after a .hurried explanation. The
outcome showed that approximately 15 of
the 95 people attending had a positive in-
terest in the Series. The decision was re-
ferred back to the houses for discussion and
a final vote.
The woman representative reported the
results of the meeting to Miss McCormick.
She, in turn, told the Marriage Lecture
Series Committee that the women were
uninterested in the Series.
Essentially, these were the unfortunate
events that led to the Series' suspension.
-Ron Watts
never required such violent treatment as it
received. In the second place, the anger was
largely misdirected, and at best ill-timed.
Thirdly, several of the most outspoken leg-
islators were evidently not sure of what they
wanted.
To explain, we must go back to the begin-
ning of the story. In December, the Marriage
Lecture Committee met for the first time, to
review procedure and to begin discussion on
whether or not to hold the lectures again
this Spring. The student members, repre-
senting the five or so student organizations
giving the project financial backing, were
asked to investigate interest, so that a deci-
sion might be reached at the next meeting.
They did so, and reported back at a
meeting held a week ago. While there were
several irregularities in this meeting, the
most notable being a rather questionable
survey taken among co-eds and reported
by Miss Ethel McCormick, Social Director
of Women, the general tenor of the meet-
ing was one of careful, unprejudiced de-
liberation. Most of the student representa-
tives indicated that they had found some
interest around campus in having .the lec-
tures held, but when Miss McCormick
made her report, opinion swung around,
and the decision to drop the series was
made. It was not ari arbitrary decision on
the part of Erich Walter, Dean of Stu-
dents, who presided at the meeting, but
was based on the opinion of the group,
who were perhaps most strongly influenced
by Miss McCormick's negative report. In
an adjoining column, the validity of this
report is considered in some detail.
If, then, the decision to drop the series
was an incorrect one, the blame should fall
not so much on the beleagured shoulders of
the "Administration" in general, as SL is so
inclined to do, but on an inconclusive report
which was taken for more than it was
worth.
There is still considerable doubt in my
mind whether or not a Marriage Lecture
Series would be a success. Personally, I would
like to see it held, and am inclined to be-
lieve that it would be well enough attended
to pay for itself. It would not be amiss to re-
consider, at any rate, but it is too bad that
the SL has to exude smoke, flame, and in-
sults whenever they decide to advocate
something.
It is conceivable, however, that all the agi-
tation might well serve to bring more stu-
dents to the lectures than might have gone
otherwise. There are probably more students
using the General Library on Sunday now,
through some kind of moral compulsion,
than used it before the Babylonian captivity.
Speaker's
Petition
THE NEW campus Civil Liberties Club is
now circulating a petition. It reads: "I
hereby favor placement of the following re-
ferendum on the Student Legislature ballot:
Do you oppose the empowering of the Lec-
ture Committee to restrict any recognized
campus organization in its choice of speak-
ers and subjects?"
Contrary to the opinion of many stu-
dents, signing this petition is not an ex-
pression of opinion.
In order to place a referendum on the SL
ballot, a student group must obtain 600
signatures. Therefore if a student signs this
petition it means simply that his signature
will help to place the controversial issue on
the ballot where he can vote one way or
the ot1her.
As it stands now there is a Regents' rul-
ing which forbids the use of state property
to a speaker who advocates the violent over-
throw of the government, and to anyone
who would speak to further his own political
cause.
A committee of five faculty members com-
poses, the Lecture Committee which exists
to interpret the Regents' ruling and to pass
on any questionable speakers.:
The question of a speakers ban has been
raised sporadically for many years by SL,
civil liberties groups and The Daily. Now
there is an opportunity for the student
body as a whole to vote on the issue.
Students should sign the petition so that
they will have the chance to register an
opinion on the vital question of a speakers'
ban.
-Alice Bokdonoff
Killing Off Chinese
The cheapness of life in China, as well as
the harshness of the Communist regime in
Peking is indicated by the mass murders of
the Chinese people. For centuries past Chi-
nese, rulers have eked out the will of Provi-
dence in supplying checks to the growth of
population in China. In the 20's a governor
of Fukien Province actually lamented in a
report for the League of Nations that the
T'aip'ing devastations of the 60's had missed
his province. This, he declared, was why liv-
ing standards were so low. Neither he nor
any other Chinese in authority could under-
stand the lifesaving or humanitarian zeal
which the Westerner sought to transplant
in ('hi-y.v - -1 F . .+....;,T.. 1. r
Y Action
IN TUESDAY'S edition of the Daily, Cal
Samra stated that the Young Democratic
Club "has not justified its existance on this
campus." Had Mr. Samra investigated the
situation in the Young Democratic organiza-
tion here on campus, he would have found
the situation to be quite contrary.
The facts are that even though the Re-
publicans are gaining all the headlines,
that is all they are doing; and all they
have been doing since the times of Her-
bert Hoover. These headlines, especially
as far as our own campus is concerned,
have only spelled dissent and internal
bickering in the Republican camp.
The Young Republicans began the year
by fighting bitterly amongst themselves over
the "issue of McCarthyism. This was not
enough, so next they argued over whether to
invite Taft or Warren to campus. The re-
sult of this struggle was the "resignation"
of the Y.R. president. As an auxiliary result
many prominent news articles were display-
ed* within this paper, simply because this
activity was of great reader interest, and
quite newsworthy.
But the publicity did nothing to further
the cause of the Young Republicans. If any-
thing this type of publicity could only have
hindered their political activity.
The Young Republicans have also split
into certain groups supporting different
men for the Republican nomination for
President. This would hardly be a plaus-
ible thing for the Young Democratic Club
to do, considering that it is against their
national constitution to support openly any
candidate before he has been nominated
by the national convention.
The Y.R.'s have also heard, speakers.
Speakers like the "intelligent" and "inspir-
ing" orator, Fred M. Alger, who makes state-
ments like "Joe McCarthy is a very sincere
guy who has well documented proof for
most of the things he speaks about."
This is their great record.
On the other hand, harmony may be the
key word in expressing the work of the
Young Democrats thus far. Agreeing on most
basic policies of the National Democratic
Party, the Y.D.'s have published a campus
newspaper, the caliber of which has merited
its placement in the Michigan Historical
Collections, and praise by several prominent
national figures, including the President of
the United States.
When it challenged the Y.R.'s to a de-
bate on foreign policy earlier this year,
the Young Democrats once again proved
that they were willing to defend the prin-
ciples of the Democratic Party, and prove
the righteousness of them.
At their most recent meeting the Young
Democrats continued their program of cam-
pus activities by taking a courageous stand
against the University's Speakers Ban.
They also drew up a list of resolutions:
1. Pledging themselves to debate any
issue of Republican choosing at an Open
Forum with the Y.R.'s in the near future.
2. Calling for a campus-wide membership
drive to commence March 2ndr and ending
March 15th.
3. Appointing a committee to work in con-
Junction with a similar committee of the
Young Republican Club in sponsoring a
campus-wide mock political convention.
4. Instructing the Corresponding Secre-
tary to write letters of acceptance to Sena-
tor Blair Moody, Governor G. Mennen Wil-
liams, and National Committee Woman Mrs.
Minnie C. Schwinger, who have already ac-
cepted invitations to speak at open meetings
here on campus.
5. Instructing the Corresponding Secretary
to write letters to a selected list of promi-
nent Democratic National figures, asking
them to speak on the Michigan campus.
(Neil Staebler and Tom Payne, Chairmen of
the State Central Committee and the Young
Democratic Clubs of Michigan, respectively,
have already spoken here earlier this year.)
These are not signs of a "heavy-lidded"
organization. They are signs of an enthus-
iastic, hard-working, and very much alive
group.
The functions of any political organiza-
tion, a University professor has said recent-
ly, are political activity, self-education, and
public education. The Young Democratic
Club of the University of Michigan is ad-
mirably fulfilling these requirements, even
if it isn't getting the publiicty it most cer-
tainly deserves.
-Herb Cohen
"Well, I'm More Exclusive Than You Are"
-1.
5 -ST HOd U . SENAT
FOR y( pIVATE CLUB)
Q ,
F 4aIj~~4 ~
ON THE
Washington Merry-Go-Round
with DREW PEARSON
LOS Angeles-Notes of an itinerant newsman-Washington's Birth-
day: For almost two centuries free men throughout the world
have been marching into battle to champion the ideas George Wash-
ington stood for and which were scratched on a piece of paper called
the Declaration of Independence.
Last July 4 the Madison Capitol Times in Wisconsin and
later the New Orleans Item circulated copies of the Declaration
of Independence and the Bill of Rights among random groups
of people and asked them to sign. The great majority refused-
indicating either fear of McCarthyism and our time-honored
right of free petition or else ignorance with basic principles of
our founding fathers.
To rectify this a great many people have been making it their
business to put copies of the Declaration of Independence in the
schoolrooms of the nation, and August Dietz, a patriotic printer in
Richmond, Va., the state that fathered the father of the Declaration
has printed beautifully embossed copies at cost which have been
distributed by the Sertoma Clubs.
Yesterday in Richmond and today in Williamsburg, Va., the
Virginia State Printers Association is further promoting the time
and drive to put the sacred principles of the nation not only in
every schoolroom but in every city hall, every American Legion,
VFW, Amvet and other service-club headquarters.
Communist slogans have swept the world because we have not
gone out to show the world our Declaration of Independence. We
have a document which preaches not class warfare between men,
but faith in men. Communism can be stopped only by placing the
great creed of the American revolution alongside the false creeds of
the Russian revolution and letting the world choose between them.
- JIM ROOSEVELT NO POLITICAL CORPSE -
JIMMY Roosevelt-The elder son of the late FDR took a tough
"licking at the hands of California's master governor, Earl Warren,
but he isn't dead politically by any manner of means. Jimmy was
left with a huge campaign debt-some say about $90,000-arid while
he could have ducked out of it, he has been working faithfully to
pay it off.
He has also been getting round the state and has become a
respected leader even among some of the Demos who stabbed him
in the back when he ran for governor. Helen Gahagan Douglas, who
ran for the Senate, was also left with a large campaign debt; had
to sell her home to pay it.
Kefauver and Truman-Here in California, Senator Kefauver
stands so high with the voters that some of Truman's friends have
been quietly trying to pull him out of the California warm-up.
Officially, Truman isn't entered in the California primary, but a
delegation of his staunch supporters is, and everyone in the state
knows that its members are pledged to "the boss." Thus it becomes
in effect a race between Kefauver and Truman. The Tennessee senator
did such a good job of focusing the spotlight on crime in this rapidly
growing and racket-ridden state that a lot of grateful folks would
vote for him-on either ticket. On the other hand, Kefauver's organi-
zation in California is put together with bent nails and baling-wire,
while the Truman machine is as smooth as the Tidelands Oil. So if
Kefauver wins it'll be a clear-cut victory for the people.
- WATCH "PAT" BROWN -
New California Democrat-One Democratic leader to keep your
eye on in the golden West is Edmund G. (Pat) Brown, the new
attorney general and the only Democrat to win in the last election.
Brown, though of the opposite political party, is technically a mem-
ber of Governor Warren's cabinet, gets along well with him, and has
taken a forthright stand in interpreting the law on the 160-acre
limitation for land under reclamation. Congress has decreed that
when farmers get the benefit of irrigation made possible by all the
taxpayers, farms using it cannot be of more than 160 acres. This is
to prevent huge ranches from taking over, as is the trend in Cali-
fornia. "Pat" Brown has been firm in ruling against attempts to
find loopholes in the Federal law.
Real-Estate Lobby-The real-estate lobbyists who wine and
dine some congressmen in Washington have now focused away from
capital lobbies to Los Angeles, where they, hope to stymie the Taft
Public Housing Act.
After the L.A. City Council voted for a public housing project
under the Taft act, cleared away many acres of slums and spent
some $12,000,000, the real-estate lobby stepped in, applied the heat,
and managed to switch enough votes inside the City Council to get
a negative resolution.
Courageous Mayor Fletcher Bowron is bucking the council, and
has referred the snarl to the California Supreme Court. Importance
of the row is not merely Los Angeles which has slums teeming with
Mexicans and Negroes, but the entire nation, plus Sen. .Robert A.
Taft-for three reasons. First the real-estate lobby is making L.A.
a test for the nation.
Second, theycall the Taft Public Housing Act "creeping social-
ism." Third, since the author of the' act is none other than the
currently vigorous GOP candidate for president, the battle may reveal
some of Taft's real views.
Actually, on domestic policies, Taft is probably farther to the
left than Eisenhower.
(Copyright, 1952, by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
ettep4 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.
Frat Bias.,
To the Editor:
PERHAPS the very small rush-
ing list this semester can be
attributed to an expression of dis-
gust on the part of the students
toward the attitude of fraternities
with regard to their bias clauses,
Time and time again fraternities
at Michigan have promised to re-
move these clauses, and time and
again they have failed in this
respect. The students, apparently,
realize now that the fraternities
have no intention at all of remov-
ing discrimination from their con-
titutions, and hence, they want
nothing to do with fraternities.
Projecting into the future, the
Student Legislature may find
this Spring that a very small
turnout at the polls in April may
be attributed to an expression of
disgust on the part of the students
toward the SL for failure to take
firm action with regard to dis-
crimination.
Despite what Miss Marks said
in Tuesday's Daily, the fact still
remains that the SL Cabinet and
the SL as a whole broke a pledge
to the Student Body last week.
It was a pledge to pass another
time limit anti-bias clause and to
resubmit it to the President of
the University. By virtue of pass-
ing a watered-down, meaningless
motion last week, the SL com-
pletely reversed itself, and the
result is that we are right back
where we started from several
years ago.
Those who supported the wa-
tered-down version of the bill ad-
mittedly did not vote for it because
they thought it was the correct
thing to do, but only because it
was the most expedient thing to
do. A defeatist attitude such as
this will never bring SL to the
place where it belongs on campus.
It will only succeed in adding
weight to the charge that SL is
nothing but a "glorified debating
society" and in supporting state-
ments like the one recently ex-
pressed in the Daily: "People get
on SL by who they know, and not
by what they know."
Meanwhile some people may be
consoled slightly by knowing there
are still a few people on SL who
believe in a time limit clause and
who will never stop working for
it until it is part of the rules and
regulations of the University of
Michigan,
-Gene Mossner
* * *
Speaker's Ban**.
To the Editor:
AT a regular meeting of the
Young Democrats last night,
the following resolution was adop-
ted:
"We pledge the support of the
Young Democratic Club of the
University of Michigan in aiding
the Civil Liberties Committee in
securing signatures in order to
have the Speaker's Ban issue
placed on the Spring Election
ballot at the University of Michi-
gan."
As part of the political party
which has always stood for man's
right to free speech in this coun-
try, we feel that the Civil Lib-
DAILY
OFFICIAL
BULLETIN
(Continued from Page 2)
Hall, Mon., 6 p.m. Speaker: Dr. Ed-
win E. Aubrey, University of Pennsy-
vania; subject: "Brotherhood: Hopoc-
risy or Reality". All students and fac-
ulty are invited. Telephone Lane Hail
for. reservations.
Second Michigan Conference for Fac-
ulty, Administrators and Graduate Stu-
dents will meet at the Union Sat., Feb.
23, for an all-day conference, the theme
being: "Christian values in Higher
Education." Open to local faculty as
well as those from colleges over the
State. Speaker at the luncheon: Dr.
Edwin E. Aubrey, University of Penn-
sylvania: "Adequate Resources for the
Christian Teacher." Telephone Lane
Hall for reservations.
Hillel: Services on Friday, 7:45 p.m.,
Lane Hall; followed by a speaker, Rev.
S. Baldwin.
Faculty sports Night. I.M. Building,
Sat., Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m. Swimming Pool
ahd indoor sports equipment will be
available to faculty families and guests.
For further information telephone Mrs.
Dixon, 25-8475.
erties 'Committee is doing a
worthwhile service to the campus
in attempting to have this ban
lifted.
When a state supported Uni-
versity has the power to abridge
people's right to hear A speaker
of their own choosing, the situ.
ation is serious; and the argu.
ment that this ban serves to keep
Communists off campus does not
hold water, because anyone advo-
cating violent overthrow of the
government is already subject to
punishment by the laws which
now exist.
Our party believes as did
Thomas .Jefferson when he said,
"Opinion, and the just maintain-
ance of it, shall never be crime
in my view; nor bring injury on
the individual." Therefore, we
heartily endorse the CLC in their
attempt to keep free speech alive
on this campus, and we urge all
students to gender their protest
against this unjust abridgement
of freedom by signing the peti-
tion to have the Speaker's Ban
issue placed on the Spring Elec-
tion ballot.
--Marvin Faller
Young Democrats
University of Mich.
Star Gazing. ...
To the Editor.
ASTROLOGY, the ancient art of
divining the future of human
affairs from observations of celes-
tial objects, long ago wandered
from the paths of reality into
realms of fancy and superstition.
This pseudo-science has never
gathered an authentic body of
facts and discussed them in an
intelligent manner. Nor has it
attempted to determine by objec-
tive tests whether or not its "laws"
are correct.
Wednesday's Daily reports that
one Harry Gray advocates the
pursuance of astrology as a "solu-
tion to life's problems." Further,
Mr. Gray contends that "Modern
Science has brought the world to
the brink of annihilation," and
that Religion offers "nothing but
a blind and unreasoning belief in-
superstitions."
This view of the situation
seems to be completely out of
phase with the facts. It is not
Modern Science that has brought
the world to the brink of annihi-
lation; rather, it is the type of
unintelligent thinking and lack of
reason exemplified by the verg
art of astrology itself. It is, in
fact, astrology which offers "noth-
ing but a blind unreasoning be-.
lief in.-superstitions." It represents
the very antithesis of the mental
attitude necessary for a "solution
of life's problems."
-Earl Graves '52
Aii~rigANEW~ tL
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41
ik
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CIINIEMA
0
Architecture Auditoriurm
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU star-
ring Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, Lionel
Barrymore and James Stewart. Produced
and directed by Frank Capra during the
Thirties.
THIS IS THE first movie produced by
Capra for the depression audiences that
I have really enjoyed. His other pictures
("Mr. Deeds Comes to Town" and "Meet
John Doe," for instance) do so much dog-
matic preaching that his characters never
have a chance to come more than half alive.
"You Can't Take It With You," on the
other hand, seldom lets its proletarian ser-
mon interfere with the characters or the
story. When it does, the generally light at-
mosphere and warm-hearted comedy keep
things from getting tedious.
The store itself depicts the life of a large
family whose members are completely de-
voted to the enjoyment of life regardless of
the seeming insignificance of their pursuits.
Grandpa Lionel Barrymore, for instance,
goes to graduation exercises, collects stamps
and plays the harmonica.
The plot unfolds when Barrymore's grand-
,sm a pr(Jn Art.im, flls in ln a t
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 Staf f
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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The Associated Press is exclusively
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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
Arbor, Michigan, as second-class mail
matter.
Subscription during regular school
year: by carrier, $6.00; by mail, $7.00.
r
,
-i.
MUSIC
J
DR. CARL WEINRICH, of the Princeton
music faculty, and one of this country's
best known organists, gave an impressive
recital last night in Hill Auditorium. Start-
ing rather woodenly on an unfamiliar or-
gan, Mr. Weinrich soon warmed up to his
task and presented a program equally amaz-
ing for its versatility and its comprehension.
The program included the Prelude,
Fugue, and Chanconne in C Major, and
the Choral Prelude on "How Brightly
Shines the Morning Star," both by Bux-
tehude; a Fantasy in Echo Style by the
very early Dutchman, Sweelinek, three
choral preludes, and the ever-impressive
Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor by
Bach; three little "Pieces for Mechanical
Clock" by Haydn; a somber Fugue in C-
4
BARNABY
We have a birthday Well, I-er-No. I
cke and ice cream, haven't the time.
M. r. , k..I must be going.-
1
r
I didn't mean it-I didn't
grow up. on purpose. I-
Good bye-'Bye,
- vol
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