THE MICHIGAN DAILY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1952 1~ a Cdih'4 6 Ikte 1 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 I 41 ik i t ) 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 Member of The Associated Press The Associated Press is exclusively 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 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 I ,t I