THE MICHIGAN DAILY SATURDAY, NOVEMBER $, 1952 ________________________________________________________________________________________________ I -----.- A Word to Democrats JUST OVER a year ago in an introductory political science course on campus a re- citation section was discussing the Truman Fair Deal program when one student raised he question of the responsibility of the American voter in elections. His point was hat the average voter could only be relied on to vote along economic lines and follow his own particular pressure group's advice. Fearing some of the Truman legislation on conomic matters he contended that per- haps the public was not qualified to make >olitical decisions which would be good for the nation in the long run. The teacher, a good Fair Deal Democrat, answered the student with the very simple axiom that 'one who has no faith in the decisions of the people has no faith in democracy." Since Tuesday night the shoe has been on the other foot. Democrats who lauded the people when they "wisely" chose Roosevelt and Truman are now denoun- cing them for supporting General Eisen- hower. The people evidently lost their in- herently sound judgment last Tuesday if we are to believe the disillusioned Demo- crats. It is not too surprising that the Demo- crats should react in this manner-that they should be stunned at receiving such a hu- miliating defeat after 20 years in office and after a final campaign that supposedly of- fered their best candidate in the lead spot with the incumbent touring the country on his behalf. But it is still worth pointing out to the disgruntled Democrats that they have lost the voters' mandate-a rather unpleas- ant prospect for them-and that the people decided by overwhelming majorities that they should be turned out. The "liberal" concern over Eisenhower's victory reflected in predictions that reac- tion will sweep the country in the next four years should be tempered by the con- sideration that a great many other Ameri- cans besides "black reactionaries" saw their way clear to vote for Eisenhower and were not afraid that civil freedoms would be abolished during his regime. Grounds for alarm might be found in the case of Senator McCarthy, but it would be wiser to promote intelligent opposition if he should continue his unwise methods of investigation rather than assuming that the Senator will lead a crusade against the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. It is also rather hard to believe that neo-Fascism will sweep the country under the guise of Republicanism. A little more realism and objectivity in examining the election would show that no such dire occurences are in store for us. Rather, the American people have decided that the GOP, in the hands of General Eis- enhower, is best able to guide them through the next four years. Instead of deciding that constant opposition will be necessary if we are to maintain our freedom, the disillusion- ed Stevenson supporters should plan to work along with Republicans in solving the press- ing problems which face the country. --Harry Lunn ON THE Washington Merry-Go-Round with DREW PEARSĀ©N "I WASHINGTON-Here are some of the chief problems facing President Eisen- hower and the way he is likely to deal with them. WAR-Despite campaign charges that Eisenhower would lead us into war, this is probably less likely than with the aver- age President. First, Eisenhower's mother was a Jehovah's Witness, a religious sect persecuted for its hatred of war. Second, the campaign accusations will make him lean over backward against war. Third, Eisenhower, a military man, should be able to crack down on the rash' of Irres- ponsible statements by generals and ad- mirals suggesting a preventive war. These have given our allies the Jitters and sup- plied the Moscow radio with heaven-sent propaganda. EUROPE-Eisenhower will tend to put less emphasis on Europe without actually chang- ing plans for North Atlantic Defense. Arms to Europe may be slowed up and used in Korea ,instead. This will be necessary if South Korean troops are to be equipped at a faster pace. Hitherto, Ike, as head of NA- TO, wanted more arms for Europe, while Van Fleet and Ridgway wanted more arms for Korea. Now Eisenhower as commander- in-chief can make the final decision, and the decision will be toward Korea-for two reasons: 1. his campaign pledges re Korea; 2. Ike got a bit fed up with the French and Europeans generally while at NATO. KOREA-Inside fact is that Eisenhower was given the same secret Korean intelli- gence summary that was laid on the President's desk every week, so he knows the terrific difficulties of bringing about a truce. These indicate that the Chinese are likely to stiffen their demands when Eisenhower arrives in Korea, because they will know he has to go hom with some kind of result. His alternatives will be to yield on prisoners- of-war and abandon them in Communist camps, or order a naval-air war against the Chinese mainland. The latter could touch off a general war, and it isn't likely that Eisenhower, who wants peace, will take that chance. Speaking of this danger he once told me: "I refuse to think of having American boys get bogged down in the human morass of the Chinese mainland." Controls - They will be dropped when they expire in June, possibly before. This will mean the end 'of price, wage, rent, material controls. There will be two reasons for their demise: 1. a conservative Congress will demand it; 2. slackening de- fense production will not make controls necessary. This will eliminate the contro- versial Wage Stabilization Board which both industry and labor have flouted. ECONOMIC OUTLOOK-The Wall Street Journal echoes the views of some business leaders that Ike's headaches will not be so much from inflation as deflation. This is because the mobilization program has reach- ed top speed and is bound to taper off. Any slowing down of foreign aid will also slow down production at home. THE BUDGET-With Ike committed to both strong defense and pruning the budget, his cuts will have to come by eliminating waste in the armed services. For the armed services comprise the great preponderance of the national budget. He, can eliminate waste chiefly by cutting out duplicating branches of the services-such as big bat- tleships and airplane carriers that are con- sidered too expensive for the fire-power they carry. This is bound to touch off a verbal shooting war between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. RED HUNTING-The search for Com- munists will not change much, except that the noise will shift. Eisenhower will continue to depend on J. Edgar Hoover and the loyalty board, but McCarthy will be in a difficult position, since any hue- and-cry by him will reflect on his own administration. As a result, re-elected Congressman Martin Dies of Texas, who started the search many years before Mc- Carthy and did a fairer job, will probably take the limelight. CLEANING OUT WASHINGTON-Eis- enhower's biggest shot-in-the-arm to gov- ernment can be in bringing in new blood at the top. Actually, of the 2,572,300 civilian employees, 93 per cent are under civil ser- vice and cannot be fired, while another 6 per cent are under the merit system, such as scientists on the Atomic Energy Com- mission and the new President would not want to fire them.' This leaves approximately 1 per cent which can be changed. However, if enough new blood and energy is injected at the top, even through only the 1 per cent, it can electrify government. Getting good men de- dicated to government will be one of Eisen- hower's problems. GOVERNMENT BY COMMISSIONS - Eisenhower can and will remove all cabinet, sub-cabinet, and political posts, but he can- not change the vital quasi-judicial commis- sions, except gradually. These have supreme powers over radio, television, railroad, tele- graph, telephone rates, bus lines, water pow- er, natural gas transmission, advertising, and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. FDR tried to change these commissions, but ran squarely into the Supreme Court. So Ike will have to wait for gradual changes when the terms of commissioners expire. (Copyright, 1952, by the Bell Syndicate) Birth of a Nation AFTER TWO YEARS of bitter raging con- troversy, the film "Birth of a Nation" finally has been given a peaceful showing in Ann Arbor by the Gothic Film Society. Many who saw the movie could not help wondering what warranted the uproar which previously had divided the campus left into two fighting factions. These peo- ple were both amused and bored by the slow moving, cumbersome over romantic aspects of the film. However, there were others who were in- terested in the film for what it is, a mile- stone in movie making history. Without go- ing into the details, it is sufficient to point out that such techniques as the "fade-out- and-in," and the "iris out-and-in" of the camera were revolutionary movements in film making in D. W. Griffith's time. The battle scenes of the civil war are exception- al and the night ride of the Klan is tech- nically speaking a great contribution to movie history. There were others who were understand- ably upset by the vicious anti-Negro pro- paganda of the picture and who, because of the content of the story, derived little plea- sure from "Birth of a Nation." But there was no one, as far as this writ- er could discern, who took this un-American propaganda seriously enough to cause any damage to democratic ideas and principles. Obviously, there were no race riots and the ancient Ann Arbor Ku Klux Klan burnt no crosses before Rackham Amphitheatre. Absurd as this may seem, the perverted libertarians who prevented "The Birth" from being shown here in 1950 and 1951 then claimed that the film might have these effects. They also talked about pre- serving democracy while in the same breath they advocated censorship. But there is no point in rehashing the controversy. It seems sufficient to say here that the whole issue w s worth fighting on- ly because the cause of free speech was threatened. It should also be said, at the risk of sounding dramatic, that it is heart- ening to see that in this case the cause of free speech won out on campus. -Alice Bogdonoff DRAMA COLONEL WOTHERSPOON, a play by James Bridie, presented by the Arts Theater Club THE SECOND offering of the Arts Theater Club season is a comedy written by the Scotch dramatist, James Bridie, whose "Mis- ter Bollfry" was one of the highlights of last year's season. "Colonel Wotherspoon" is a work of broader humor, and though quite as competently produced, lacks the solid sub- stance and essential honesty of the Club's first Bridie show. Failing in these attributes, the play is still funny, but not really warm. Why it is not warm is something of a puzzle, The characters are properly con- ceived and dedicated. jThe tone is easy and appropriate, the dialogue witty, and the ac- cents charming. In fact, the only element which seems to furnish misgivings at all is the way it all hangs together. "In toto," as one of the characters remarks, it is a "cleesh." And if the correspondence courses warned Mr. Bridie's hero against the cliche, they apparently never fully scared Mr. Bri- die himself. This, to repeat, does not diminish the very real humor of the play which is deftly handled by each of the players. Gerald Rich- ards, as a boob who writes a best seller, exe- cutes all the conceits and confusions of the honest fool. He is effective throughout. Dana Elcar, as his Uncle Tom, whose friend Col- onel Wotherspoon is one of the unseen he- roes of the production, achieves his usual finely shaded characterization. Elcar always manages a few moments of real brilliance in even trivial burlesque. On the distaff side, Beth-Sheva Laikin brings a Joan Greenwood quality to the heroine's role which gives the character personality and charm. Still, her move- ment is somewhat hard and jerky, tending to over-sophisticate the character. Joyce Henry in the role of the whining mother could perhaps have done with a little more stiffness in her Presbyterianism. Her touch for comic martyrdom, however, is sure, and her accent seems to endure a little more steadily than most through the entire play. Joyce Edgar returns to a type she does very well, that of a Dixieland art-lover, who serves as agent for the hero's work. Unfortunately, the role seems to carry the play a little too far into the Hollywood tradition. In summary, "Colonel Wotherspoon' may have found Bridie a little too relaxed, a bit too inevitable in his pattern and his develop- ment. Character comedy, even when well- done, needs more than one joke. It has to have in its personnel a sense of freshness in its events. Consequently, this is not an inspired comedy, even if it is a fairly enter- taining one. -Bill Wiegand "WHAT WE SEEK is a situation in which we so combine scientific and technical skill with moral and spiritual discipline that the products of human genius shall be used for the welfare of the human race rather By Joseph and Stewart Alsop WASHINGTON-The outstand- ing fact of the election can be very simply and shortly stated. It has been an enormous personal triumph for Dwight D. Eisenhow- er. Having been first in war, in the old phrase, Gen. Eisenhower entered the campaign with the great asset of being first in the hearts of his countrymen. He had still to convince the elector- ate that he was also capable of being first in peace. As soon as he found himself as a political campaigner, the job was done. Every kind of issue from Korea to Communism, every kind of group, from the Mid-Western Re- publican organizations to the na- tion's housewives, will no doubt be given credit for Gen. Eisenhower's triumph. But the shortest realis- tic study of the election returns will nonetheless reveal that Eisen- hower's triumph is intensely per- sonal, and that the Republican party probably owes its long- awaited victory to its new leader. "Iet's See, Now -3 And 3 Is 12, And 4 Is 13 - Ifl 'B U . _______t____ - ' MATTER OF FACT: The GOP Owes Landslide To Ike, Not Right Wing The extremists, the violent par- tisans, the shoddy demagogues of the Republican party, all showed weakness in this election. What, then, was the quality in Eisenhower to which the Am-j erican electorate responded so warmly: Long ago, during $he pre-convention campaign,these. reporters wrote that Gen. Eisen- hower's great asset was the long- ing of the country for national leadership worthy of the nation -leadership bold, vigorous and clear-sighted, devoid of petty partisanship, not shrill or ven- omous, but truly concerned with the general welfare. Now, in taking office, he will shoukder a greater burden, he will be confronted by more terrible problems, he will have to run more dreadful risks, than any of his predecessors. Yet the election of Dwight Eisenhower promises a united America, and it is hard to believe that a united America with Dwight Eisenhower at ,its head will not somehow win through. (Copyright, 1952, N.Y. Her. Trib., Inc.) "9 XetteP' 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. [, DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN. Democratic Defeat... To the Editor: THERE ARE many Stevenson supporters who sympathize with their candidate today. I am not one of them. It became obvious more than a month ago that Adlai was going, to lose. The crowds, the response, and the talk were all overwhelm- ing. From the beginning of the cam- paign, Stevenson made two mis- takes. First he vowed to talk sense to the American people. Next he thought the people are smarter than the Republicans think. Both guesses were wrong. In July, I did not believe Adlai would actually fulfill these two promises. But he did. Not one time did he promise anything he thought could not be accomplished in his administration. He faced the issues squarely. He did talk sense. But Adlai also stopped run- ning for president. He began run- ning for heaven. The American people don't want to be told the truth. They want to hear that all their troubles can be solved by "revitalsng the American spirit." They want im- mediately an end to the Korean war, elimination of every Commu- nist from government ala MacCar- thy, lowering of taxes, slashing of the budget, an end to sin (except their own) and a world vic- tory over Communism. Eisenhow- er promised to solve all these problems. Stevenson promised no easy end to any of them. From that moment on, Ike was "in." In a sense the governor was right when he said the people aren't as dumb as Republicans think. But in an innacurate way. They are DUMBER. One hun- dred times dumber. Adlai was not a candidate. His honor was too high, his understanding too great, his heart too sincere. A candidate can't substitute confetti with hu- mility, expediency with integri- ty, and promises with facts. It was too much to ask the American people to face the truth -there are no gains without pains. It was too much to hope they would evaluate Eisenhower's promises. Their opinion of Ike was too high. Unfortunately for the two-party system, Stevenson took the Demo- cratic party with him to a crush- ing defeat. Adlai had no right run- ning for the presidency. The Dem- ocratic party should not have nominated him. Both must suffer as a result. -Bernie Backhaut * * * Daily Compass ... To the Editor: IN MEMORIUM - on Tuesday November 4, the New York Dai- ly Compass, one of America's lead- ing independent newspapers ceased publication. The lifeblood of an American newspaper lies in it's advertising revenue. Unfortunately, today a newspaper which attempts to be forthright and honest in it's pres- entation of vital social and politi- cal issues is not likely to draw large scale advertisers. Independ- ent liberals such as Ted O. Thack- ery, I. F. Stone, Albert Deutsch, Jennings Perry, Hugh Deane, and Johannes Steele number among those who expressed their diverse views in the Compass. As the successor of PM and the Star, the Daily Compass occupied a unique position among American newspapers. It's bold, unorthodox coverage, analysis, and pointed criticism shall be missed by many. We hope that the need for an equally liberal newspaper will be fulfilled shortly by another publi- cation. -Berkley Eddins Shelly Estrin Vince Giuliano Jay Grqssmark Ester Mark Pat Murphy Sandy Rosenzweig Ed Klein A* * Wants Mail. . To the Editor: I KNOW this might seem strange or very unusual, but I have run into the predicament of not re- ceiving any mail whatever. I am a Marine here in Korea who is very lonely and in need of some letters. My address is: Sgt. A. L. Edwards, "C" Co. 1st Motor Transport Pon., 1st Marine Div. F.M.F., c/o F.P.O. San Francisco, Calif. -Al Edwards Ernest & Adlai. To the Editor: MANY PEOPLE have attempted to analyze the symbQlism in Hemingway's latest "The Old Man and the Sea" released in dearly September. I may be as wet as the Sea, but today I thought I finally understood. sadly realizing that others are now in power-that this is a day and age that "Might Makes Right" instead of "Right Makes Might," even in the United States as throughout the world, spread- ing as a malignancy. Would I be too pessimistic in adding that I can only see in this "change" a change from Demo- cratic "corruption and scandal" to that of Republican corruption and scandal? They already have had a good start. Shame on me for writing thus while others are still being mag- nanimous over the election results. -Kay Ambo A . . New Zealand Debate .. . To the Editor: DO NOT want to keep up, in your columns, an argument, Which could be never-ending, on whether or not there is racial dis- crimination in New Zealand, but L. V. Naidoo is such a good politi- cian in pulling things out of their context that I must make as brief a reply as possible to his last ef- fort. In quoting two consecutive editions of the New Zealand Year Book, L. V. Naidoo should have re- membered the old saying that there are three kinds of lies-lies, damned lies and statistics. But at the risk of falling into the same trap in which he is still wriggling, I shall quote some statistics from the latest source, replying to his first five points thus: (1) Immigration: Out of a total of 46,653 surplus arrivals over de- partures in 1950-51, 5411 were from Asia and the Pacific (and the biggest lot, 1975, were Indians). Not a bad percentage for a small country. Cook Islanders, Nueans and Western Samoans, of wlom there were 1607, can enter simply by getting a permit from their resident commissioner. (2) Maori infant mortality in 1950 was 69.74 per thousand (com- parect with 22.75 for the European population), and it is steadily de- clining as a result of stepped-up health and welfare programs. (3) Parliamentary representa- tion:- The Maoris have stated clearly (I can't give chapter and verse) they want their own four members of Parliament - their vote is worth more this way, for one thing. (4) L. V. Naidoo misquotes from the Year Book, which actually says that "the greater portion of the Maori population" lives in coun- try districts. In the later authori- ty, we find that the Maori is be- coming more and more urbanised every year. Of 115,676 Maoris, 22,- 726, or 19.65 per cent, live in cities, which are served with all "modern facilities." Those in the country enjoy a standard of living as high as any rural community in the world. (5) New Zealand voting with the race-conscious West: Is UN meant to interfere with the private affairs Df nations when they are consid- ered to have no bearing on the rest of the world? I admit you can learn a lot from books, but that is not the way in which I have had my life-long ex- perience of New Zealand condi- tions. -Gordon Gapper * *. * * MIcCarthyism . .. To the Editor: WILLIAM G. Halby, who so re- cently offered us his definition of liberalism, has proved himself to be an ostrich whether he knows it or not. Perhaps there is no one so criminal as he who openly'sup- ports a criminal, and I hereby wish to record my conviction that the said Halby is a greater menace to democracy than any Red. As for evidence, I have no doubt there arehundreds of sources which adequately expose the su- preme treachery of Joseph McCar- thy. Of these I cite only one-"Mc- Carthy: The Man, The Senator, The "Ism," by Jack Anderson and Ronald W. Way. -Jack Danielson Sixty-Third Year Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Publications. Editorial Staff Crawford Young....,.Managing Editor Cal Samra ...........Editorial Director Zander Hollander.......Feature Editor Sid Klaus........Associate City Editor Harland Britz......... Associate Editor Donna Hendleman .....Associate Editor Ed Whipple .... .. ......Sports Editor John Jenks.Associate Sports Editor Dick Sewell....Associate Sports Editor Lorraine Butler. . Women's Editor Mary Jane Mills, Assoc. Women's Editor Business Staff Al Green...........Business Manager Milt Goetz........Advertising Manager Diane Johnston... Assoc. Business Mgr. Judy Loehinberg..Finance Manager The Daily Official Bulletin is an official publication of the University of Michigan for which the Michigan Daily assumes no editorial responsi- bility. Publication in it is construc- tive notice to all members of the University. Notices should be sent in TYPEWRITTEN form to Room 2552 Administration Building before 3 p.m. the day preceding publication (before 11 a.m. on Saturday.) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1952 VOL. tXIII, No. 41 Notices University Senate. The annual fall meeting will be held Mon., Dec. 15, at 4:15 p.m., Rackham Amphitheater. Board and Room Payments. Payments for board and room for the second half of the fall semester are due in all League Houses on Sat., Nov. 15. Late Permission. Late permission for women students who attended the "Don Juan in Hell" Wed., Nov. 5, and Thurs., Nov. 6, will be no later than 11:45 p.m. Seniors and Graduate Students in Aeronautical. Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Engineering Math, and Engineering Physics: Mr. Raymond Schneyer of ARO, Inc., Tulla- homa, Tennessee, is conducting a group meeting on Mon., Nov. 10, at 5 p.m., in 1042 East Engineering Building. Pho- tographic slides will be shown. All in- terested in employmentwith this com- pany should plan to attend. Interviews will be held on Tues., the 11th, through the Aero. Dept. Lectures University Lecture, auspices of the Department of Fine Arts, "On Japa- nese Crafts" (illustrated by film and colored slides). Soetsu Yanagi, Direc- tor of the Folk Art Museum, Tokyo, 4:15 p.m., Mon., .Nov. 10, Rackham Amphi- theater. University Lecture-Demonstration, auspices of the center for Japanese Studies, "Pottery Making at Mashiko." Shoji Hamada, foremost potter of Ja- pan, demonstrates pottery making, Mon., Nov. 10, 8 p.m., Angell Auditorium D. Academic Notices Doctoral Examination for Dora Alice Henley, Bacteriology; thesis: "An In- vestigation of the Pneumococcidal Ac- tivity of Extracts of Tissues From Re- sistant and Susceptible Host Species," Sat. Nov. 8, 1564 East Medical Building, at 9 a.m. Chairman, W. J. Nungester. Doctoral Examination for Robert Lundquist Chapman, English; thesis: "An Edition of the Middle Scots Ro- mance Clariodus," Sat., Nov. 8, East Council Room, Rackham Building, at 10 a.m. Chairman, J. R. Reinhard. Mr. Szell will present the following program on this occasion: Overture to "Benvenuto Cellini" (Berlioz); Schu- mann's Symphony No. 2 in C major; and Symphony No. 2 in D major by Sibel- ius. Tickets are available at the offices of the University Musical Society until noon Saturday; and after 7 o'clock on the night of the concert at the Hill Auditorium box office. Events Today Faculty Women's Club. Square dance section will hold its November dance at 8:30 p.m. at the gymnasium of Tap- pan Junior High School. Newt Loken will be the caller. Saturday Luncheon Discussion Group, Lane Hall, 12 p.m. Speaker: Robert Blood. Beacon. Lunch Saturday noon in the League Cafeteria. Adjourn at 1:15 to Prof. Price's studio in Burton Tower to finish reading "The Man Who Came to Dinner." Congregational Disciples Guild. Open house at the Guild House after the game. Fireside meeting from 7:15-8:30 will be a Bull Session. Point of de- parture: Miracles. Faculty Sports Night. IM Building, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. All facilities will be available to faculty families.sChil- dren will not be admitted unless with their parents. This is Family Night. For further information telephone Mrs. Dixon, 25-8475. Generation. All those who submitted poetry to Generation are requested to pickup their manuscripts in the Gen- eration Office. U. of M. Men's Glee Club will meet in the vandenberg Room, second floor, Michigan League, at 8 p.m. (full dress). Coming Events Young Republicans. Board meeting Sun., Nov. 9, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Room 3-R of the Union. Agenda: Presentation and consideration of projects for coming months and establishment of a planned program of speakers. All Club members are invited to attend and participate. Faculty Luncheon with Mrs. Vera Micheles Dean, "This I Believe" lectur- er, Wed., Nov. 12, Michigan Union, 12:15 p.m. Phone reservations to Lane Hall by Tuesday noon. UNESCO Council. Educational meet- ing Sun., Nov. 9, at 8 p.m., Madelon Pound House, 1024 Hill St. Program: Slides of the Olympic games, with commentary by John Davis, world champion breast-stroker from Canada. The Russian Circle will meet Mon., Nov. 10, at the International Center at 8 o'clock. All members are urged to at- ternd. x t I CINIEMA Architecture Auditorium GOD NEEDS MEN, with Pierre Fresnay. THIS NEW French film is much better than average, and possibly good enough to warrant sitting for two hours in Archi- tecture Auditorium. It has a clever plot and is well acted, and owes more than a little of its success to the fine photography of the bleak Isle of Sein where the story takes place. This small island is not much more than a rock jutting out into the sea off the coast loot the derelicts and rob the dead sailors. Because of this the parish priest finally leaves them; to continue their pretext of a union with God-with whom they bargain for favors-they elevate the sexton to his position. Pierre Fresnay, as this sexton-priest refuses to take the office, but by force of circumstance he gradually assumes all the duties of a curate. Fresnay portrays a peasant, and does it so well he could hardly be anything else. He stutters, rages, and awkwardly lectures the erring villag- ers while fiercely denying any desire to I