FOUR
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
FB..UAI, D EL BER12, 1952
top 1 dote
e
By CRAWFORD YOUNG
Daily Managing Editor
T HeE HAS BEEN something of an un-
dercurrent of suspicion about campus
that the Young Progressives are the victims
of a deliberate and unwarranted policy of
persecution by the Student Affairs Commit-
tee in the wake of Tuesday's SAC ruling on
the yP's.
It would seem that a thorough familiarity
with the facts and rationale behind the de-
cision should dissipate any latent distrust
of it.
The Young Progressives have in their
short but turbulent history been remarkable
chiefly for creating a stir far out of propor-.
-tion to theirnumbers, and a persistent dis-
regard for normal procedures in carrying
on their routine business. And, ironically
enough, the ruckus they create seems to
have grown in an inverse relationship to a
dwindling membership.'
The group was organized in early 1948
as the' Wallace Progressives, and duly se-
cured SAC recognition on March 29 of
that year. During that election, interest in
the group reached a peak which has not
been approached since present members
-say that membership hit 300. This figure
undoubtedly included quite a few vague
peripheral associates, but is at least sig-
nificant that at first YP involved more
than a handful.
After the iational Progressive fiasco In
1948, membership took a sharp drop-and
the group began to run afoul of the Office of
Student Affairs.
Throughout this era of their development,
the record shows a series of petty Infractions
of procedural rules.
Then, In the summer of 1950, came the
first serious run-in with SAC. A member-
ship list of 31 was turned in; of these, only
six were enrolled in the summer session.
Further, the group had called an open all-,
campus forum on Korea in The Daily with-
out obtaining permission for this.
- Gordon MacDougall, who ended his stor-
rmy campus career this fall, testified before
SAC that The Daily story on the public
forum was "a mistake." However, a state-
inent from The Daily reporter attested that
MacDougall had specifically asked for pub-
licity on the affair, and bad emphasized
that it was to be public.
On these grounds, a one-semester suspen-
sion was imposed on YP by SAC.
After serving its sentence, YJ? reappeared
in the spring of 1951, and resumed its sprite-
ly activities.
An uneasy truce existed between the
University and YP for the next year, but
with last spring's wave of Lecture Commit.
tee bannings, hostilities broke out anew.,
YP speaker Arthur McPhaul was banned
in,early March by a Lecture Committee sud-
denly turned vigilante in an extended in-
terpretation of the Regents by-law on speak-
ers. Next, the committee refused to consid-
er a petition for deposed UAW leader Wil-
liam Hood pending a review of the group's
"responsibility."
At that point, SAC rose to the defense of
its wayward charge, wrote to the Lecture
Committee that YP was still a recognized
student organization, and should not be de-
prived of its rights without a hearing.
The Lecture Committee replied by for-
warding the charges of irresponsibility via
President Harlan H. Hatcher to SAC. On
June 5, they were cleared, but given five
suggestions to improve internal procedures
which had proved at the time of the
hearing haphazard in the extreme.
Beginning two weeks ago, a review was
conducted to see if the procedural arrange-
ments had improved. Again, a parcel of slip-
shod operating habits were revealed:
1) The constitution requires that officers
(six) be elected at the beginning of the year.
Not only had the group failed to elect new
officers, but they hadn't bothered to replace
three who left school this fall,
2) Only two meetings had been held,
in spite of a YP by-law which calls for
gatherings every other week. Two other
times, a meeting was called, but there
was no quorum.
3) Minutes were not kept; the chairman
transcribed the happenings later from mem-
ory, omitting a number of key points.
4) The minutes for four years' previous
meetings were allegedly misplaced over the
summer.
There were also several points on which
the YP testimony was at best highly dubious:
1) Marge Buckley, the chairman, declared
that 40 had attended the first meeting. The
reporter at the meeting stated there were
no more than 25.
2) Miss Buckley testified that Howard
Fast was invited to speak by a vote of
the group. The reporter, to the best of his
recollection, said that .Fast "might have
been discussed" but was never voted on.
On the petition to the Lecture Committee,
YP declared that Fast had been officially
invited by the membership.
3) Miss Buckley testified that Rabbi Abra-
ham Cronbach had been Invited in similar
fashion. The reporter stated that to the best
of his recollection Rabbi Cronbach had not
been mentioned. He is not a widely-known
figure. The YP petition came in too late for
this address; when they finally contacted
Rabbi Cronbach, he refused to speak to
them.
It is not within the scope of SAC to
maintain a, constant scrutiny of the in-
ternal functioning of all campus groups.
But when, for other reasons, they are
called to appear before the committee,
it would seem only logical for SAC to de-
mand at least a minimum of the normal
records.
Therefore, SAC possesses every legal and
moral justification at this time, after sug-
gestions were ignored, to require Improve-
ments-and demand evidence of them by
asking that minutes be submitted to the Of-
fice of Student Affairs after.meetings, includ-
ing names of those present, because of the
chronic dispute over the number in attend-
ance at particular meetings.
In short, the SAC treatment of the Young
Progressives was a mild corrective medicine
aimed at helping the organization to
straighten itself out rather than persecu-
tion. In its fight for principles, YP has no
excuse for failing to handle properly rou-
tine administration.
Oit eem to life .. ..
By ZANDER HOLLANDER
IN 1950 I FOUND myself cast as a sup-
porting lead in the opera of that year-
and have drawn upon this circumstance
ever since for proof of my familiarity with
operas. Since then I have cherished a gnaw-
ing doubt that the Union Opera was a thing
of value and an impression that the time,
people and resources poured so freely into
its production had better be expended on
something else-professors, libraries, even
football teams.
The latter may still be. true; certainly
the resources could be put to good use on
faculty and facilities. But returning to a
Union Opera after a two-production hia-
tus, even in the role of spectator, I feel
obligated to report that the Union Op-
era has very definite and far-reaching
values of its own.
For the Opera can be good, and this was
made clear to me last night by the time the
intermission rolled around. The Opera can
also be bad, and this was borne out by cer-
tain transient features in "No Cover
Charge," and by more obtrusive elements in
productions of the past two years.
But good or bad in the technical and ex-
ternal sense, the real value of Union Op-
eras is to be found in areas. far removed
from this.
For one thing it is a proving ground, an
opportunity for acknowledged amateurs as
well as would-be professionals to have a
good time with their avocation or to develop
skills and techniques in a framework which
is blessedly free from the formalities of too
many campus projects.
For another, the Opera is something
unique in public relations, building strong
ties between the public, including alumni,
and the students of the University. The
difference between the Opera and other
good willdevices consists in that the bond
cemented is one between the public and
the men and women of the University,
not between the public and that undefin-
ed monolith "the University."
These considerations, along with several
others, loom large in the perspectives of the
peripheral viewer of Union Operas. But to
me, and to the hundreds of other Michigan
men who have been a part of the tradition-
yes, tradition, though the term has fallen
into disrepute of late-the Union Opera will
be remembered and honored for still a
stronger reason.
There is a feeling of achievement in an
Opera; there is a sense of team effort and
friendship. This is not exclusive to Union
Operas; several University projects are ca-
pable of producing the same results-but
very few do. As one of the enterprises most
effective in this wise, the Opera deserves
and receives recognition.
Perhaps a strictly subjective reaction to
Wednesday's performance will help at this
juncture. As I watched the prancing and
color of the spectacle at the Michigan
there was called to mind a progression of
faces, men who helped make "my" Union
Opera a memorable experience, and ac-
companying each face a belief that the
original was my friend, whether I ever
laid eyes on him again or not. The Opera,
it seems to me, spurs a similar remem-
brance in most of those who have been a
part of It.
And though this phenomenon cannot be
quite communicated to the lay viewer, even
less than the other values of the Opera, its
impact and reality to nie is unanswerable.
Architecture Auditonrum
NANOOK OF THE NORTH, and, MAGIC
HORSE
LIKE MANY other double-features, this
bill is unfortunate in having one of its
movies as tedious as the other is enjoyable.
The better half is Nanook of the North, a
pioneer documentary whose fame is well-
earned. Robert Flaherty, who made it, was
one of the first to recognize and exploit the
dramatic possibilities of this type of picture.
He manages to capture the spirit and dig-
nity of an Eskimo family's unending strug-
gle for existence. His acute sense for pick-
ing just the right detail, and the powerful
but never conspicuous musical score are
two elements which make this an excellent
production.
Happily, because of the character of
these people, the mood is never patroniz-
ing or pitying. Too many other pictures
about primitive groups can present no
more than white man's natives lackadaisi-
cally performing half-torgotten rituals.
Nanook's people have a genuine vigor and
self-reliance.
The picture's only shortcoming is its nar-
ration: occasional patches of tropically lux-
uriant pros seem somehow incongruous
with the frozen locale.
Practically the only interesting thing
thing about The Magic Horse is the fact
that it was produced in Russia. An elab-
orate cartoon fairly-tale, it is too long and
not organized enough to be effective. The
trite and poorly coordinated English sound-
track that has been dubbed in doesn't help
either.
A little peasant boy, just a bit too ingen-
uous tn be likable. is given a series of im-
"You Fellows Want One More Of Me?"
tettei'A 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 c ndensed, edited or withheld from publication at the discretion of the
editots.
11
ON THE
WASHINGTON
MERRY-GO-ROUND
WITH DREW PEARSON
WASHINGTON-General Eisenhower, who worked with and under
Franklin Roosevelt all during World War II, is taking a leaf or
two from FDR's book.
Roosevelt not only got away on a cruiser or yacht three or
four times a year, but usually took members of the cabinet with
him. It gave him a chance both to rest and consider long-range
problems.
Eisenhower also plans frequent rests from the wear and tear of
office grind. While at NATO in Paris he tried to spend at least part
of every afternoon on the golf course. This, and a fairly rigid diet,
kept him in good shape.
Meanwhile, the present mid-Pacific cruiser cohferences, accord-
ing to close advisers, have four objectives:
1-A DECISION ON KOREA has to be formulated almost right
away. Even though Eisenhower isn't President yet, his general
views will be honored by the Truman Administration. And if there
is to be any kind of offensive next spring, the supply lines have to
start rolling almost immediately.
2-GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE CABINET-Most of his cab-
inet Ike has met only once or twice. They need to get acquainted.
Some domestic problems, such as taxes and budget, will be discussed;
also Secretary-to-be of the Interior Douglas McKay is in charge of:
the Pacific Islands. That's one reason he was invited.
3-PLAN SOME SPEECHES AND PREPARE FOR SOME TV
APPEARANCES-This was the main reason C. D. Jackson of
Fortune Magazine, head of the campaign speech-writers, and
Emmet Hughes, another speech-writer, were sent for. Eisenhower
will have to make some TV and radio statements shortly after
his arrival back in tfe U.S;. also has major speeches to think
about for the inauguration period.
4-MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY-It's sometimes easier to formu-
late long-range policy when you are away from it. And Eisenhower
now has a chance to debate with his new Secretary of State the most
important part of our entire foreign policy-the fact that the heart of
the Korean War, as the heart of most of our troubles, lies in Moscow.
ADLAI AND HARRY
HERE ARE SOME of the things that happened between President
Truman and Governor Stevenson during their confidential stra-
tegy meeting last week.
Actually one of the most important things occurred not at
the White House but between a group of Southern Senators who
are working backstage to take the Democratic Party away from
Stevenson and run it from the Senate.
To this end, they have been telephoning various Democratic lead-
ers around the country friendly to Sen. Richard Russell to urge him
as national leader. However, they don't want to start a full-fledged
campaign until after Sen. Lyndon Johnson is made Senate leader,
because they fear Northern Democrats would balk at a Texan for
Senate leader, if they knew Russell, a Georgian, was being groomed
as national leader.
Stevenson had heard of the Southern strategy before he
went to the White House, and talked it over with Truman. Here
are some of the things they decided:
1-Stevenson, not Truman is to be the party's leader as far as
the national committee is concerned. This was tacit recognition of
the fact that Truman has a lot of ill-will in the South.
2-Stevenson told Truman he would come back to Washington
after Congress reconvenes and visit with Democrats on Capitol Hill.
He wants to get on personal terms with Senators and congressmen.
What they do in the next four years will be all-important to the
Democratic Party, Stevenson believes, and he wants to have a hand in
it.
(Copyright, 1952, by the Bell Syndicate)
A Matter of Usage ...
To the Editor:
Cloud-Cuckoo-land Grammar
. -
Since it is the present fashion
to believe that grammar is deter-
mined by usage, I should like to
call this familiar passage to the
attention of instructors in English
I:
"The Department of Speech
presents their plays as productions
of a university theater wherein
the educational development of
the student is our primary con-
cern."
-Louise Stevenson
* * *
When a Feller...
To the Editor:
R EGARDING THE presumptu-
ous, naive, and snobbish art
review by Sigfried Feller, I think
it is obvious that in his particular
form he too is Up On Picasso and
Knows The Thing To Do.
It is inspiring to know that in
an area of culture where compre-
hension is so difficult such a col-
losus of righteousness exists.
However, the reason escapes me
as to why this giant should lower
himself to give even adverse rec-
ognition to the "natural" painter.
I don't feel that these Sunday
painters aspire to the heights of
the 57th Street gallery where such
high level criticism is justified.
I think it is a rather pleasant
occurance that there are semi-
competent, trained or untrained,
painters who are responding to a
healthy urge to paint.
The results may often be naive
and possibly not art, Mr. Feller,
but I defy your attempt to anni-
hilate them. I resent your pre-
ciousness and suggest that you
try to find a broader understand-
ing of art beyond the framework
of "good taste."
I repeat and conclude that if
you intend to criticize by profes-
sional standards, you confine your
observations to professional at-
tempts. I doubt, however, that
your words would be important
enough in this area to merit
printing.
---Doug Huebler
* * *
On M.S.C. .. .
To the Editor:
SCERTAIN Eldon Pejoy of
ATraverse City criticizedrath-
er foolishly Ed Whipple's column
for jabbing at Colliers selection of
certain M. State players. However
Mr. Peljoy seems more or less try-
ing to protect the East Lansing
school because his son is there.
But anyways Mr. Peljoy's letter is
a silly emotional splurge of dero-
gatory meanings with no facts or
evidence offered.
Mr. Peljoy begins by defaming
Whipple's complaint about Col-
lier's magazine selections of some
M. State players. Whipple has a
right and sensible point. Just be-
cause M.S.C. acquired the number
one rating of football teams in
the nation, this isn't necessarily
a factor or reason for it to have
three or four All-Americans. Mi-
chigan State is a team made up
of 30 or 40 good football players.
Players like McAuliffe, Decker and
Ellis are good, but not excep-
tional as Ed Whipple pointed out
in his column by statistical evi-
dence. The fact remains that
Mich. St. has no All-Americans.
Mr. Peljoy also boldly mentioned
State's rise to athletic and aca-
demic excellence. The latter re-
mark cannot be farther from the
truth. Mich. State is a school of
leisure. The school point average
is low and the dorms and frater-
nities set-up is simply not con-
ducive to studying. Furthermore,
anybody with a high school dip-
loma can gain entrance and it's
the only school whose students
sneer at persons studying more
than two hours a day. M.S.C. is
rated even low scholastically in
our state of Michigan. It is not
an academic institution by any
means. I feel I'm qualified to ans-
wer rather truthfully, for I spent
one miserable year there. - For
there is nothing that perturbs me
more than a college high in ath-
letics and low in scholastics.
Again there is no real evidence
that politically-minded John Han-
nah was offered the job of Secre-
tary of Agriculture. But anyways
Mr. Hannah will remain at State.
Good-luck to Uncle John, and may
he build bigger and better football
teams.
-Roger Magnuson, '54
* * ,
'Libelous Venom'
To the Editor:
HAVE BEFORE me the latest
issue of our "Ohio State Lan-
tern," in which appears a column
devoted to news from other cam-
pus dailies. Featured in today's
column was an article which ap-
peared in your "Michigan Daily,"
a libelous barrage which has sti-
mulated much unfavorable com-
ment around these parts. I refer
to the attack on our football atti-
tude which would imply that foot-
ball is; well in the words of your
reporter: "The people eat, breathe
and sleep football-winning foot-
ball . .. it appears that 90 per
cent of them (fanatic fans
throughout the U.S.) make their
abode in Columbus."
And on it goes: "While in one of
the favorite campus hangouts-a
bar-this correspondent overheard
one shaggy looking character make
this comment to his equally shab-
by looking partner:" etc.
Well, sir, we are very proud of
our Buckeyes, yes, but the em-
phasis here is on scholastics. As a
case in point, our All-American
half-back of not long ago, Vi
Janowicz, was flunked out of
school and had to comply with
University re-entrance hurdles just
like any other student. Our fine
defensive back Skippy Doyle, who
played a key role in the Home-
coming win, had to miss an entire
season of football (in 1951) be,
cause of scholastic ineligibility.
It is the feeling of many readers
here that this tirade can be e-
plained as an alibi for the 27-7
Ohio victory. I think so too,
Your "writer" concludes by say-
ing: "Peaceful Ann Arbor is really
a relief after one Weekend in the
maddened town of Columbus." To
that I'll just add that we're really
going to miss you around here,
boy. Just keep that poisoned pen
spitting its libelous venom in that
style and I'm sure that you'll eith-
er end up in the poor house after
losing a law suit or you'll end up
in the poor house after losing a
losing a law suit or you'll end up
there anyway as a result of never
getting ahead in journalism.. .If
that will be the eventual, I'd
never "wonder why."
-Bill Schechter
* , *
Howard Fast .. .
To the Editor:
IN RE MR. HOWARD Fast's Com-
munist-line rantings at the re-
cent Young Progressive sponsored
rally; it would seem that Mr. Fast
has taken the usual Marxian-En-
gle license of complete, absolute
and utter perversion of the truth,
Mr. Fast stated in effect that
Russia seeks peace, while the US
is the "warmonger."
If this is so, then why have the
Russians (and Communist China
by Russian direction) rejected the
Indian peace proposal, which was
acceptable to the United States?
If America is such a "police
state" as Mr. Fast suggests, then
how can Mr. Fast, a member of
the "Daily Worker" staff, continue
his subversive ravings without mo-
lestation?
Mr. Fast may safely be dismissed
as just another "hack," frothing at
the mouth, with the well-worn
technique of the "big lie" and
smear against the United States.
-Beecher F. Russell
Sixty-Third Year
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan under the
authority of the Board in Control of
Student Publications.
Editorial Staf
Crawford Young..... Managing Editor
Barnes Connable..........City 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.......Wowen's Editor
Mary Jane Mills, Asoc. Women's Editor
Business Staff
Al Green ............ Business Manager
Milt Goetz.......Advertising Manager
Diane Johnston....Assoc. Business Mgr.
Judy Loehnberg,.... Finance Manager
Tom Treeger.......Circulation Manager
t. l
f
a
BOOKS
I
BERNARD SHAW AND MRS. PA-
TRICK CAMPBELL: THEIR CORRES-
IN HIS Sixteen Self Sketches Bernard
Shaw wrote that 99.5% of a man's life
is just like that of any other person's; it is
the remaining .5% Which makes biographies
interesting. Unfortunately, much of this
volume of letters between Shaw and one of
the most famous actresses of his day is
made up of this humdrum 99.5%. Editor
Alan Dent has done well to preserve the
continuity of this correspondence which
lasted over forty years, but he might better
have inserted a few more explanatory notes
and omitted some of the repetitious, and
occasionally dull and businesslike letters.
There is little doubt that the collection
printed is practically complete, and would
provide valuable source material for a
Shaw scholar, but as entertaining reading
It has a tendency to be drawn out.
There are individual letters which are
well worth reading, revealing facets of
Shaw's personality which are not too well
known or completely lurid, One letter in
particular in which he describes the crew
mation of his mother shows a depth of
emotion which Shaw was loath to put
before the public. While lie preserved all
the externals of what he called "comic
relief," it is easy to see the real grief
which lay behind the writing of the let-
ter. -
The love which lay behind the writing of
these letters was, as Mrs. Campbell des-
cribed it, of two "Lustless Lions at play."
In general the whole sequence gives the
Impression that Shaw was for the most part
just "at play," and only occasionally felt
any real love for the great actress. As she
pointed out in several places, his letters seem
to be written for posterity rather than for
her-"people ought never knowingly to write
for publication; they lie, and lie, and lie--.
and the better they write, the better they
lie."
It mcyt he rmamharPmf +hnf+.s rrinl +lip
for Charlotte. It was for her sake that he
would not let Mrs. Pat publish the letters
during his wife's lifetime, even when the
actress had spent her last penny and was
living only on advances and loans. There is
a pitiable quality in her appeals-continu-
ous and unrelenting-to release his copy,
right on the letters so that she might sell
them and live in the style of a grand dame
(when that was obviously what she had
ceased to be.)
The letters fall into two broad categor-
ies, with no real dividing line between
the two: the first is that group of early,
half-shy and apparently sincere love let-
ters, leading up to a peak of intensity in
the late 'teens and early twenties of the
century; and the second, a collection
which are primarily businesslike, and
sometimes playful, and which seem to in-
dicate a gradual decrease of affection
leading up to the end, when the letters
just trickled off into nothingness. They
begin when Shaw was only a reviewer for
a London paper and Mrs. Campbell the
brightest star in the theatrical sky, and
cover a period of reversal of roles, until
she was an unwanted "has-been" and he
had attained international fame as the
greatest living playwright. Such a long
time of letter-writing-almost daily in
the more fervent year--soon produced a
familiarity in the two people which fer-
reted out even the smallest weaknesses of
character and tended to overlook the oft-.
mentioned finer qualities; eventually Shaw
seemed to have nothing but criticism foir
her, and Mrs. Pat, still apparently re-
vering him, was reduced to pleas for kind-
ness. If Shaw's wit and humor filled the
pages, so did his cynicism and even cru-
elty. It is amazing that she could have
held his interest as long as she did.
On the whole the book is a revealing
glimpse into this strange love affair; the
personalities shine forth as living beings,
and run the gamut of emotins from grief
(- I
iDAILY OFFICIAL'BULLETIN
(Continued from Page 2)
lores Lowry, and Russell Christopher.
The program will be open to the gen-
eral public.
Program of Concertos and Arias with
the University Symphony Orchestra,
Wayne Dunlap, Conductor, 8:30 Mon-
day evening, Dec. 15, in Hill Auditor-
ium. Student soldists will include Patri-
cia Joy Arden, Evelyn Brooks, and Lois
Gauger, pianists, Russell Christopher.
baritone, Ruth Orr, Soprano, Jerome
Jelinek, cellist, and William Radant,
clarinetist. The program will include
compositions by Mozart, Schumann,
Puccini, LeBoucher, Brahms, Tchai-
kowsky, and Brahms, and will be open
to the general public.
Events Today
cuss "Foreign Investments and Inter-
national Development" at an informal
coffee hour 4:30 to 6 at 300 West Medi-
cal Building (Office of Dept. of Conser-
vation). All welcome.
Hillel. Friday evening services will be
held at 7:45 at the Hillel Building at
1429 Hill Street. Following services Na-
than Pearlmutter, Regional Director of
Anti-Defamation League, will speak on
"Anti-Semeticism in America."
SRA Coffee Hour, Lane Hall, 4:15-5:30
p.m. Wesleyan Guild co-hostess. All stu-
dents invited to come and meet your
friends.
The Newman Club is sponsoring a
Christmas Party Warm-up. There will
be caroling, dancing, etc., 8:30 to 12
p.m. All Newmanites, faculty, and
friends are invited.
its Christmas meeting at 7:30 at Guild
House and will read a play together.
ComingEvents
Faculty Women's Club, Square Dance
Section. Christmas dance Saturday eve-
ning, Dec. 13, at the gymnasium of Tap-
pan Junior High School. Beginning at
8 o'clock, a half hour of instruction
will be presented for new members
and any old who wish to participate. Mr.
M. Van Ameyde of Detroit will be the
caller.
Hillel. Services will be held Saturday
morning at 9 a.m. at the Hillel Building
at 1429 Hill Street.
The Newman Club is having its an-
nual Christmas party, Sat., 8:30 to 12
p.m. All party-goers are requested to
bring a small gift for exchange and a
can of food which will be distributed
to the poor.