Sixty-Sixth Year
i
'Ain't She A Beaut?
n Opinions Are Free,
uth WiU Prevail"
EDITED AND MANAGED BYS TUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * Phone NO 2-3241
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or
the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
SUNDAY, MAY 13, 1956 NIGHT EDITOR: TAMMY MORRISON
Lack of Communication:
NW 14WAY
PPRIAM
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To The Editor
Letters to the Editor must be signed and limited to 300 words. The Daily
reserves the right to edit or withhold any letter.
Unsolved Student-Teacher Problem'
T THE RECENT Literary College Steering
Committee's conference, the problem of
greatest concern was the lack of communica-
tion between faculty and student body on this
campus.
Although this question has been brought to
the attention of the University faculty nu-
merous times, it is apparent that not enough
has been done to improve the situation.
Students complain that professors walk out,
of their lectures immediately after the forty
minute period and any 'attempts to visit the
instructor in his office meets with disappoint-
ment.
THE PROFESSOR either ds not in his office
at the scheduled time or, if he happens to
be there, he spends little time and effort on
the individual and discourages any further
communication.
Freshmen especially make this complaint.
This may be due to the fact that many re-
aquired first year courses are lectures which
have enrollments of approximately three hun-
dred students. It is understandable when a
professor cannot achieve the same degree of
informality with a class of 300 as he can with
a class of 30 but steps should be taken to
remedy this problem. Apparently students feel
this keenly and as enrollment is increasing,
the matter will only get worse..
The question arises as to what the function of
a professor is on this campus? Is it his business,
in order to train the student's mind, to ac-
quaint himself personally with each of his
students or is he just supposed to give them
the knowledge he has acquired over the years
and let them hand it back to him on an ex-
amination?
JF A PROFESSOR does attempt to under-
stand, his student by, getting to know him
personally, then he is accomplishing two things.
He is not only training the student's mind
but he is letting the student know that some-
one cares about his opinion and wants to
hear hig views. This is so important in a
liberal education that it cannot be emphasized
enough. A student must be able to discuss
his views (even if they are wrong), with
someone capable of guiding liis thoughts and
drawing it out.
Then there is the teacher who encourages no
discussions after class, who leaves his lecturn
promptly at the forty minute signal. This
Al
teacher is not giving his students a fair chance
to question or develop his thought. Either he
takes the professor's word as truth or is left
on his own, right back where he started from.
Fortunately, there are departments in the
Literary School which do recognize this prob-
lem and have taken steps in the right direc-
tion. For example, the English department has
made it a point to have conferences once a
week with each student in English 1 and 2.
This has been very effective in creating ex-
cellent relations between the student and fac-
ulty in the department and the freshman
leaves his first English course feeling that
someone is in there pitching for him.
THIS IS ONE of the primary reasons that
so many students go to their English 1 and
2 professors for guidance throughout the col-
lege years. Having established a firm relation-
ship from the beginning, they know the Eng-
lish instructor will advise them intelligently
and sympathetically.
Besides these conferences,. the English de-
partment makes it a policy to have its in-
structors announce their office hours at the
beginning of the semester and to be there at
the designated time. It is rare that a student
makes an appointment and finds himself with-
out a teacher. The department prides itself
in attempting to promote close relationships
between its faculty and students and it has
accomplished this very effectively.
It is easy to understand how a professor's
life becomes a busy one. He must prepare his
lectures, do research on various projects, and
is always being asked to speak at some or-
ganization or meeting.
F A LITTLE MORE time and effort were con-
centrated on the student, if the professor
would try to stimulate and encourage disdussion
after class, the student would have guidance in
his thinking and would want to delve further
into the problem at hand. As it now stands,
the excess energy of a student is left to wan-
der into the extra-curricular activities, which
some members of the faculty consider wasteful,
rather than into creative thinking about their
studies.
The English department has come up with
a good policy and is enforcing it. Can not
other departments follow suit?
-SUE RAUNHEIM
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND:n
Ike's Orders Being Violated
By DREW PEARSON
Ill-informed .. .
To the Editor:
IT IS ALWAYS enjoyable to see
budding young journalists ach-
ieve campus prominence by writ-
ing an editorial in the Daily. How-
ever, before one can express a ma-
ture and provocative viewpoint,
he should know the facts in the
situation. Without correct basic
premises a writer will lead the
public to believe he ' so ill-in-
formed that his opinions are un-
worthy of consideration:
Mr. Allan Stillwagon's recent
editorial on Mayor Cobo and Gov-
ernor Williams is without doubt
one of the most inaccurate ar-
ticles ever to appear in the Daily.
Before he displays his lack of
knowledge again, I would like to
correct some of his erroneous
statements:
1. Mr. Stillwagon mentions, not
once, not twice, but three times
that Governor Williams has been
in that office for six (6) years. For
Mr. Stillwagon's benefit, ne has
been the chief executive for eight
(8) years, having been first elected
in 1948.
2. The editorial states that in
1952 the GOP took a severe beat-
ing. However, of all the Demo-
cratic candidates for state admin-
istrative offices, only Williams was
elected and by less than 10,000
votes out of 2.7 million. Is this
a severe beating?
* * *
HE SAYS that Patrick Mc-
Namara defeated incurnbent Sena-
tor Ferguson in 1952. To enlight-
en Mr. Stillwagon, this occurred
in 1954. In 1952 the Republican
Charles Potter defeated the in-
cumbent Democrat Senator Blair
Moody by 50,000 votes.
4. The gentleman of the press
further says that in 1954 the
Democrats swept through the
House and Senate, reducing the
GOP to an almost insignificant
number of elective offices. It is
true the GOP lost all the admin-
istrative positions. However, in
the Michigan Senate the Repub-
licans have 23 members, the Demo-
crats 11; in the House the Re-
publicans have 59, the Democrats
51 members. If such effective
working majorities in both houses
are "insignificant" then perhaps
there needs to be a redefinition of
that word..
5. Mr. Stillwagon comments that
the governor will have more than
a nominal fight on his hands in
1956. But in 1948, while Dewey
captured Michigan by 35,000 votes,
the unknown Williams defeated
the incumbent by over 150,00., In
1950 he beat the best vote-getter
the Republicans have ever had for
governor, Harry Kelly. Two years
later, Eisenhower took the state
by 320,000 votes, but Williams de-
feated the extremely capable Fred
M. Alger, Jr. In both 1950 and
1952 there were recounts, the re-
sult being so close. Only in 1954
could it be said Soapy had a nomi-
nal fight.
In order to win in November
the Republican Party must obtain
the support of the independent
voters (of which I am one). If
Mr. Stillwagon's editorial is an
example of the thought processes
of members of the GOP, then the
Republicans will lose this import-
ant bloc and the state will con-
tinue its definite trend into the
Democratic fold.
One word of advice to this mem-
ber of the Fourth Estate-before
you decide to write another poli-
tical editorial, please trot over to
the library and first learn the
facts. It will save much embar-
rassment later.'
-Mark Shaevsky, '56
Conference At Union
Bares 'U' Expansion Problems
RESIDENT EISENHOWER may
not know 'it, but the Defense
Department is flagrantly violating
his own orders against racial dis-
crimination.
On Sept. 3, 1954, Ike ordered that
a nondiscrimination clause be
written into all defense contracts.
He dictated an airtight clause, re-
quiring Government contractors to
agree "not to discriminate against
any employee or applicant for em-
ployment because of race, religion,
color or national origin."
The President appointed a spec-
ial committee on government con-
tracts headed by Vice President
Nixon, to make sure his orders
were carried out. Except for send-
ing circulars to businessmen, how-
ever, Nixon has done little to en-
force the nondiscrimination clause.
THE DEFENSE Department,
with no one watching it, has been
brazen about flouting the White
House order. It is doing business
with literally thousands of contrac-,
tors who flatly refuse to agree to
equal job rights for Negroes. Most
are Southern contractors, particu-
larly telephone companies and
other utilities.
The way the Pentagon gets
a r o u n d the nondiscrimination
clause is to do business on a day-
to-day basis and not bother to sign
formal contracts which would have
to contain a nondiscrimination
clause.,
Nixon has had this open evasion
called to his attention, but has
taken no effective steps to rectify
it.
* * *
A PROPOSED three-year study
to curtail slaughter on the nation's
highways was rejected by the,
House of Representatives when it
passed the gigantic Federal High-
way Bill. The study was recom-
mended by a Presidential advisory
group and was introduced in a
Congress by Rep. John A. Blat-
nik, (D., Minn.). He is privately
fuming over the defeat of the
study. Blatnik cites figures show-
ing that more Americans have
been killed in auto accidents in
the last seven years than were
killed in World War II.
The study wouldn't have cost
a cent in new appropriations, since
the Commerce Department already
has the money but lacks the auth-
ority to spend it on salaries for
accident experts. Rep. George A.
Dondero (R., Mich.), who led op-
position to the safety study, also
led an unsuccessful drive to knock
fair labor standards out of the
road bill. Dondero tried to elimi-
nate Davis-Bacon Act provisions
which bar the use of "cut rate"
labor on road projects getting Fed-
eral aid. . . most publicly owned
utilities and cooperatives will get
Federal expense money for moving
their poles when the new wider
highways are built, but a success-
ful amendment by Rep. Robert E.
Jones (D., Ala.) eliminates wind-
fall profits for the big privately
owned utilities.
AT&T had lobbied for an earlier
version of the bill that would have
required Federal reimbursements
to utilities even when contrary to
state law.
* * *
BECAUSE THE Nasser Govern-
ment of Egypt feels that it is now
under strong British attack, it
has decided-"for the time being"
-to halt further criticism of
United States policies by the
Egyptian press and radio.
The decision was made by Nas-
ser after a recent major meeting
of his "council of revolution" to
discuss the subject of Egypt's in-
ternational position.
* Before British policy became so
vigorously anti-Nasser, the coun-
cil felt that it could maintain its
public hostility to the "Anglo-
American-French-Zionist front."
Now, however, Nasser fears that
the British campaign may influ-
ence United States policy and turn
it against Egypt. Internal and ex-
ternal pressures on the Nasser re-
gime are increasing all the time;
and the real loss of, American sup-
port would be a mortal blow to his
regime.
* * *
IT ISN'T supposed to be known,
but U.S. Ambassador Hank By-
roade has assured Nasser that the
United States does not intend to
support the British Anti-Nasser,
position. He's warned, however,
that continuing Egyptian press and
radio attacks on the United States,
together with Egyptian rapproche-
ment with Russia, have gone so
far as to jeopardize the Western
offer to finance the Aswan Dam.
Egyptian Ambassador Hussein,
in Washington, also warned Nas-
ser that Egyptian attacks on the
United States are particularly
dangerous in an election year
when American Government of-
ficials are especially sensitive to
such things.
So, for the next few months, the
main theme of Egyptian press and
radio attack will be against the
combined "Anglo-French-Zionist"
front-with the word "American"
dropped for the time being.
(Copyright 1956, by Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
Union Opera . ..
To the Editor:
AS A PERSON who has been con-
cerned for the last three years
with the production of the Union
*Opera (at various times as cast
member, lyric writer, and script
author). I was intensely interested
in the Daily's two articles Sunday,
regarding the passing of this in-
stitution. I would like to take this
opportunity to agree whole-heart-
edly with the viewpoints expressed,
and commend the sources (Assis-
tant Program Chairman Jane
iolben and editorialist Virginia
Robertson for their perception.
Miss Holben's comments in par-
ticular were interesting to me, es-
pecially her statement that with
the broadening of the show to in-
clude both men and women, "Now
they will be able to accept sce-
narios from girls and therefore
get better talent." I must confess
that I have seen Union Operas
and JGP productions now for four
years totally unconscious of the
obvious fact that talents and abili-
ties of such staggering magnitude
were being witheld from both pro-
ductions. It is gratifying that the
unfortunate situation has now
been remedied, and I am indebted
immensely to the Assistant Pro-
gram Chairman for the revelation.
As for Miss Virginia Robertson's
perceptive evaluations of the de-
mise of the institution as a tradi-
tion, no one could find fault with
her reasoning. Admittedly the Op-
era was as outdated as a mastodon.
Female impersonation as an ar
went out with the death of Julian
Eltinge, and the close of an era
such as Alexander Wolcott de-
scribes: "When women were wo-
men, and men, by a coincidence
then more dependable, were men."
HOWEVER, to be strictly fair
I feel that one must note in pass-
ing that the death of the Opera
was due not so much to the de-
terioration of the not inconsider-
able talents which have always
gone into the show (especially dur-
ing its heyday of the Twenties),
but to a changing viewpoint on
the part of the audience in regard
to this type of entertainmrent; a
change which, though more real-
istic in its outlook, raises some
doubts through its intensity, and
an uncomfortable suspicion that
someone doth protest too much.
It was exactly this type of en-
tertainment that a writer of an-
other age referred to when he
wrote: "Works of this'sort are like
a mirror; if an ass looks in, how
can you expect an angel to look
out?"
Nevertheless, we are grateful to
the ladies for looking into the mat-
ter.
In all events, it is heartening to
note the messianic zeal which the
ladies are prepared to bring to this
superannuated institution, and I
for one will be looking forward
eagerly to the professional reviews
of next year's show, and expecting
the highest results from this for-
tuitous collaboration of blind mas-
culine enthusiasm and condescend-
ingly superior feminine intelli-
gence.
Co-Author, 1955 Union Opera
-Russ Brown, '56
Disappointing Debate . .
To the Editor:
THE DEBATE between Dr. Paul
Sweezy and Prof. Kennth Boul-
ding was extremely disappointing
in terms of what it might have
been. Dr. Sweezy was evidently
tired after his month-long tour,
and he spoke in generalities much
of the time. Many times he failed
to take advantage of opportunities
to attack the arguments of Prof.
Boulding. Perhaps his long isola-
tion from the University atmos-
phere and his fight with the New
Hampshire Supreme Court may
account for his wariness.
But there was no excuse for
Prof. Boulding's performance, un-
less in reality he has no good argu-
ments to support capitalism. His
talk was more like an after dinner
speech calculated to entertain
those who disagreed with Dr.
Sweezy a priori. Rather than de-
bating fundamental economic
questions such as America's pros-
perity based on war, Prof. Bould-
ing indulged in whimsical fancies
about original sin, archangels,
patriarchal societies, and father
figures. Even those inclined to
agree with Prof. Boulding could
hardly be impressed by his nebu-
lous and unscientific statements.
His program for economic re-
covery in case of an Amerigan de-
pression was glib and unrealistic;
his argument that people are un-
able to plan wisely in a socialist
state presupposes that people are
unable to learn anything by ex-
perience. It would be interesting
to find out how Prof. Boulding
would explain the fact that Russia
recovered from the depression of
the 30's while Americans did not;
or, if and how General Motors
would build houses instead of tanks
if we were to switch from a miili-
+tart+ nn4-ia ry. Pnnnmv - r why
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TWO FACTS pervaded the Student-Faculty-
Administration Conference yesterday: the
University has growing-pains problems; and
students, faculty, and administrators share
these problems.j
Problem-wise the University' and community
n\ust provide facilities for the 40,000 students
expected here by 1970. Doubling the present
enrollment by that year assumes that Univer-
sity admissions requirements will not be altered.
This is a safe assumption.
Out-state enrollment buttresses the Uni-
versity's reputation and will likely continue to
contribute one-third to our admissions. In-
state, the University must continue its obliga-
tion to Michigan taxpayers-admitting any ap-
plicant who stands in the top third of his high
school class.
COMBINE University admissions policy with
sociological facts-the number of college-
age people is climbing and the number of these
seeking a college education is soaring-and
the problem is defined for students, faculty,
and administrators.
How is the University meeting the problem in
the short-run? Present plans indicate that it
is applying a rather long short-run corrective.
There is too much reliance that Ann Ar-
bor's high rents will attract private housing
capital and siphon off some over-crowding.
But, building costs that average 25% higher
than elsewhere in the state offset the attrac-
tiveness of high rents..
UJNDER the self-liquidating dorm program
which can't keep its head above red ink, a
women's dormitory at Washington Heights may
be ready to ease the enrollment burden in three
years.
On North Campus, the coed dormitory should
not be ready "for more than five years" ac-
cording to Francis Shiel, University director of
service enterprises.
Besides being tardy, the two projects are
inadequate-planned to house only 3,200 stu-
dents between them.
Shiel's admission at the Conference that there
is "some possibility of remodeling single and
double dormitory rooms to increase capacity
next fall," indicates that the University isn't
meeting the short-run situation. The present
is hard to avoid when you talk in terms of
long-run planning.
N FIVE YEARS, the University and com-
munity must provide -housing for an addi-
tional 7,000 students and present plans could
accommodate, at best, 4,000.
That is only the University's housing prob-
lem of the present and near future. Classroom
space and business facilities for an extra 20,000
students by 1970 is an equal problem.
In short, the University and community must
become twice their present size and do it in
the next 14 years. -
One administrator confessed yesterday that
he had no answer as to how the University
could meet this problem.
Although the Conference provided no cure
for the University's expansion ills, students
were at least allowed to share the ulcers of
faculty members and administrators.
-JIM ELSMAN
4
4
TALKING ON TELEVISION:
TV Commercials-A Necessary Burden
INTERPRETING THE NEWS:
A Unified Europe.
By LARRY EINHORN
Daily Television Writer
ThHOSE /&$' /% commercials!
They're too long and there's too
many of 'em!"
Television commercials - spon-
sors love them; viewers hate them;
Arthur Godfrey makes funl of
them; the men in the grey flannel
suits can afford grey flannel suits
because of them; products are sold
because of them and viewers make
mad dashes to the kitchen because
of them.
Every year hundreds of millions
of dollars are spent on radio and
television advertising. This money
pays for about 99% of our "free
entertainment"
RADIO AND television commer-
cials cannot be unnoticed. This
is why they are the most effective
forms of advertising. When you
read a newspaper of a magazine
you don't have to look at the ads.
You don't have to look at bill-
boards. You don't even have to
look at skywriting. But you can't
get away from TV commercials.
P" L. . .. .4 . ... « .. - .J L. L .B
the program time. Any profitable
newspaper will fill up its available
space with much more than 10
per cent of advertising, And the
most read magazines carry more
advertising copy than reading
copy.
* * *
WITHOUT commercial advertis-
ing television would have to be
supported by the government. This
would necessitate a special tax on
receivers or an increase in general
taxes. Many foreign governments
subsidize television in this manner.
But such an action is imperative
to our free enterprise system.
The main factor in the growth
of television in this country to its
high productive level has been
commercial advertising. Without
it or some type of governmental
assistance television programs, if
we had them at all, would be as
plentiful as a sunny day in Ann
Arbor.
Television advertising has cer-
tainly been a boom to our econ-
omy-Because of its un-noticeable
feature television commercials can
and do sell almost anything even
men's products to take advantage
of the male portion of their audi-
ence.)
We all remember the Charles
Antell commercials. This was prob-
ably the first time a new product
was introduced nationally via tele-
vision. Their sudcess only further
demonstrates that television view-
ers pay a lot more attention to
commercials than they admit.
Hundreds of car dealers and ap-
pliance stores are what they are
today because of local television
commercials. This holds true for
all types of retailers and Manu-
facturers who have advertised on
television. You could even extend
this to account for a portion of
higher overall production, more
employment and a higher standard
of living.
* * *
BUT EVEN though we have
indicated the economical and
practical advantages of television
commercials they will probably re-
main forever in the class of moth-
ers-in-law, Army life and dormi-
tory food.
Certain avoidable factors do un-
J . «.. ... .. l ... .. . . .... . . 1 . .
have allocated a portion of their
commercial time to informative
discussions about industry, health
or public service. Lucky Strike can
have a clever entertaining song by
the Sportsmen serve the purpose
of a commercial.;
* * *
NATIONAL companies or large
local chains can afford to pre-
sent animated cartoons to demon-
strate their products. All of these
devices have proved beneficial to
the companies concerned.
But of course we can't expect
this type of advertising from a
used car dealer or a sewing ma-
chine distributor where the hard-
sell concept best serves the pur-
pose. And the cost of such com-
mercials are oft times too burden-
some for a small company.
One element which should defi-
nitely be barred from television
commercials is the appearance of
actors dressed up as doctors, den-
tists or pharmacists who are
demonstrating medicinal or relat-
ed products.
Ir
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By J. M. ROBERTS
Associated Press News Analyst
WINSTON CHURCHILL'S dream of a unified
Europe including Soviet Russia is just that
-a dream.
Churchill suggested in a speech in Germany
Thursday that things would really settle down
when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
had been extended into a unified Europe in-
cluding Russia and her satellites.
The a-ed British statesman seem sto think
were attempted within such an organization
instead of between separate blocs.
S A DREAML it's wonderful, as a possibility,
don't bet even a small amount of money
on it.
First and foremost, Russia is not a European
state. Her culture, except a small surface
portion absorbed from France when that coun-
try was a world criterion, is far more Oriental
than European.
Vast numbers of her peoples actually are Ori-
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