PAGE EWO THE SUMMER MICHIGAN DAILN i4r wnmmr- Published every morning except Monday during the University Summer Session by the Board in Control of Student Publications. The Associated Press is exclusively en- titled to the use for republication of malnews dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and the local news rub- lished herein.1 Campus. Opinion Contributors are asked to he brief, confining themselves to less than 300 words it possible. Anonymous com- munications will be disregarded. The names of communicants will, however, be regardedtas confidential, upon re- quest. Letters published should nut be construed as expressing the editorial opinion of the Daily. To The Editor: Untered at the Ann Arbor, Michigan, postoffice as second class matter. Subscription by carrier. $x.So; by mail $2.00' Offices: Press Building, Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan- EDITORIAL STAFF Telephone 4925 MANAGING EDITOR LAWRENCE R. KLRIN Editorial Director........Howard F. Shout Women's Editor..........Margaret Eckels City Editor.......................:.......Charles Askren Books Editor..... .....ILawrence. R. Klein Sports Editor..........S. Cadwell Swanson Night Editors Howard ?. Shout Walter WildsI S. Cadwell Swanson Harold Warren Charles Askren Assistants Ben Manson Ross Gustin Dorothy Magee Paul Showers Deirdre McMullan Ldru Davis Margaret Harris William Mahey Marguerite Henry Rhea Goudy BUSINESS STAFF Telephone 21214 BUSINESS MANAGER LAWRENCE E. WALKLEY 1 Assistant Business Manager............Vernor Davis Publications Manager...........Egbert Davis Circulation Manager...........Jeanette Dale Accounts Manager.........................Noah Bryant WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1929j Night Editor - Lawrence R. Klein PREJUDICE AND IMPERTINENCE Labor is having its difficulties in the Carolinas, if all reports from that section are true. Apparently the federation and the unions are seriously misunderstood- nothing but Reds say the populace. The mill workers went on strike at Ware Shoals, S. C., some time ago. In the resultant strife the state militia was called out to sub- due the strikers, and speakers on the side of labor were driven out of town by street mobs. President Mc- Mahon of the United Textile Work- ers objected to Governor Richards of South Carolina, and the latter replied, "Your impertinent, threat- ening telegram has been received. . . . . I wish to assure you that your communication will receive only such consideration as com- munications of its character de- serve." It would seem that Gov- ernor Richards has mistaken the function of the state militia to be the suppression of strikers and the protection of armed mobs attack- ing the proponents of the workers' cause. But South Carolina has not been alone in its antagonism to organ- ized labor; its sister state, North Carolina, is also allowing itself to be swayed by prejudice and unrea- son against strikers of the Loray mill at Gastonia. In the disturb- ances created in that strike Chief of Police O. F. Aderholt was killed,+ and 16 members of the Workers' Textile Union have been arrested and charged with the murder. Now; Judge H. V. Barnhill sitting in the special term called to investigate the killing has stated that it is im-I possible to give the arrested strik- ers a fair trial becaue of te prej- udice and antagonism of the people of the county. This is a grave moral charge to lay against any community, but it seems especially serious in view of the fact that most of the prejudice can be traced directly to a lack of1 understanding of the purpose and7 work of labor unions. There is a promise of a great deal1 more trouble in the South as long as this attitude of misunderstand- ing and prejudice continues. Cer- tainly enough of advantage has1 been derived from labor organiza-1 tions to entitle them to more con-s sideration than they have been re- ceiving. Very possibly Presidentt McMahon's letter was verging on1 impertinence, but impertinence and prejudice will never settle the dif- ferences between the workers, their employers, and the state. The tex- tile industry is in serious condition at present; sincerity and coopera- tion might be used as a foundationr on which to rebuild it and at thes sam timA tn Insue thA Annnmic Much has been written lament- ing the premature disappearance of Mr. Askren from the critical rostrum of the Michigan Daily. The truth and justification for these lamentations cannot be doubted, and the writer felt in his own mind that there was no need for further comment. But with the appearance in this morning's Daily a letter purporting to speak for the plaintiffs, as it were, it seemed ,high time to add a word or two. Two things must be considered in answering this indignant missile: Does Play Production stand for what "A Student" declares it to stand for, or is the letter simply I the wrathful vaporings of one who could not stand by and see the or- ganization in. question trampled in the critical quagmire? In one case this reply is directed at Play Pro- duction, in the other simply at A I Student. This morning's letter stated ex- plicitly that "what adverse criti- cism the Daily has published this summer can be attributed to this same ignorance"; "that the writer is insufficiently informed on the theater"; that the criticism "has been "sophomoric". Reducing these implications to something more concrete we arrive at one of the following conclusions: that Play Production is infallable-is not within the reach of criticism, either constructive or any other kind; that only the adverse criticisms of Mr Askren displayed his woeful ignorance; or that criticisms of an adverse nature, no matter how helpful or constructive they may be, have no excuse for existence. This may be an unjust interpreta- tion, but the writer is answering only what A Student saw fit to in- elude. As a result we discovered some previously unused cannons of dramatic criticism. As to "soph- omoric" criticism, it seems that A Student is somewhat confused. Even if Prof. Rowe had not seen fit to declare the qualifi- cations of Mr. Askren, (letter of July 27) it seems hardly possible that one could have mistaken the background of the critic. Without wishing to indulge in personalities to a greater degree than that to which this morning's writer has seen fit, it seems safe to say that if he is as well informed on the thea- ter and theatrical criticism as Mr. Askren, he would certainly not for the world have him forsake the theories of men of unquestioned wisdom who have set age-old standards for the meaningless ver- bosity of praise-monging dilettan- tes. And yet,.no one seems to have complained that Mr. Askren as a sound critic was encountering the wrath of sadly misunderstood thea- trical people: it cannot be a case of a misunderstanding conservative criticising radical experimentation, for there has been none. Rather, he has been attacked because his accusers have read and admitted the truth of his criticism, but de- nied the soundness of his judg- ment. That the directors of Play Pro- duction should endeavour to in- struct students in dramatic tech- nique is taken for granted. But if they aim to take the place of a stock company Play Productionj has been guilty of misrepresenta- tion. Stock companies may spread the theater, but they seldom bet- ter it. And if Play Production at- tempting to fill the shoes of the ex- tremely mediocre Ann Arbor stock companies of the past few seasons, fails to reach even their standard, then we must admit that after this bally-hooing among our friends for an increased interest in the work of Play Production we will bow with shame and humbly apologize on the grounds that we have been mis- led. The Henderson companies, although we are not taking the stump on their defense, at least aimed high on occasions, and if they failed, the try was worth the effort. We had Shakespeare, Ibsen, Shaw, and Anatole France, not to mention numerous others, and in spite of their stock company weak- nesses of n rondutin f+T +h *I a Does A Student mean to say that technique cannot be improved as much by effort expended on these better dramatists as compared with the also-rans? It certainly "is necessary to understand that tech- nique is a broad term, embodying many types of acting." And it is also well to remember, that the American stage, if it is going to contribute its share to the dramatic literatures of the world, must teach beginners that here is somehing more worth while than the compla- cent self-sufficiency so heartily en- joyed by those who do nothing and succeed very well. To say that the better dramas are not beneficial to the amateur technician because they are too difficult is falacious if we but look at the only worth while attempt of the year, "Escape." A good play as well done as that one was, merits more attempts by di- rectors and actors. Any dire-tor that preferred experimental drama: to the more standard variety might well be excused. He might end in doing something that could become a real contribution to the theater. But producing a play for the sake of saying, "Yes, we produced so and so this week, and' such and such the next," merely for the sake of quantity, seems to be quite beside the purpose of a Play Production Repertory company. That "the directors are not con- sidered in a course in the apprecia- tion of world literature" seems superfluous. In view of the sum- mer's achievements to date, no one will deny this. But if the drama has ceased to be a part of liter- ature, then every thinking critic from Plato to J. Brooks Atkinson is wrong. If the drama is literature f its own back, that the" summer amusements in Ann Arbor are both scarce and extremely dull. There will come a day when Play Produc- tion will find its usefulness out- lived. It has changed ideals-the ideals that brought it support. It has throttled criticism, not realiz- ing that the past year was the first that found any critic willing to for- sake the beaten path to take up the cudgel for it. It will find out that three' plays produced in 1927- 1928 by Play Production, on a par with anything that was done in 1928-1929, failed financially because the campus lacked sound and un- derstanding criticism. The writer is sorry that the or- ganization cannot tolerate sugges- tive criticism. He has seen Play Production grow from a name in a catalogue to a reality on the campus. He has talked of its wor kto every one he met because he believed it had ideals. But A Student, who speaks the sentiments of at least some of the group, de- nies these ideals which causes one to ask, with Mr. Askren, "which way, Play Production?" Jerome F. McCarthy. The great Chicago warfare seemsI to have taken on magnitude. The latest is an attempt to blow up the loop. No wonder Americans lose interest in the Asian conflict. America slob peanut, gum, and cigarttte machines have been plac- ed on the streets of Paris for the benefit of tourists. Just another little touch, we suppose. I i4 4i rr.,cirrrrrcrrrr. rirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. ,rrrrrrrrrr, :rrrrr. PERMANENT WAVING - FINGER WAVING HAIR CUT'TING = Specialities= - - - IMiladies Beauty ho 209 S. State Dial 8383 for Appointment 11111111111111111111111111 li E1111111 ~iJiJI 111111 I11111111 i11111111 11111 I iii 11111 IlIiil!^ - - CANOEING Every Afternoon and Evening Saunders' CanoeLivery On the Huron River at the foot of Cedar St. WEDNESDAY, JULY, 31, 1929 Yll/l~ul.ll.1.lllIil/I"llll/,/llll5ll./Jl.I1,/. I 4 4 4 4, 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 and A Student denies that Play Something new in ear and eye Production has anything to do with entertainment may soon be of- an appreciation of . literature, it fered. The Farm Journal says seems that the education that some scientists are trying to cross the of us have been receiving has been watermelon with the grapefruit. miirrol dn t1an nlnl T mis airecied iand ungrounded. If Play Production can teach acting without appreciation we can partlyj account for the self imposed limita- tions of Play Production. A Stu- dent's concluding eulogy seems slightly exaggerated since, as he says, Play Production aspires to be a stock company, it has no- claim to praise for accomplishing great things in limited time. Producing a play every week, and frequently more, is simply the everyday life of the stock actor. The real difficulty seems to arise from the fact that Play Production is suffering from a slightly swelled head. Young people, and those achieving sudden success, are fre- quently afflicted in this manner. Play Production has risen from al- most absolute obscurity, due in part to the personnel, and in parr to biased and partial criticism, to a place in the limelight: and more due partly to- the personnel, partly to unbiased and impartial criticism, and to literally thousands of inches of free publicity from the pen of a critic who believed in it. But when the critic reminded the group that it was forgetting its ideals-the ideals he had been given to un- derstand it stood for-the group was too proud to take counsel. Any artist that could not profit by criticism would, indeed, be a rare character. It has been shown that practically all the world's great poets were critics themselves. If their reputations did not depend upon an analysis of the works of others, they listened to what others said, and became critics of them- selves. Even a romanticist like Wordsworth was exertemely sen- sitive to criticism, and though he could not accept all, he profited nevertheless. An organization that refuses to accept criticism, unless it is afraid to stand on its own merits, must be perfect. Does Play Production claim to be perfect? It may be argued that too much adverse criti- cism discourages beginners. After all, though A Student would have us believe that Play Production has taken the place of a professional stock company, we must remember that this group consists of students doing work for University credit, and that the transition from a free show to seventy-five cents a seat does not necessarily place the per- formance beyond the reach of critical judgment. There is really no professional pride to be hurt norC job to be lost by criticism. Play Production should take an inventory. It has enjoyed finan- rial V1i ePn e fnr +h c mmm,'Mi+f Just when it seemed that inspira- tion for a new dance step was ut- terly lacking a farmer in New Ox- ford, Ontario, reported the birth of a fourlegged duck. Note- p T his pic- be seen GrsttoThe -.. --en j o y ed. D o n ot come dur- middle! OWEN DAVIS' Great Mystery Drama- That Thrilled Broadway for One Solid Year "i DONOVAN AFFAIR" Shows Daily 2:00-3:40 7.00-9.00 A l10,0% TALKINS PICTURE Additional PATHE SOUND NEWS Who Killed Jack Donovan? We DARE You To Solve It! with "Kids and Pets" A Novelty "CRAZY NUT" 100% Talking Comedy Fox Silent News Bob Howland at the JACK HOLT ' DOROTHY And An All-Star Supporting Cast REVIERE [ ;_ t /At. s~i A: l $ tils'.'Q . r ."or.:. ::iii:{::}'{: " .{ 1.r Vii. 7 { . .. ; .. .. yc " .. sU 1Ci;, w"f }+E YT(iil$. ." v ""c..r, .r ., ;{.v.-";v.'r ::h:A: