TTTE MICHIGAN DAILY . x
ichiganD ily
Established 1890
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>lished every morning except Monday during the
rsity year and Summer Session by the Board in
ol of Student Publicatins.
nber of the Western Conference Editorial Associa-
and the Big Ten News Service.
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
eAssociated Press is exclusively entitled to the use
publication of all news dispatches credited to it or
therwise credited in this paper and the local news
zhed herein. All rights of republication of special
,tches are reserved.
ered at the Post Office at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as
d class matter. Special rate of postage granted by
l Assistant Postmaster General.
>scription during summer by carrier, $1.00; by mail,
During regular school year by carrier, $4.00; by
$4.50.
ices: Student Publications Building, Maynard Street,
Arbor, Michigan. Phonxe: 2-1214.
presentatives: Littell-Murray-Rutsky, Inc., 40 East
y-fourth Street, New York City; 80 Boylston sreet,
n, Mass.; 612 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Office Hours: 2-12 P..
dal Director......................Beach, Conger, Jr.
Editor...............................Carl S." FJbsythe
Editor .......................David gINchol
Editor..........................Denton Kunze
raph Editor....................Thomas Connellan
s Editor...... ...... C H.Beukema
tant City Editor............ ......Norman F.I': f
BUfSINESS STAFF
Office Hours: 9-12; 2-5 except Saturday
tess Manager..............Charles T. Elne
tant Business Manager............Norris P. Johnason
lation Manager .................Clinton B. Conger
SATURDAY, AUG. 6, 1932
Two Major Functions of
TIe FurthQ Estate ...
The press has two major functions.
Tlhe first is the gathering and presentation to
the public of the news as it happens. This must
be done with only the bias of which it is impossi-
ble for human agencies to rid themselves and
an attempt is made to present the facts with all
faimness. This is a public duty. The public is
entitled to and demands the information a it
occurs and as the reporter can, to the extent of
his capabilities, discover it. The legitimate press
is very jealous of its efforts in this field. Upon
accuracy and fairness depends the entire reputa-
tion of a newspaper.
The second, but no less important, phase is
that of intelligent criticism of events with the
aid of the information gathered. This is the
chief raison d'etre of the fourth estate and it
is for this tfat newspaper men have fought, along
wih the right of freedom of speech, since time
immemorial.,:
It'is this function which is in many cases re-
sponsible for the proper operation of public and
governmental agencies. We have only to look
at any number of examples. An Indianapolis
paper, for instance, saved the citizens of the
state some $6,000,000 in taxes in the course of a
siigle year. For its work it was awarded the
Pulitzer prize.
In a number of other cases, the information
and criticism of occurrences by the press has been
respgnsible for the removal of corrupt public
officials and for the alleviation of district civil
grievances. Exeutive and administrative abuses
have often been removed entirely.
The benefit to the public, however, depends
upoA, the co-operatoin of the civil agencies. Oc-
casionally, a lethargic and' straddling press will
produce such an attitud of "divine right" among
civil of icers that their resentment wil\ flare high
when they are finally criticized by other news-
papers. In a game this would be called "poor
sportsmanship" or "hotheadedness."
It is a sad commentary on any official agency
when it cannot stand criticism. If its activities
ar above any reproach, it has nqthing to fear.
Should there be questionable activities, then
these should be immediately abandoned and the
cause of the criticism removed. \
It is much worse, however, when criticism brings
resentment, often accompanied by incorrect and
abusive acts.
Editorial Comment
WHY THEY DD GOOD BU$SINESS
(Detroit Free Press)
4 Within eight days recently two large circuses,
came to Detroit and offered 10 performances, all
told. Each one of the 10 was well attended. InI
some instances the big tent was packed and it was
necessary to close the ticket booths and put up
the chains. Crowds were turned away because
there was no room for more people under the
'canvas if the performance was to go on.
Plainly there are many folk livilg in this City
who have money to spend where the goods offered
are sufficiently attractive to induce them to part,
with it, and are properly advertised so that the
public is aware that they are available.
The circus managers succeeded because the
made certain everybody would know they were
heading this way, when. they would be here, and
where they would set up their etablishments.
They also advertised things that people wanted to
se. Then they delivered what they promised, and
sent their first audiences away satisfied to drum]
11n nam3.ii nrmnfi nr mthnm
something they really want, and they try to make
sure in advance that they will get value received.
To go back to the circuses. Tens of thousands
in Detroit are eager for entertainment. They need
it. A person without diversion grows dull, just as
a person without food becomes weak. These tens
of thousands were satisfied that the circuses really
had what they longed for and they went out and
handed over their money for tickets in big rolls.
Now people who will spend money to enjoy two
hours under a "big top" will do the same to obtain
other things they desire if they are properly im-
pressed with the fact that those things are to be
had and at reasonable prices.
This has been true all along in Detroit in the
general field of commercial and industrial activity]
as well as in the field of entertainment. The fact
has been tested out repeatedly. But business has
had difficulty in believing and understanding it.
We repeat: Set things they truly want before,
them and people with money will buy. The mer-
chant (using-the word in a broad sense) who
realizes this and acts acordingly accomplishes
several things. He helps himself; he helps busi-
ness locally; and he gives the entire Country. a
boost by assisting it to gt off the "dead benter."
The circuses that made money here by being
"go-getters" and delivering according to specifica-
tions were able in consequence to pay wages and
railroad transportation charges; , and those with
whom they spent and whom they paid have be-
come in turn more able to spend than they would
have been otherwise. Is it necessary to carry the
idea further? The point should be easy to get.
RSING WINDS OJF PROTEST
(Toledo News Bee) !
Another veterans' organization has served nio-
tLice on the country that it accepts no part of the
responsibility *for retaining the enormous bounties
now being paid to ex-soldiers whose disability
was not incurred in war.
First, the American Legion denied all responsi-.
bility for the disability pensions, by which some
400,000 men are receiving in the neighborhood of
$100,000,000 a year. Now, the Disabled American
Veterans have announced that they will Goncen-
trate their efforts only on legislation designed to
help men with service-connected disabilities.
What these two powerful veterans' organiza-
tions do, for all practical purposes, is deny both
the equity and the soundness of the type of vet-
erans' leislation represented by the disability act
Congress has been less timorous of late regarding
legislation affe6ting veterans. If the American
Legion and the Disabled American Veterans suc-
ceed, by their stand on this legislation, in stiffen-
ing congress to the point of repealing or radically
modifying the abuses of the veterans' relief legis-
lation, these two organizations will indeed have
done a great public service.
That is a public service that could well be emu-
lated by all ex-soldiers regardless of their organi-
zation affiliations. It is public service no less im-
portant and patriotic than their original response
to the call to arms.
One of the most important jobs confronting the
next session of congress is this whole subject of
reform of veterans' relief. Abuses contained in
certain types of legislation affecting veterans are
familiar to everyone. The murmur of a rising
wind of protest has been heard whispering thru
the corridors and around the pillars of the na-
tional Capitol. Congress has cocked a receptive
ear. A joint committee from the house and the
senate has been authorized and appointed to in-
vestigate the whole system of veterans' relief.
This committee consists of 10 men, five from
the senate. If the work of the committee - which
is to start this fall -is to be more than a rubber
stamp, its members must be courageous, clear-
thinking men with keen understanding of the ob-
ligations that lie between a demobilized army and
the bulk of the nation's citizenry. The committee
should waste no time on trimmers or demagogs.
A Wash ingo
BSTA ND E R
By Kirke Simpson
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 --(.P)- The success of
"Big Jim" Farley as a political diplomat having
been indicated by the Roosevelt-Hague and Roose-
velt-Ely rapprochements, another field immediate-
ly opened for him.
What is he going to do about Mayor Jimmie
Walker's alleged intention to run for the demo-
Cratic nomination for governor if he should be
osted as mayor by Governor Roosevelt under the
Sabitry charges?
With Roosevelt and former Governor Smith
supporting the 'claims of Lieutenant Governor
Lehman to the nomination, it has been clear all
along that the Roosevelt strategists were counting
on a virtual complete healing of the convention
break between Roosevelt and Smith factions by
this means.
Lehman himself was the peace envoy to Smith
in that case, Farley taking on the task of getting
Hague in New Jersey and Ely in Massachusetts
onto the Roosevelt band-wagon.
* * * \
A BROW-WRINKLER
It is reasonable to assume that Farley has no
more inkling of what the governor is going to do
about the Walker case than has anybody else.. Yet
the statemeift that Walker, if ousted, plans to run
for governor, is a matter that would give "Big
Jim" natural concern.
In addition to being general manager of the
Roosevelt national campaign, Farley is state
chairmn in New York. A row over the nomina-
tion for governor, splitting Tammany and the
up-state swing of the -party, could have serious
effect not alone on the Roosevelt hopes of carry-
ing his home state for the presidency, but upon
the success of the gubernatorial ticket as well.
Coming bapk to the Roosevelt-Ely get-together,
there is one rather mystifying paragraph in Ely's
announcement of his support of the Roosevelt-
Garner ticket and his readiness to run again for
governor of Massachusetts to aid that ticket.
"The needs of the times . . make it imperative
that the (presidential) cabinet be composed of the
ablest public servants, even regardless of strict
party affiliation," Governor Ely said.... "The best
w.ill be none too good for these times and the
Democratic President will have the best."
BETWEEN THE LINES
That clearly suggests that Roosevelt and Ely
talked cabinet possibilities in their conference.
But to whom does the "even regardless of strict
nartv affliatinn" nint9 That conild hardlv cnver
BOOKS
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PLAYS: Book II,
Edited by Kenneth T. Rowe, Introduction by
Lennox Robinson; $L75. Ann Arbor: George
Wahr.
A Review by Robert Wetzel
The new volume of "University of Michigan
Plays" furnishes considerable variety of interest,
ranging all the way from polite comedy to melo-
drama, to folk-comedy, folk-tragedy, domestic
pathos and fantasy. Indeed, the reviewer's cata-
logue reads a little like Polonius's, with his "pas-
toral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-histori-
cal, tragical-comical, historical-pastoral"; and its
variety is an evident tribute to the range of Pro-
fessor Rowe's sympathies as a teacher of play-
writing. Taking it as a whole, I think the volume
offers a more various and playable collection of
pieces for the theatre than either of the volumes
in the series so far.
The critic can scarcely attempt to discuss ade-
quately each of the plays in the space that fol-
lows: nor can he even guarantee that ,the follow-
ing appraisals might not be subject to change.
The ultimate test of any play (the plaitude is too
often forgotten) is production in the theatre. I
have seen only six of the plays on the stage, not
all of which were given scruplous production;
were I to see all the plays carefully brought to
life, I should very likely revise a number of opin-
ions. The rule of the theatre is ultimately empiri-
cal: that is good which gets across; and reading,
even by a person theatrically trained, never proves
conclusively what will get across. If anyone were
an infalible judge of the merits of a play on the
basis of a simple reading-knowledge of it, Holly-
wood and Broadway would endow him very com-
fortably for life. As yet, I believe, they are still
searching for such a person. Hence the reader
must remember that I offer this critical appraisal
tentatively, quite willing to admit that it is the
most slippery sort of impressionism on my part.
The plays which seemed to me to possess, the
closest parallel between reach and grasp were Mr.
Pogue's "Translated" and Mr. Sissman's "A Doctor
to Be." The first is capital rural fun, just skirting
the borderline of caricature. Its homely humors
are in the rich tradition of Lowell's "Bigelow
Papers"--whether Mr. Pogue has read them or
not - and I am reminded, too, of the Abbey
Theatre folk-comedies. Mr. Pogue's spinsters and
deacons are full-blooded rustics; not the rubber-
stamped zanies of "Way Down East" nor the
egregious Jonesport Neighbors of Mr. Seth Parker.
Mr. Sissman's "A Doctor to Be" is a substantial
genre study of a Jewish family revolving around
the professional ambitions of the son, whom his
mother feels destined to become a doctor. Each
member of the family is vital, easily distinguish-
able from the others - no little triumph for any
playwright, beginner or old hand. The pathetic
note of the denouement is genuine and unforced;
what one may call, in general, the Fannie Hurst
Nte, is happily absent. I do not know Mr. Siss-
man's milieu-but I feel perfectly convinced of its
truth to actuality. His reportorial 'sharpness and
sympathy suggest the similar virtues of Mr. Elmer
Rice.-
"Half-a-Stick," by Mr. Rosenthal, I found more
interesting than satisfactory. It falls - if I may
be pardoned ahother calssification - between the
stools of Dreiserian sociology ("The Hand of the
Potter," etc.), and sheer Grand-Guignol thriller.
I nmention this because in production, the very
undertainty of emphasis seemed to inhibit the
audience's response to the piece. Were we to take
the lovers, with their somehow rather casual mur-
ders, as two pitiable products of Zolaesque en-
vironment forces - or were we being requested to
forget ethics in response to the mere thrill of a
shocking situation? I am not sure-nor, I suspect,
is Mr. Rosenthal. On the other side of the ledger,
I enter to the author's credit his Mr. Weeks, an
amazingly malevolent creation -reminiscent, in
fact, of the noble line of Old Fagin and the dwarf
Quilp.
To skip through the volume to another melo-
drama, I confess I could wish for a bit less action
in Mr. Nestle's "Between Winds" - or perhaps the
same action better arranged, with less confusing
technical jargon. The cinematic climax in which
the girl pulls the lever is almost too easy to bother
with; in its place I should prefer a distincter
characterization of the girl, and a bit more dia-
logue to emphasize the setting -- to give us a
sense of the lookout station and its isolation -
something, really, of the poetry of the scene, call
it what you will. Save for the practical references
to "cables" and "No. 4," we might be in some
prosaic flat. A setting so unusual deserves to be
exploited in dialogue as well as on canvas.
Both Mr. Levy's "Go Down Moses", and Miss
Price's "The Eyes of the Old" are vivid sketches
of negro life, which wisely refuse to rely on mere
strangeness and vitality. The theme of "Go Down
Moses," the inevitable frustration of the Negro's
vague but powerful aspirations, runs contrapun-
tally through "The Eyes of the Old," also. Miss
Price's "The Bright Medallion," in its extraordi-
narily rapid succession of major climaxes, has
something ,of the naive charm of "Green Pastures"
-a charm, perhaps less calculated and conscious
than that of Connelly's play.
Mr. Compton's "The Provider" presents a situa-
tion of considerable pathos against a well-dehined
farm-background. His heroine's competence and
stability might have been better demonstrated
than by the final stoicism, I think - as a demon-
stration of character, it is dubious in much the
same way as the familiar instance of Hemingway's
hero simply walking home in the rain after his
sweetheart's death, is dubious in "Farewell to
Arms."
"Masquerade," by Mr. Tobin, is a pretty fairy
tale of the Hans Christian Anderson order. To
become more than a pleasant fancy, it would need
far greater distinction of style than the author
brings to it, a jewelled sort of writing more near-
ly in keeping with the perilously delicate theme.
In my last analysis, I must first remind the
reader of my indubitable limitations of taste -
and then proceed to say that, to me, Miss Symon's
"Beer Garden" is a very fragile anecdote indeed.
It concerns a little group of determined bright
youngsters, who seem to find themselves a great
deal more amusing than I did. The mariner in
This Side of College Humor, with more than a
dash of Philip Barry; and the people are the sort
of people who say "Never be a grown-up" (p. 12),
-and indeed manage to continue in their desired
state of bouncing infantilism almost without
effort. (See "Holiday"; see also Mr. Wyndham
Lewis on The Cult of Childishness.) I do not
care for the manner, although I grant it is well
sustained. But perhaps I am what Miss Symon's
characters would undoubtedly call an Qld Meany.
But enough of critical categories and pigeon-
holes: the reader must buy the book for himself.
The Antioch Press has made it a handsome vol-
umn: -- the- nlavs will rn, the lihrrv aagree-
Clipping a\second would
save
25,
*
EE
STEPPING INTO A MIODERN WORLD
A second saved here- 'an unnecessary
step cut out there -on such, close atten-
tion to detail rests the success of modern
industry. Nowhere is this more strikingly
shown than in the telephone business.
In accounting work for i (stance, an
improved method that clips just one
second from the time required to handle
one toll ticket would haye great results.
'
)OO -,hours
Applied throughout the System----hand-
ling an average of more than 90,000,000
toll tickets each month--it wouhd effect
a monthly saving of 25,000 hours
Such "little" things often are tremen-
dously important in so vast an industry.
That is one reason why men find Bell
System work so fascinating.
' 'e opportunity is there!
'A
BELL YSTE
">411,te
A NATION-WIDE
S Y ST Ei M
OF INTRR-CONNEC ': N(,
T El. L I1 ON F
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GAS FOR HEAT WHEREVER HEAT IS NEE DE,
l
to the use of gas heatfor core and mold drying. They know gas isj
quicker, more thorough, more dependable-and best of all, less expen.
m