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July 01, 1958 - Image 2

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Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1958-07-01

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SheSielcgzgn &ziIg
Sixty-Eighth Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
hen Opiniona Are Free UNDBR AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PULucATIONs
Truth Win Prevail" STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MIcH.0 Phone No 2-3241
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This mus t be noted in all reprints. -

AT THE MICHIGAN:
'Hot Spell' Receives
Rather Cool Reception
HE FAMILY that prays together, stays together," Mamma Duv
1Shirley Booth) almost desperately tells her family during "
Spell." But the family says its grace quickly, and just as quickly,
memebrs go their own way as they have for years.
Pappa Duval (Anthony Quinn) has a date with "the other womE
The children know it, but they won't tell Mamma. MammA. know
but she doesn't know the children know it and she won't even ad
she knows it when the children tell her they know it.
For in offering a look at an American family that has rear
an advanced stage. of decomposition, "Hot Spell" shows Pe
struggling with a good many half-realized realizations that t

t, JULY 1, 1958-

NIGHT-EDITOR: SUSAN HOLTZER

Religion and Society
Must Be Examined Together

LIGION has played an increasingly small-
r role in society. This might be reason for
xamining religion, but it also might be
on for examining society - the other part
hat inseparable dichotomy.
)ciety has asserted its right to question and
et blind acceptance of religion. Perhaps
answers provided by religion came "too
"to be accepted by an increasing segment
ociety. But after overthrowing blind accep-
e of religion, most rationalists sacrificed
r announced raison de ette, reason. They
up free thinking for an easy answer,
pounded of a "scientific" mixture of an-
pology, geology and physics.
'ith their emphasis on objectivity and com-
e proof for everything, they ignore the

Welcome
Alaska

IE BABY soon to Join the union is no baby,
at least in size. Alaska, whose statehood bill
night passed ' the Senate after previous
roval by the House of Representatives is
ually in the Union; only President Eisen-
ver's signature is necessary to complete the
and this has already been promised.
"hus the United States has , gained a new
te, two and one-half times the size of Texas,
i the flag-makers now have a problem-how
put 49 stars on the blue field. After Alaska's
year fight to enter the Union, flag-makers
uld have prepared some new designs and one
the largest of the new statehood problems
solved.
Che new state, rich in resources and poor in
pulation, says it can afford the added expense
state government. The Union, obviously, is
ppy to welcome the newcomer. Everyone but
Hawaiians, apparently, and a few southern
nators, are pleased.
HE1 SOUTHERN Senators, whose worries'
probably stem from Alaska's racially differ-
t Indian and Eskimo population rather than
e expressed concern over state finances,
iuld have no legitimate complaints over the
,tehood. The Hawaiians, after a long attempt
statehood themselves, would and should ex-
ct like treatment.
New states are an experience. for all but a.
all section of the population. In this case it
ould be enjoyed, cheered and praised for
ppening after years of delay. Let's drink a
Klondike cocktail, eat baked Alaska, and
ye a flag, a newly designed flag, of course.
-ROBERT JUNKER

fact that science itself is founded on an act
of faith; that philosophically as much is re-
quired to postulate a common sense automo-.
bile as a common sense God.
A SOCIETY ready to give up religion has ig-
nored the accumulation of truth in religion
for the accretion of error that can be found
there, a choice for which not too much reason
can be given.
Science obviously has many accomplish-
ments; but they are in limited, technical fields.
Science and the methods of science can be de-
fended in conventionally recognized scientific
areas. But for some reason, a segment of so-
ciety refuses to see the immense damage done
by people who believed they had a substitute
for religion.,
It is only recently that societies having a
basis in someone's rational conception of what
society should be rather than in God have
had a chance to show what they can do. Hit-
ler's Germany and Russia are the obvious,,un-
subtle examples of how scientific notions can
be so easily adopted to perpetrate worse auto-
cracies than the over-emphasized Inquisition or
religious wars.
EVEN KINDLY old gentlemen like Adam
Smith with his theory of laissez-faire econ-
omy, the effects of which we are only lately
recovering from, have caused much misery and
suffering by their too-insistent use of ration-
ality.
Many scientists insist that the place of sci-
ence is not In establishing values; and it must
be admitted that rational efforts .in that di-
rection outside the field of science have failed
also.
With neither theoretic justification nor
practical applicability, the use of science or un-
checked reason in the area of religion and mor-
ality must be suspect..
Religion, undoubtedly does play a smaller.
part in *oclety than it once did, and undoubt-
edly colleges have played a; major part in the
change.
BUT A little education, common sense tells
us, is a dangerous thing, and perhaps when
confronted with such an awesome question as
that of religion, any education is a dangerous
thing, if it leads to the belief that answers to
important questions have been provided, when
in fact they have not been.
It is encouraging to see a university, whose
t predecessors for many centuries played such a
large part in turning the minds of men away
from God, take steps to re-evaluate religion
and perhaps place it again in the position it
should occupy.
-LANE VANDERSLICE

s' He's Got the Whole World in His Hand .

To the Editor:
THE arguments used by Michael
Kraft in support of his point
about religion tend to weaken,
rather' than strengthen what is
actually a sound point. After read-
ing the editorial, I gather that
what he actually wants to say is
summarized in the last paragraph,
where he says that religion as it
exists today "becomes increasingly
difficult to accept as a valid part
of contemporary society."
But in explaining his views, Mr.
Kraft seems to contradict himself.
In the last paragraph, he says
that religion,by constantly chang-
ing, no longer offers people an
everlasting quality. But through-
out the editorial, he criticizes reli-
gion because it has not changed
enough.
He says that in the present
day, the Bible cannot be used as
anything but a symbol. He then
goes on to say that the Bible is no
good as a symbol because it loses
this everlasting quality. In other
words, the Bible is just no good.
If this is what he wanted to say. I
wish he had said it a great deal
more clearly, because this is some-
thing that needs saying.
In any case his arguments, such
as they were, were completely
ridiculous. While I agree (I think)
with hiscconclusion, what leads
up to it can be summed up in one
word: e-echh!
-Judith Sklar, '60
SLP: Savior . .
To the Editor:
I AM SORRY not to have heard
the lecture by President Harlan
Hatcher at the Campus Confer-
ence on Religion. From the report
of the lecture given by The Daily,
President Hatcher appears to have
credited the' Soviet bloc with

adapting the materialist concepts
of the capitalist west. He then
seems to have used the failure of
Soviet material goals to advance
the goodness and morality of the
;eople to indict materialism.
Whether in Soviet PRussia or
capitalist United States, the "ma-
terialist philosophy" works to the
advantage of a privileged class or
classes. The inequitable distribu-
tion of social wealth under both
systems and the dog eat dog com-
,petitive nature of both systems
can in no way "advance the good-
ness and morality of the people."
MATERIALIST societies based
on motivating forces which com-
pel adherence to the principles of
doing the other fellow before he
does y-ou in cantot provide suit-
able climates for the kind of hu-
man behaviour which is advocated
by most religions.
It isn't materialism, itself, which
is responsible for moral and
spiritual decadence. It is the sor-
did purpose and motivation be-
hind both capitalist and Soviet
materialism that/ makes both
social orders inpedinmkents to gen-
eral economic and cultural well
being.
When, as under genuine social-
ism acdvocated by the Socialist
Labor Party, production for use
becomes the nlotivaiting force in
societyand cooperation replaces
competition, materialism will then
promote general economic well be-
ing and also the self respect and
mutual esteem which are the
foundations for a healthy, moral,
and happy people.
-Ralph W. Muncy
SLP:- Harmless *,*
To the Editor:
I HAVE just read with interest
and amusement a pamphlet dis-

tributed on this campus by the
Socialist Labor Party. It contained
such information as this: "Think
of the paradise we can create on
earth when we have got rid of this
outmoded and despotic capitalist
system."
Outside of the poor grammar
and the thinly veiled utopian non-
sense, this quotation expresses in
essence what American Socialists
have been saying for years. Adopt
the Socialist system, throw out the
capitalist despots, and all will be
heaven.
This sounds very little different
from "Workers of the world. unite.
Throw off your chains." One of
the tragedies of men like Norman
Thomas is that these individuals
continue to be chained to Marxist
doctrine.
ANYONE who heard Mr. Thomas
would have to admit that some of
his ideas on disarmament were
quite worth while. But as long as
men like Mr. Thomas and parties
like the Socialist Labor Party con-
tinue to adhere to Marxist doc-
trine, they will make little head-
way in America.
There has been little or no at-
tempt on the part of these groups
to adopt their views' to th a Ameri-
can scene. Out of fear of "comPro-
mising their conscience," they
have remained outside of major
American political parties, and
have berated politicians and labor
leaders alike.
As long as the Socialists do not
channel their efforts into the
mainstream of American life, and
as long as they cling to Marxist
{ doctrines which cannot be applied
in the United States, the American
people will continue to think of
the Socialists as a bunch of harm-
less crackpots.
-Richard Parmelee, '61,

(Herblock Is on Vacation)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Religious A rguments 'Ridiculous'

have trouble admitting to them-
selv"e;.
"Time heals everything," Mam-
ma Duval says as she dips into
her ample stock of soothing
phrases. But, somewhat frumpy
rafter more than 25 years of mar-
riage, she can't find the wit or
courage to face the passage of
time. Pappa can't face it either,
and he takes his youngest son to
one of the New Orleans pool halls
in an attempt to explain things.
(He feels more comfortable there.)
He tries to explain that a man
has an obligation to himself and
goes off to keep a date with a'
'homeless and helpless" 19-year-
old brunet.
* * * .
THE GIRL is about his daugh-
ter's age, but daughter Virginia
(Shirley McClain) haF her own
problems. Pappa won't let her and
boy friend sit on the porch glider
when the front door is closed and
Pappa questions the young man's
intentions.
Mamma considers Pappa as her
little child and although time and
her girlish figure have faded, she
thinks everything will be solved if
the family returns to a farm at
New Paris where they were young
and happy together.
Shirley Booth is at her best in
her dreamy recollections of her
early life with Pappa and other-
wise effectively portrays a New
Orleans housewife who is gushing-
ly tender to everything but per-
ceptive to nothing, including the
need to face herself. Anthony
Quinn adequately handles the
forms of a voluble owner of an
employment agency, but only in
rare moments does he do more
than fill out the rather standard-
ized lines.
WITH ITS stereotyped conflict
between father and oldest son
(Earl Holliman) who wants to
strike oltt on his own, "Hot Spell"
shows with almost uncomfortably
realistic detail what might be the
family next door who forgets to
close the windows during argu-
ments. Here, in its recognizable
Z i t u a t i o n s, lies "Hot Spell's"
strength and appeal,
Mamma is especially worth re-
membering, especially during a
delightfully satirical scene when,
in an attempt to become a 'new
woman," she tries to master the
gestures for sexy smoking and
drinking.
The movie itself is a fairly in-
teresting peek at the neighbors,
but thanks to an ending as gushy
as Mamma, "Hot Spell," like the
heat wave encompassing its ac-
tion, passes quickly and will be
easily forgotten.
-Michael Kraft
Daily Co-Editor

AT THE CAMPUS:
'AfHair'
Nondescript
"A NOVEI4 AFFAIR," the
offIering at the Campus isa
very frail and tiresome English
comedy, bolstered by two agree-
able performances from its stars,
Sir Ralph Richardson and Mar-
garet Leighton.
Miss Leighton plays a fashion-
able novelist of small talent who
casts herself, her crippled hus-
band,. and their handsome new
chauffeur as characters in her
latest romance: a triangle affair
involving adultery, illegitimacy,
and murder. The chauffeur hap-
pens to read her manuscript, and
consequently gets all sorts of de-
lusions about the nature of his
employer's feelings toward him-
self. This occasions a number of
predictable complications includ-
ing declarations of love and bI
lets-doux from the servant, and
general confusion in the house-
hold.
In the end, things turn out all
right, of course: the chauffeur
settles for the sweet little family
maid, Sir Ralph is on the verge
of walking again, and Miss Leigh-
ton is joyous.
The tone of the film is hardly
consistent. Bland domestic come-
dy, anemic satire, and a core of
sentimentality which is thinly
veiled by wan humor, are all
heaped together and the result is,
as one would expect, a blur.
* * *
ALSO present to muddle things
further is that device typical of
nearly all English comedy, and
particularly noticeable in the in-
ferior variety - the device of pre-
senting the situation with i
straight face, and then rapidly al-
tering it by overstatement and
distortion, so as to bring it at last
to the doorstep of the farcical
There it is dropped with a de.
ening thud, and the picture movei
on to a tew scene, to do much thi
same with it.
"A Novel Affair" then is mild
stuff. Much of it is devoted to s
tongue-in-cheek presentation o:
the lady's sirupy and trashy novel
But this again is not done broad-
ly enough to qualify as eithe:
farce or burlesque, and clearly
lacks the bite to be effective
satire. It is, in short, like the
movie as a whole - harmless bu
nondescript.
--Bernard Kendler

TODAY AND T(.MORROW:
In Defense of de Gaulle

.,_

VHAT HAS happened in France il
a truth which I first came upon Y
a history of the French revolution.:
regime, an established order, is rar
Town by a revolutionary movement
regime collapses of its own weaki7
rruption and then a revolutionary m
ters among the ruins and takesc
wers that have, become vacant.
Thus it is simply not true as some a
at a democratic and free system of
ent was overthrown by a conspiracyo
s and extremists ,connived at by Gen
ht wing politicians, among them
aarles de Gaulle himself. The Alger
hich has been a military failure a:
uelties is a disgrace to the good
ance, was presided over by a Social
an who owed his appointment to a
ime Minister.
A% respects North Africa the authori
ench government in Paris had collar
fore the insurrection broke out las
i early as February, after the bon
e Tunisian village of Sakiet-Sidi
was wvs plain as the nose on one'sf
e Paris government was impotent t
T IS FALSE, therefore, to look upon
aulleas the man who overthrew, or
the overthrow of, the parliamentar
ent. He came to power because tha
ent could no longer pretend that it
govern.
It has been said by some that while
aulle himself is not a Fascist, hei
an, liJe Hindenburg in Germany, w
nility will make way for a French B
can say is that, having seen him

1y IALTER LIPPMANN
lustrates he did not seem in the least senile to me: he
rears ago was then, as he has always been, a man of ex-
It is that traordinary historical insight and imagination,
ely over. in this respect second only, I would say, if not
Susually equal to Churchill.
ness and There is in Gen. de Gaulle no trace of the
novement modern vulgar dictator, of the Hitler, Musso-
over the lini, Peron or Nasser, and he has shown in
his books that his mind is profound and that
his style - since he uses no ghost writer - Is
re saying a true expression of his mind.
govern-
of Colon- There has never been any doubt, it has
erals and seemed to me, that he is an authentic bearer
General of the central traditions of the Western so-
lan war, ciety. He does not use its values as stereotypes
nd in its and slogans, as the battered catch phrases that
name of political orators have made of them. His mys-
ist politi- tery, which communicates itself to the French
Socialist when they are in trouble, is that, being authen-
tic and not time-serving, he? touches those
chords of memory which bind aunation to-
ity of the gether.
psed long
t month. N INTERESTING book could be written
rbing of
i-Youssef, about the bad relations which existed dur-
-face ,at ing the- war between President Franklin D.-
face that Roosevelt and Gen. de Gaulle. I do not pretend.
o govern. to know the whole story but as a newspaper-
man in Washington and in Londonl, I 'knew
n Gen. de about significant bits and pieces of the story.
connived Their bad relations began originally because at
y govern- the beginning of the war, after the fall of
t govern- France in 1940, there were two French govern-
was able ments. There was one inside France at Vichy
under Marshal Petain which was of course,
e Gen. de dominated by Hitler and the victorious Nazi
is an old armies. The other French government was in
ho in his exile in London, and it was under Gen. de
Hitler. All Gaulle.
recently, It was our official policy, for which there
were very good reasons of expediency, to main-
tain diplomatic relations with Petaiifs gov-
S#eminent in Vichy and in North Africa. Our
good reasons were that we intended to invade
North Africa and hoped for the collaboration

AT ALUMNI HALL, LIBRARY:

Richness of.Materials Evident inArt Exhibitions

ART EXHIBITIONS mounted by the University Museum of Art in
connection with the Summer School special program, "Religion .in
Contemporary Society," opened last night at Alumni Hall and the Un-
dergraduate Library.
In the library is a sizable collection of European prints, largely
15th and 16th century works, dealing with events in the life of Jesus.
The collection, selected from the Lessing J. Rosenwald collection, is
well hung in the exhibition area between the two public entrances. The -
area is broken up into a series of areas (perhaps somewhat unimagina-
tively in the mechanical repetition of space) which provide an intimate
atmosphere so necessary to th~e viewing of prints. Ideally, prints should
be looked at individually while seated. As this is not feasible in a
public exhibition, the presentation there is an excellent solution.
The religious art exhibition in Alumni consists of a group of mo-
saics. The austere and rigid concepts of design so typical of 'modern
art in the immediate past, typified by the Bauhaus school and Mon-
drian paintings, and so expressive of the spare atmosphere of the de-
pression and war years, has in recent years given way to a delight in
richness that closely approaches opulence.
* * *
ONE OF THE MOST exciting aspects of this present delight in
richness is the revived interest in mosaics. Suddenly hot dog stands,
luxury hotels, private homes and air line terminals are enlivened by
colorful, glittering mosaics of glass, stone, metal and ceramics as rich
as any fabricated by Romans or Byzantines.
Tie examples of mosaic currently on display come from two sys-
tems of parochial schools. Those from the Jewish Parochial Schools in,
New York City are done largely by groups of children aged 6 to 13
and show a sophistication of design (especially the large "Noah's Ark"
constructed of shells, and the equally large "Spies," which combines
such a dizzying wealth of materials as to necessitate seeing to be be-
lieved), as well as an intriguing approach to materials.
THE SECOND GROUP comes from Immaculate Heart College in
Los Angeles and is the work of the college students and staff. The
technical facility and level of sophistication is high but, with few ex-
ceptions, the concept has been quite obviously directed by the faculty
so that the results, while admittedly gorgeous, are rather less fresh
and personalized than one could hope.
It is a delight to see the (to some) frivolous inclusion of bits of
junk jewelry and beads, of pieces of broken Spanish or Mexican pot-
tery, and of broken bottles among the more prosaic tesseral.
The various materials are used effectively to create a varied and,

::.

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