The
Daily
N
EBRASKAN
Official Student Newspaper of the University of Nebraska
VOL XXXV NO. 18..
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, TUESDAY, APKIL 2, 1936.
P It ICE 5 CENTS.
t
PLAYERS STAGE
SHAKESPEARE S
DRAMA MONDAY
Studio Theater to Present
Elizabethan Piays
Thruout Week.
By WILLARD BURN EY.
All the simplicity of the tra
ditional Elizabethan thcHter unfold
ed within the murallcd walls of
the Temple studio Monday evening
as .the Studio Players opened with
"The. Merchant of Venice," the
first of the series of Shakespeare
an plays to he presented through
out the week. Last night's per
formance marked the opening of
the Shakespearean Festival, which
If cii'Tcnt 'receptions prove worthy,
will be inaugurated as an annual
alfair.
Hart Jenks, playing the part of
the rich miser, Shylock, returned
to the Temple stage for the sec
ond time this year, having recently
starred as Cyrano in the Univer
sity Players' final production of
the year. Jenks, whose capabilities
as a Shakespearean player have
been herulded all over the nation
was constantly good, and provided
the necessary leadership for the
production of such a dramatic
masterpiece.
Work Commendable.
Lee Young, as Bassanio. turned
in an especially commendable por- ,
....... i ,1 t-.s..t i r ',
tiayal of the youthful courtier of
Portia. Margaret Straub, June
Butler, and Polly Gellatly, femi
nine leads in the production, also
did extremely commendable work.
In all, the performance was all
that could be hoped for in the way
of Shakespearean productions by
a university cast. With the ex
ception of a few noticeable defects
in lines, the play ran through with
all the smoothness of a profes
sional production.
"Macbeth" Opens.
tonight the players will open
with the second production of their j
(Continued on Page 4 ).
IGHT
Public Invited to Attend
Dramatized Program in
' Social Science.
All university students are In
vited and urged to attend the
"March of Time" mock radio
broadcast which will be staged by
students of newspaper editing
class of the school of journalism
tonight at 7:30 o'clock.
This presentation of the news
. U It, ,li,,n,oli.rA,l
is a program that has been given!
each week thruout the semester j
form
in Lliu cian.il inilli. linn, nwni vii, in
its first public appearance as a
school entertainment.
The cast of the program will
be composed of Dorothy Bentz,
Barbara Callahan, Eleanor Clizbe,
Arnold Levin, William Kaiser,
Sancha Kilbourne, Grant Parr,
George Pipal, John Robinson,
Ralph Reed, Johnston Snipes and
Clarence Summers. The program
will be divided into three 20 min
ute broadcasts over a loudspeaker
system.
James E. Lawrence, editor of
the Lincoln Star and instructor
of the class and Gayle C. Walker,
director of the school of journal
ism, will speak briefly between
broadcast intervals.
1'VTL'Hi it W i
Alii; I'jiS IW3 II. ?.
GEOEOGI(lL SEFIYICE
" :
Herbert Waite is leaving the
vuut.-f aiirvov t tho pnnsi'rviitioii
and survey division at the end of !
the month for employment by the
U. S. gcologicul survey. He will j
have charge of certain Investiga
tions along the Rio Grande valley
lu Colorado and New Mexico, t
Work Progresses on Ag College s
Big Event -Farmer's Fair, May 9
-From Slitvlil IminiKI unil Slar.
Member, of th- 1936 Farmers Fair Board who control arrangements for the state-wide agricultural celebration that center on
the Ag campus May 9 are: Backrow, jumor board; Raymona Hilton. Darreli Bauder, Els.e Buxman. LeRoy Hansen, Elinor McFartden,
and Clyde Whito; front row, icnlor board; Al Pearl, jnir Campbell, Burr Ross, manager, Kathcrine Jones, Paul Pierce, and Ruth
Henderson.
SPANISH C1AIR TO
PRESENT COMEDY
Language SludYnl Give
m1 Program.
The Spanish club of the uni
versity in celebration of "Kl Dla dc
la Ra.a" will present Its final pro
gram Thursday evening, April 30
from 7:30 to 0:30 o'clock in social
science auditorium.
Students of the university will
present the comedy "Zaragueta"
in Spanish. A moving picture of
Mexico will be presented by
Ray Wilfley of Fairbury who will
alr.o tell of life in the American
republic. Miss Fmma Vogel will
play several Spanish-American
songs on the accordion.
The program Is open to the pub
lic and all Interested in Spanish
and In Mexico are invited to at
tend. Council President Denies
Rumors of Project's
Demise.
Irving Hill, president of the stu
dent council, sniked rumors to-
,av i hBt the Union building proj-
J . ... . i ..
eet Is dead and without nope
'Chances are better than ever
now for a government allotment,"
stated Mr. Hill.
Congress has in committee a
now bill for PWA appropriations
totaling over $700,000,000. In the
bill as it now stands is included
an earmarked appropriation for
the Union building which means
if the bill passes in its present
form, actual construction can be
gin before the next school year.
The project has been held up in
the PWA officers in Omaha while
PWA legal counsel was thorough
lv investigating the bond issue.
Last week the decision was made
that the bond issue is unquestion
ably legal. The project was given
full authorization.
In order to quell sonic of the
rumors which have been circulat
ed that there is no hope of realiz
ing a Union, Chancellor Burnett
has nrnmised to make a public
' statement on Wednesday defining
the present status and condition of
Union plans and setting forth the
prospects exactly. The statement
will be published in the uauy ic
braskan on Thursday.
Definitely encouraged by these
enthusiastic reports the student
union committee has been called
for a meeting this afternoon at 3
o'clock in the student council
rooms fit University hall. At the
meeting plans will be made for
the collection of the pledges.
"All members of the student
body interested in expressing
opinions on the campaign are in
vited to meet with the committee,"
stated Mr. Hill.
KKANTZ PIJAISES OIJK
BOSYi 'ELE
Professor Talks al
Library .ismtciation
Dinner on Biography
An appreciation of the charac
ter and works of James Boswcll
was given by Prof. Ray W. Frantz
of the university English depart
ment at a dinner of the Lincoln
chapter of the American Library
association Sunday evening at the
Cornhuskcr hotel. Professor Frantz
outlined Boswell's life in connec
tion with the writing of his great !
biography, "The Life of Johnson." j
He portrayed very vividly the in-j
t cresting personality of Johnson, j
and showed his chief manner of
writing to be that of biography, i
The meeting was the third and j
last of the year for the Lincoln I
chapter. Fifty-six were present, j
Miss Clara Craig, reference librari- ,
an nt the University of Nebraska.
was chairman for the year, and
presided at the dinner. Election of
officers resulted In Miss Nellie 1
Carey, secretary of Nebraska Pub-
lie Library commission, as
man for the coming year.
chair-
v
y
UNION BUILDING
CHANCES BETTER
SAYS IRVING Mil
STEPANEK TALKS
AT PBK INITIATION
BANQUET TONIGHT
Scholastic Honorary
Take In Thirty
Members.
Will
Phi Beta Kappa, honorary
scholastic society, will honor thirty
recently elected members tonight,
at an initiation and banquet at the
University club.
The speaker of the evening,
Trof. Orin Slepanek of the Uni
versity will talk on "Shine, Per
ishing Republic." Trving Hill of
Lincoln will give the "tudent re
sponse. The new president. Dr
Lomso Pound of the English de
partment will be introduced.
A musical program by Marcella
Lku, soprano, and .lames Fitch,
baritone, accompanied by John
Krickson, will be prec:nted. Tn
charge of the initiation are Dr.
Pool, chairman of the department
of botany; M.S. A. W. Williams,
secretary; Dr. James R. Wads
worth, of the Romance Languages
department, treas. -or; Prof. Clif
ford M. Hicks, of the college of
business administra'-ion, historian;
and Dr. A. R. Congdon of teachers
college.
The new members will be: Mar
jorie Barg, Lincoln; Henry Broady,
Plains, Kansas; Elizabeth Bushee,
Lincoln: Kvelyn Diamond, Lincoln;
Mrs. Fern Fowle, Pueblo, Colo.;
Hester Freeman, Lincoln; Henry
Grabow. Omaha: James Heldt,
Scottsbluff; Lester Hicks, Meadow
Grove; Irving Hill, Lincoln;
Marion Jackson, York; Margaret
Jackson, Lincoln; Helen Jorgensen,
Sorum, S. D.; Richard Krebs, Lin
coln; Orva Lewis, Mo. Valley, la.
Anna Laurie McCall, Omaha:
James Marvin, Lincoln: Jackson
Miers, Seward; Jay Mickel, Lin
coln; Eleanor Neale, Ft. Calhoun:
Hildcgard Persson, Kingsburg,
Cal; Ada Marie Petrea, Pawnee
City; Lois Pierson, Lincoln: Irene
Remmers, Firth; Mrs. Ida Samuel
son, Pierce; Carlos Sergeant,
Broken Bow; Delores Theobald,
Wauneta; Gladys Todd, Lincoln;
Mrs. Merle Van Derslice, Lincoln.
David Warner, Dakota City.
Prof. Clifford M. Hicks of the
college of business administration,
secretary of the local chapter, an
nounced that reservations for the
dinner will bo taken by him until
noon Tuesday.
Ncwmyer, Claussen Explain
Pictures Wednesday
Evening.
Slides of the Coolidec dam, lo-
cated in southeastern Arizona, will election is to be representative,
be shown to members of the A mcr- jcw officers will take office to
ican Society of Civil Engineers at night.
h meeting Wednesday, April m in
M. A. 102. Final plans for Engi
neers Night will also be made.
Lowell Newmyer and Elmer
Claussen, civil engineering stu
dents, will explain the slides
which were furnished thru the
courtesy of the national A. S. C. E.
organization.
Coolidge dam, named after the
president of the United States, is
a multiple dome dam across the
Gila river near the Arizona
Mexico border. It has the distinc
tion of being the first of a new
type of concrete dam, the engi
neers explained. The diversion
dams and main canals were con
structed as part of a flood water
project, and it was not until 1924
that the construction of a storage
dam was authorized by the con-
gress of the United States.
The cost of the project was not
to exceed 5 1-2 million dollars,
which amount was to include all
preliminary expenses such as the
reconstruction of 20 miles of stan-
nrd guage railroad and 12 miles
of highway, the purchase of 33.000
acres of land under the reservoir.
the installation of 20 miles of
power lines,
ex penses.
bikI other contingent ;
!
,
V
-
No Inquest Made in Campus
Shooting; Nebraskan Staff
Finds Missing Poison Flask
Cyanide Content in Opened
Bottle Found Near
University Mall.
Shrouded in mystery when it
passed from 1lie picture after
tlie nt tuck mi Dr. Hurry Km
liy Instructor J. I. W filer, the
"missing poison liotllc" which
Dr. Kurz told police was in the
hand of his assailant was discov
ered late Monday afternoon by
members of the Daily Nebraskan
staff, who were searching for clues
to reconstruct the tragedy.
Serving ns a final connecting
link for the route Weller took on
leaving University hall, the nearly
empty poison bottle, found flung in
the bushes outside the west en
trance to the building, showed
positive tests of cyanide when ex
amined by a Lincoln pharmacist.
Contained in an innocent-appearing
mouth wash bo'.tle, the
few remaining drops of amber
liquid were declared to be a solu
tion of soluble cyanide. That the
bottle had been thrown there re
cently was evidenced by the new
label, unsoiled by Sunday's rains;
that it had been recently filled was
proven by the strong odor of
mouth wash on the cap, still im
penetrated by the acid smell of
the poison.
Cap of the bottle was found on
the ground some feet from the con
tainer, which was caught in the
lower branches of a bush. That he
drank part or all of its contents
(Continued on Page 4 ).
Members to Participate
Freshman Day in
September.
in
Barb Intcr-Club Council will
meet Tuesday evening, April 28,
at 7:15 in V hall, room 8, for
election of officers, to hear a re
port of the All Barb banquet, and
to make plans for coordinating its
activities with the administration
on Freshman Day next fall for the
purpose of giving out information
for the organization of all unaf
filiated students on the campus.
Six offices arc to he filled and
It is urged that all men eligible
be present since it is necessary
that there be a large turnout if the
DELTA SIGMA TM TO
INITIATE TONIGHT
Commerce Groups Plan
Joint Picnic Friday.
Delta Sigma Pi. men's profes
sional commercial fraternity, will
give a dinner at ti o'clock this eve
ning at the Lincoln hotel for
pledges. Initiation ceremonies will
be held May 10.
Also being planned are a picnic
with Phi Chi Zeta, women's pro
fessional commercial sorority, for
Friday night, and a joint party
with "the Omaha chapter of Delta
Sigma Pi. to be held May 16 at the
Carter Lake club in Omaha.
MIJS. MOIIIMSON TO
PISESENT HEADINGS
Mrs. Bess GesrhaiM Morrison
will give a reading. "The Shadows
of the Years," in costume and with
musical accompaniment, in the
club room of the University Epis-
copal church Thursday aiieinoon
at 2 o'clock.
PRINCIPALS IN CAMPUS TRAGEDY
w f , r
AK'-q
From The Lincoln Journal,
PROF. J. P. WELLER.
An Editorial Word on
The WcUcr-Kurz Tragedy.
O'J'AKK tragedy whs enacted on 1 ho Universily campus yes-
J tcrday morning. One professor nl tempted to kill another
;md finally committed suicide himself. It is as one individual
lifting against another; one individual Irving to eradicate by
some means the .iuiiiblings of u distracted mind.
Newspapers throughout the entire Vnited States (ind more
particularly throughout the state of Nebraska will give the
irngedy great piny in their columns. No doubt, the drama jus
tifies headlines, but it docs not justify inisintcrpretal ion. Al
ready it hns been rumored that such an aclion was 1 lie result
of a general undercurrent of ill-feeling on the part of members
of the University sin IT. Such statements as this are maliciously
untrue.
Why people do certain acts: why they commit certain deeds
is often beyond the scope of human understanding. Conflicting
emotions play a part in every man's life. The execution of a
single individual's emotion does not accurately portray ihe
emotions of other people in the same surroundings.
.'Rather than becoming hasty in the condemnation of any
man. it would be best to ascertain all the facts. Most of these
are beyond our reach, but we do know lhat Professor Welter
cannot be judged in ihe Same light as other men. His parents
were both invalid, bed-ridden since his childhood, adding 1o his
grief when his father passed away last yeai lie had always
I i veil alone, found few opportunities for associations, and cen
tered his whole life in his profession. The nervous tension re
sulting from Ihe loss of his osition and prestige is eerlninly
responsible in part for the actions of Professor "W'cllcr.
The mind is a peculiar instrument, shaped and formed by
many complex considerations. It is not the position of humanity
to pass final judgment upon humanity. Humanity may only in
crprct. reason and grope for causes but these causes as a rule
can only be found insofar as the particular weaknesses assert,
themselves in the character of Ihose doing the interpreting.
Thus such diversions from normality should cause sympathy,
if only it is to sympathize and understand one's self. Sanity is
merely a borderline condition. Digression from it is almost a
regular occurrence by the perfectly normal. Put sometimes in
dividuals are unfortunate enough in Ihese "temporary depart
ures", with which each and everyone is endowed, to take tragic
avenues of escape from life's burdens.
The Nebraskan 's main concern is with the people outside
the University. They should view the affair as one likely to
occur any place, where individuals come in contact with each
other. No significance beyond the obvious facts should be in
truded by way of false interpretation. Classes continued in spite
of the upheaval. It is the Nebraskan 's sincere hope that these
people will form their judgments, not from mishaps and of
fenses (piite out of the. ordinary, but from the sentiments and
fervent desires of the best and wisest of our group.
To outsiders we issue this statement of Pascal's:
"It is of dangerous consequence to represent to man how
mar lie is to the level of 'beasts, without showing him at, the
s;, me time his greatness. It is
incut of man be recognized.
FLAG SALUTING COURSES
DEGRADE OUR INSTITUTIONS
ll'is becoming tiite impossible to look upon many of our
schools ns educational institutions at, all. Prof. Lane W. Lan
caster told the Nebraska History Teachers at their association
convention meeting at the University club Saturday morning.
Schools in many parts of the country arc setting aside a part
of a crowded schedule to give in-o
struct ion in such matters as thrift
the effect of alcohol and tobacco
tree planting, the salute to the flag,
and even kindness to dumb ani
mals, Professor Lancaster said.
Discussing the responsibility ot
the social studies teacher Professor
Ijncaster declared that the posi
tion of the social Btudies teacher
is the same as that of other teach
ers. It does uh all good to pause
occasionally and remember that
we all arc public servants and are
committed by those who employ us
to the task of preserving what re
mains of our tradition, he com
mented. The danger shown by a large j
number of organizations und per-
sons Is that of telling us wbut we I
ought to be about. One grim result
is that education is regarded as a
SCIfllCL'.
"Far from being axiomatic," he
continued, "is the suggestion that :
mnrp instriintinn in the Kocial sci-
ordei. From this arises the belief
flint nur traditional nnlitica ma-i
chinery is unable to cope with the
problems thrown up in a period of
confusion such as this."
Professor Lancaster told of an
other school of advisers which as
sures that the chief function of so-
Iclal study is to turn out better j
From Thf Lincoln Journal.
DR. HARRY KURZ.
very
beneficial that the attain-
KWIX I! VAX.
citizens. This would be merely
laughahle if it did not point to a
serious flaw in our thinking about
the enterprise of teaching. The
American people Judging from our
school curricula believe that every
thing under the sun can be taught
in the classroom.
"It seems to me." Professor Lan
caster pointed out. "that the ques
tion of our responsibility as teach
ers has been clouded by the so
called 'scientific surveys,' which
seem to point out that the duty of
the social science teacher is differ
ent from any other teacher. To be
open minded, neutral, and honest
are the inescapable obligations of
hII teachers, even those of social
science.
(JTQLOGIST CONFERS
ON BRIDGE SOUNDINGS
. 'iuin.L , vh;.iui.m--
Eugfene P.eed.
assistant state
Roloeist went to Omaha Monday
to confer with Mr. Wood, highway
ceologist or jowa. i ney are rai-
relating materials oniainru muni.
thn linn nf uniinriinirs at the Inca-
tion of the proposed nW bridge
at Omaha. The report nn the
soundinrs will determine the fit -
nrss of the bed rock to support the
piers of the bridge.
Funeral Arrangements for
Mr. J. P. Wcllcr to Be
Announced Today.
John P. Wcllcr, 40, instruc
tor in Ihe romance language
department of 1he university,
left bis S o'clock class in Uni
versity ball yesterday morninv,
stepped into the hall to fire two
revolver shots at his superior, Dr.
Harry Kurz, then ended his own
life on the plot of ground past
of the campus studio. Kurz, nhot
in the right wrist, was not seri
ously hurt.
County Attorney Max Towlc
said there would be no inquest in
the death of .Writer.
Funeral arrangements will be
announced sometime today. The
body is at Castle, Roper and
Matthews.
Mr. Wcllcr, whom the regents
recently had given a leave of ab
sence without permission to re
turn, had made previous threats
upon the life o Dr. Kurz, the
chairman of the romance language
department said.
The alleged motive of the shoot
ing was declared to be a faculty
dispute. Mr. Wcller, who had
often differed with Dr. Kurz had
lobbied in the last session of the.
legislature for a bill that would
remove Kurz from chairmanship
of the romance department by con
solidating it with the German de
partment headed by Dr. J. E. A.
Alexis.
After excusing himself from his
(Continued on Tage 4).
FIRST PLACE IN IOWA
RIFLE COMPETITION
Nebraska Pershing Riflemen
Bow to Minnesota in
Unit Matches.
David Bernstein was winner of
Ihe sophomare individual rifle
competition at the Pershing Rife
drill meet held Saturdny in Iowa
City, in which three colleges com
peted. Grant Lemmon placed second in
the sophomore division, and Louis
Bushman took third place in the
freshman competition. The Ne
braska platoon won second place
in the platoon eompet, bowing to
the unit from Minnescota.
A regimental assembly of the
national and chapter officers of the
organization officially oper.ed the
meet on Saturday morning. The
first shoulder-to-shoulder rifle
match ever scheduled at these an
nual meets was called off as sev
eral of the Iowa members were
confined to the hospital.
Informal Luncheon
The dining room of the Iowa
university Student Union building
was the scene ot the informal
luncheon at which the Iowa of
ficers were hosts to the visiting
officers .
The lreshman and sophomore
individual competitions began the
afternoon activities. A regimen
tal review and personal inspection
of the ranks by two Iowa army
officers followed the individual
compets.
Platoon Competition.
The feature and closing event
of the meet was the platoon cam
petition won by Minnesota. The
two army officers acted as judges
for all the competitive events.
Awards and announcements of
victors of the meet were not made
until the dance which was held in
honor of the visiting Pershing
Riflemen. The Iowa crack squad
fiavc an exhibition during the in
termission. Approximately 120 members
from Universities of Iowa, Ne
braska and Minnesota, all mem
bers of the :iccoiid r-gimcnt. at
tended the meet. Thirty-seven
students from Nebraska traveled
to Iowa City to participate.
VALENTINO TO TEACH
S1LTDENTS TANGO.
Professional Dancer
(ives Instruction to
I ' ni versify Classes.
Instruction In the tango. Span
ish dance, will be given tonight un
der the auspices of the Women s
Athletic association. Senor Valen
tino, ussisted by Miss Claudia
Moore, dancing instructor in the
physical education department,
wiil hold the class in Grant Me
morial hull from 7 to 8 o'clock.
Vuleiilino in a professional
iluiiecr from Culifornia. enroiue to
the east. Monduy he instructed
several classes In the women s
physical education department.
Both men ana women are urjm
; to taae auvunLupc oi uu.
I tunlty to learn the popular dance.
unira..c..-.e
Admission of 25 cents each or fit)
i cents a couple will r cnargeu
i students attending the tango
j cIrss. Women should wear full
! skirts and flat-heeled shoes. Miss
Mnni-p emphasized, in order to
i lenru the tlnncc most easily.
1