I ftwiday, December 10, 1939
I 5
The DAILY NEBRASKAN
radl onnaEies mews
Idea calls for
advisory body
capital
in
Dean Kerl believes he
has solution to youth
representation problem
By Chris Peterson.
Must the youth of this country
have an active voice in its govern
ment? Does youth already have ade
quate representation thru their
elders ?
Can men above 40 years compre
hend and act accordingly to those
things which are of most impor
tance to youth?
Could youth hold responsible leg
islative positions?
During this age of so-called
"youth movements," in which
we hear the constant cry from
plan as though he was a medium,
up to 30 years of age, comes
Dean Kerl, just graduated from
the university with his plan for
a youth or junior congress.
Presented in TIME.
In a recent issue of TIME maga
zine, Kerl presented to the youth
of this country a plan whereby
they would take an active part in
the legislative proceedures of the
United States.
Crying that the youth of Amer
ica do not have a voice in their
government, his plans call for:
A youth congress, comparable
to the senate, which would sit in
Washington during each legisla
tive session act as an advisory
or pressure group to the con
gress of the United States re
flect the ideas and opinions of
the youth of America.
Flood of letters.
Within a week after the con
t?mplatcd project had been pre
sented thru the magazine, young
Kerl, now casting his lot with an
insurance company in Lincoln,
found his mails being flooded with
letters from young men and worn
fll Over the country. TIME, it
self, was swamped with inquiries
wanting to know more about the
plan, how they could get in touch
with its founder, what were its
chances of becomming an actual
itv. Letters to Kerl wanted to
know more of the project, made
suggestions, and offered aid in set
ting up the idea. It was a good in
dication that the youth of the
country was interested.
Sitting with his feet propped up
on the desk, Kerl described the
plan as though he was a mediator,
peering into another realm and
then telling what he saw there.
48 man congress
The youth or junior congress
would be made up of 48 members
representing the youth (those be
tween the ages of 21 and 30) of
48 states at the nation's capital
during those times when the con
gress of the United States is in
session.
The members, under Kerfs plan,
would be elected every four years
n a ballot which would be voted
by men and women the country
over, between the ages of 21 and
30. Each state would select its
"junior senator" as the members
of the senate are now elected.
Purpose is advisory
Their purpose would be purely
JiCvisory. They would consider
legislation as it is being con
sidered in the house and the
senate, come to a decision either
pro or con on what should be
done, and then hand that decision
to both legislative bodies as that
typical of the youth of the coun
try, in short, they would suppie
ment particular legislation in re
gard to foreign and interior poli
cies.
Immediately after the plan was
presented, the controversy began
to rage. Some contended that there
was no need for such a plan and
that Kerl was a typical fanatic
Others agreed, claimed they would
do everything they could to help
him, and that if this country had
any one need, it was youth repre
mentation.
Author agrees
Perhaps most forceful of the
arguments in favor of the plan
was that of Gouverneur Morris,
well known author and no young-
mr himself. A fiery writer, Mor
ris poured his best into a letter
to Kerl and TIME, advocating
the plan. Decrying the belief that
youth would not be crpablc in a
responsible legislative office and
that men of years should hold
these offices, he wrote:
'Napoleon, Alexander the Great,
v; ww V i n.j
"m II b line
Pitt innumerable others touched
the high places when they were
much too young according to our
constitution, which is soft in
places, to become presidents of
the United States. At 32, Alex
ander Hamilton became the first
and greatest of all secretaries of
the treasury but was, of course,
much too young and inexperienced
to have been president.
Young fools better
"In this country, men from 40
to 60, having failed at every
venture, worm, shout and lie
their way into congress. Once
there they will stop at no lie,
slander, or debt wished upon
posterity, if they think it will
keep them there. Members of the
congress, of course, should not be
allowed to serve successive
terms. Youth should not ask, for
representation. Youth should
take it and plenty of it. A young
fool is better than an old fool . ."
Professors disagree.
Meanwhile, professors of polit
ical science on the campus dis
agreed with the plan. Prof. L. W.
Lancaster, head of the department
said, "I do not think that Euro
pean experience with youth move
ments gives us any reason to
think it wise to subsidize one
here."
From Prof. David Fellman,
"The great necessity of a democ
racy, and its greatest virtue, per
haps, is that it emphasizes the
importance of the general Inter
ests of the community. It seeks
to minimize our differences, and
the conflict of special interests, by
insisting upon finding out what
we have in common, as neighbors,
friends, and citizens.
"What concerns me about the
plan is that it would have a fis
siparous tendency, the same sort
of thing we dislike in efforts to
set one class against another.
Furthermore, it Is a mistake to
think that the governme-t, as it
is constituted In a democratic
country, is not interested in the
youth of the land, or that men
past thirty are not concerned
with men under thirty. But the
government is also concerned
with the problems of the nation
as a whole, of which the youth
. ; . '
Unooin Journal and Star.
HAROLD W. STOKE
... Is there a need 7
it 1
with yuihcm
Does youth need o voice here?
-ft I, ,1.. i
i i m'u ' is J.
COMMENTS
Law student: "I think it is
something that is now missing
in our government. Youth, with
all of its vigor is ambitious and
desirous of getting ahead. They
would not be a liability but
rather an asset to congress."
Arts and Sciences student:
"Good for Dean Kerl. He has
a good idea. If the plan goes
through, I'll vote for him as our
state senator."
Engineering student: "Things
are running along all right the
way it is. These reformers are
always trying to change some
thing that doesn't need chang
ing." Biz Ad student: "Whether
such a plan is practical I can
not say. However, I do believe
that it will give the youth a
feeling that they have some
thing to say about what will
happen to them. That is enough
justification for such a plan."
problem is only one, the solution
of which must be considered in
terms of our total situation."
Stoke questions need.
Dean Harold W. Stoke of the
graduate college and professor of
political science first questioned
Lincoln Journal and Star.
l W. LANCASTER
. . . Didn't work in Europe
Not communistic
The youth congress plan as pre
sented by Dean Kerl is not to be
confused with the Youth Congress
mentioned recently as having com
munistic tendencies, by Major
Hampton Wilson before the Dies
Committee.
The Youth Congress mentioned
by the Dies committee Investigator
ia a full organization which deals
with peace organization and youth
desires over the country. They
have chapters or units over
U. S. with the organization head
in the east.
Kerl's youth congress Is merely
a plan or idea centering around
the establishing of an advisory or
pressure group to reflect the ideas
of the youth in Washington legislation.
A'"'- '"'X
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a )w.f.-.---..,imww
" S 5..1J MM
d
Lincoln Journul and Star.
the need of youth representation
He then said, "Youth as youth is
now being so well served in this
country that it does not need spe
cial representation."
But about Kerl. In his own
words: "Not a communist, anar
chist, or fanatic. Just a biz ad
graduate who sells enough insur
ance to live comfortably or oth
erwise, who has enough time to
contemplate such problems, and
who thinks youth has a case."
Idea just came.
The idea. It just came. No
particular origin.
He numbers among his extra
curricular activities a "lady
friend" and smoking a pipe. Says
that now one will have to give way
to writing answers to letters.
Probably be the pipe.
Such an innovation into our
political system would necessarily
come through the United States
congress. It would be their job
to enact legislation which would
set up the youth congress and to
appropriate money at each session
to provide for its continuation. The
question naturally arises, "Would
congress be willing to enact legis
lation and grant money for its ex
istence knowing that they are
creating and supporting another
pressure group?
A democratic country.
When the question was put to
Kerl, he smiled and queried back
"Isn't this a democratic country?
Could congress keep from creating
and supporting such a group if
public opinion warranted it? An
swer these questions and your
original question is answered."
Time will tell.
Meantime, letters pour In, some
of them asking for positions as
organizers, others offering finan
cial aid, still others asking for jobs
as publicity agents. Kerl, spend
ing his spare time, attempts to
answer letters and shape his plan
further. TIME, saying that it's
work is done now that it has
brought the plan to the attention
of the general public, sets back
and waits for developments which
may be revolutionary. Just what
will come out of it To use a time
honored axiom, 'Time will tell."
J
i
V
1.. k:.
-Lincoln Journal and Star,
DAVID FELLMAN
. Fissiparous tendency
gress plain
Arndt says
war money
easy to get
"The ministers of finance have
the easiest jobs in running a war'
states Karl Arndt of the economic
department, analysing th methods
thru which supposedly bankrupt
nations are able to rais money
enough to start and maintain mil
itary operations.
Concerning himself with the
general question of "how to fi
nance a war," the head of the uni
versity's convocation committee
pointed out that a nation cannot
increase its total output of goods
much more rapidly than one or
two percent but thru financial
'trickery" succeeds in taking a
large share of needed goods from
the people.
'There Is nothing easier than
raising funds if you have a gov
ernment," the economist explained
and proceeded to outline five
methods or techniques which gov
ernments have employed to secure
war materials.
Ways to do it.
The first method of raising
funds is that of taxation, and the
second thru "nice" government
bonds. Arndt explained that gov
ernments which make use of this
latter procedure content the peo
ple by assuring them that tne
money they give up for the bonds
will be returned to them later as a
result of the gains from the war.
"Altho these bonds resemble the
securities of private companies
they are essentially unsound," he
added, "for they do not represent
an investment in productive ca
pacity." Technique number tnree is ap
parently a method of painless fi
nance. Citizens of a country are
told that the government is not
going to take any of their income
or savings. Then the government
manufactures paper money, infla
tion results, prices go up (three
billion percent in Germany during
the last war) and the public can
buy only a fraction of what it
formerly could with the same in
come. The government buys with
its newly manufactured money,
the fraction which the public fails
to receive.
Have trump cards.
But should the long-suffering
public awake to the meaning of
this form of "trickery," the econ
omist continued, the government
merely switches to a fourth prac
tice which in its early stage re
sembles that of selling bond3. This
time bonds are sold to the com
mercial banks. The banks buy the
bonds and credit the government's
account, after which the govern
ment writes checks to pay for its
purchases.
At present Germany is using
the fifth and newest method. This
method, Arnt explained, is "ideal
ly adapted to a dictatorship." It
may be described as compulsory
saving. The government pegs
prices and regulates the amount
which the public may purchase.
Bizad group
to initiate 8
Beta Gamma Sigma
holds dinner Tuesday
Nebraska chapter of Beta
Gamma Sigma, honorary business
administration fraternity, will ini
tiate eight newly elected seniors
into its ranks at a dinner program
Tuesday evening in the Student
Union.
Ceremonies will be held at 5:30
p. m. and the dinner will follow.
New members of the honorary
are Beatrice Andrews, Alexander
Damm, Mary Louise Spcidell, and
Arthur Hill, all of Lincoln; Syl
vester Wright, of Silver Creek;
Kenneth Worland, of Kearney; R.
Lloyd Jeffrey, Allen, and Neil
Hadsell, of Table Rock.
Dean J. E. LeRossignol will be
toastmaster at the dinner; Earl
Constable of Wymore, biz ad
graduate student, will preside, and
Dr. Nels A. Bengtson, chairman
of the geography department, will
speak on "The Economio Signifi
cance of the Venezuelan Oil In
dustry in the Present Crisis."
Study curricula problems
Miss Clara Wilson, chairman of
the department of elementary edu
cation, spent Tuesday in York con
ferring with teachers on problems
of the elementary curricula.