Sunday, February 11, 1940
Editorial Opinion
Comment
Bulletin
J
The DAILY NEBRASKAN
i Daily IVebmskan
0fo Hfwvapm Of ort Than 7000 SWenta
THIRTY-NINTH YEAR
Day-
Offices Union Building
-2-7181. Night 2-7193. Journal 2-3333
Member Associated Collegiate Press, 1939-40
Member Nebraska Press Association, 1939-40
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Published Daily during the school year except Mondays
and Saturdays, vacations, and examination periods by stu
dents of the University of Nebraska, under supervision of
the Publications Board.
Subscription Rates are T1..00 Per Semester or $1.50 for
the College Year. $2.50 Mailed. Single copy, 5 Cents. En
tered as second-class matter at the postoffice In Lincoln,
Nebraska, under Act of Congress, March 3, 1879, and at
special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act
of October 3, 1917, Authorized January 20, 1922.
Editor-in-Chief
Business Manager.
.Richard de Brown
, Arthur Hill
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Managing Editors Clyde Martz, Norman Hjrrls
News Editors Chris Petersen, Lucile Thomas, Haul
Svoboda, Mary Kerrigan, Morton Margolin
Sports Editor June Bierbower
Society Editor Mary Ann Cockle
BUSINESS DEPA RTMENT
Assistant Business Managers. .. .Burton Thiel, Ed Segrbt
Circulation Manager Lowell Michael
ALL DAILY unsigned editorials are the opinion of the
editors. Their view or opinions In no way reflect the atti
tude of the administration of the nnlvcrsity.
dilorially SpeaL
oeamnt
THE STATE OF DEBATE
(or)
MEN WITHOUT WOMEN
Have you ever been to a debate featuring a
University of Nebraska debate team?
The odds are quite tremendous that you
haven't, because it is an oft-proven fact that extra-university
audiences show much more interest
in Nebraska debaters than do the students whose
school they represent. Declining appropriations
have hit debating a staggering blow the past two
years, but still the men who participate in this
activity carry out an entertaining argumentative
program on topics of contemporary interest.
Debating is a reciprocal business whereby
school "A" will not visit school "B" for a contest
unless school "A" will return the visit. Conse
quently the university debating schedule is shor
tened considerably by limited funds since Nebras
ka cannot afford to send teams on many trips.
What can be done on a larger budget was demon
strated by the appearance here in January of a
team from the Universtiy of California. These
men made a cross-country tour on money brought
In from participation in a student activity ticket.
If a similar ticket were adopted at Nebraska, it
is estimated that debaters here could carry out
a greatly expanded program If they received only
15 cents per year from each student registration.
At present the activity Is supported by approp
riation from the general university fund, and at
one time it received financial assistance from the
student activities office.
An interesting result of the restrictions en
forced on N. U. debating from lack of funds Is a
complete monopoly in the activity by men students.
Although women frequently are promiment In high
school debating (and often are remarked for their
argumentative powers), there is not a single woman
debater on the squad here. Reason is that it is
more expensive to send feminine teams on tour
since it is not "proper" for them to travel aa
cheaply as can men. Another reason is that altho
ccaslonally a woman will have to be discouraged
om trying out, generally they do not exhibit suf
nt interest In the activity to warrant a femin
team. (Mixed teams are not practical for the
jame reason of Increased expenses for traveling and
flual chaperonage.)
Dream of the debate department, of course,
Is an adequate budget and properly fitted-out
quarters in some possible campus building of the
future. Such a combination In itself should have
a very definite effect in reviving general interest
In the activity. Meanwhile the department per
forms only before "guaranteed" audiences, such
as classes and meetings of downtown clubs.
If students could be counted on to furnish
an adequate audience, a debate with a visiting
school might be arranged at the Union. This
Tuesday a Nebraska team will meet a Kansas
Westeyan team on the subject of United States
Isolation. Such a topic should interest every stu
dent. The meeting will take place at 3 o'clock
In Room 106 of University Hall where there will
be room to accommodate any persons who care
to drop In. The audience will be Invited to enter
its individual opinions in the argumentative fray,
and all In all the meet should prove entertaining
for anyone interested enough to attend. If some
general sudent turnout Is observable, an appear
ance probably will be scheduled later at the
Union. The DAILY joins with the debate depart
ment In Inviting Its readers to look In on the ac
tivities of Nebraska's debaters.
THE PRESIDENT TAKES
AN INTEREST IN YOUTH
The president of the United States did an ad
mirable thing when he addressed the American
Youth Congress in Washington yesterday. That
statement can stand regardless of one's political
feelings, of how one views the activities of youth
organization.
Named by the Dies committee as one of many
U. S. groups tainted with communistic leanings,
the American Youth Congress finds any other mo
tives it may have for Its existence blighted by the
general public disfavor which has fallen on all left
ist groups since the Russian invasion of Finland.
Mrs. Roosevelt has defended the Congress from
these critical atacks, but yesterday the president
came forward and really tried to straighten out
the group. In a clear-cut speech, the chief execu
tive branded the soviet union as the aggressor in
the Finnish war and proclaimed the United States
as 98 per cent sympathetic frith the litle Baltic
democracy. He told the youths gathered outside
the white house that they had the right to call
themselves communists, but warned that "you have
no American right, by act or deed of. any kind,
to subvert the government and the constitution of
this nation."
In referring to the recent opposition by the
congress to American loans to Finland, President
Roosevelt said, "While I have not the slightest "ob
jection in the world to the passing of futile reso
lutions by conventions, I do thnik there is room
for improvement in common sense thinking and
definite room for improvement in the art of not
passing resolutions concerning things one knows
very litle about."
There was no particular reason why the
president of the United States should have ad
dressed this youth group. He might have dis
missed its thoughtless activities without official
comment. But instead he gave these young peo
ple an honest talk like an interested elder to a
rambunctious child and he gave them some good
common sense advice. He saw the wisdom of
recognizing organized youth and of trying to steer
them out of dangerous channels. His talk was re
ceived with applause and cheers by his audience,
which is encouraging. Now the congress best
can show both its wisdom and appreciation by
following the advice which he so generously gave
it. If a kind of pink leftism ever was considered
smart among young people, in view of world
developments, it certainly no longer Is and the
sooner this particular representative of youth
realizes that, the sooner they may accomplish
some constructive good in a seemingly very bad
world.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OFFICIAL BULLETIN
This bulletin Is for the us of campus organizations, students and fac
ulty members. Announcements of meetings or other notices for the bulletin
may be submitted at the NEBRASKAN office by 5 p. m. the day before pub
lication or at the registrar's office by 4 p. m. on week-days and 11 a. m.
on Saturday. Notices must be typed or legibly written and signed by some
one with the authority to have the notice published. The bulletin will ap.
pear daily, except Monday and Saturday, on page two of the NEBRASKAN.
PHILHARMONIC.
Robert Vlruvai, noted young- violinist,
wUI.be featured wHh the New Ysrk Phil
harmonic broadcast presented la Parlor X
f the Uatoa today at Z m.
GAMMA LAMBDA.
Gamma Lambda will bold a special
meeting fct room 209 of the L'alon to
morrow. Party piaas will be dlsenssed.
REQ17K8T PROGRAM.
Aa all request program will be played
tomorrow at 4 p. m. la the faealtv lounge
of the t'nion. The program will be payed
oa the Carnegie aet.
HARMONY HOUR.
Next la the aeries of harmony boars,
sponsored by Sinfonla, wlU be gtvea Tues
day at 4 p. m.
PHARMACEUTICAL CLUB.
Annas! election of off leers of the Fhar
maeeaUeal erab will be bed Taesday at
7:3d a. in. fas the faealty loeuge.
LUTHERAN STUDENTS.
Lathe ran atadents will meet this eve
ning at Frledens' Lalheran ehareh. The
fellowship tanea begins at :SO p. m. De
votions will start at 1 p. m. Rev. Henry
Monnlch, 8ehyler, will speak. Cars will
provide transportation from Uie Ualoa at
:.
VARSITY DAIRY CLUB.
Next monthly meeting of the dairy elub
will be held Tnewdav at 7:15 p. m. in the
dairy building. Dr. Gravers K. L. liader
bjerg will speak.
Condra advises permanent
plans for forestry stations
Permanent plalna forestry ex
periment stations and intensifica
tion of the great plains forestry
program were advocated by Dean
G. E. Condra of conservation and
survey division, M. B. Jenkins, in
charge of forestry research, and
W. H. Brokaw, director of agri
cultural extension at a recent joint
meeting of the great plains for
estry committee and a congres
sional committee on forestry held
at Madison, Wis.
Karl Stefan, congressman re
ported the plan favorably to the
house of representatives ,a n d
called attention to the success of
the shelterbelts that have been
planted.
Dr. Condra and Jenkins pointed
out in their reports that grain has
been saved from hot winds, and
new hope has been given to farm
ers thru the program. Wildlife also
multiplies with rapidity under the
new shelter, the men repdrted.
In order to develop the most
efficient forestation program for
the plains, however, the committee
saw urgent need for forestry ex
periment stations thruout the re
gion. To make these successful,
the government should assist in
establishing stations, the commit
tee believes.
Davis, Loos, Mahnkcn)?
FRANK'S PROPAGANDA.
News reaches us from time to time concerning
German rule in Poland and Czechoslovakia. Hans
Frank, governor general of German-occupied To
lond declares that never before has Poland been
ruled with aa much consideration for the social
and material welfare of the Polish people. Frank
declared that Germany saved Poland from bank
ruptcy and created there a region of "economic
sovereignty." He added that there 1b no hunger
or rationing of food In Poland. There is probably
so little food available to the Poles that Germany
doesn't even bother to ration it.
There is not a single concentration camp in
Toland, asserts Frank, but any movement which
would weaken the German administration or give
German enemies in the east a chance to strike at
the Reich is sternly smashed. This latter state
ment Indicates that more summary measures than
concentration camps are beingn used to crush op
position to the Reich in Poland and that perhaps
Germany Isn't confident of the professed friendli
ness of some of her neighbors in the east.
Neither in Czechoslovakia are there any con
centration camps declare the Germans. Here Czech
opposition to nazl rule is suppressed by placing
leading Czech personalities in "protect! v a custody,"
the conditions of said custody not being stated. We
think we would prefer the concentration camps;
this all sounds very militaristic.
The fact that little or no news of anti-German
activities in Austria reaches us indicates that Aus
trians are quite sympathetic to German policies and
programs and that Austria la a proper part of the
German empire.
Gettmann
(Continued from Page 1.)
from drowning, hit a tennis ball
within 30 degrees of where he
wants it, and not exactly fall off
a horse." Once he caught his limit
of trout in Oregon. He can chop
a tree, start a fire in the rain, but
insists he has no practiced skills.
He thinks education should in
volve a mastery of things, people,
ideas.
"The ordinary man with a fam
ily," he says, "should know the
difference between a lawnmower,
a thermostat, and a flatboat. He
should try to get along with peo
ple somehow. The last sounds silly
but there is a need for this. Crit
ics laughed that awful Dale Car
negie out of court but the fact
that hundreds of thousands bought
his book shows there is a desire,
a hunger to get along with peo
ple." Stop squawking!
"If people, instead of squawking
about the number of refugees
pouring into this country, would
only check statistics and find out
how many there are; if, instead
of raving about the unconstitu
tionality of Mr. Hull's reciprocal
trade treaties, they would only
look at the four or five times the
supreme court has approved such
a treaty; if the ordinary person
would have a more general re
spect for facts, we'd have saner
thinking. College is doing these
things whether we do them in
the best way, I don't know."
Do students think for them
selves? "Yes," Gettmann says,
"I've seen them do it." He cited
several cases of students digging
up facts, reading books for them
selves after he had introduced a
new subject to them. "They are
more intellectual than we ordina
rily think."
On the question of science ver
sus . the humanities, he doesn't
want to "make us appear steam
rollered." Still, he recalls Ger
many's emphasis on science, re
marks: "When you compare
Thomas Huxley's optimism about
what science would do with pres
ent day Germany it makes you
pause and reflect."
Favorite: "Vanity Fair"
His favorite book? 'Vanity
Fair." What's the greatest piece
of literature? Too big a question.
What is literature, anyway? That
sets him puzzling.
"There's a kind of borderline
between literature and ordinary
writing. Some things are unques
tionably literature, others as
surely not. Between you have
writers like W. Somerset Maugh
am, J. P. Marquand, John Dos
Passos. One way we can judge
their worth is by their motives and
attitudes toward life."
"But you can't pin a writer like
Maugham down because he doesn't J
state an attitude. Still if you'd slip
a page from Maugham, or Dos
Passos, and hand it in as English
composition, some depth might be
found there. Just where the bor
derline is, I don't know."
No cultural veneer.
Pointing out . the value of an
English major, he makes clear
that it should not be a cultural
veneer nor a mere finding of facts
but should induce wider sympath
ies. "It helps one to understand
hopes and fears, limitations, and
pettiness of others. It lubricates
life. I try to keep a literature
course from being history, social
problems, or bibliography. It is re
lated to these things but is no one
of them."
He calls newspaper work good
training for literary writing,
points out that Dickens and Mere
dith were as good reporters as
they were novelists.
Besides his Turgenev book,
which is a criticism, of the English
novel since 1860, arrived at by
tracing ingusii ana American i-
it. . A I . 1 n 1 Va Im
iiiuuca luwaiu tin; ivuiau,
always "tinkering with other
Ideas," has his desk piled with
books and papers.
I
WIT A FREE TICKET
to the
K1TER-FRATERNITY BALL?
All you have to do is check out
' 10 tickets from John K. Selleck's
office in the Coliseum, sell them,
md you'll dance free ta the
" music of
PINKY TOM LIN and his ORCHESTRA