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THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Thursday, March 27, 1942
EDITORIAL. COMMENT -
Dear Madam Editor:
Mr. Hill's editorial, "Democracy on Campus," is quite commend
able in that it reveals you do have receptive individuals on your staff
who can rise above the general intellectual level of the paper. If the
precedent established by Hill could be maintained, I feel certain that
Ihe student body would more readily support the overburdened staff.
In regard to that editorial, I must say that we assuredly do not
want the administration nor pressure groups to prescribe limits to
what we can lelieve. But the question remains, is the college student
sufficiently matured from the mental and emotional standpoint to
protect himself from evil influences? You and I know that the fresh
man and some upper-classmen (this does not, of course, include the
more mature veterans) are in an extremely docile state. While this
elastic frame of mind persists, it is alarmingly possible that they will
be caught in the wiley snare of seditous organizations.
The purpose of a college education is to equip students for the
essential role of beint useful citizens. Therefore, it is conceivable that
they should be allowed to grow accustomed to the freedom which will
be their responsibility and it is just that when they assume their
respective positions in communities. To prohibit the expression of
dissenting opinions is, indeed, contrary to our democratic principles,
but the doctrines preached by the Reds negate entirely the basis of
our representative government Are we who love our freedom to sit
back and watch it being destroyed under our very eyes by the infiltra
tion of insidious groups hiding radical elements under the front of
"democracy" where they are likely to do the most harm? Not this kid!
I am as much opposed to the suppression of muprities by the
majority as you are, but I don't intend to see the minority suppress
the majority, either, as has happened in the case of Russia and all
the other totalitarian static. Your attitude revealed in the statement
that "In the long run of student affairs, Communist control of A YD
is not important" is particularly obnoxious to me. Would you suggest
that we continue to allow such groups to sow seeds of dissension
among our schools, the bulwark of our future security? God only
knows, wejiave enough of these hotbeds of subversion without per
mitting more to develop for future agitation.
Furthermore, you state the following:
"When college students are given full credit for the intelli
gence and reasoning power that they have, there will be no need
for fear of Red infiltration. Only when this is done can the self
righteous and sanctimonious witch-hunters rest back and be sure
that America's college students are not Communists."
When you say this, you assume that college students have the intelli
gence and reasoning power to withstand the most disintegrating blasts
of clever propaganda machines. You may be right, but, for my own
part, I consider myself fortunate to have escaped their trap for
realize that when I entered college I was defenseless and could have
gone the way of the "left" as easily as the "right". I hope that your
assumption is correct; but, you know, a restless and progressive
group, no matter how insignificant originally, can cover ground by
huge strides when working among an indifferent and comparatively
latent populace which seems to characterize the present state in this
country. We need only witness the growth of the Hitlerites in Ger
many to confirm this. And if our present population is growing
stagnant, think what the future situation will be. I have in mind
the increasing number of children going without the benefit of a high
school education; and, also, those whose chances of obtaining a proper
knowledge of things is slight due to the lack of qualified teachers,
which is a situation that must be improved by ourselves if necessary.
It is not only the plight of the high school children which puts
doubt in my mind, I sometimes wonder if our colleges are turning
out potentially capable and upright citizens. The apparent ignorance
of a number of our Congressmen (some of whom displayed their
colors during the David Lilienthal controversy which almost opened
the way for disaster) would be strong evidence to the support of such
a speculation I presuppose that most of them are college graduates.
The fault lies as much with the students as with the institutions
themselves. The oppressive demands of the professions made upon
their prospective members are forcing the liberal arts courses to the
side lines. In the last analysis, these courses are the ones necessary
to construct an adequate foundation which will hold the individual
securely against the most vicious flood of luring ideologies and save
him from being engulfed in the mire. The courses of history, philos
ophy, English and rhetoric are more essential for the preservation of
the freedom of the people of the United States than all the engineering,
business administration, and agricultural courses thrown together.
The sooner we wake up to this fact the better.
Oh, yes! I'll admit that we need our professions and skilled
craftsmen, but what about our statesmen and public officials? Are
we going to continue to commit our country to the hands of Incom
petents like those who led us into the last two wars and who are as
likely as not to lead us into another which, I hate to think it, will
probably be the end of our beloved country. We will have but one
opportunity to save ourselves and the world. This is it! There is no
time for delay!
I may sound like an alarmist; but, nevertheless, it is true. I am
sure you would not suffer your children to go thru the tortures that
you went thru in World War II if it were in your power to prevent it.
Well, I'm telling you that it is within our power to prevent such a
holocaust; and if we neglect our opportunity, we will be subjecting
our own children to horrors which will far outdo anything seen in
the not so long past war.
It all adds up to the conclusion that nothing will save our country
and our world from utter ruin unless the United States, while still in
its position of power, leads the way to a united world, devoted to
peace and security for alL How are we going to do this when we
indifferently elect such incapable politicians to the most crucial posts?
Not only this, but we tend to say, "Okay, buddy! You've got your
coveted office, now let's see you do something about it": and, as if
bis subseqeunt actions were of no concern to us, we proceed to drop
the matter. How in heaven's name can a democracy which is depend
ent upon the astuteness of its citizens survive in a situation like this?
If we want competent leaders, we must first of all produce them
in our colleges. This is why I sincerely hope that there will be a
decline in the great numbers training for the professions with the
exception of law and teaching because they are being deprived of
the essential preparation required of statesmen and leaders in society.
I, personally, cannot understand the attraction which the engineering
and business administration colleges have for the modern student
unless it could be the money angle or the puerile fear that liberal arts
courses are not considered masculine and might be a source of em
barrassment. What rot! As for going to college to prepare for the
higher income brackets, what will be the advantage in this if, in the
meantime, we allow subversive parties to get control of our govern
ment and deprive us of our earnings for the good of the "state"?
Seems rather ridiculous, doesn't it? But it is worth considering,
believe me.
I would like to make one last comment on the editorial which you
can blame for the spawning of all this profusion; that is, the author
argues from a point which he takes for a fact, but which represents
nothing to me but a haphazard assumption. This assumption that
the people need have no fear of Red infiltration into our colleges
because of the ability of the students to ward it off is obviously
deceiving for the simple reason that if communism can gain such
widespread acceptance among the adult world as France or even this
country to a lesser degree, then, surely, it would find an easy target
in the gullible college student. After all, historical facts wil illustrate
this point. Colleges have always been noted for their wilingness to
take the radical viewpoint, have they not? I don't care if you want
to call me a witch-hunter, a do-gooder, or any other stigma you
can conjure, but I am not in favor of false analyses or their em
ployment in the discussion of serious matters whether by intent or
pure accident.
So let it rest. No, don't let it rest. Do something about it! It's your
country, it's your future; and, if George won't save them, then its
up to you to think they are worth saving.
Emphatically yours,
Robert D. Evans
March 26, 1947
TO THE STUDENT BODY:
In the editorial of the Wednesday, March 26 issue of the DAILY
NEBRASKAN, mention was made of the proposed revision of Article
IV of the Student Council Constitution, the article dealing with elec
tion publicity rules. In the editorial, the statement was made that,
"However, no provision is made in the revised article for any other
kind of publicity,, such as through the Letterip column of the DAILY
NEBRASKAN."
In the light of the above statement, we feel that an explanation
of the constitutional revision regarding election publicity is in order.
The Constitution Revisions Committee of the Student Council,
in their attempt to revise Article IV in the most practical way, con
sidered all possible forms of publicity, and finally arrived at the
revision which has been published.
During the revision process, the Letterip column was discussed
and it was decided that there was no need to mention its use in the
revision. Siice DAILY NEBRASKAN policies are subject each year
to the Publications Board and the NEBRASKAN staff, it was felt
that any rules in the Constitution governing the Letterip column
might easily become useless or outmoded as a result of .wMo
change in DAILY NEBRASKAN policy. In the junior class presi
dent election last semester, the use of the Letterip column for pre
election discussion was upheld by the Judiciary committee and by
the Faculty Senate Committee.
It is assumed that as long as the DAILY NERT?ark-aw
the privilege of a column such as Letterip, the students are free to
use it in tny manner up to the limits imposed by DAILY NEBRAS
KAN policy, and by the discreation of the editor.
THE CONSTITUTION REVISIONS COMMITTEE,
Ned Raun, chairman
Harold Mozer
Sam Warren
Lowe Urges
Greek Relief
Prof. C. G. Lowe of the classics
department advocated relief to
Greece in a talk to the Lincoln
Women's Club this week, but
qualified his comments with a
warning that King George II of
Greece may not be the man to
lead the Greeks to democracy.
Lowe lived in Greece for six
years, and during that time trav
eled extensively in the Near and
Middle East. He interspersed bis
comments on the current Greek
crisis with personal observations
on the country and its peoples.
Lowe said that he favored even
greater aid than that which had
already been given by the
UNRRA, but that such aid should
be in the main in the form of
food supplies.
"We must consider how much
support we are going to give to
King George," Professor Lowe
warned. His past is too closely al
lied with the "fascist regime" of
Premier Metaxas. former Greek
dictator.
Che win9
the
Rag
By Don and Hal.
Hello! Today starts a series of,
shall we say, bull sessions, in
which you, kind readers, are
given the opportunity to express
your opinions on the various
questions that we will present.
The opinions can be good or bad,
but we want to know what you
think and why. The topics will
be about everything that our fer
tile brains can think of; local and
national problems included. So
if we trip you as you're running to
your eight o'clock, H will be be
cause we want your opinion for
the column. If we don't get to
you, and you have something to
say, write in and tell us about it.
W feel that the way to de
scribe "Chewin' the Rag" is to
say, as the fellow on "Hobby
Lobby" says, "It's for you, ladies
and gentlemen, it's for you."
With baseball and outdoor
track events in the offing, mur
murs have been heard in various
circles to the effect that our
school spirit is not as good as it
should be. Your boys. Don and
Hal, have asked around, and here
are some of the responses that
we received.
BERNIE MASTERSON said. "I
think we could have more. It's
not so good it couldn't be better."
When asked what she thought.
NANCY LOWRY replied. "I
think there could be more school
spirit in supporting the various
school dances." (Miss Lowry sold
"Prom" tickets, poor kid.)
MIKE DIBIASE had this to say:
"When we win, they're with us.
When we lose, they aren't. The
first half of the Missouri game
showed that." (Words of wis
dom, Mike.)
During the course of our jour
neys, we happened to stop in at
that well known place around
town, the Bon Ton parlor. They
said, "The kids are always full of
spirits when they leave here."
(School spirit, that is. Pay at
tention, son!)
Group
(Continued from Page 1.)
moral value rather than constitu
tionality. Fred Teller, senior coun
cil member, voiced hearty agree
ment with this statement. Run-
din said that "the council started
a campaign to clean up politics on
campus but the faction never
pulled any fishier deals than
this." As a member of the faction
"way back when." Rundin hu
morously congratulated Zimmer
man on his political astuteness.
Helen Laird, cduncil president.
called the meeting back to order
after Rundin s remarks.
Final decision of the council
was interpreted as partial vindi
cation of the Cornhusker party
and official OK on the party's
methods despite the planned let
ter to The Daily Nebraskan.
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
All students interested in the
German language are cordially
Invited to attend an informal
gathering at 3 p. m. today
in room 313 of the Union. Prof.
J. E. A. Alexis will speak
briefly, and skits and song
singing will complete the program.
Jul (Daily TkbhaAkatL
Member
Intercollegiate Press
roKTt-nrra rax
Subscription rata are SI -BO per Nmnttr, $2.00 per Mtntwi mansa, ec
12.00 for th college year. S1-00 malted. Slngla copy to. Published dally during
tbo school year except Monday and Saturday, vacation and examination
periods, by the students ef the University of Nebraska under the supervision
f the Publication Board. Entered aa Second Class Matter at the Post Office
an Lincoln, Nebraska, under Act ef Congress, March S, 1870, and at special
rata ef postage provided for ka section U0S. set of October a, 1917. outhorteed
tsptjsmber SO, 122.
EDITORIAL STAFF
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