Daily Nebraskae
VOL. XVI. N6. 112.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, LINCOLN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1917.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
FTP
DEAN SHERMAN
ONJNDU EPIC
FIRST OF SERIES OF EPIC LEC
TURES AT CONVOCATION
,ndian Form I. "Big" Rther Than
Great-Is Marked, However, by
Some Fine Passages
'The characteristic feature of Hindu
epic poetry is its bigness, rather than
its greatness." Dean L. A. Sherman of
the graduate college, head of the de
partment of English literature, said
yesterday morning at Convocation In
Memorial hall.
"The epics of the Sanskrit era are
composed under two heads or titles,
the Mahbharata and the Ramayama.
The former is a miscellaneous collec
tion of poems, legendary and didactic
around a central heroic narration. It
comprises some eighteen books with
t supplement, amounting to eight
times the proportion of the Iliad and
the Odessey combined. Its reputed
author is Vyasa, but as this word
means 'arranger, it is probable that
we have only the editor or compiler
of the original parts," Dean Sherman
said.
The Epic Defined
"An epic poem Is designed to formu
late the deeds of a hero," he ex
plained. "The epic is not analytic,
bat celebrative. It is told with en
thusiasm. It must have a select,
veritable theme it should be heroism
of active as well as passive merit
Such a theme should be treated, not
mockingly nor satirically, but with
plain sincerity, aid. with personal,
not merely literary enthusiasm. The
treatment should have poetic form, it
certainly cannot appear approvably in
the lhape of prose, though the prose
novel is its lineal descendant."
The Mahabharata does not measure
up to these requirements. Dean Sher
man stated. "It lacks the subject mat
ter requirement, for neither of its two
leading characters are exceptional
men. They could be rivalled by
princes from any neighboring king
dom, nor does the poet claim for either
of them any such achieveme.nts."
"And so we have," he continued,
"according to the features that we
have recognized as vital, no true epics
here. There is no theme to be cele
brated, there is no moral heroic great
ness, there are no feats. We finj our
selves fate to fao with a poem of
intrinsic pretensions not superior
indeed by no means equal to the
campaign of Addison, not equal to
Addison's campaign in dignity or se
lections of theme, not equal in the
exploits of heroic strength, not equal
in respect to the poet's mind, how
then worthy of the admiration of na
tive 'prendits,' or of occasional
scholars? The answer is one hard for
people of our culture to understand,
much less appreciate, it is because of
(Continued to Page Four)
WILL SELECT
AN HONOR BOLL
Coachea and Officials of Basketball
Tournament to Make Out Lit
of High School Stars
An honor roll of the 1917 state inter
cholastic basketball tournament,
hich win bear the names of the star
Players of the state is in the process
of selection by the coaches, managers,
and officials of the tournament. Uni
versity men acting as officials are hav
ing an important part la the work.
When completed, the honor roll will
be Published in The Nebraskan and
J ot th daily papers of the state.
The plan of choosing the list by the
consensus cf opinion of so large a
oop of men who have watched the
individual work, is thought to be the
ttost impartial and accurate method
6ivlng fitting recognition to the high
? , 1 tten bo performed with espe
cw Unction last week.
FLUTE RECITAL
TOMORROW AT
CONVOCATION
Rex Elton Fair, instructor at the
University school of music, will gire
a flute recital at Convocation tomor
row morning at 11 o'clock, at the
Temple theatre. Ernest Harrison will
accompany him.
The program follows:
Am Waldesfcach, Paul Wetzger.
Serenade Russe, W. Popp.
Orange Blossoms, concert valse, A.
Brooke.
Concerto aperto.
Andante ma mon troppoi
Allegro.
SENIORS TO GIVE
"WITCHING HOUR"
CLASS VOTES AGAINST PRELIMIN
ARY TICKET ASSESSMENT
Meeting is Warm and Discussion Long
May 18 is the Date
Set
After a long and warm discussion,
members of the senior class, meeting
In Law 101 at 11:30 yesterday morn
ing voted against the proposed plan
ot assessing each member ot the class
before a production, was attempted,
and decided to put on the play, "The
Witching Hour," on its "own hook,"
and to pay for whatever deficit there
might be from it. and raise money for
the class gift, by a subsequent assess
ment. The final decision of the class came
after a motion had earlier been made
o abolish the senior play altogether.
This movement met strenuous opposi
tion and was defeated when it was
pointed out that if the abolishment of
the play should establish a precedent,
it might not be on the whole a highly
desirable one, and that there was
danger of it being a matter of leaving
the present senior class to go down in
history without a play.
"The Witching Hour"
After the defeat of this motion, the
class proceeded to defeat the plan for
a preliminary assessment, after which
the members got together and finally
decided, with considerable enthusiasm,
to put on the less expensive play, "The
Witching Hour," and to make what
ever assessment is necessary after
wards. The play committee did not
feel able to attempt the costume play,
"If I Were King," without a guarantee
from the class in the form of an as
sessment before It was produced .
A good deal of satisfaction was ex
pressed yesterday afternoon upon the
final decision of the class in regard
to the play, it being the prevailing
opinion that the less pretentious pro
duction would allow a stronger cast
and get a better reception than with
the first proposed. "The Witching
Hour" has enjoyed a remarkable run
on the professional boards, and bas
been very popular as a college produc
tion where they have been fortunate
enough to secure it.
The date for the play bas been 6et
for May 18, and it will be given In the
Oliver theatre.
MARY E AS THAU IS
SOPH. VICE PRESIDENT
Second Year Class Elects Minor Of
ficera Dobson, Bryans and Ma
loney Others Named.
Mary Eastham of Lincoln, was
elected vice president of the sopho
more class for the second semester at
the meeting of the class in Law 101
at 11 o'clock yesterday morning. Other
officers selected were Paul Dobson.
Ulysses, secretary; Wilson D. Bryans,
Omaha, treasurer; James Maloney.
Lexington, sergeant-at-arms. Presi
dent Johnson presided and Chester
Barnes acted as temporary secretary.
A short business meeting followed.
Illya Tolstoi Drinks
Discusses
Says America Growing Money
Mad Women Have Too Much
Power American Newspaper
Men Generally Foolish
A tew minutes after his arrival in
Lincoln Tuesday evening, Count Illya
Tolstoi genially received a reporter
for The Daily Nebraskan as he made
tea on a burner in bis room at the
Lindell hotel, smoked the mellow
cigarettes of his native land, and ob
tained his first impressions of Lin
coln. "Sit down. I am very glad to see
you indeed." said Count Tolstoi in al
most perfect English.
"I am here because it is my duty
to speak of the life and teachings of
my father. I believe that the greatest
monument which can be erected to
his memory is an institute to care for
thinkers and writers of all the na
tions. Not only Russia but the world
needed my father. He found the an
swers to all his questions in the teach
ings of Christ. He came to know the
God of the peasantry."
Reclining comfortably in his rocking
chair,, at times growing emphatic,
then relaxing and laughing, Tolstoi
expressed the following opinions:
America Money Mad?
America is growing money mad; it
is a young nation which later will
come to think more of the greater
things.
Wpmen have too much power in
America; not enough in Russia. But
their gaining of power will abolish
war and that fact will compensate for
any harm they may do.
SPOKE ON TOLERATION
AT VESPERS YESTERDAY
Prof. Laura Pfeiffer Traced History of
Religious Enlightenment The
Modern Conception
"Life Is at the bottom and essential
ly a spiritual thing." Prof. Laura
Pfeiffer of the department of Euro
pean history, declared in her talk on
the "Historical Development of Re
ligious Toleration" at Vespers yester
day. Rose Andorson. '17, presided at
the meeting and Marguerite Munson,
'20, sang.
History shows that religions are a
good deal a matter of race. In the
time of the reformation it was mostly
the Northerners who became Protes
tants. The Italians remained Catho
lic, as they wtre a people who wanted
an authority such as the Pope. The
Protestants substituted the Bible for
the Pope. Religion is one's relation
to God. while the creeds are only the
medium.
It is sometimes good to make a
change. We are growing to value life
more and must constantly develop
the spiritual side. The twentieth cen
tury conception is service to our fel
low men.
Jean Snowden of Omaha and
Charles Gillilan. of Hardy, were guests
at the Delta Tau Dlta house Sunday.
Junior Play Committee Refuses
"Gomps" for "Green Stockings
The junior play committee, meeting
vesterdav. decided that it would not
j accept complimentary tickets for
"Green Stockings " oi mai mo "
mittee doesn't want to see the play
rather that it thinks the production in
the Temple on the evening of March
23 is going to be so good that the
committee U perfectly willing to pay
its way in, like the ordinary mortals.
The committee decided that the
Juniors, In voting to give their play
at the Temple, bad started something
worth while, and that the play should
be distinctive because of that. So the
committee intends to devote whatever
Tea And
Life With Reporter
Russian wage earners make ten
times as much money as before the
war.
Before the' war the nations of Eu
rope were decaying in morals, litera
ture, music and art This, In part,
caused the war.
Rabindranath Tagore is wonderful,
the most Interesting man in the worl
today. (Count Tolstoi translated
Tagore's ooems from the English into
Russian.)
American newspaper men generally
are foolish. They ask a newcomer
what he thinks about America, the
war and the city he is in; even it
he has not had time to form opinions
America says Russia is narrow in
her treatment of classes; America
treats negroes as bad as Russians
treat" dogs; will not admit Chinese,
but Russia has many Chinese sub
jects.
Tolstoi said that the reporter for
The Nebraskan seemed to ask serious
questions, in contrast to the general
custom of American reporters. He
paid, tribute to the Russian writer,
Turgeney, declaring that Leo Tolstoi
said of Turgeney: "If I could write
as he can of love, I should know no
equal."
"I'm very glad you came to see me.
I shall hope to visit the University of
Nebraska tomorrow," said Tolstoi as
midnight neared, referring to the tea
to be given by the Dramatic club in his
honor this afternoon. He bowed out
the reporter In the best of spirits. He
is about fifty years old; he never at
tended a university, but speaks
French, Russian, German and English
with fluency.
HUGO FLYNN HURT
IN CHEM. EXPLOSION
Eye Dangerously Injured by Flying
Fragment of Flask in Laboratory
Yesterday
Explosion of a hydrogen generator
in chemistry laboratory Tuesday
dangerously injured one ot the eyes
of Hugo Flynn, '19, a member of the
Cornhusker basketball squad. Follow
ing the explosion, he was placed in
charge of Dr. W. L. Dayton.
The chemistry department issued
the following statement regarding the
accident:
"Hugo Flynn, a student in freshman
chemistry, met with an accident Tues
day morning that may result in the
loss of sight of one eye. Mr. FTynn
was making a well established test for
arsenic known as the Marsh test when
the accident occurred. The compound
containing hydrogen gas is explosive
if ignited when contaminated with air.
Students are therefore warned by both
verbal and printed instructions to
observe the proper precautions in
carrying out the experiment There is
no danger if the precautions are
properly observed. The glass flask
with which Mr. Flynn was working
was shattered by the explosion, one
piece striking him in the eye. Dr.
Dayton could not state after an opera
tion Tuesday morning whether the
eve could be saved or not"
99
money is needed for new and appro
priate stage setting and other things
of a similar nature to make the play
full of interest in every ' particular.
Hence the committee decided that It
would not give itself the best seats in
the house, and thereby cut down a
perfectly good seat sale.
The personnel of the committee that
bas made this decision is: Fred Cot
ter, chairman; Wayne Townsend, Ruth
Sinclair, Winifred Moran, Hannah Mc
Corklndale, Cecil F. Laverty, Ivan G.
Beede, Esther Ellinghusen, Carl A.
Olson and George Grimes, business
manager.
LAW'S APPOINT
COMMITTEE FOR
THEIR BARBECUE
A general barbecue committee has
been appointed by the various class
presidents ot the college ot law. The
members of the committee are: Ralph
Lahr, '17, Lincoln; Harold Pressly,
'17, College Springs, la.; Everett Carr,
'17, Beaver City; August Krebs, '18,
Friend; Robert Holland, 19. Univer
sity Place.
The committee will meet this week
to arrange for the music, baseball
game, a kettle in which to boil the
fatted ox, and the other festivities of
the day.
ROTARIANS WOULD
GALL MONEY BACK
Club Decides to Ask Senate to Re
instate Cut in University
Appropriations
Members of the Lincoln Rotary club
passed a resolution Tuesday condemn
ing the action ot the state legislature
in cutting the University appropria
tions and it was decided to call upon
the state senate to re-instate the ap
propriations which have been cut out.
The motion was made by Frank
Ringer, after it had been declared
that inasmuch as $80,000 has been ap
propriated for a bog barn at the state
fair grounds and that money expended
on the University brings .as much
"permanent improvement" as hog
barns.
"Schools of Commerce" was the
topic discussed by the Rotarians. Dr.
J. E. LeRosslgnoL head of the school
of commerce, told the clubmen that
men in all lines of business need to
familiarize themselves with business
principles and methods.
WILL GIVE ONE-
ACT PLAY IN THE
TEMPLE TONIGHT
The German Dramatic club will give
the one-act comedy "Der Schimmel"
at its regular monthly meeting in
Faculty hall Temple at 7.30 o'clock
this evening.
Following is the cast of characters:
Lehfeldt, Amtsrath '
William Urbach, '18
Margot, seine Tochter
Elizabeth Boehr, '17
Klara Randall, deren Gesellschaf-
terin Lorenson, '20
Edmund von Schimmer
L. W. Kline, 19
GusU Rohr, Gutsbesitzer
G. J. Naber. '17
Anton, diener Benjamin Kies, '20
FIRST SUBSCRD7TT0N
TO 1917 CORNHUSKER
Ruth M. Zittle, of Chicago, Writes for
a Copy Regular Sales Campaign
to Be Announced Soon '
Althought the Bales campaign for
the 1917 Cornhusker has not been an
nounced yet, the first subscription was
received yesterday. A letter from
Ruth M. Zittle, of Chicago, was re
ceived by De Witt Foster, business
manager, asking if Etae could buy one
of the annuals, explaining that she
wanted to see pictures of senior
friends she knew the book would con
tain. Foster wrote Miss Zittle as
suring her that she would be able to
get a copy.
Details of the regular subscription
campaign will be announced soon. All
that the management has to say now
is that It will probably be more thor
ough and far-reaching than previous
campaigns, and that it will set for its
mark the sale of 2,000 Cornhuskers,
four hundred more than were sold
last year. '
Elizabeth Gould, '20, drove to Omaha
Satnrday with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. C. Z. Gould, who had been visit
ing in Lincoln.
SUFFRAGE SCHOOL
BEGINS MONDAY
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TO
OFFER THREE-DAY INSTRUCTION
Co-eds and Lincoln Women Will Learn
How to Help Cauae Special
Convocation Tuesday
University co-eds will go to school
next week in search of other than aca
demic knowledge the National Ameri
can woman suffrage association will
hold a suffrage school In Lincoln,
March 19, 20, and 21, for the purpose
of training women to conduct, suffrage
campaigns to the best possible ad
vantage to the cause.
In the past, campaigns for suffrage
have been marked at points by some
lack of knowledge, infelicity of argu
ment and awkwardness of expression
which the association hopes to elim
inate from the next campaign. The
course of the school will include in
struction in press and publicity, suf
frage history, organization, public
speaking, argument, and money rais
ing. The school will be in charge of htree
women sent out by the national asso
ciation, Mrs. Cotnam, Mrs. Wilson, .
and Mrs. Shuler, who have all been
nationally active in the suffrage cause.
Special Convocation
The University branch of the
national association for the promotion
of suffrage, meeting yesterday after
noon, voted to hold a special Convoca
tion in connection with the school
next Tuesday morning in the Armory
at 11:30. The cadet band has been
asked to play at the occasion, and a
special invitation has been extended
to University men to attend. The
speaker has not been announced yet,
but it will be one of the nationally
known women who will be in Lincoln
to conduct the school.
Following is a schedule of the three
day session:
10-10.30, press and publicity, Mrs.
Cotnam; 10:30-11:15, suffrage history,
Mrs. Wilson; 11:15-12, organization,
Mrs. Shuler; 2-2:30, public speaking,
Mrs. Cotnam; 2:30-3:15, argument,
Mrs. Wilson; 3:15-4:00, money raising,
Mrs. Shuler.
ADD EXTRA HOUR
FOR DAILY DRILL
Cadets May Take Military Training
at 4 as Well as 5
O'clock '
Military training classes will be held
at 4 o'clock as well as 5 o'clock be
ginning March 15, according to the
statement issued by Commandant S. M.
Parker yesterday. This option in the
hour for drill is granted because It
is believed that there are a number
of students who will find it easier to
take the work at this time instead of
at the usual hour of 5 o'clock. The
plan of having two different hours for
the drill will also allow the men to
be ranked more according to the train
ing which they l'.ve had and in this
way enable better work to be done ia
the Individual companies.
The outdoor work which is starting
this week is dealing with the first in
structions to officers and privates ia
the essentials of field work. As soon
as the weather permits the men will
begin the drilling outside and this
will continue until spring vacation.
After vacation the companies will put
in all of their efforts in preparing for
the annual inspections and reviews
and in the meantime each company
will be making plans for winning the
annual competitive drill company
prize.
John Rlppey, former assistant su
perintendent of construction of the
University, now with an engineering
firm In Kansas City is in Lincoln
looking after some construction work
for his firm.