, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY U. 1011
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The Daily Nebraskan
Station A, Lincoln, Nabraaka
OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
Published Tuesday, Wednaeday, Thurdy, Friday and
Sunday mornino during tha acadamlo yaar,
THIRTIETH YEAR
Enterttl as tecond-clai matter at tho poetofflr.a In
Lincoln, Nebraska, under act ot conQraee, March S, 1rt.
and at apeclai rat of postage provided for In ect'on
110! net it Octobtr J, 1917. euornsd January SO, ITU.
Under direction of tha Student Publication Board
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
if a vur Slncls Copy cents 11.88 a semester
" a year mailed 11.71 "m.stsr msll.d
Editorial Off les University Hall 4.
Business Off ice Unlvarsity Hall 4A,
Telephones-Day: B-6891s Ni0hti B-6M2. B-SJ33 (Journal)
Ask for Nebr.iakan editor.
EDITORIAL STAFF
William T. McCleory . ..Edltor-ln-eniai
Managing Kdltore
o".rt Kelly N-iw;-EdltVrV
Frances Holyoke iun. VkSII
William McOaffln Eugene McKim
Rex Wagner
loiter::
Berenices Hoffman Society Editor
BUSINESS STAFF
rh.riet Lswlor Business Manager
Charles -"0AshlUtU BuilnM. Manager.
S5"r-"r2?,r.r J'Hl.ro1id9KPu,b.n
CUnni e ------- a
atad fm ermi
adreatieisuj a Te ai
Issnr
Time to Stop
Talk and Start Action.
"The discussion over military drill lias come
Hpuin nnd viil likely pass again unless intelli
gent students are billing to work for what
They believe," asserts a letter addressed to
The Nebraskan, but submitted without proper
identification for publication.
s in most oases of principle, university
Ntudeutg are rather afraid to declare them
selves and be liable to the ridicule which is
ill ways aimed at people, who maintain a prin
ciple which smacks of "reform."
Signing himself "Pacifist,'' the unknown
author recommends some organized movement
,.n the part of students to rid the University
..f Nebraska of compulsory drill. He believes
Uiat discussion has gone far enough, and tha
iietion is more essential than argument. e
agree.
The Daily Nebraskan 's stand on compulsory
military training has been stated, without
reservation, a sufficient number of times. AVe
have answered letters defending the forced
army education and have attempted to refute
arguments proposed in its justification. It re
mains for those students who feel the irappr
lance and significance of the issue to strive
for abolition of the course which they believe
detrimental to the peaceable morale of the in
stitution and the nation. Our object is not to
coin a debate.
That we have chosen to run only those let
tors favoring or very mildly opposing forced
drill is the insinuation made by certain pro
motcrs of the system. This is an unfair accusa
tion. If few logical letters have appeared to
justify the university's compulsory drill, it is
because few letters have been written. "We are
convinced in our stand against the present
plan of R. 0. T. C. and welcome any letters
favoring it, for our argument is based upon
logic. These letters must be properly signed
and their authors identified, however, to in
sure the authenticity of their assertions.
A letter appears in today's Morning Mail
column written by an alumnus of the institu
Hon. He. appears to favor compulsory drill on
the ground that it is not the only useless course
required for graduation. There is some justifi
cation for the requirement of cultural courses,
however, whereas we see justification of forced
drill neither in principle nor in practice.
It is needless 1o answer the letter. Two
w rongs do not right an evil. If other courses
required for graduation arc useless, that is
tin other issue.
w
; Someone has estimated the time spent in a
uniform during the two required years of mili
tary science in an attempt to refute our argu
ment that more actual military science could
be taught in a few weeks in a real army camp
than in two years at the university. He finds,
we believe, that it would require much more
time. Evidently he feels that military, as
taught under the compulsion system, is no
more efficient than it might be, if carried on in
an elective course or in an army camp. Per
haps he has never gone through the under
classman's training seasons.
e
"Just some more destructive criticism," de
cide some Nebraskana regarding our attempt
to abolish compulsory drill on this campus.
Physicians who remove tonsils should be
ashamed of themselves for being so destruc
tivp! Wp. consider an atteiimt to rid this in
stitution of a course which has no rightful
place in it as a constructive step, ratner Tnan
one which aims only to knock down and drag
out.
"We have no axe to grind with the Univer
sity of Nebraska military department, with
American Legion or with the D. A. R.
Neither are we courting the favor of those
organizations and we understand that there
are a few which favor the elimination of com
milsorv drill. As for the accusation that The
i y
Nebraskan and its idiotic editor are attempt
ing to crash through with publicity ana no
toriety, we beg to suggest that those who spend
their time trying to figure out left handed mo
tives for all actions might be better off in a
private detective agency.
Meeanse we consider coinDUlsorv military
drill a course which does not deserve to be
continued in this institution, we have ventured
to oppose it. It tlie men who are reputed to
have a half dozen answers for even argument
proposed by The Nehraskan against forced
drill will put their replies in writing, we shall
t t i. i i t i
lie pleased to fuuusn mem.
Advice to the Author
Of Slumber-Fixing Textbooks.
It has been universally concluded that col
lege students fail to get enough sleep, so eer
lain highly respected authors have undertaken
to provide textbooks which will provide tru
student with an urge to sleep which he cannot
refuse. .Many University ot Nebraska proles
sors have selected these sleep inviting texts for
their unsuspecting charges.
If one doubts the effectiveness of the writ
ing, he need only drop in at the library some
afternoon or evening. Many students, lulled
into blissful unconsciousness by the clever men
of letters, lean forward on the tables and doze.
Realizing the value of such an educational
ruse. II. K. Nixon has attributed a few para
graphs in his "Psychology for the Writer,"
giving complete instructions for what he terms
"anaesthetic writing." Here are a few of his
helpful hints:
"Kirst, be monotonous. Sleep, as every ama
teur psychologist knows, may be induced by a
steady, unvaried succession of stimuli. Let
your words drip with the comforting regular
ity of summer rain on an attic roof. Avoid
variety. Keep your sentences of uniform length
and strive for the dangling const met ion which
will gradually wear down your render's resist
ance by fatiguing his attention and his mem
ory." How well many of our textbook authors
follow. this sober advice! Some of their books
may contain very little valuable material, but
the normal student never 'plunges in deep
enough to find out. For the professors who
select such texts, the mere fact that they are
disgustingly boring is enough to upenk for
their cultural value. "What is worth read
ing," we suppose the instructor philosophizes,
"is dry reading."
In only one respect docs Mr. Nixon, an in
structor in Columbia university, fall down in
his directions to the wordy, learned man.
"Avoid keeping the reader in suspense," he
concludes. "Tell him at once what it is all
about, so that he will know and will not have
to read farther. This makes it easier for him
to go to sleep with a clear conscience, know
ing that he will not miss anything."
Several texts used in the University of Ne
braska do not agree with this precept, for they
sprinkle the significant material along, sand
wiching it in between impenetrable phrases
and terrifying words. We .sincerely thank the
men who have written some of our texts, but
me wonder: v
How could the authors stay awake long
enough to wi'ite such lousy material?
We don't mind the bad odors, the sultry
beat, or the falling plaster so much, but the
mice and roaches in University hall are rather
annoying.
Nice professors! They're parking their cars
on the sidewalk between Social Sciences and
Teachers college now, so that students may
sneak their cars in behind. Makes walking
rather tough, though.
MORNING MAIL
FIRE BURNS ROOF
OF SIGMA KAPPA
HOME YESTERDAY
mi
Conflagration Ruins Third
Floor Rooms; Second
Story Damaged.
PEDESTRIAN SEES BLAZE
Firemen Save Wardrobes;
Furniture Is Soaked
by Water.
The entire roof of the Sigma
Kappa housfi. 1515 I street wu
burned off and third floor rooms
were ruined when fire broke out
in the structure between 2 and 3
o'clock Tuesday afternoon.
Although Mabel Heyne, sorority
president, was unable to make an
estimate of the damage late last
evening, she declared that the sec
ond floor would have to be redec
orated, in addition to the third
floor. The entire roof will have to
be replaced.
Club in Session.
The blaze was discovered by an
unidentified pedestrian who was
walking in front of the house at
the time. The Mother's club and
two girls of the sorority, who were
in the house, were unaware of the
blaze until informed by the passerby-
N-j wealing apparel was lost in
the fire, although one girl's en
tire wardrobe was drenched as
firemen fought the flames. All fur
niture on the third floor was wa
tersoaked, although little of it was
burned.
Starts From Spark.
It is believed that the blaze
started from a spark from the
chimney, which was burning out.
The roof was a shingle affair, and
the flames quickly spread over it.
When first seen, the flames were
leaping from all parts of the roof.
Miss Heyne, chapter president,
said, last night that girls who had
been rooming on the third floor of
the structure had made arrange
ments to stay with alumnae living
in Lincoln, and that girls who lived
on the first two floorR would be
able to remain in the house until
it was redecorated and reroofed,
despite water damage to second
floor rooms.
The loss was covered by insur
ance, Miss Heyne said. Although
she could not say definitely, she
intimated that repairs to the struc
ture would start tomorrow. The
sorority rents the house.
Why Compulsion at All?
TO THE EDITOK:
Regarding your statement: "We are con
vinced that drill is not sufficiently beneficial
to the individuals who are shoved through two
years of training to justify its compulsory
feature."
By way of analogy, perhaps someone can
tell a great number of us why we were sum
marily forced to endure two years of Spanish
or French under sometimes mediocre instruc
tors in order to obtain other advantages of a
university education. Certainly it cannot be
said that the university's military teaching
staff is not the best.
Most of us abhor the term "compulsory."
We would express the same contempt if it were
attached to gymnasium work.
Tf it is not the compulsory feature that is
objected to it must be the course. Rut surely
no university student wants to wipe the de
partment out. What a blow that would be to
the activity hounds who go after the "higher
honors" that the corps. Pershing Rifles, Scab
bard and Blade and Military Ball afford.
A. R. S., -8.
LOOSE THREADS
By Gene McKim
There We Have It War!
T4 THE EDITOR:
By the shades of all that is reasonable, log
ical, and according to conformity, just what is
F. M., the plastic iconoclast, the self-styled
guardian of national welfare, the political
Reer, and the unassuming expresser of con
flicting opinions, trying 1o do? Surely such
a genius of inconsitency as the malleable
F. M. owes some explanation to a reading pub
lic as to the whys, wherefores, and whene.es
of his changeable whims.
What justification is there for a series of
strange interludes, ludicrous analogies, and
military forecajitings. such as have been pro
pounded in tfle last two visitations which
"F. M.V has mad- to the Morning Mail? Just
what relation do Flo Ziegf eld's bedroom
scenes, Gilbert Doane's educational comments,
and Boy Scout mottoes, have to compulsory
military drill.
There will certainly be another war, says
the youthful prophet of things international.
Train the infantry, he cries, waving bis red
flag before the student body. Train them here
at the university so the country will be pre
pared, he adds.
And there we have it a future war, a
trained infantry, and preparedness, all linked
together in an argument so strong,. so binding,
and so irrefutable that even F. M. bashfully
admits that the editor himself was forced to
evade it.
Then a new dawn and a new idea. The
whole trouble is that discipline is a bit lax in
the military science classroom, he decides. So
he proceeds to give the department some new
ideas for discipline enforcement when things
suit a lot of us very well just as they are now.
We can only wait until F. M. writes another
letter mtybe his next belief vri be to the
effect that drill should be abolished entirely,
at least that seems to be the next step in keep
ing with the pace of his argumects.
SDeakine of preparedness, trained infatric6,
and future wars, I incidentally happen to re
call that England, Italy, Japan and Germany
have done some noteworthy things in the line
of constructive aviation development during
the past few vears. I just thought I'd men-
non it, that an- itiuiu ujvuo.
While we like to think of our
selves as living in a highly civilized
day in which the crude passions of
men are at least restrained by the
regulations of society, incidents oc
cur from time to time which rudely
remind us that perhaps we are not
so far removed from our primitive
ancestors after all.
Monday a mob of some 1,000
persons reverted to primitive
methods and lynched a negro for
an attack he was supposed to have
perpetrated Dec, 16 on a school
teacher near Marysville, Mo. Peo
ple near him in the mob say he
confessed to the crime, but no one
is certain that he was the guilty
person. He was taken from the
hands of the law by the mob as he
was arriving at the courthouse In
Marysville for the arraignment.
Guilty or net, he was tied over
the ridge pole of the school build
ing in which the crime was com
mittde. and then as the other 1,000
human beings stood by and watch
ed the structure was burned. This
sort of thing reminds one of stories
of Indian cruelty which caused the
early settlers of this country to
shudder and yet the Indian was
defending his home and native
land from an invader.
Courts of low have been devel
oped and are supported that every
one in this republic may have the
assurance of a fair trial by other
disinterested persons, should he
become implicated in some misde
meanor against society. Surely
this man, be he black or white,
was entitled to such action. He
was denied a fair trial by some
1,000 other humans, who were so
crazed that they destroyed public
proper ty the schoolhouse, In
wreaking their vengeance.
w
One of the evly bills presented
before the legislature, which con
vened during the past week, is one
which proposes that capital pun
ishment be inflicted upon persons
guiltv of holdups by means ro
firearms either on the highways or
the state or in banking houses and
other institutions.
Such a bill, while being drastic,
particularly in cases where no one
was injured, i.certheless should be
a strong deterrent to crimes of this
nature. If criminals Knew iney
would face capital punishment
rather than a fine or prison term
they would certainly be apt to
think twice at least before holding
up travelers or institutions.
Though drastic, it wouia seem
from the number of offences being
Eerpetrated daily, that the time
ad come for severe action.
Another proposed bill alms to
make the highways safer for
travel by inflicting severe penal
ties on drunken drivers which are
apprehended.
Whether one is opposed lo
prohibition or not, no sane man
can argue that ai. Intoxicated per-
SHORTHAND
INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION
TYPEWRITING
BOOKKEEPING
ENGLISH and SPELLING
FILING
PUNCTUATION
BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE
BEGIN ANY DAY
Dickinson Secretarial School
803 - Richard Block 11th O St.
B2161 Lincoln, Neb.
son Is fit to be at the wheel of a
car, and have control of as much
power as is represented in modern
automobiles.
Such a person is a menace of the
worst sort to society. It is to bo
hoped that the legislature may see
fit to make such action punishable
by a severe penalty.
The depression received a bit of
a Jult Uuiiiiay morning when 7o,
000 men marched back to work
in Detroit, following several
weeks of inactivity. The most of
the re-employment was accounted
for in the Rouge plant of the Ford
Motor company. This plant had
been idle since an inventory shut
off Dec. 18. The Ford company
also announced that 32,000 other
workers were ordered back to
work in various parts of the coun
try. Other automobile plants also
indicated increased employment.
The Buick company increased its
man power by 1,700 workers at
Flint, Mich. Cadillac and Chevro
let companies also were increasing
their activities.
From San Francisco come re
ports of 400 men being re-employed
by the Santa Fe railroad.
Who knows, perhaps things are
looking up a bit at last, and con
ditions will continue to improve,
K. U. STUDENTS USE
$35,000 WORTH OF
PAPER PER YEAR
LAWRENCE, Kas. Students at
the University of Kansas use more
than $35,000 worth of paper per
year, according to a survey made
by R. O. Baker, a graduate stu
den itn the school of business. The
students in seven of the classes
were questioned and out of the 260
to whom the questionnaires were
given, 204 replied.
According to the reports each
student spends an average of $8.00
or $9.00 each year. Of the total
amount $8,754.80 per year, that is
spent for notebook paper of the
university students, nearly one
third or $3.07 per student is spent
for personal stationery. An aver
age of $2.03 is spent for notebook
paper alone. The expense of note
books for all students amounts to
$6,862.80. About 38 percent is
spent during the school year for
drawing paper.
.a in more efficient management
of their farm business, according
to Dr. A. G. Black, head of agri
cultural economics.
Beta Theta Pi removed from its
chapter rooms to quarters at lbJO
G street, vacated by Thi Kappa
Psi, in the fall of 1901. The new
chapter house was described as one
of which the Betas could be proud.
A charing cusu parly whs ivcu
bv Kappa Kappa Gamma as purt
of a rush week program thirty
years ago.
"The Student' Store"
RECTOR'S
13 and P
C. K. BUCHHOLZ. Mr.
'Our Store h Your Sh,ie
EIGHTY ENROLL
IN IOWA COURSE
FOR HERDSMEN
AMES, la. Eighty students are
enrolled in the herdsmen's short
course and twenty-seven in the
farm management short course at
Iowa State college. The herds
men's short course is a two term
course offered each winter quarter
for those interested in care and
management of livestock. Twenty
three of the eighty students are
taking the second quarter of the
work, according to Prof. W. F. La
Grange, of the animal husbandry
department.
The farm management short
course is a one term course Ijelng
offered for the second time, pri
marily for young farmers interest-
'Your Drug Store"
Our noon lunch businpss iR sure
growing and boy how busy our
Soda Fountain i. We thank you.
Business Is pond.
THE OWL PHARMACY
Phone B1068 148 No. 14 A P St.
(WE DELIVER)
m
NOW IS THE TIME
NEBRASKA MEN
TO ACQUIRE
A SMART
HART SCHAFFNER
and MARX
SUIT and
OVERCOAT
AT A REAL
SAVINQ
20
DISCOUNT
ON ALL CLOTHES
ScnS'mcn &ScnS
i jr ,iT u - iis
Amjpf ... ' 'rsK.X Canyon, the St. Frai
He Got the Facts
Behind the News!
bulk across the San Francisquito
Canyon, the St. Francis dam cupped a deep blue lake
of water against the hills. Peacefully, fruitfully tilling
the soil in the valley below were the water-hungry
farmers of Santa Clara.
Busioeu men, industrialists nd engi
neers 600,000 of them regularly read
the McGraw-Hill Publications. More
than 3,000,000 use McGraw-Hill books
and magazines in their business.
The Business Week
System
Radio Retailing
Electronics
Aviation
Product Engineering
Factory and Industrial Engineeringand
Management Mining Journal
Power Engineering and
Industrial Engineering Mining World
Coal Age Electric Railway Journal
Tntilc World Bus Transportation
Food Industries American Machinist
Electrical World Engineering Newa
Slectrical Merchandising Record
Electrical West Construction Methods
Chtmifal It Metallurgical Engineering
Then, something happened! Without warning, the
great man-built barrier crumbled. A vast flood reared
its bulk into a ferocious torrent smashed every
thing that stood in its path. Another unwarranted
disaster. Lives lost! Property destroyed! Why?
An Engineering Neu s-Recortt editor in San Francisco
hopped a fast plane. Rapidly he surveyed the scene;
investigated and photographed the remaining traces
of structural fault; wired his paper.
Fast news? Yes, but what of his story? Nothing sen
sational in the story he wired no wrath-stirring
adjectives calculated to arouse public sentiment. This
editor tersely related the reasons for the disaster
scientifically pieced together the causes of founda
tion failure gave construction engineers the facts
which they could not get from newspaper stories.
Many weeks later an official investigating commission
confirmed, almost to a word, that first telegraphic
flash of the McGraw-Hill editor. Meantimes, editors
of metropolitan dailies used the McGraw-Hill story
to reassure their readers that similar disasters were
not likely to occur in other places.
Each McGraw-Hill Publication has built a splendid
reputation among leaders of industry and business
for truth, leadership, constructive foresight. From
the publication which covers your chosen field, you
will get a close-up of what your future employers
and fellow-workers are chinking of and doing.
McGraw-Hill Publications are in your college library.
Ask the librarian.
AAc GRAW-HILL PUBLICATI.ONS
MeGIAW.MIU Uil$HING CO. hc New Yet. Ch-eoQO fi,,lodl . Woiiwore.OettOl Si t. Ct.loi. . U Anae- Sen ianeii .tow G'f" to4o
c
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