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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1932)
TWO THE DAILY NEBRASKAN TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 3932. The Daily Nebraskan ' Station A( Lincoln, Nebraska OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA Published Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings during the academlo year, THIRTY-FIRST YEAR Entered as second-class matter at the poatofflce In Lincoln, Nebraska, under act of congress, March I. 1879, and at special rate of postage provided for In section 1103, act of October S, 1917, authorized January 20, 1922. Under direction of the Student Publication Board SUBSCRIPTION RATE ft a yxar Single Copy 8 cents $1.25 a semester 13 a year mailed 11-75 a semester mailed Editorial Of tice University Hall 4. Business Off ice University Hall 4A. Telephones Day I B-6891; Nlghtt B-6882, B-3333 (Journal) Ask for Nebraskan editor. aMEMBERr . 1931 This paper is represented far (eneral drertUing by the Nebraska Fnm Association. EDITORIAL STAFF Arthur Wolf Editor-in-chief MANAGING EDITORS Howard Allaway Jack Erlckson NEWS EDITORS Phillip Brownell Oliver De Wolf Laurence Hall.. .....Virginia Pollard Joe Miller Sports Editor Evelyn Simpson Associate Editor Ruth Schlll Women's Editor Katharine Howard Society Editor CONTRIBUTING EDITORS. Cerald Bardo George Dunn La Von Linn Edwin Faulkner Boyd Krewson William Holmea George Round Art Kozelka BUSINESS STAFF Jack Thompson Bualnesa Manager ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGERS Norman Oalleher Frank Muagrava Bernard Jennings Freedom of Our College Newspapers. Editors of four eastern college newspapers 5n a symposium published Sunday in the Daily Nebraskan give their views on freedom of the collegiate press, including the propriety of ad ministrative censorship of undergraduate pub lications. The articles were written for the New York Times following the expulsion of Keed Harris, ex-editor of the Columbia Spectator, for his attacks on the Columbia administration. The consensus indicates the high value col lege editors attach to freedom of their papers. The Harvard editor, because of the liberal attitude of that administration, is not ham pered by control from above. Benton H. Grant of the Yale Daily News defends attacks on the administration as a final measure when other attempts to secure what the editor believes are necessary reforms have failed, but warns against the abuse of this powerful medium by overhasty assaults or those not justified by fact. Charles S. Snyder, editor-in-chief of the Pennsylvaniau, believes anti-administration fishts are justified if necessary and when all else fails, but believes the fire of the Hoggin.' editorial should more often be reserved to whip up lagging student interest in student needs. The Princeton editor would stick to fairness and truth, regardless of whom the bolt may stntu if it is lieccssarv that a bolt be shot. But he doubts if attacks are often necessary andj prefers a "constructive policy, lie recognizes that atlaeks may be constructive when they w ould destroy what should not exist. Singularly'this representative group of lead ing college editors does not, in general, defend Editor Harris. Altho they support freedom of Ihe press as a theory, they indicate that Harris did not act with due tact and might have ac complished his end without the resultant dam aging publicity both for his paper and. his school. They do think the Columbia adminis tration acted unwisely in using such strenuous measures to point out Harris' rashness. The Columbia case is an important one in the history of collegiate journalism. It has aroused probably the greatest interest and discussion of aiiT such case. Nevertheless, the thing Mas fortunate in that the main issue of freedom of the college press from administrative censor ship in beclouded by other circumstances which seem to justify Columbia's action. While full information is not available, it is indicated that Harris refused to present evi dence to prove his assertions, particularly m that attack on the university cafe management following which he was expelled. As the N brsskan has naid before in reference to this case, there is a law of libel which limits what newspapers in general may print. This law can be applied only awkwardly as regards college newspapers. An administrative censorship, then, replaces it. Whether or not this censor ship is exercised with fairness is the whole question. Accusation without proof constitutes libeL It would seem that the Columbia admin istration exercised a punishment for this of fen so "While in general freedom of the college newspaper from administrative interference is desirable, there are cases where this interfer ence is necessary and justifiable. This, it ap pears, is one of these. In fact, regrettable tho it may be, college editors are often motivated by other ihing than their own burning desire to promole im provement when they stir up crusading and attacking editorial campaigns. When an editor has hut a single semester, or a year at most, in which to round out his collegiate editorial career, there is an fippeal to make himself heardby whatever means are necessary to accomplish lliis. The editor who quietly fills his post, interpreting college news and, to some degree, directing student thought on student questions, refusing to raise a stir when no stir Is necessary, may pass unnoticed. Add to this the inexperience and youthful enthusiasm of llie college editor, and the result is a tendency to radicalism. The ease for freedom of the .college press is Jittle advanced by the Harris ease. The whole controversy, as it criiters around his repri mand, is beside the point. The real issue was not nt stake at Columbia. When a ease arises involving the din-el and reid issue unencum bered by justifying circumstances, the Ne braskan will support freedom fcr the college newspaper. We Are ot Drunken Sol. Nebraska mHhIi-iiIm mi; not "the drunken hot k tin ciihiusiiig jazz hound Hint ome of tiur Morbid politicians and over-umbitioii newspapers would have you believe," accord ing to Harold D. (Three Gun) Wilson, fed oral prohibition agent for Nebraska. Too, Mr. Wilsou adds some more to one side of the con troversy as to whether students now drink more than students in the saloon days. Says he: "In my days they used to almost promote u man for staying drunk new they expel him." Considerable attention has been centered on the alleged university "liquor situation'' since the Coliseum episode some mouths ago. The incident, of course, was deplorable. Neverthe less, as Mr. Wilson points out, no students were i any way involved, and that fact, nt lenst would tend to support Mr. Wilson's state ments in praise of Nebraska students. While tlie Nebrusknu cannot vouch for Mr. Wilson's open niindedness or lack of prejudice in his point of view he receives his salary for helping on force prohibition it does feel that facts are facts. Mr. Wilson has seen both sides. He went to school in the east when students were saloon patrons. In his work he has become acquainted with present day student life. i1 li- ers have presented more evidence to 'he same conclusion. And at present students are not ion young to have heard tales of the old days from those who knew them. We do not pretend to believe that students do not drink. They do. The question is whether the practices is on a decline. We do Hunk stu dents drink less than before prohibition came iu. As to comparing any recent year with an other to get the same conclusion. Mr. Wilson says nothing ami we sometimes wonder. Let her or not prohibition is responsible lor the decrease since saloon- days has not been proved. Mr. Wilson of course likes to have us believe prohibition did tin; trick. J.ach mans opinion to himself, it is commendable that oc casionally a person acknowledges the younger generation may not be the "hell raisin' outfit"' others would have us think. APOLOGY: Inadvertly. the line crediting the editorial "Student Newspapers" in the State Slants column of the Sunday Nebraskan to The Lincoln Star, from which it was taken.! i was ommeu. To Fraternity Snobs mnd Sluggards. A student letter attacking the fraieruiiv svstein and an editorial warning the fraternity group against slippiug up on the things fr which they should stand in Sunday's Ncbras kau, have provoked two more student lette-s which appear in the Morning Mail column to day. One is an enthusiastic and sentimental justification of the system on the grounds of friendships developed. The other is an intelli gent attempt to analyze some of the problems which face fraternities at tin" present time, in cluding the financial question. Two interesting assertions are made in the latter letter, signed O. 11. First, it says that the eastern fraternities face a more difficult finan cial problem than do those of the middle west. Second, he declares that the small college fra ternities are finding going easier than those in the larger schools. This last we are inclined to doubt. We are aware that many University of Nebraska houses are findinir it hard to keen coing. But taking Lincoln as an illustration close at hand, fraternities at one smaller school are now con templating mergers to save their lives. One merger between two sororities has already been consumated and another is probable. Nebraska fraternities have not yet gone to that extreme fur it i an extreme, particularly to ihe par ticular fraternities and is hotly opposed by alumni meniliers. allho such action might be beneficial to ihe t r;,t( rnity situation as a whole where it is admittedly over-populated. Be that as it may, Nebraska fraternities are, many of them, in a bad way financially. But it is not the financial problems which is the fraternity's greatest problem. Perhaps the financial difficulty is bringing the other to notice. The fraterniit's greatest problem is to be more than a high-priced boarding lioiw. Fraternities are not democratic. They eon tiDue, in a school supoiied by the slate where education is theoretically ripen to ajiyone re gardless of wealth, to nurture a spirit if class distinction and social prestige based n money. It ii t lion fratcrniiy men are getting wise to Ihe game. The barbs are often -barbs by choice." Not every barb is a "sour grapes" critic of fra ternities. There may be "barbs who regret," but there are ''barbs who are glad of it." This is a severe criticism of fraternities. Fraternities are su posed to stand for de velopment in the students of Ihose churacleris. tics which are most beneficial to tin; man. They are siipKed to siaud for scholarship. The tendency is rather for them to stand for snob bery and for academic "gelling by.'' All ihis, except the laking to-task on scholarship, ap plies as well to sororities as to fraternities. If anything, sororities are even more snobbish and undemocratic. Nebraska student affairs are at present firm ly in the grasp of 1he fraternity group. But that hold may weaken and must, if fraternities continue in their present manner. A move is now underway to organize Ihe unaffiliated Mil dents and to give them a part in student af fairs. This is a small thing, but it is a begin ning. That the fraternity is not entirely obliv ious to the fact that it should exist for the good of the school is indicated in that fratern ity men are the leaders in the present move 1o better the ositiofi of Ihe barbs. That is not. however, ihe real motive. Back of any attempt to help the barbs, is the desire to divide the spoils more evenly between Ihe two fraternity grouvs and to prevent tin majority group from bursting of its own internal dissentioii. But it is a recognition that no iiimi is belter than an other because he wears a bit of jeweled gold upon his vest. We do not mhocaie abolition of Ihe fratern ities. We do not say they are yet failing en tirely to justify their existence. They are going that way. But they have many admirable points, too. However it is not these they stress. Neither do we believe that things have always been this way nor that the situation is inherent in the system. We feel that fraternities could do something about it. We sincerely urge them to do so. In Ihe first place ihe tipping of house rate and dues makes the fraternity restrictive, and eliminates niiinv worthwhile men. Small schools have from (he first been handicapped by not being wealthy enough to build large houses. But perhaps they are not handicapped. Perhaps now that they cau maintain low rates allows them to keep up their membership. Per haps they cau initiate men of smull means as well as men with money. And because the fra ternity of the small school can maiutain a var iance iu its membership it appeals to more men. Iu other words it seems that fraternities could first begin a solution to their problems by looking at their finances, trying to econo mize with the idea iu mind of lowering rates and attracting desirable men who can't afford fialernities at present. But if we listen to thebarb iu his "Fratern ity Spirit'' attack, we can see another reason why national officers say that fraternities in the smaller schools are having fewer problems. True fraternity spirit developed in some small schools at least should be deprived by those of the larger. In the first place wealth is more completely disregarded in the small, and for this reason cliques within a group do not de velop. The fraternity is considered a place for any man. The fraternity of tho larger school is not a place for any man. There is something in it that one cannot explain that often determines membership. There is a discriminative attitude that is repulsive. Should the fraternity live for its nicmwrs, or should its ineinliers live for the fraternity? There are alumni who live for a fraleruitv. For them "Taduation did not break bonds of frater nal life and often times you see men well along in years who do mere for a fraternity than they ever did iu undergraduate years. Such alums say they receive immeasurable satisfaction from doing something for a group that is doing something for young "men. For such men a fra ternity is a unselfish project. To the under graduate the fraternity is different. The fra ternity should live for its active members; it should have something worthwhile to add to their college life. It should be careful not to detract from any purpose for which univer sities are established. Herein fraternities are severely criticized. Fraternities which live only for their name, for their self and not for their individual mem bers are likely to be called selfish. Activities on a campus should be for those students who for some special reason are interested in the thing that activity sponsors. Yet activity par ticipation is often encouraged by fraternities for other reasons. If a fraternity wishes to save a strong heterogeneous group it must realize i hat it may have some members who are not ailapied to activities of any kind. So it is in many oilier fraternal undertakings, even social. The fraternity tails to recognize that some of its group are not adapted to those undertakings. All kinds of people make a world. It takes many kinds of men to make a fraternity. If a fraternity is to live for its members it will have to recognize individual characteristics and peculiarities. Iu fact striving for individualism may not be such a bad thing to encourage. Fra ternities which try to make themselves adapt able to ihe 1 borough student, athlete and so cialite alike, trying to promote understanding between such people, may be more attractive. Fraternities which encourage individual, self determined attainment may be first to rank high as an organization. G. n. MORNING MAIL More Fraternity Spirit. TO Till: KDITOIJ: Becent contributors to the Morning Mail column of ihe Daily Nebraskan have launched bitter barbs at the fraternity system as exem plified by ihe Greek organization on the Ne braska campus. The controversy between Barb and Greek is not new arguments on troth sides have been presented so often that almost every one is familiar with the thing each side is ex pected to say. , Fraternity men, replying to the Barbs salvo of critlcisnrcnter iuto the fray with gusto. Hair pulling and catcalls ensue. Barbs are charged with bitterness because they are outside the fold or Greekdom. The pointed phrase "sour grapes'' is invariably called into use. And the battle ruges. Barbs, advancing in spirited at tack, claim that fraternities, "theoretically based on friendliness and the spirit of fellow ship' desert these standards for advancement of their own selfish interests. And Ihe war goes on. It is not too bold to prophecy that the war will continue to go on for a long time. Both sides, it must be admitted have oints in their favor, but Inung a some what ardent fraternity man I fail to see how the Barbs can make a case for their segregated lives as against the cameraderie that prevails within cveu the most suooly fraternity group. The value of friendships, it has often ln-eu pointed out, exceeds all else. That is oue of the theories which first led to the founding of fra ternities. And where else but in a fraternity does the college man have such ideal conditions for development of friendships? True, uon -fraternity students make frieuds of their own. But thev have not the medium for perpetuating those friendships that is afforded the fratern ity man. There is a bond uniting fraternity men, even after college days arc over, and the friendships formed there are erpetnaled by alumni organizations, fraternity publications, and so on. True fellowship has its roots iu mu tual interests, and the necessity of working to gether within a fraternity group is wonderful soil for the cultivation of that fellowship. As may be gathered from r.ll of that, I am strong for fraternities, and the above para graphs do not even begin to list all of their advantages. fiiatki:. EXTENSION ISSUES BULLETIN TELLING OF RULE CHANGES Statement of tho standards ot rules for the government of schools tn the Nebraska NoHft Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools with changes for the present year has been pun. lished In a bulletin issued by tho extension division of tho university recently. Changes in tho regulations for the present year are: three your senior high schools must require a minimum of eleven uniti for graduation. Four year high schooU must require a minimum of fifteen units fot graduation; there uniti are to be carried in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. Analyzing the Creeks. TO THE KDITOIJ : As Nebraska becomes consejous of increasing fraternity problems let her find consolation in the fact that hundreds of other fraternities of many other schools are finding similar prob lems. But wise it is for Nebraska fraternities to look to these problems. It is no idle lalk that depression is bringing criticisms of campus fra ternal life to the front. In dollars and cents is the fraternity worth it? Local chapters are finding it difficult to maintain their financial programs because insufficient members stay in the house. National offices find they have to be conservative, even Scotch, because fratern ity membership is not increasing, because new chapters cannot be installed. But while mid western fraternities are wor ry ig a nalional officer was heard to say the oilier day that we don't know what hard times are. In the east fraternities are really in trouble. Also this officer suggested that it is the fraternities of the large schools t hat are finding it hardest sledding. Small school fra ternities do not seem to be having as many problems. In this statement perhaps Nebraska fraternities should look for a solution to a problem. Diversity iu membership is always a thing needed in fraternity life. The local chapter finds that it needs all kinds of members to make itself versatile and successful. The na tional organization finds that it needs chajs ters in all types of schools to endure. To se cure this tyjie of membership is the first prob lem of a fraternity. To secure a healthy mem bership will be a first step in the remedying of finances.. "THREE GUN" WILSON SAYS UNIVERSITY ONE OF BEST INSTITUTIONS IN AMERICA (Continued from Page 1.) is some plain horse sense, and plain horse sense is just "stable thinking." We listen to the wailing stories of disappointed politicians to the clamour of brewery man ufacturers, and last but not least, to the poor wretched individual who is not strong enough to re sist the outcries of his alcoholic eaten stomach," he said. "It is a popular misconception," he added, "that people want to break the law, because it is the law. Take for instance: should the municipality of Lincoln pass a law prohibiting the housewives of the city from throwing their kitchen swill out the front window do you think they would do it? Of course not. For aeons of time we have had Cod's Ten Commandments, and do you believe that people break them because they are laws. No, people obey laws or break laws because of their own convic tions, not because of the fact that it Is the law." "Thus we sec the absurdity of believing heresay and newspaper propaganda. Newspapers today for reasons unknown, tend to play up any apparent weakness in the prohibition law. As an example of this I wish to cite an incident that happened in pre-Volstead days. In an important newspaper I found an article of four lines, describing the death of one young man, and the serious illness of three other young men, from drinking grain alcohol. If such an incident should take place today, it would be broadcast thruout the United Stales, head lines and pictures in every news paper, placing the blame on prohi bition. I appeal to the people of Nebraska, use your head don't believe this ropaganda, investigate and find out the truth." "The purpose of prohibition," be continued, "is not to take away liberty but to preserve it. It U to give those people who want to be good a chance to do it." "We often hear the comment to day, that conditions are worse than before prohibition. College students, don't believe it! I was a student myself at one time, and I know whereof I speak. In my days they used to almost promote a man for staying drunk today they expel him. The recent episode which happened on your campus Indicates that conditions are noth ing like this. None of your Univer sity students were connected with it in any way, but still, wrong Im pressions are cast out in many In stances." "It is interesting to watch the gullibility with which lome of us still watch the Utrrary Digest straw vote," said Mr. Wilson. "The only surprising thing is that some of im are still flabbergasted to find that the results are always wring ing wet. Here is another glaring example why some of you may need an examination by a psychi atrist to determine your thinking "facilities. I realize it is painful for many or you to think, but after all, it isn't altogether impossible," he said. "Just ask yourself the ques tion, have you received a ballot? Do you know of one who has re ceived one? If so, did they vote and return it? Students, the only ones who do return it are those in terested in the return of the saloon consequently they are the ones to whom the ballots are sent." We must fight for prohibition push ahead, it can be enforced. Drunkeness, prostitution aad gam bling go hand in hand. Take liquor away and the other two will starve to death. Honest officials are all we need to enforce the law, and we are enforcing it in Nebraska, and elsewhere. In examining the great amount of wealth amassed by Al Capone, we find that only 20 percent ac cumulated was from liquor sales, while the other 80 percent ac crued from his gambling devices and houses of prostitution. "If I sent one of my men down to Lincoln with a warrant for a crook, he wouldn't go to any of the University officials or church of ficials to find him, he'd ,-ro to thj places frequented by such charac ters. Any person wno tens you that he can go to thirty places and get a drink either in Omaha or Uncoln, is either lying, or else he isn't the tvpe ot person desirable for you to be associating with." "The bootleffgci Is woisa than a thief he takes your reputation aa well as vour money. The detection of speakeasies is not difficult. They all have living advertisements, a human trail leading down the alley or into dusty, dirty piaccs ot ill re pute. I might add that some of our "shyster" lawyers who delend the boot-legger are in the same cate gory." This is my advice to University students, "There never was a more red blooded fight than the one to day for prohibition. The welfare of our government hinges upon it. With our high powered automo biles, aeroplanes, etc., there can be no existence with liquor. It is up to you the future generation to han dle it. CHILD STUDY IS TOPIC TUESDAY PSI CHI TALK (Continued from rage l.i ceived his Ph D. from the Univer sity of Iowa. He has lx?en a mem ber of the faculty at the Iowa in stitution since 1922. where he teaches social psychology, psychol ogy of art and the psychology of ad vet Using. He is a member ot the American Psychological a s o c l a t i on, tho American Sociological association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Iowa Academy of Science, the Midwest Psychological association, the So ciety of Sigma Xi, the Western Arts association, the College Art association, and the executive com mittee of the Conference for Re search in Art sponsored by Car negie. At the University of Iowa he is director of the Art-Psychology Laboratory. The third University of Iowa team to be captained by a married player has started its schedule. It is the baseball nine of which Elmo Nelson is captain. Laat fall a 6hot puttr on the track team captained the football team and another married man headed the gymnasts. The board of publications at North Carolina gave $1,000 to the student oan fund. t Spring Coals Sport Suits Sweaters Nov's the Time to Have Them CLEANED Modern Cleaners SOUKUP & fVESTOVER Call F2377 For Service "2Sth Year in Lincoln" 1931 MADE HISTORY IN SHIP ELECTRIFICATION i ECAUSE the combined horw power of turbine-electric equipment in stalled and now in process of construction passed the one million msrlc during the year. BECAUSE the PrtiiJtnt Ilaovtr, first all-electric ship b'jilt in America for commercial transoceanic service, completed its first round trip to Asiatic ports. BECAUSE the TaUmancs, the first of the largest electrically propelled fleet ever laid down, was delivered to its owners. BECAUSE elec trification an American contribution to marine transportation was adopted by le leading shipbuilding countries of the world. BECAUSE, on the hi ;h seas and on inland waterways, electrically propelled ships established new records for speed and continuous operation. General Electric engineers not only pioneered the application of electric propulsion, but have made many contributions to its development during the last two decades. By the complete electrification of the TrtsitUnt Hctir end the six new ships of the United Fruit Company's fleet, college-trained General Electric engineers have . made another striking contribution to American shipbuilding and world trade. GENERAL ELECTRIC