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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 1937)
r Jt- . - , v . PAGE TWO THE DAILY NERRASKAN. IHLRSDAY. DECEMREK 16. 1937 THE DAILY NEBRASKAm THI RTY-SEV ENTH YEAR KUITORIAL STAFF BUSINESS STAFF tilltor Ea Miirrnj RuKlnrts Minaret Hob Wadhama Amorlate Kailn Don Wanner Amlstnnt .Manafere Frank Johnson, Arthur Hill Mnnaglnii Mltora Wlllara Homey, Hrlfn lasroe Clrrolatlon Manager Stanley Michael New! Editor Morrl Linn, Howard Rnplnn, Barbara Rowwatcr, Kd bteevei, . . Marjcirle Churchill. " ' SUBSCRIPTION RATE ON lills ISSIK M yfJI eilvlt (pj oo a armraln Desk Editor Pascoe (j.50 mailed 1 ccnta M.SU aemratei Night Editor Llpp (nailed Inclcr direction ot the Student Ptibllcntlon Board, l.flllorlal Office tnlvpmltj Mali 4. Huainra office tnlvemlty Hall -A. Telephone Day H7181. Mk-ht: B71US, UouiuhII. Entered ai aeennd-elasa mattet at the poatoffloe In l.lnniln, Nebrntka, under act ot conk-rra, Marrb S. HOI), and at aperlnl rnte ot postage provided tot In cctlon 1103, act of October S, Ml?, aulhorlted January 20, IW, t937 Member 1938 Plssocidod Golte6iate Press Distributor of Golleftide Di6est I'libllnhed every 'hie dxy. W e d n e a d a y, Thurariiy. trldny and Sunday mnriiln ot the academic veal t alndenta o the I'nl versify of Nebraska, onder the mipervlslnn nf the Board of Publication. aieaiaiNTio Ton ntional dvirtuin r National Advertising Service, Inc Collet' Publishers Rrprrstntathf 420 MADISON Ave. NEW YORK. N.Y. CMICAdO - MOITON SAN FRANCIBCO LOB ANOILH . POBTLANO SlATTU Im - ! br bnglund j Congress Has an Itchy Triffircr Finger When It Comes to War A student pulse cniitrlbalui , C. O.K., in 1o tlay's column writes iiuninst the proposed pop ular referendum in the ease of a war, other than oiio til' invasion. C. D. K. feels that if the people were yiven the ripht to vote on a pro posed declaration of war before it was made, this country would he more likely to he plunged into n war than if Ihe power to de clnre war were retained by congress. The dis cussion of this measure is especially appropri ate at. this time because lr. Ludlow's refer endum amendment won a victory in the house of representatives yesterday. Proponents of the measure have been struggling to get enough signatures in the house to get the measure discharged from committee so it can be brought to the floor for a vote. The necessary majority of 218 was gained yesterday. The administration was reported as intending to exert pressure to prevent the referendum from coming up for a vote, despite the majority favoring it. There are a number of reasons why we feel that the referendum amendment is a good one, although it is doubt fid whether or not such a controversial measure should or will be al lowed to glut the already jammed special ses sion. The pulse writer holds that it was congress that "kept us out, of the last war as lon as we stayed out and that it was pressure from the people that finally trot us in. Wilson was elected on a platform to keep us out of war. The platform was sufficiently popular that Hushes ran on virtually the same war stand. Furthermore, several peace polls takjn in Wis consin before the war were overwhelmingly in favor of staying out. Added to this evidence is the fact that a draft was necessary to get men to enlist. From these facts, it would seem 1 hat there is at least another side to Ihe case presented by C. D. ., who contends that it was the peo ple who wanted war and that men were so anxious to get into the fight they joined the Canadian army. Since there was no popular referendum vote on the issue before the monienlous deci sion of 1917, however, it will never be known whether or not a majority of the people wanted war. nc thing is certain ami that is that after war had been declared, the lion's share of the hate against the central powers was stirred up, not before. The main thesis of the pulse writer seems to be: "Congress, with all ils lobbving, log rolling politics and mud slinging is safer and saner in a crisis of frenzy than is the loosed emotion of million maniacs." Tie holds that oongress is more immune from propaganda than the people. The thesis won't hold as much water as the wartime reputation of war-hating Sena tor Norris from 1917 to 1920 or as the muti lated hide of a drafted soldier. The chief dif ficulty with the pulse writer's argument is the comparatively simple fact that it is easier to propagandize some six hundred representatives of the people than it is to affect the millions of adults in the country. The munitions makers and the foreign propagandists can and do concentrate upon the congressmen. A congressman, as illustrated in the last war, hates to be called yellow above everything else. A bold, militant attitude is somehow always easier for a congressman, who is coming up for re-eleclion and is not likely to have to fight himself, to assume than one of sane resistance to the use of force. Furthermore, the issue of war is not one which congressmen should have to decide. They are seldom or never elected on the basis of a war issue and consequently bear no man date from the people. The issue of war is the gravest one that ever faces any nation. 1 t democracy is valuable at all. the people deserve ihe right, to vote on such an issue. Modern warfare calls for a con version of the whole nation into a military dic tatorship. Since this holds serious and lasting dangers to our democrat it; form of govern ment, the people should be allowed to partici pate in such a major decision. A further fact to remember that it is usually not congress, but the president, who creates either war situation, making a war in evitable, or brings pressure to hear on congress so that it declares war. The president can al ways control congress, but unless be has a really good case he can not control Ihe vote of the people as easily. The fact that 1he presi dent has wholly disregarded the neutrality leg islation, is ample proof of a desire to prevent congress from exercising any check. If democracy is to mean anything, one man should not be allowed to exert so much influence, unless it is necessary, for instance, in case of invasion. Where the lives of the present generation are to be sacrificed and those of future ones to be jeopardized by the expenditure of billions, the people deserve a right to vote. The people started the only war in this country which has even a sem blance of justification today, and even this is doubted by some historians. Congress has failed to avoid at least four useless ones. C. 1). K. says: "Hut popular demands for the referendum increase. How can it be re duced before it is loo late?" The answer is that according to Callup's Institute of Public pinion of several weeks ago till percent of the people want the referendum. The popular de mands can be stopped only by convincing these people. The people will vote on wars in the future. Shickjtt filllAQ The People Will Vole War Quicker Than Gmgrcss To the Editor: j never agHin be ahle to rush us let is he understood hi tnc i imo a war. outset that I am as Intense in my desire for international pence s anyone run be. and that I hate war with ns much sincerity and fervor as it Is possible to muster. Rut the truth is that Congress would never again ho able to keep us out of a war. To the pre-war Congress we owe our delay In the pursuit of Mam In 1917-1. Con Thereto-e when I protest n popu- j press admittedly was worked to lar peare pre judire, my protest j n high pitch of hate, but whs the may not be ruled out on the c,.t,ti anul nf benevolency rom- grounds of motive. For anyone to decry a widely held opinion on peace policies pared to the yelling, fanatic Americiin public. Congress was forced to the declaration, by the would almost be to damn him as public's burnlnR snlmoHlty for the a "militarist- or "(iipuaii.st or central powers, and the peace "war financier." as the puhlic sees i polls of the, time recorded an It. A person who is forced by his astonishing reversal of sentiment pood sense to be skeptical of any - from a prodomlnatly peaceful malor point in the new (since munitions Investigations! anll war psychology is dogmatically Classified in the unrespectable Rroups. Any Intelligent person In n calm state of mind recognizes that a militarist may be the most Brdent peace lover on the Tare of the globe, yet any man who sets himself up as a militarist exposoR himself to a bm-rage of verbal bad tomatoes. It Is not my Intention to create ympafhy for the militarist con cept, for I believe it to be false, but It Is my contention that the con cept could be true without anyone believing In It. A policy may bo ninrere without meeting mass ap--p?oval, and advisable without hav ing: a single advecate in the land. The truth and falsity of a peace notion is affected no more by how many people believe in it than by how many teddy bears were sold thirty year ago in New ZeaUnd. Since the exposure of the muni tions racket (and of the propa ganda machines), virtually every person In the country has been clamoring for a provision for pop tilar referendum In case of war. The supposition Is that the com mon man. who was deceived Into the last war like a rat Is baited Into u trap, would never vote Wm pclf a fight unless he saw no way out of it, and that Congress would attitude to an overwhelmingly warlike one. Jt wasn't congress that duped us, It was the powerful propaganda Hgency of the British, (iernmn propaganda had a head start, but couldn't match the subtleties of the British. Mr. John Smith, who Is now so vociferously condemning our participation, was at that time streaming Into Canada to enlist and get in the fight sooner, nnd fairly parted the waves in his im patience. Poor fellow, he was tricked by those crafty news ma nipulators, and did a quicker Job of plucking himself into a war than even the He experts could have done for him. John Smith did, and can, pull on his own wool hood more handily than anyone can force It on him. Why a referendum? We already have it in a way. This nation never has and never will go to wsr un less Its citizens demand It, and it can never stay out then. We never have fought, and never will fight, a war unless our people are hood winked into the Idea that It Is a war for self-defense. It Is only when the public has "morale" ns Hitler says, that any nation can make war, and "morale" is the be lief, true or false, that our defense and our homes are endangered. ,And then when the people want war, congress is too slow to please them. Congress with nil nf Its lobbying, log rolling, polities and mnd-sllng-Ing is safer and saner in a crisis of frenzy than is the loosed emo tion of 25 million maniacs. You may thank God and American rep resentative government for ouri abstinence In the World war until 1017. Give the public sole responsibil ity for declaration of war, and you will see the launching of tre mendous new propaganda drives by interested foreign powers who are quick to realize an advantage. Give us the referendum and there will be speedy Increase, because nf propaganda, of , the supposedly sane adults who even now are shouting, "l.iet's go over and wipe Germany, Italy, and Japan off the map. They have no business liv ing." Yes. why a referendum? The only reason for It 1 can see is that It will expedite the free expression of our rancor when It grows to be uncontrollable, and will hasten the time when it is uncontrollable. If It Is best we lay our necks on the chopping block then I say, let's have, the referendum! How easy It would make It for munition-controlled press agencies, and for elgn powers! John Smith would again slit his own throat. But popular demnnds for the referendum Increase. How can it be reduced before it is too late? Signed, C. O. R. Maybe we should suck in our necks. Late news dispatches report that Japan's profuse apologies over the bombing Incident were tempered with a firmness which might seem to indicate that we should per haps play elsewhere. Theories as to the actual cause have been running riot about the , campus as political scientists in the making, military basics, and ; everyone else formulates opinions. Generally accepted however, is the jl story ot Japanese puois wno re-; ported to their base, elated that they had accomplished their ob- i jective of clearing the river of ! enemy craft, quite oblivious of tne American flags flown by the gun boat. With large quantities of high explosives being dropped daily on the war zone, how, a puzzled world is asking today, can poorly trained bombers help connecting quite unintentionally perhaps with a target once in a while? Both sides in the Sino-Japanese strug gle have now been responsible for, let us call them, mistakes, and they are perhaps reasonable ones at that. Whether of not the campus has accepted that point of view, it is at once both interesting and en couraging to note that in general, the students seem to have a much more enlightened attitude toward war than did those of a genera tion ago, who still cherished the vague notion that the ambiguous term "national honor" was some thing over which a million or so of the finest young men of the world could be sacrificed. Inter esting to note, however, is the comment made on Armistice day In 1936 by one of our best his tory professors that in two weeks, the people of this country could be propagandized Into another World war if all agencies of pub lic enlightment were utilized. A poll of campus opinion shows that, in answer to the question "Should the United States declare war on Japan because of this bombing?" the students voted: Yes 21 No 79 And on the subject of "Do you favor the. withdrawal of all gov ernment representatives (includ ing diplomatic and consular rep resentatives as well as military forces) from the war area?" the results were: Yes 87 No 13 Student comment, anonymous for the reason that we have found that most students talk more frankly and freer with us when their names do not appear with their opinions, gives adequate ex planation of these figures. Arts and Sciences senior: "The whole problem revolves about the century-old question of whether or not the army follows the flag. If the American Tobacco company, the Standard Oil com pany, and other concerns with foreign agencies, get Into hot wa ter must the government protect them? I don't see why it should, "Americans were warned to leave China, boHts were sent to j evacuate them; the ones who re- malned should do so at their own i risk. Our government has done all that it could for them. "Let the gunboat go. Ask for an apology, but don't insist on it. We stuck out our necks atd the axe fell on it, but not very hard. Next time it may be fatal. With draw our consuls, diplomats, ma rines, and battleships. Let the Far Fast go hang." Arts and Sciences sophomore: "Those slanty-eyed so-and no's have gone far enough. They've In sulted us for years, and are still looking for trouble. Although they're prepared ano we're not (we weren't in 11)17 either) we should give them Just what they're ask ing for. We stopped Germany and we can 'p Japan." Arts and Sciences sophomore: "Warning hasn't done any good. Somebody has to stop Japan, why not us? Our generation hasn't had its w-ar, but every one up to this one has, so let's get ours over with right now." Arts and Sciences sophomore: "We should ask an apology and payment for the damages, and then, whether we get them or not, let's call in our soldiers and dip lomats nnd let the orientals fight It out. "A company of marines sitting In an area which is a target for big guns and bombs, nllke can cause an awful lot of trouble. We're Just lending with our chin, and If some one socks It, It'll just be too bad." Blzad senior: "There Is a little too much in volved In this whole affair for me to say This Is what should be done' or 'This should not be done.' However, someone is going to have to decide It, Bnd I'd sure hate to be president right now. "Our president and congress have an Immense task on their hands. No matter what they de ride, I feel that the people of this nation should stand behind them 100 percent." Arts and Sciences junior: "This situation can easily get us into war. but not if it's handled right. I can see no reason for get ting 130 million people into a war because one gunboat which hap pended to be nosing around where it had no business got blown up. "We can't all be carried into a war to protect the financial inter ests of a few. Who is left in China? Only those who hope to gain commercially. Representa tives of oil and tobacco companies, mercantile houses, newsreel cam eramen, and press correspondents. We shouldn't have to protect these men and make reputations and fortunes for them at the expense of everyone else in this country. "Scratch that gunboat off the list as profit and loss, mostly loss; call back the marines and lets spend some time trying to figure out a way to stay out of this war instead of playing around with it," Arts and Sciences senior: 7 v.. " .,.' . . : k ' ' turni i uin aMft r NEWS PARADE Marjone Churchill i Km- ;i ' ft .1 '.'.,.-' I XI 175 III I Doing Thvir Best Work in the Dark . . . political wolves stationing ihem ftclves hungrily outside the treas ury's door, the $9,800 payment ap pears rather diminutive. But at a time when major nations of the world are disregarding debts of the past war pnd using every available dollar for new war sup plies, this payment from one of the smaller states comes as a wel come gesture of good faith in at least one sector. PI KAPPA ALPHA PLEDGES. Pi Kappa Alpha announced the pledging last night of Allen Frey of Omaha. Donald Deere of Dodpe and Kenneth Smith of Coleridge. The new pledges, along with the rest of the Ti K. A.'s, will enjoy a Christmas party tonight at the chapter house. Mifs Morrow Calls in Party Money, Ducats All Tassels who have money and tickets left from the Mor tar Board party must check them in this week, Martha Mor. row, Tassels president, urged yesterday. Tassels should con tact Miss Morrow today in or der that all records be cleared up before vacation. DECEMBER ISSUE AWGWAN APPEARS ON STANDS TODAY f Continued from Tage 1.) trasting the seamy life of an ex doughboy with the pomp of a uni versity military ball. Melodrama Thrills. "Is There a Mnttgage in the House?" ask co-authors Virginia Gcister and Betty Roach. The three-act play presents gripping drama on Christmas Eve and ends with a truly Awgwan solution Swami Rivva comes through with another story about Nebraska athletics and tells what he thinks should be done. Big times are ahead for Nebraska, says Swami, with the fields of polo, hockey, and rowing unexplored. Kd Steeves and Don Shoemaker are the December cartoonists and Fred Knch and Kd Schmidt con tribute bits of satire. Three Choirs Offer Presentation Today To an audience of students and townspeople, the three choirs of the First Plymouth church, the high school antiphonal choir, the girls' chapel choir and the Carillon choir, will present Kriens' musical story of Christmas, "The Star in the Fast" tonight at 8 o'clock against a reverence-Inspiring back ground in the church sanctuary. Singing sohi par::'1 in the pro gram under the direction of Mr. Wilbur Chenoweth. organist and choirmaster, will be Helen Kunz, soprano: Alice Redwook, soprano; Sylvia Cole Dlcrs, contralto; Krn- est Metzger, tenor; Robert Bell amy, tenor; and William Miller, bass. Congress, still pretty much in the dark, considers burning mid-1 night oil, tentatively plans night; sessions to push legislation. Speak-1 er Bankhead states that some ac tion will be completed on the wages and hours bill if he has to j schedule night sessions to bring ! it about. The senate, likewise, j considers a night meeting to con tinue farm bill debate. The house judiciary comnv'ttee j refuses hearing on the national referendum measure. Any action , forthcoming on that score will be through direct house action, states j Chairman Sumners, since the Lud-; low referendum orders such pro cedure. And house action seems nearer, since the necessary 218 signatures to bring the measure1 out of committee for a vote on the floor were commanded yes-: terday. 77iev Couldn't Shoot Straight or They Would Have Sunk Us . . . Three American survivors of the Panay bombing arrive in Shang hai badly wounded and suffering from shock. They report that the Panay was plainly marked with American flags. They report, also, that the American gunboat did re turn Japanese fire "vigorously." Jim Marshall, far eastern corre spondent for Collier's, describes the incident, says that the Panay "kept her guns blazing until the last minute." Flag Captain O'Donnell of the British gunboat Ladybird derides the Japanese attack in character istic British fashion. "The Japa nese firing was disgracefully poor, otherwise they would have sunk us." The H V.:.,..' Mite But W hat About the Rich Publicans? Now Showing m U i'ltK KS I - :3d Vfter S:Sli "1 Another Bllt Hit l or the l.ltlle llnose of UKi HITS f ' ' - tfSlA AN ALLURING BLONDE WITH i kiii ttrtu non ins cult rN vl A k.AM UIIUT TU1T TUDAtUL GAY BROADWAY X INTO A FftENi VI .1 i a i i i . I "V filf I Miiln Klmir NliMHv HMntnv Any Time Ml NriiM Mi I'. M Non Slum lug irf is? 'lt llltlMMMli'fl One MkIH ThW N Uhtif hiitMMwd ih Ihe inuriiiiiK nfti'r! II M-irU with i honcvmimii With n hlre.l minnmn , . . Hi rhapirnn on 24 hull r fluty Conirtmee CUINGS Hugh SINCLAIR QIMtrlLW It's only one-half of 1 percent, but It's the fiist sign of payment of war debts which the United States has seen since 1932. Hun-1 gary surprises the state depart-; ment by tendering a payment of $9,fi00 as the first installment since her defaulting in 1931. With the farm bloc clamoring j for a sum exceeding the $M)0,00(),- i , Hurry! Ends Tomorrow! r .ffVlTN VCtV A.T.T.1 It's Lincoln's 'Daffy Daze' BANGER LOVE AT WOKK with itnn soritntN .Inek IIAI.1 Marv HO I WO KdMiinl Kvrrrtti- HOKTOV SIKirPKItS! Pre I 47 rolfee on our meimnlne St.irta SATURDAYl to smsii hits:: Bobby Breen In "Make a Wish" I'ltm Laurel & Harrty In "Beau HunkV Mat. 10c NEW DEAL BARBER SHOP HAIRCU r 130G "0' 'JL C BG154 Vm flaying! Gang; Eusters . , . amatttlnif the rnrkrla . . . hiiltInK Ilia Murrh nt (rHnel JAMES CAGNEY Joliii I'nrlr Snm'l G-f,'.EN Cn-l:irrln( Rohirt AllMMTItnSO Muritnrel I.IM1KW Frnlurn JN'c 2 NTCAHT K.IIWIN BKTTY rt'KNFNH In 'All-American Chump" SUN n t s s.mi i i.vrt m. TDK RJYTEH Hrlir Te aloe 8 neu SrtioMtloDiil Poni H'l.: Now! Ends Frl. "STAGE DOOR" 25c 'til 6:30 Saturday ! 12 years since you've seen any thing to compare with it! In ronumri'! In npi'rhirli'! In thrills! In Lavish Serin's! mm TilrU 1 ai i1""""""! i n 4 Attention Shoppers! Hot Coffee In Stuart Lounge! Untuuhl In jnu by thf protlurrr o "MmiKhtT Muriellii" "David Copperfielil'' "The Thin Mitn" "Mutiny on the llotinlj "Sim Frunrlaco" r. 15o Now! His Guns nnd Fists Ruled ' the Badlands ! ii I "SHU ihlllh r inJnrgg . . , and For Lnughinjr Purposes Only STARTS TODAY! : 3 r Only' Don Ameehe Slim Summer- I vine Ann rnuthern I Stepln Fetchlt J 25 till 6 p. m. TXffi Sl( ' . olx" fix (7 Ww4 j caw V- Topping all of our past re-(sl vues for real entertainment j au-rtun-t-ou On Our Stage! HOLLYWOOD ETCH BOOK REVUE" 8 Headline Acts! fcaUttitm BROWNE and LA VELLE f ortieiv Slur of AUtn .Seler UnAiu llmirl SIX ENGLISH MACKS Stimrllilng JVrir In Trrtrr- linnrd Arrnbnl'ic'. MALIM MARL0WE liurloiqur . . . anil fim .' THE THRtE. BYRONS (miIii nf Fun 11 Piece Stage Band nnd fllrltl Girls! GIRLS! ORFKIEUM i