Friday, March 21, lJtfT
DAILY NEBRASKAN
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Develop state? Sure but why duplicate jobs?
Recognizing that an emergency in the state exists
and that action must be taken immediately to develop
new industries, and to advertise Nebraska and its prod
ucts over the nation, the legislature is debating in ap
propriations committee Monday L. B. 281 setting up a
Nebraska Agricultural and Industrial Development Com
mission and alloting to it $100,000 dollars annually for
the next two years.
Aggreuive action comes at last. The policy of
"waiting and hoping" and wishfully thinking that
better times are on their way finally gives way to a
realization that the old era of dirt farming is dying;
and to bring prosperity to this state, new uses for our
resources must be devised. For only with "better
mouse traps being built will the world make a beaten
path to our door."
With the passage of this bill the process of rejuve
nation will begin. And economic reorganization will be
necessary on a large, scale so large in fact that all in
stitutions in the state must work cooperatively to achieve
its ends.
Where any large program is being plotted however,
it is essential in the interests of economy and good re
sults to allocate to each organization that type of work
for which it is best prepared.
This proposed commission for instance is needed pri
marily as a state wide chamber of commerce, not as a
research department duplicating the activities of the
university.
So let the commission plan as extensive an ad
vertising program as it thinks prudent. But shear it
of its funds earmarked for "research" and its powers
to "conduct researches into agricultural and industrial
conditions" and give these funds to professional and
learned university research men.
The university has the facilities and the men neces
sary to make the required. studies. Already Prof. W. A.
Spurr and his statistics staff is studying the compara-
u J i. u m n a.
tive advantages ana aisauvaniages oi mi iyp?s of in
dustry that might be profitable in Nebraska. And men
in other departments are studying oils, grasses and ani
mal disease control. But most of these men are now
being handicapped in carrying on essentially the type
of study needed because of lack of funds.
So long as the university can do the research and
is unable to do it now because its funds for this par
ticular type of work are so limited, to set up another re
search commission would be like taking money out of
one pocket and putting it in another.
In the interest of economy therefore let the com
mission do the advertising and let the university have
the funds to do the research with. For if the univer
sity is not given assignments of this kind; and if it
is necessary as the provisions in the bill suggest, to
hire outside men whenever state wide research prob
lems arise, outsiders are left wondering. . .what the
university is for.
Despite aging equipment, physics
staff keeps instruction up-to-date
Once again the DAILY bring it reader mn
inside ttory of departmental activitie, thit time a
i-ketch of the phytic department a teen by it
chairman of 18 year terrice. Dr. H. H. Martin,
Editor.
BY DR. H. H. MARVIN.
Chairman of physics department.
The teaching program of the physics depart
ment is planned to meet the needs of three groups
of students. The largest group includes students
of agriculture, architecture, chemistry, dentistry,
engineering, geology, home economics, and medi
cine, who are required to take one or more courses
in physics. Another group iu made up of students
who take it as an elective subject. The third, and
ty far the smallest, consists of those students who
intend to specialize in physics.
Enough advanced and graduate courses are
offered so that a graduate student may earn the
master's degree or he may complete a minor in
physics for the Ph. D. But the teaching staff is
too small to offer the number and variety of
graduate courses which would be required for
the Ph. O. degree in physics, and this degree is
not offered.
Those who have earned the master's degree
find jobs in the research or development labora
tories of industrial concerns, in the scientific or
technical bureaus of the national government, or
occasionally in junior colleges or high schools.
About half of our students continue their grad
uate studies in other universities as candidates for
the Ph. D. degree.
Our library facilities have been maintained
well djring the depression. Subscriptions to
scientific and technical journals have been con
tinued, and the funds provided have been suffi
cient for the purchase of the more important
books which have been published. Funds for the
purchase of laboratory equipment and apparatus
have been so reduced, of necessity, that we are
behind the times and lack some items which are
needed today in a laboratory which is active in
search.
Our well-equipped physics shop enables us to
keep our apparatus in good repair, for the most
part, but evidences of obsolescence are becoming
more and more noticeable as the years pass. These
conditions are to be found everywhere in the uni
versity, of course, and no one can do much about
them until the state recovers some measure of its
former prosperity.
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I
Commentorials
. . . from our readers
Relief commission papers
favorable to Hoover plan
Dear Editor:
Dr. Gray, in his letters to the DAILY, has
tragically misrepresented the facta pertaining to
the distribution of foodstuffs to the people of oc
cupied Belgium and Northern France during the
World war, and has confused the issues involved
in the present proposed plan of supplying food to
the small democracies. It is difficult to blankly
denounce a warm friend and learned man; but it
seems from his definite attitude toward this plan
that be has either overlooked a sizeable amount of
material disproving his attitude or he has deliber
ately camouflaged his preconceived prejudices be
hind psuedo-arguuents.
I refer, specifically, to his statement in his
earlier letter that "England Is being asked to re
peat her experiences of the last war, when the
tin cans that carried American food to Belgium
were used to make German hand grenades, when
German generals after having eaten relief supplies
had the effrontity to congratuate American offi
cials upon its quality." In a later letter: "One of
these (objections) is concerned with German mis
uses of relief supplies in 1914-18."
That there was some leakage of relief sup
plies is undeniable, after a careful examination of
the documents of the Commission for Relief in
Belgium, I fail to find the semblance of con
clusive proof that the German officials played
any part in these deceptive transactions.
I quote, from this source, a letter refuting these
alleged violations: . . . "Judging by the Instances
which our people have been able to trace down, it
appears that a good deal less than one-half could
have come from imported material . . . some of the
local committees, finding the fabulous prices at
which they could sell rice, have done so in Inno
cence ... it appears that all this stuff was gath
ered up by one German firm ... the German au
thorities, in order to show fair play, are putting
this firm out of action."
The commission reports further: . . . "That
leakages from our imported foodstuffs are extra
ordinarily small, and, in any event, the bulk of the
leakages arise from Belgian causes as distinguished
from German causes ... the Germans put into
force a complete prohibition on all food exports,
and they are enforcing it vigorously ... I can only
reiterate that there have been no leakages in our
imports worth mention."
These phrases are extracts from the ex
changes of communication between the C. R. B.
and the British, and are, I believe, more reliable
than Dr. Gray's generalizations, which, by their
sensational character, approach the atrocity story
technique. If Dr. Gray, or any other champion of
the "let them starve" attitude can quote a more
reliable source than the reports of the commis
sion Itself, I will readily retract my critical state
n.ents; but until more definite proof can be pro
duced, the unbiased documents of the C. R. B.
must be taken over one man's opinion.
Critically,
ROY BYROM.
Pro and con
Certainly the documents of the Commission for
Relief in Belgium should carry weight in a discus
sion of the success of the "soup kitchen" program
in the last war. To these documents could be added
the signed statements of Perrin C Galpin on the
Brussels staff, and W. Hallam Tuck, Maurice Pate
and Milton M. Brown, all members of the 1914
1919 relief commission. Their statements point out
particularly that supplies leaking out (possibly to
this German company referred to above) were re
turned by Germany to the complete satisfaction of
the British.
Your statements, however, that Dr. Gray's
stand is based upon opinion alone drives me
somewhat to his defence. For he too possesses
evidence on his tide of the question. Of most im
portance is the statement he has of Topping, a
man who worked under Hoover in Belgium, de
claring that food passed regularly into the hands
of the German high command during the last
year of the war.
Editor.
Behind
the
News
Ordal
OI
fon
Heaviest of year
London received its worst bombing of 1941, Wednesday night as
600 German planes were reported to have dropped 10,000 fire and ex
plosive bombs in a violent six-hour barrage.
Berlin sources declared that the attack was unprecedented in se
verity, "far exceeding Coventry," and nazi pilots claimed to have
spread destruction among the docks along the Thames river bend,
damaging particularly the great Albert and King George V docks.
The British in their turn, said that five hospitals were hit, public
service disrupted and whole blocks of residences blown to bits by the
high-explosive bombs.
The London raid, following closely upon the bombardment of
Liverpool, Glasgow and Hull emphasizes the fact that Hitler is speed
ing up his offensive in order to pack it as full of punch as possible be
fore the full effect of American aid is felt.
Observers who believe this, point to the fact that this year's heavy
offensive is starting a month before that of a year ago when the Ger
mans did not move into high gear until April.
Meanwhile, in this country, Congress continnues to give evidence
that it means to use all possible speed In providing the funds for the
all-out British aid made possible by the lease-lend bill.
Mortar Boards ignore positions
in picking qualified successors
Dear Editor:
Knowing you did not intentionally misrepresent Mortar Board
requirements in your "Horse Before the Buggy Always" editorial, we
feel certain that you will be glad to help us clarify the exact qualifi
cations of Mortar Board.
The purpose of Mortar Board is to provide for the cooperation
between societies, to promote college loyalty, to advance the spirit of
service and fellowship among university women, to maintain a high
standard of scholarship, to recognize and encourage leadership, and
to stimulate and develop a finer type of college woman.
The specific requirements for Mortar Board on this eampua
are: A scholastic average at least three points above the all uni
versity average. Black Masque chapter has set this standard at
weighted eighty. Not what noaition a niH 1. xnimi t hM in
woman s organization her eniar t Kn Ik. nmlliu of urvir. and
leadership she has developed during her freshman, sophomore, and
Junior years. Officer or not, a girl who has done good work for
three years is going to continue doing so not only her senior year
but the rest of her life. You can easily set that this qualification
makes what office a girl holds one of the last things to consider.
Usually girls eligible for Mortar Board are the same girls eligible
for and capable of filling offices in women's organizations; however,
the office they hold in such organizations. Is not what makes them
eligible. The same qualiUes that make a girl eligible to be an officer
or member of organizations are those same qualities we look for in
future Mortar Boards.
Officership in organizations is no guarantee of election to Mor
tar Board. A girl is elected for scholarship, service and leaderhsip.
All of these qualities are not considered for soma offlcerships, e. g.
scholarship, therefore some officers are those girls who are not sat
isfactory candidates for Mortar Board whertas some non-officers
are those qualified.
Student Council is not a woman's activity and sometimes the
members are elected on popularity in preference to merit; however,
when a girl does her work well it is noted and recognizd. And again
it is not necessary to know her potential office holding for her senior
year since we go on past records.
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