Tuesday, November TO, 1953 ( f'oga 2 THE NEBRASKAN 1 i n 1 X EDITORIAL PAGE xped'ency 1s. Ethics Some interesting observations arise from Attorney General BrownelFs startling Friday Chicago speech. He then asserted that former President Truman had access to knowledge of Harry Dexter White's defec tion to communism, and further, did not take action upon it. Brownell has justifiably earned a reputation as a successful politician A successful politi cian is always aware of the importance of timing. The timing of this statement is particularly significant, following on the heels of the seri ous Republican embarrassment at the polls a week ago today. Also, Brownell's statement very strategically precedes anothiir import ant election in California. The question of the accuracy of Brownell's charges or Truman's counter-charges cannot be determined here. But, a discussion of why this particular time was taken to divulge this information might be enlightening. Strangely enough, Brownell himself de- 'Controversy' Because this week is National Education Week, The Nebraskan had hoped to present its readers with a series of articles explaining the issues involved in controversies over phases of American education. As part of the program we had hoped to publish articles, written by members of the Teachers College staff, on Deweyism, the doctorate of education and the purposes of the College. When contacted, however, the professors of education declined to participate in The Nebraskan's propram, primarily on the grounds that the Issues involved are a matter of dispute and that they did not wish to be come part of any "controversy." " Still convinced that its readers should be informed of the issues at stake in modern ed ucation, The Nebraskan has been forced to reprint portions of articles published Aug. 30 in the Des Moines Sunday Register. Today's reprinted article presents the case for Dewey. Wednesday The Nebraskan will print the case against Dewey. In Friday's paper Dr. Royce Knapp, pro fessor of secondary education, will comment on "Education at Mid-Century." The Nebraskan regrets that members of the staff of the Teachers College have not seen fit to help the paper present to its readers the issues involved in modern education. We believe that controversies can be re solved only by talking Intelligently about them and presenting the arguments of all sides. No controversy, so far as we know, was ever eliminated by refusing to talk about it In the near future The Nebraskan will at tempt to present both sides of the picture in the current battle between proponents and opponents of the doctorate of education.. We hope the faculties of Teachers College, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Grad uate College will consent to use The Ne braskan as a public forum for the presentation of issues involved in the controversy. K.R. A Reawakening? The University's annual week-long "re vival" has been called off, at least for 1953-54. In its place students who attended a religious-evaluation retreat over the weekend would substitute a multitude of study groups. Anyone who has worked with the so-called revival," Search Week, will testify that the annual religious-emphasis week has not pro duced much impact on campus. The week comes and goes. Most of those who attend meetings and participate in serv ices are students and faculty members who are active in religious affairs the year-around. The other participants tend to fall back into their hum-drum' existence. A few students and instructors have worked hard on Search Week in the past, but their efforts have been largely futile. .. The new program will be more difficult to Inaugurate. Instead of a series of public or classroom meetings at a specific time, religious leaders will be faced with Indefinable groups, meeting irregluarly and discussing any and everything. Although the retreaters suggest a meeting of representatives from the study groups, no council can regulate the conduct of the cells. Schedules, announcements and outlines of study will not create a religious awakening. Nor will coordinating bodies and elaborate ' speeches. Search 'Week, in as much as it was un- ! successful, failed because it became an an nual observance with formal meetings and de tailed schedules and because it was forgotten the next week. If the program f study groups Is to create a year-around concern for religious affairs, its goal wia be reached only throne personal contacts with Individuals contacts which will eoBiaae Shrenghout an entire year.. Perhaps a plan of personal missionaries win succeed where a formalized revival failed. clared that the FBI account of thesource of the information "could not be released for fear of compromising national security." If Brownell could take the liberty of making political hay out of releasing this information at this specific time, it is ludicrous he should say the complete information should be denied to the public because of security reasons. This comes close to saying, "What I say is true, but I can't tell you why. Ton must take my word for the accuracy of the statement. After all, I have said it" The nature of this disclosure or assertion was so put that It smacks of McCarthy-type sensationalism. This is just about the last criticism The Ne braskan imagined would be leveled at Brownell. Expediency, however necessary for political success, can hardly serve as a substitute for high-principled public service. It is a dis tinct surprise that Nebraska alum Brownell chose the latter method after gaining respect as a proponent of the former philosophy. If this information was available before, why was it not divulged earlier? Brownell said, "I can now announce officially, for the first time in public, that the records in my de partment show that White's spying activities for the Soviet government were reported in detail by the FBI to the White House by means of a report delivered to President Tru man through his military aide, Brig. Gen. Harry Vaughan, in December of 1945." Can the attorney general tell us why he withheld this information until now? Can he say that his office is any less guilty than his predecessors (provided the reports are true), of withholding information from the public? Is this the desperate "ace in the hole" of a shaky administration which realizes the pub lic opinion is turning against the "great cru sade" which has been developing into "the great faux pas"? Or to put it another way, is this proof that the administration has acknowledged Mc Carthy sensationalism as a bona fide political device? If it be true that times be bad enough for the administration to ignore and gloss over serious deficiencies relating to unfulfilled campaign promises and embark upon a nega tivistic program of "killing dead horses," we are witnessing an inherent defeatist approach which may very likely mark a further tumble of Republican prestige. The Nebraskan is waiting patiently for evidence of a positive attitude by the Eisen hower administration we were promised that during the campaign. But, in the face of the Brownell speech, we find ourselves still wait ing, with patience running out EJ). Reefs At Harvard The undergraduate newspaper at Harvard demanded in an editorial that McCarthy "actually name the professor or professors of Harvard who are Communist." This was their answer to charges McCarthy made that Harvard students are being ex posed to "Communist professors and party philosophy." In spite of The Nebraskan's sympathy with the Harvard editorial on this occasion, it seems as though they are letting themselves wide open for a counter-charge by McCarthy. Investigator McCarthy can call the news paper "red" and get away with it You see, the newspaper's name is The Har vard Crimson. E.D. Margin Notes Mistaken Identity The housing situation in Lincoln must be getting desperate. Two out-of-state home hunters tried to purchase the new Southeast fire station Wed nesday. A clear case of mistaken identity the low structure resembles a new ranch style home. Even the large economy-size garage was explained by the assumption that it was a recreation room at the rear. "No sale," the city the present owners declared. Maybe Love Library can start renting out apartments. That 'Lost Touch' Humility ' Humility, according to the columns and editorials of the last two weeks, is something everyone seems to have lost. But how many humble persons talk about humility? Ever run across" a "humble person" who said so? Humility is expressed and exhibited; not defined and discussed. Therefore, we wonder if the really humble have been heard from yet We're Being Quoted The Ladies Home Journal reported that the following statement was beard on the Uni versity of Nebraska campus: "The moon not only pulls the ocean back and forth in the tides; it stops cars on the side roads." Jim Tk&AaMwv PIFTY-TEIRD TEAS Member Associated Collegiate Press IntercoDieriate Press AavertMBf representative: National Advertising Service. Inc. MMisoa Ave, New York 17, New York - EmrojuaL sTarr ' r,ZJ!frllJ' , of tUm f!wy f knkB mi neimMlim mt tofeait' '" ' !! tui-v. AtMwmng t Aretdo O of the " mbtifunnm a itaMml . k ' -'" ft "SI ta the puller " SI r.aar It Jariedietlaa ana "-tl trawmut) a the part f tJM . or w pmrt x mtr tmmaW mt the facility mt I c i ji(vbl'?, nut l mnmuhm mt tin mt Ttm Jfctuteaa) peranum rrmmnsibla far wot taar aa wr Bfciss te ft Brtnttta." S ' o . ft a aetneetar, 1.M amlteA. e, ria anul?a KHH-, t aJr. (Jingle mopj ta flv "" riiili a T-.vi.ik. . WfitHwojr au ftUmf f t tx-itmi year. -rri. .mot tnouittmtlna -""' " ii4!.'W nruic the mnstti f .a- w f.tt ttm Imvnmtr f MeltriMKK imAer ttm r-i ! mt if f wmautee r Student roWMnMoB. j i "... ittr art ttm real fft In i r t-irK!,ifci tsna- Ant mt OmrmM, Mantk S, 1 i. M ! kl rte af pwta for ta " '' l U of i'liugw-a f itoU S, nfhaitaaS rmtor. tatartal Pare Bttttar , n Mar Manarlnc EUtw................ .... .Bally Mall Kw KdNar . Tom H mitrKt Cap Un.M.MmjH BarrtMm. Mariaaaa Baaaea. Kay Knaky, 4araea Harvey f-a,or--- .-...J.. ....... .CkMriw Payalek Salter..... Vwlcat RE PORTERS HrrV Rarcf , Manila Mlrkeimn. Oraee Harvey, Brmla aawmautat, t una Mr-lu-tt. aim Rrarmana. Mary Bhei. My, Jktrk Waavwara. San .mwea, rvea Daly. Caralya Ut. PrHl Hemli herr. LtmvO Veatat, Mary Kay iVwia ler, Mariiya nrinn, ia Pallmaa, Martlya Mltxanlt, Na,tIi Hatt, AUu-uj,a fyaaa. Vet Bar()lli( ana im I tanfiiHiB. BtaiKESB STArr Kurinwa Maaarw - Otaa atpaia Aaa't BnsuiaM Manacar. . .Clbeater ngr, lima imont IivK Weataott Cv)atia ,, MM.aVw WUItamaaa fiifut &ewa i(i"r.................,....girMa ikatrvejr The C in P avoir f J ohm vy EDITOR'S NOTE: The follow, inr article, published In the fes Moines Sunday Register, was written by Frederic Ernst, teacher and educational adminis trator, now deputy administrator of New York public schools. His article, here condensed, is en titled. "How Dangerous is John Dewey?" and presents the case for Dewey. In Wednesday's Ne braskan will be printed a com panion article explaining the views of one of Dew-r's critics.) In recent years our public schools have been criticized so frequently and in so many places that their defenders may be jus tified in believing, in part at least, that these criticisms are a concerted attack on public edu cation. Though charges have been fre quent, they have not been num erous. One that recurs constantly is that the schools do not teach the fundamental subjects. Another is that their discipline is so lax that they may be blamed for an increase in Juvenile de linquency. A third accusation calls our public schools "god less." ... Only in a few instances have these criticisms brought about radical changes in school procedures. v A fresh line of attack was needed if the campaign against the new education was to succeed. Accordingly a new strategy has been planned. It carefully refrains from re peating the stock indictments. In stead, it devotes its attention to John Dewey, whose writings on education have profoundly influ enced teachers and administra tors the country over . . . There is no doubt that among American philosophers Dewey stands first in his influence on educational theory and educa tional practice. Education was a primary con cern for Dewey because for him philosophy was not just some thing for the books. Its primary purpose was to guide and inspire people to develop to the utmost their potentialities as individuals and as members of the society. He believed that the fullest hnman development was possible only in a democratic society, and be regarded democracy not merely as a form of government, but as a continually developing way of, living: together. He believed further that the possibilities of a democratic en vironment could not be realized unless the schools were a re flection on that environment and unless their methods were based on the principle that the school is an organized form of demo cratic living. Furthermore, it may allay the fears of any parents who are dis turbed by warnings about Dew ey's vicious philosophic theories. Basic to his whole scheme of things is the doctrine of inter est first expounded technically in his famous essay, "Interest As Related To WilL" Briefly, the theory is that education must be based on the child's developing instinctive interests. Those in terests are the starting point Where educational procedures are not based on the child's in terests, what the school succeeds in doing is cultivating "divided attention." Dewey pointed out that the child's interests will inevitably find play, and if the school does not give them this opportunity, the school will ha ve to be satis fied with just a slirbt part of the child's attention. The best of him, his real self, will seek expression in daydream ing, if need be, or in a more or less active rebellion against a confining environment Since the child's instinctive interests call for activity, the school must supply the activity that will enlist the child's en tire attention. There must be games, there must be play and these activities in turn require the participation of the child in group action which teaches him to adjust to other children. Hence the importance of the occupations and vocations in the school curriculum. Remember that this organiza tion of subject matter was at first denounced as based on "soft pedagogy." If children are to be merely interested, what becomes of work which they must learn to do? Dewey's thoughts on the or ganization of the school curricu lum led him to propound the difference between what he called a logical and psychological organization of subject matter the psychological organization being based on the child's in terest and experiences. Geography and history are subjects that have been trans formed by Dewey's influence. Before Dewey, their chief ob jective seemed to be to develop competent serf ormers on an "In formation Please" program. Geography and history . are concerned with nature and mam and as Dewey pointed out, give "background and outlook and in tellectual perspective to what might otherwise be narrow per sonal actions or mere forms of technical skill." The change in point of view began when Dewey pointed out that the ultimate significance of mountains and valleys, lakes and streams, is social, and when he insisted that though history deals with the past, it is the history of the present Dewey's relentless criticism of educational methods current 40 or 50 years a?o and his insistence on the child's instinctive inter ests and impulses resulted in un fortunate misinterpretations by the advanced thinkers who were competing among themselves in their efforts to get furthest away from the traditional situation. It is, of course, a fact that much of what called itself pro gressive education was just a travesty of what Dewey in tended. It was due to Us intervention that the perverters of the pro gressive movement, at first li mited almost entirely to private schools, were set straight as to just what progressive education could and should be. Dewey made plain that while control of child activity by teacher was wasteful and unpro- -ductive, this did not mean that there would be no control. He pointed out that not every experience was educative and that it was the teacher's func tion to supply a stimulating en vironment in which truly educa tional controls and directions were inherent Teachers soon realized that a program based on Dewey's edu cational theories made demands on them far in excess of those required by the older program with its characteristic routines and formal drills. In these days of Internationa crisis those who attempt to un dermine Dewey's influence on ' our educational program of mo bilizing to the limit the resource of a democratic society. Let us beware when we hear that fascism is more efficient than the democratic process. On Dew ey's educational principles we can base our faith that our schools can develop for any emergency the potentialities of the oncoming generation. Letterip In Defense Of Grandma (Letteri to the editor aboule he flmHaf to 2HII wordt. t Bnianaa ietiera will aot be aahliahed; however, aaniea aap fee with held a reaaeat. The aditarc reaerve the rtf-lit to edit all letters. Liettera rapraaeat snly the ceatritoator'a view.) Dear Editor: There is, t think, such a thing as a sense of humor; but violence and bad taste of the Mickey Spil lane type, such as that in Mr. Sharpnack's column Wednesday, can hardly be called anything lse but a vicious perversion. To be sure, the author may be try ing to make a point too subtle to be seen; if so he fails. He may be attempting to parody the 'we-jusWove-hlood" school of story writing; if so, be fails. If he thinks he is imitat ing James Thurber, he should remember that in Thurber' s fables mildness has its revenge; if he thinks be is emulating Jona than Swift, he needs to improve both his style and his approach. To be brief, 1 can see nothing funny at all in such a brutal trampling down of decency, res pect for the aged and filial love either in this travesty of famfly life or in its alleged moral (!). Standards of decency are low enough everywhere, even on this relatively fair campus (look around you). An article of this sort, even if intended to point a real moral, I'm afraid I can re gard only as an encouragement to further corruption. I have been told that once upon a time The Nebraskan was cen sored by the Publications Board or the Journalism Department One way and another, I have spent ajuite a few years arguing against censorship in all forms; but this piece has left me such a bad taste in the mouth that I find myself wondering if censor ship, in the interest of common decency, may not be a pretty good thing after all. FACULTY MEMBER Economics 11 Dear Editor:. I am not taking Economics 11, nor have I taken that course yet Also, I am not taking sides in what may develop into a some what lively discussion. 1 am only interested in sug gesting how the subject might be studied more profitably. The writer of an editorial, "Eco nomics 11," which appeared in Friday's Nebraskan, stated that "rather than stating clear def initions with supplementary ex amples, the authors go into lengthy dissertations which lose the student." She went on to say, "Second, students complain that class lec tures are not successful in ex plaining fundamental concepts of the course. With few exceptions, lectures have been as vague and meaningless to students as the text" From the above, it appears that the text and the lectures make use of one of two methods com monly used in teaching largely theoretical subjects. One method is to state the jM-toeiyiie first and then to ffer illustrations. Another method is to present eases from which the student is supposed to draw the principle. It is generally recognized that Harvard University's Law School and the Yale University School of Law are among the best in the nation. In both schools, law is taught primarily by the case method. I understand that basically Harvard's Law School uses the . second method: the student is given an assignment in a case book and is supposed to figure out the principle. Harvard sticks close to the case method.. Yale tries to show its students the relation of law to society by demonstrating how legal principles apply in the fields of the various social sci ences. Here the first method is used: the principle is stated first and then cases are given. The text and lectures in Ec. 11 probably use the method used by Harvard. This is to suggest that eco nomics students nught study more profitably if they attempt to see what principle is at work in "the lengthy dissertations which lose the student" There is a forest bere, as wefi as trees. The question is why are they bere, and how did they get bere? ROGER WATT 'Father Of Prog EDITOR'S NOTE: The follow ing article was published ori ginally In the Des Moines Sun day Register, accompanying ar ticles presenting the cases for and against John Dewey. Well-informed parents in Iowa know of the conflict in the field of education, growing largely from the fact that many schools and educators are molded in the image of John Dewey. Today the Sunday Register at tempts to bring into focus both sides of the question with the following two articles present ing the case for and against John Dewey's progressive education. . . John Dewey, called "the father of progressive education," un doubtedly was one of our coun try's greatest philosophers and educators. The basis for his philosophy of education was that emphasis should be put on the Individual child, rather than the subject His views did much to human ize the American school sys tem. As a philosopher, Dewey was a pragmatist Pragmatism is a school of social thought that be lieves an idea must be judged by it works, rather than how it sounds or looks. The pragmatist does not be lieve that anything is selfevident His special branch of pagma tism was called instrumentalism. For him, knowledge simply was ressive Education' the instrument used to get out of predicaments or to better so cial conditions. Dewey believed that the high est virtue was intelligence that intelligence means resolving a problem with an answer that (1) is the most workable, and (2) makes the most people happy. The starting point of his sys tem of thought is biological, with man to be seen as an organism in an environment. Things are to be understood through their origins or functions, without the intrusion of supernatural consid erations. Truth Is not fixed or absolute. The only reality is experience, and all experience is of objects in relations. And since the individual is to live in a society, he is to be studied as a citizen (actual or potentai), growing ana think ing in a vast complex of social interactions and relationships, not as a solitary "self or soul." Dewey's theories, coupled with a deep faith in human nature, made him a staunch defender of democracy and a militant liberal in politics. He held this as his faith that the closer man inspects himsellf and his society and the more he knows about nature, the bet ter off his world eventually will be and the more progress will be made by civilization. The Student Speaking All That Glitters By HANK GIBSON (EDITOR'S NOTE: The follow ing items were not sent in to The Saturday Evening Post nor are they reprinted from the Post) Several years ago I was sleep ing in a small log cabin on the outskirts of a sleepy Canadian town. It was a rather cold night with several inches of snow on the ground, and I had turned in early after setting my traps. I was quite tired and would probably have slept soundly if left alone. But about 3 a.m. I was awakened by a growling noise just outside my cabin door. Pulling the blankets around me, I went to the window and looked out I was horrified by what I saw. One of the largest grizzly bears I have ever seen had chased a very old lady up into a rather spindly tree. It was apparent from the way the bear was shaking the tree that the old lady could not pos sibly maintain her perilous perch for very long. . I reached quickly for my rifle, but then remembered that I had used the last shell I had to dis patch a small dog that bad slob bered on my fine hunting boots. It was impossible to call for help, the nearest neighbor be ing at least a mile away. I look ed frantically about the small cabin, but all that was there was my bed and the warm blan kets wrapped about, roe. Nonetheless, I was able to quickly reach a decision, which I feel was the only thing that could be done under the cir cumstances. Can you tell what I did? (See Answer Below) pq 3q inaat BB ft peV tSOf I The Perfect Squelch ' Not long ago, my mother was having a shower for one of ber young friends who was to be married. Unfortunately, it was necessary for her to invite Mrs. Chittenden-Cbumley, the self appointed social leader of my home town. Mrs. Chittenden-Chumley was the type of elderly woman who attached a great deal of import ance to everything at a social event being just so. She usually went to great lengths to make a poor hostess who had a stopped-up john or other slight inconvenience or oversight feel terribly aware of her social faux pas. Naturally, Mother was quits anxious that the shower be a big success, but anything on so large a scale as this affair could hard ly be perfect Mrs. Chittenden Chumley never missed a trick. She caught everything that was even slightly less than perfect and throughout tae party mad my mother feel thoroughly in ferior. O .Finally, when the guests sat down to dinner and Mother was just about at the end of her rope, Mrs. Chittenden-Chumley no itced that the table had been set with the silverware in re verse order from the way it should nave been set "My 3ear, Mrs. Chittenden Chumley said, icily, "I didn't know all your guests were left handed. With a slight smile on her face. Mother turned to her tormentor. "Why don't you shut your G Damn mouth?" she said. University Bulletin Board TUESDAY Cora Ceb Worker Active Meet ing, S p.m.. Boom 313, Union. Student Directory Sales MteUJ tag, 7:15 p.m.. Room 315, Union. Lab Theater Freductica "Room Service" Opening, t p.m.. Room 201, Temple. WEDNESDAY Phi Beta Kappa Banquet, 6: IS p.m.. Union. Nu-Med Meeting, 7:30 p.m.. Love Library Auditorium. "Room Service," 8 p.m.. Room 201, Temple Building. m unpei wTHQvrr or rue cocueou com it COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY OF LINCOLN