Page 2
Lincoln, Nebraska
Wednesday, November 3, 1954
Got A Chain Letter-You' re InT rouble
Chain letter buyers and sellers, you have had
1"! No matter what you have been told, or told
your prospective customers, chain letters are
definitely illegal according to postal authoritier
her in Lincoln.
J. A. Bradley, postal inspector, says that
even mailing of money only, supposedly foe
paneca which made the letters legal, is in vi
olation of Fedtral statutes.
Chain letters are in violation of postal regu
lations generally titled the fraud statute and
the lottery statute. The former regulation, cited
by postal authorities js actually 62 Stat. 763;
18 USC 1342 which calls for a $1000 fine or 5
years imprisonment or both for violation. Brad
ley explained that mailing only money did not
constitute a legal operation, rather sending
cash merely completed the fraud.
. Actually, chain letters have been declared
- unmailable material by the Post Office solicitor
in Washington, D.C. Violators are prosecuted by
United States Attorneys. Mailing only money
does not offer a legal way around the postal
regulations because of the completing a fraud
Interpretations of such an act by the solicitor.
On the local level, postal authorities have out
lined their plans to combat the spread and oper
ation of chain letters as a three-fold program.
First, postal clerks, many of whom are expert
at detecting suspicious letters which might in
clude the "payoff" have been noting the names
and numbers of the addressees on such letters.
In some cases, where the payoff letter traffic is
particularly heavy to one individual, letters
are held up in the post office. ,
Second, postal inspectors make their investi
gations of suspicious letters. In cases where
the letter is held up Inspector Bradley noted, the
addressee is called into the office and asked to
open the letter in the presence of the investigat
ing officer. Should the letter contain a bona
fide message, nothing further is said; should
the letter contain a payoff (usually a $5 bill),
questioning begins in an effort to trace the
letter back to its source.
Third, an affidavit of statements concerning
the letters containing payoffs is sent to a U.S.
Attorney's office where the decision of whether
or not to prosecute for the violation of postal
regulations is made. A check with the U.S. At
torney in Lincoln showed the matter is being
investigated at the present time, and a decision
about the hgality of recent chain letters will
be reached soon.
Thus far, the postal authorities have been
slow to take action on persons taking part in
chain letters. Inspector Bradley noted that chain
letters and similar money making u;en. are
frauds or considered fraudulent because there is
no certainty of return on the money invested.
Also fake letters, name substituting and cheating
on payments are common. He added that chain
letters usually fall of their own weight because
of the huge numbers of persons required to make
the proposition profitable for anyone involved.
To date, there have been no complaints to the
postal officers about chain letters. However, the
most recent craze seems to be made of more
durable stuff than those before. Bradley said the
situation now is more serious and the postal
authorities plan to take action.
It is a matter of common knowledge that many
University students have taken part in chain
letter schemes, some thinking the hand-to-hand
method of moving the letter itself made the
scheme legal since nothing but money was
actually sent through the mail. It has been
shown that merely mailing payoff money through
the mails is a serious off inse which might easily
result in stiff penalties for those involved.
Inspector Bradley advised that . persons in
volved in chain letters do what they can to have
their names removed from the list.
Up 'to now, chain letters have been little more
than a source of amusement to college students.
Tew of ilioss students taking part actually ex
pected to hit the pot-of-gold supposedly just
around the corner. An even smaller minority
really knew they were involving themselves in
something so strongly illegal or in something
which might have such disastrous effects should
enforcement agencies care to prosecute.
All that has saved many persons from being
prosecuted in the past has been the large
numbers of persons involved. Prosecution was
also not undertaken because the chains were
comparatively short-lived. However, the 1954 ver
sion is hanging on the postal authorities do not
like this and have promised action against chain
letters. They might bring pressure to bear
which will result in serious consequences to those
who become the examples intended to break
the chains once and for all. T. W.
When Philosophies Collide
The uproar in Nebraska concerning the de
bate topic chosen for 1954-55, "Resolved: That
the United States Should Extend Diplomatic
Recognition to the Communist Government of
China," smacks of good old Nebraska conserva
tism. It surprised many resigned conservatives
who believe universities and colleges are in
fested with liberals and that liberalism breeds
among the "Intellectuals." v '
Dr. Herbert Cushing departed from this theory
with his announcement that Kearney State
Teachers College, of which he is president,
would not debate the national debate topic be
cause it is "trying to indoctrinate a few thousand
American college youths with what I consider
tn hf n Haneerous nh losonhv." The fact that
other Nebraska colleges took a similar position
indicates that there is either a widespread
. agreement with Dr. Cushing or that the strength
of Dr. Cushing's pronouncement carried the sen
timents of a silent citizenry which additional
prodding might make scathingly vocal.
The position these schools have taken on the
H debate question has been applauded by some as
"protection from indoctrination" and criticized
' by others as a violation of "academic freedom"
. that often used obscure term.
Many consider the colleges unjust in their re
fusal to hold an investigative debate on the
, Red China question saying that this is sup
pression of free speech, education and censor,
"ship. Supporters of Dr. Cushing argue that the
Z question, so Important in United States foreign
" policy, has no debatable content because the
T United States has already decided what its
... . - . ... i ml....
position concerning tvea cmna wui oe. aiicjt
also argue that the question, if exploited, would
endanger the patriotic thinking of America's
college youths in that it is too close to the
Communist ideology to ever be debated in the
affirmative without some adverse effect on the
debater regardless of the fact that he must
also debate the negative side of the question.
The debate topic is obviously a loaded one
. and justifiably so. But it must be realized even
- by Cushing that there are some loyal Ameri
S. cans totally' anti-Communistic who feel that
Red China should be recognized for the good of
' the U.S.
"". It must also be realized that there are people
who firmly believe that the Red China issue is
a closed one; that we recognized a Communist
government once and are now paying dearly
for it; that Red China, how it came to be and
what it now is, is against everything that
America stands for. To these people there is
. , no question.
" But beneath all this conservatism and liberal
quibbling lies a psychological factor which
Z. seems to. have escaped notice. The American
public at least in Nebraska is not ready or
- willing to have any subject debated openly
which may possibly present the merits of a
government embodying Communism, anti-democratic
philosophies and anti-capitalism words
which have bombarded the American people
cince the 1920's. Red China connotes all these
and more and it is difficult for Americans
to see the 'separation between Red China as a
nation and Red China as a revolutionary, Com
munistic way of life. The memories of Ameri
can newspapers reporting Communist infiltra
tion into the government, Congress' outlaw of
the .Communist party, the restriction through
suspicion of Oppenheimer and the obvious re- j
fusal to recognize Red China or admit her to
the United Nations have fostered an atmosphere
of defensive condemnation of a too liberal ap
proach to Communism in any form. The Ameri
can people have been propagandized to the
point that their objectivity on matters dealing
with Communism has been impaired.
If a student were to debate this question in the
affirmative and if he were to win that debate
on the basis that he presented a stronger and
more logical argument than did the negative"
side, is there a chance that somewhere in the
far recesses of society that student would be
called a "pink" or regarded as having too lib
eral opinions for the good of the country. This
is highly theoretic but it is not too far from be
ing plausible.
Would such a debate victory place the student
on the F.B.I, list of those persons who have
expressed opinions adverse to the American
way of life and have upheld a position opposite
to that of the United States government's policy.
Probably the liberals would tear their hair" at
this reasoning but it is all too true that a stigma
does exist and that society would use this stigma
to cast off those who would voice a too well
prepared defense of Communism. Society acts
not only consciously but subconsciously and it
is society's subconscious that often runs illogi
cally rampant.
ic
Defenders of the debate choice say that the
question could only be debated on the legal
aspects of the recognition of Red China. Critics
hold that the moral aspects far overshadow
the legal points and the moral issue has al
ready been decided.
Freedom of education, investigation then
Judging, freedom to think for oneself and to form
an opinion based on knowledge has always been
American. It seems strange that ichose who cry
loudest for "academic freedom" insist on put
ting the validity of this freedom to test after
test, as if they themselves doubted it existed.
But the question of Red China call it Commu
nism ia aokion is a poor testing ground.
The problem of Red China and Communism
and Russia and Red infiltrtion has been on an
adult evsl thai, is, the persons who have the
authority to combat it legally and morally. If
the conservative adults feel that the problem
is not yet read to be dumped into the laps of
college students who are struggling to reach
the true adult maturity whether they will assert
this lowly position or not then they are justi
fied in their decisions.
There will always be a battle between the
liberals and conservatives and The Nebraskan
hopes for the preservation of American free
dom in which these battles take place. But if
the two poles cannot meet and unite on the
issue of Communism condemning it in every"
possible way then we cannot escape it. "United
we stand, divided we falT'-Abraham Lincoln.
-J. H.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
by Dick Bible-
JhsL TtebJiaAkcuL
FIFTY-SECOND YEAR
Member: Associated Collegiate Press
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dunna Aeguit br lb Cnlwitjf of Nebraska pnder tbo
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I ntend a acenad etaat matter at tbo Port Office to
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This Is It. ..Or Is It?
Columnist
Individual
igesfs
Su
Inventory
I must tell a convincing story I told him my father owns a big
horse ranch."
Letterip
The Motive: Nationalism
Dear Editor:
In one of the short stories of
Saki a lady has been shocked by
the remarks of a youth and asks
him: "Do you really think there
is no boundary between good
morals and bad?" She receives
this answer: "Yes, of course there
are moral boundries, but they are
like those of the Russian Em
pire, at one place one time and
another place another time." To
me this passage suggests the
frame of mind with which a gen
eration, that of Disraeli and Bis
marck, met the threat of Russian
expansionism. My suggestion, op
posed by Mr. Sogandares-Bernal,
that we should recognize "Red"
China is entirely in sympathy with
this attitude. It does not deserve
the epithet "immature" nearly so
well as the opposite view.
Russia is pu. suing an imperial
istic policy. That she seeks to
dominate the areas which surround
her for the purpose of unlimited
Imperialism is something we do
not know but must assume for our
own safety. The "whole question
is how to limit the growth of Rus
sian power. Our natural allies in
this policy are the nations that
lie between us and Moscow. Even
tually Russia will have to sub
jugate China and Germany or give
up her hopes for world hegemony.
This is a fact that neither of those
nations can long ignore. It is the
only principle upon which we may
construct a successful foreign pol
icy. Our cardinal principle should
be: Do anything and everything
which will strengthen and unite
Germany and China.
That a strong, united Germany
might revert to Nazism, that China
should be dominated by a Com
munist regime is not terribly im
portant. Neither could, by them
selves, overthrow the status quo.
To do so in concert with Russia
would be to become resigned to
the status of a client nation or
worse.
Both China and Germany are
primarily animated by a resurgent
nationalism. This is a great posi
tive force no matter what title it .
assumes. We can utilize it or dis
dain it. The latter has been our
choice so far and it has been dis
astrous every step of the way.
On the other -hand we could play
the benevolent role far better than
the Russians for we have no de
signs on either Germany or China.
It cannot escape the attention of
the leaders of these countries that
in the end Russia will have had
her use of them and discard them.
The device of a puppet govern
ment will not be necessary indefin
itely. GUY L. COOPER III.
By CYNTHIA HENDERSON
Students received a sharp re
minder Saturday that old Time
was marching along this semester,
as is customary. Also, as custom
ary, that old measuring stick of
minutes and hours has been tick-
ing away steadily without our no
tice. However, the leaves have now
fallen and the first white flakes
are appearing. Suddenly we real
ize we are nearly at the halfway
mark in our first stmester. Hardly
without our realization Rush Week
hit and bid, new students were"
welcomed and are now just regu
lar members of campus circles and
are being treated with the usual
indifference, given, to. the. Old
Guard. '
Also, the AUF drive has come
and gone, the drinking "problem"
has been happily overshadowed by
conversations applauding football
victories. We have changed from
a school with internal football
strife to a unified community now
even hopefully contemplating a
trip to Miami. And today, even
the national election is history.
Where does all this whirling of
events leave ns? Right at present
it leaves most of us behind a stack
of unsoiied books trying to meet
Wednesday's and Friday's and next
Tuesday's test.
Tests, also, have arrived sud
denly without our acute awareness
of their creeping closer . Whether
we will be able to meet these tests
and following ones will depend
largely on what we have been ac
complishing in these weeks which
have slipped by so swiftly.
Now, as at least one columnist
must say every year, is a good
time for us to take inventory.
Have I accomplished those goals
I set formyself this year? Or, did
I even set any goals? How many
Ec and Poll Sci weekly reviews
have I given to myself, as I prom
ised? My obligations to the groups
to which I belong, have they been
performed promptly and cheer
fully? Am I really on the road to
progress this year?
The next few weeks will un.
doubtedly pass as quickly as the
last eight. Election returns will
upset or fill the Republicans' bas
ket in Congress. President Eisen
hower will give his Thanksgiving
message. fThe final curtain will
'fall on the next University Theatre
play. Dates will be called, escort
ed and taken home after Fred
Waring's concert. Turkeys will
cease gobling and will be gobbled,
Even sleigh bells ' will ring and
school bells will sound the fading
gong until after Christmas holidays
and New Year's hangovers. Then,
we will ask ourselves again, where
does all this whirling of events
leave us?
Chances are, when it come fee
for our second inventory, we will
be left on a much higher rung of
accompiihsment if we think seri.
ously now and take careful stock
of our accomplishments to date,
striving even for more hours ol
study, extra readings, careful per.
formance of duties in the coming
weeks.
So . . . tTiis is it . . . or l. it?
( ALIVE I
foVfcAUrV'. m
i
Dolores DORN
Wwnerdi
mm aimnaiB;
1
y "
mmsna
(Author "Barefoot ry With Cftk," oto.)
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HOME, SWEET HOMECOMING
A great number of people have been asking me lately, "What is
Homecoming? Yesterday, for example, as I walked from my house
to the establishment of Mr. Sigafoos, the local lepidopterist where
I had left a half dozen lunn moths to be mounted - a distance of no
more than three blocks - I'l l wager that well over a thousand people
stopped me and said, "What is Homecoming?"
Well, what with company coming for dinner and the cook down
with a recurrence of breakbone fever, I could not tarry to answer
.iMlirtq,lJe8V,on?- "Rd my column next week," I cried to them.
1 11 tell all about Homecoming." With that I brushed past and
raced home to baste the mallard and apply poultices to the cook,
who, despite my unending ministrations, expired quietly during the
night, a woman in her prime, scarcely 108 years old. Though her
passing grieved me, it was some satisfaction to be able to grant hpr
last wish - to be buried at sea - which is no small task when you
live in Pierre, South Dakota.
With the dinner guests fed and the cook laid to her wateriest,
I put out the cat and turned to the problem of Homecoming.
First of all, let us define Homecoming. Homecoming is a weekend
when old graduates return to their alma maters to see a football
game, ingest great quantities of food and drink, and inspect each
other's bald spots.
This occasion is marked by the singing of old songs, the slapping
oi old backs, and the frequent utterance of such outcries as "Harry,
you old polecat !" or "Harry, you old rooster I" or "Harry, you old
Harry 0r ny' you old mandri11!" All old grads are named
During Homecoming the members of the faculty behave with
unaccustomea animation. They laugh and smile and pound backs
fend keep shouting, "Harry, you old retriever!" These unscholarly
actions are performed in the hope that the old grads, in a transport
of bonhomie, will endow a new geology building
The old grads, however, are seldom seduced.' By game time on
Saturday, their backs are so sore, their eyes so bleary, and their
liters so sluggish that it is impossible to get a kind word out of
thi-m, much less a new geology building. "Hmphh!" they snort as
lv,tr muC7umpLett;,s ? 101 yard march t0 a touchdown. "Call
that football? Why, back in my day they'd have been over on the
hrst down. By George, football was football' back in those days
not this namby pamby girls game that passes for football" today.
Why, look at that bench. Fifty substitutes sitting there! Why, in
my day, there were eleven men on a team and that was it When you
broke a leg, you got taped up and went right back in. Why, I remem
ber the big game againRt State. Harry Wallaby, our star quarter
ptl 'iTfuk'iled ,n third quarter. I mean he was pronounced dead.
.dthat stop old Harry? Not on your tintype! Back in he went
and kicked the winning drop-kick in the last four seconds of play,
dead as he was. Back in my day, they played football, by George!"
Everything, say the old grads, was better back in their day -everything
except one. Even the most unreconstructed of the old
grade- has to admit that back in his day they never had a smoke like
today s vintage Philip Morris - never anything so mild and pleasing,
day in day out, at study or at play, in sunshine or in shower, on
grassy hank or musty taproom, afoot or ahorse, at home or abroad,
any time, any weather, anywhere.
Lla,kJriUp "ex 8nther important aspect of Homecoming - the
decorations in front of the fraternity house. Well do I remember
p1!nwmeCOrin,Lof my undergraduate days. The game was against
Princeton. The Homecoming slogan was "Hold That Tiger!" Each
tIIZH y houe.bu,lt a decoration to reflect that slogan, and on
1 I"" 0f.lhe f ame . group of dignitaries toured Fraternity
Kow to inspect the decorations and award a prize for the best.
TB ao haian at,our house was an enterprising young
p fX S.P(08' nePhew o the famous lepidopterist. Rex
?h.TrTd ,Fraternity came back to our house and said, "All
iliSl JilUSesare bu'ldin? cardboard cages with cardboard tigers
inside of them. We need to do something different - and I've got it
nfJr gln.g ? .e a-reai ca?e with a real tiger inside of it-s
snarling, clawing, slashing, real live tiger!"
.imvey!" w?. breathed. "But where will you get him?
II borrow him from the zoo," said Rex, and sure enough, he did.
nnirH l'r y0U CrS? lma,ne what a sensation it was on Home
coming morning. The judges drove along nodding politely at card-
MilTi? ,r cardboard cages lni -uddenly they came to our house.
J hr bea8 "I a 8llam caFe here! No 8ir' A real tiger in a real
SKr 5trJ'Pued iu,!Fe killer who, slashed and roared and
acal f ury ga the ba" of his cae itk mani
hadhtfo?rCnHtd0Uut ihBtTX 0uld have ea8ily taken fir8t Priz9
S.i tiger knocked out the bars of the cage and leaped into
of taiafCaManidr0U,ledJMr- Schlemmer, the governor
versUv Dp 'oMp r ll8n Devereaux, president of the uni-
rw,;yc P Gransmi", author of A Treasury of the World'
Harr SOSffeT-nfcoZo ( L Hand Literature Mr.
iittrtT'!1?? and Mrs. Amy
tm. jZSjjmu, mows