THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Editorials
Commentary
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1957
Page 2
Greek Discrimination
Discrimination will be the major topic
of discussion ataconference tomorrow
which will close out Greek Week activities
on the University campus. This is significant
not only in that it represents a seemingly
sincere effort on the part of fraternities and
sororities to come to terms with a nagging
and emotional problem, but it takes on spe
cial interest in regard to recent discussion In
the Student Senate.
Exist De Facto
The problem of discrimination in the
Greek system has evolved In recent years,
due to action by the federal government via
university administrations, into a relatively
simple one. There is no discrimination in the
Greek system on this campus, per se. But
it is a surprise to no one that discrimination
indeed does exist, de facto.
The question which has been tossed
around in many circles for some time, and
has now been brought up for the consider
ation of student government leaders, is what
can be done about this shameful situation?
Many persons, both within and outside the
Greek system, very honestly believe that
nothing should be done about it and that, In
fact, the moral suasion used to eliminate
discrimination clauses in national fraternity
charters in the past few years was dread
fully wrong. These people argue that it is
the inalienable right of people in our society
to make free selection of membership to pri
vate social organizations.
In the opinion of the Daily Nebraskan
this attitude is morally wrong and, because
of the progress made in attaining civil rights
in the past ten years in the United States,
irrelevant. The tons of words poured on the
subject amount to the fact that free selection
is indeed a right of a group as long as that
selection does not take into account charac
teristics over which a person has no control.
Those fraternities which used to have d i s
crimination caluses should have been re
lieved to rid themselves of prerequisites for
membership which had nothing to do with
"fineness of character."
Enough Courage
Students at the University are now blush
ing as the subject of de facto discrimination
is brought into the open, They realize that
no one individual house or organization has
had enough courage to defy the status quo
and pledge or urge Greek houses to accept
an otherwise acceptable Negro.
Progress in this still very touchy area
can be achieved through one of two very
obvious means: from without or from within
the system. It is generally agreed that force
from without would be unfortunate. A test
case in rush week sponsored by an outside
group, for instance, would most likely prove
inconclusive, for a house could always re
ject a Negro on the pretense that the person
in question had other disagreeable qualities.
If it was proven that a Negro was dis
criminated against, how could just one
house or even a few houses be blamed, and
how could anyone, whether student govern
ment, administration, or the U.S. govern
ment, in good conscience, force a house to
accept a Negro when it would clearly be an
unbearable situation on both sides?
From Within
The answer then is that change must
come from within. First the people involved
in the Greek system must quit being afraid
to talk about it in painful, plain terms. Each
person must examine his conscience, not
let it be soothed by the fact that discrimina
tion on paper is a thing of the past.
If the conference Saturday lives up to
expectations, this could be the beginning.
Then of course people in the Greek system
must display creative leadership and moral
courage in order to make de facto discrim
ination also history.
No Censorship
.' n,,At Hyde Park Thursday one candidate
for ASUN president stated that the Daily
Nebraskan is censored.
What he meant by censorship he didn't
Explain although he did say that the paper
is not allowed to advertise cigarettes or li
quor. He did not give any other examples.
f aw
Traditional Policy
- The candidate's example of liquor and
Cigarette ads is correct. The Nebraskan's
traditional advertising policy like many
papers in the United States does not in
clude these kinds of ads. The student busi
ness staff does not have complete autonomy
irr-regard to the business side of the paper.
J The University several years ago hired
by the request of Pub Board and the staff a
member of the faculty, experienced in news
paper advertising, to assist and guide the
business management of the paper. This
Sosition has proved extremely successful and
le management of the paper's large and
confusing finances has improved consider
ably. However, other than administrative and
faculty assistance with the business side of
the paper, the Daily Nebraskan has no type
or kind of censorship other than that which
the editor imposes on himself and the rest
of the staff.
Solely Responsible
The editor and to lesser degrees the rest
of the staff are solely responsible for every
thing (except possibly the advertising) which
is printed in the paper and make all deci
sions themselves concerning newspaper pol
icy. The newspaper's policy regarding con
tent, taste and direction is determined com
pletely by the editor's own conscience, per
sonal convictions and journalistic ideals.
The present Nebraskan staff knows of no
instance in the last three years when a mem
ber of the University administration or fac
ulty has pressured or threatened for. any
type of newspaper policy. The staff has been
told on occasion by more experienced jour
nalists than themselves that for some reason
"they were poor journalists," but have at
no time received any sort of outside censor
ship on news or editorial content.
Any Criticism
Any criticism of the Daily Nebraskan
should be directed solely to the editor.
Another topic discussed at Hyde Park
briefly centered around selection of the ed
itor. It seems to the paper at this time that
the present system of the Publications Board
choosing the editor is completely adequate.
The only needed change that a future
ASUN president might suggest is that more
students be encouraged to apply for Pub
Board positions and that Student Senate take
the selection of these student members as
seriously as possible. The student member
of Pub Board have always played a large
part in selecting the editor and assistant
editors of the paper.
CALE POKORNY'S
Fox's Facts
One can always tell wlien Spring sneaks
into cur fair state of Nebraska. It usually
gets quite cold and snows a lot. This year
however, something appears to have gone
amiss. The grass has turned green and I
even saw some dandelions blooming on our
lawn, a sure sign that a blizzard similar to
the one of '89 is just around the corner.
Plain Signs
The signs of Spring's arrival on our cam
pus are unmistakably plain these days too.
A nocturnal stroll past the coliseum and
other assorted dimly-lit lurking places will
assure the sharp-eared pedestiran that a 1 1
those noises assailing his ears can't possibly
be coming only from the long earred variety
of rabbits.
- Another sure sign of the new season is
the annual buried treasure hunt. It n e v e r
fails that every year about this time, crews
of industrious little elves show up out of no
where to fence off several heavily used sec
tions of sidewalk and dig like it was going
out of style. After they scoop out their
crater-like pit, they varnish for at least two
or three weeks, forcing the students to crawl
over rolls of wire, fencing, piles of pipe etc.
in an effort to reach the other side of campus.
Sprinkler
Another somewhat more refreshing ex
perience that announces the green season is
produced when an unsuspecting typical col
lege student (with eyelids at half-mast)
wanders down a typical university sidewalk
(trying desperately to avoid the pitfalls)
when a typical university lawn sprinkler e'e
livers a 6 1 a s t of freezing cold water
squarely In hi"? face, surpassed only by the
water ipout of the great white whale.
These clever little sprinklers are m o s t
commonly found lurking behind hedges and
trees ready to attack the unwary at a mo
rnent'g notice. Special underground pumps
have been installed (probably by the pit
digging elves) to supply these sprinklers with
a amazing amount of pressure. The lawn
crew undoubtedly runs tests and has a de
tailed diagram of the campus sidewalks.
They sit up late into the night trying to figure
out the best way to position these sprinklers
so they can reach the most people.
Precarious Venture
Spring invariably brings out the football
and baseball in a man too and what was
once a relatively safe walk past a residence
hall or fraternity house is now a very pre
carious venture to say the least. One who
undertakes such a feat these days need to
be equipped with lightening reflexes, 20-20
vision and an old army helmet just to be on
the safe side.
The face guard usually seen only at
fencing meets is also a handy item to pack.
With one eye on the guys firing that football
mcnes past your ear, you must keep the
other eye on the bunch throwing that rock
like baseball, and bang, they get you with a
two toned frisbee right in the back of t h e
head.
Blat Blat Bang
But the real signals of spring are t h e
gentle sounds that drift lazily Into my win
dow all day (and a good portion of the night).
The most obvious is the nerve soothing blat
blat bang (etc.) of the several hundred mad
motorcyclists careening their merry way
down streets and sidewalks, highways by
ways and hallways.
They are a carefree bunch of fun seekers
who enjoy tearing through crowds scatter
ing people in all directions. Spring is a 1 1 o
heralded by multitudes of pedestrians on
canes and crutches and a committee has
been formed to see If there is any kind of
ratio between the number of cycles and the
number on crutches.
But while we may at times find faults
with the new season, it is generally agreed
it has its benefits, far outnumbering the
evils produced by elves armed with shovels
and sprinklers, and amateur Angels armed
with souped up Hondas. Benefits like the fact
that summer vacation almost always follows
the advent of spring.
h The At VaBHs.r- o& Is
It Josr p"06f
Our Man Hoppe
Piercing The Iron Curtain
Arthur Hoppe
Leningrad
I have seen the future
and it works ! But my elec
tric razor doesn't.
The point, however, is
that I have pierced the Iron
Curtain. I have at last
reached this land of mys
tery and intrigue. It wasn't
easy.
Bottles of Scotch
There I was in the bustl
ing airport of gay Copenha
g e n selecting paperback
books for the long flight in.
Let's see, "The Spy Who
Came in from the Cold"?
I'd read it. "The ABCs of
Espionage"? The title lack
ed appeal. So I decided to
buy a couple of bottles of
Scotch for friends in Mos
cow. In case I made any.
Good heavens! TWO bot
tles of whiskey? What were
the Soviet customs regula
tions? One bottle. I was sure
I'd read somewhere that
tourists were allowed one
bottle. If that. You know
how the Russians are. I was
a criminal. Twenty years in
Siberia. Oh, farewell loved
ones.
We landed. The door
opened. A stolid, uniformed
officer appeared. "I have
two bottles of whiskey," I
said. He took my passport
away.
Lucky You
They let me go along
with the other passengers
to the customs area. At
last, a customs form. I
would declare my sins. Only
there wasn't any place on
it to declare whiskey. "I
told a man In a black hat
desperately. "Lucky you,"
he said in flawless English.
The moment of truth
came. The Customs Inspec
tor approached my luggage.
"I have two bottles of whis
key," I said weakly.
"Do you have any seeds,
plants weapons or art ob
jects?" he said with a yawn.
Weird Moan
The Astoria Hotel, huge
barren-seeming, crazily fur
nished from a nation's at
tic. But there is a plug for
electric razors on the bath
room wall. It says, "220."
I set my razor with trem
bling fingers to 220 volts.
I plug it in. Nothing but a
weird moan.
It is too much. I totter
down to the bar. "Straight
Vodka," I say to the jolly
Russian bartender and
when he comes I pour out
my soul. I tell him about
220 volts and converters and
special plugs and how the
razor sounds in its agony.
"What should I do about
it?" I ask him.
"Have another vodka,"
he said.
And he's absolutely right.
I feel marvelously clean
shaven. Moreover, I like all
the Russians I've met bar
tenders, porters, guides,
maids. Cheery people all.
I even like Soviet Govern
ment policy at least when
it comes to inspecting lug
gage. But I don't know about
the future. It looks hairy.
Strange Selectivity
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The
following Is a book review
of "The Wrong Man In Uni
form" by Bruce K. Chap
man. In his book, Chap
man examines the Selec
tive Service System and
suggests ways It should be
changed.)
The Selective Service
System has until recent
ly been regarded by many
Americans as a mysterious
but necessary organization
which insured that there
would always be a suffi
cient number of men in the
Armed Forces.
Local Board
The littte that was known
of the workings of the sys
tem seemed to imply that
it was as universal and
democratic as its spokes
men claimed. After all, ev
eryone was required to reg
ister and everyone's case
was handled by a local
board.
. But now, in the midst of
the Vietnam war, with in
creased draft calls result
ing from escalation of t h e
"war effort," people are
beginning to wonder. The
draft is hitting home, Boys
from the neighborhood are
dying "over there."
Marriages are rushed or
postponed. Educations are
interrupted or senselessly .
prolonged. FarrJ!,s are los
ing husbands and fathers.
And very few people are
sure exactly why. The Se
lective Service System and
Its operations, national and
local, have become a mat
ter of concern to parents,
students, employers em
ployees, husbands, wives
and almost every young
fellow on the street.
Face-Saving
Some are reacting. The
government has set up face
saving commissions and in
vestigations; universities
have held conferences; stu
dents have held demonstra
tions. Condemnations are
frequent, solutions numer
ous and action only sporad
ic and limited.
This debate has prompt
ed Bruce K. Chapman to
write his book, "The Wrong
Man In Uniform." His
main thesis is that Ameri
ca's draft policies are "an
tiquated, inefficient, and
uneconomical" and that the
system itself is "inherently
unfree and coincidentally
undemocratic."
In 143 paces he under
takes to criticize the pres.
ent Selective Service Sys
tem, analyze and condemn
various attitudes and indi
viduals supporting it and of
fer his own solution to the
present situation.
Mass Registrants
The post-war ''baby
boom" has come of age and
has flooded the draft pool.
The present draft system,
organized fifteen years ago,
is incapable of dealing with
this mass of registrants.
In its attempts to control
the size of the I-A pool
through locally adminis
tered disqualifications and
deferments, the Selective
Service System has effec
tively managed to abolish
any remanant of universali
ty or fairness in its opera
tions. Deferments are
granted solely at the discre
tion of the local board and
norms are arbitrarily
changed according to board
members' attitudes and the
board's need to meet a
monthly quota.
Mr. Chapman's solution
to the draft situation merits
attention. He calls for a
t h r e e-to-five transitional
draft while a plan of com
pletely voluntary military
service is set up. Those
choosing to enlist would be
paid a salary somewhat
less than the average
American income.
Cut Turnover
It would be designed to
attract professional sol
diers through improved liv
ing conditions and training.
The establishment of such
a force would cut down the
Army's present massive
turnover in men, and the
consequently huge burden
of training.
, It would also provide spe
cialist! to replace civilians
now employed by the mili
tary. Meanwhile, transition
al draft would fill up t h e
gaps left by men (mostly
former draftees) leaving
the Army. These new draft
ees would be chosen from
a completely universal pool
of all eighteen-year-olds,
drafted before they entered
college or married.
This solution appears to
be sound. In any case, the
book Is on the whole a valu
able contribution to current
debate.
Larry Choafe
Collegiate Press
Service
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Campus Opinion j
A Successful NFU Course
Dear Editor:
Although I am not familiar with a number of the other
courses offered through Nebraska Free University, judging
from the response shown toward the class I am associated
with, I would agree with Dr. Gruner In Wednesday's Daily
Nebraskan that his report on the unsuccessfulness of his
two classes is indeed a minority report. The NFU course,
Human Reproduction, sponsored by Theta Nu, pre-medical
honorary and structured by its Executive Board has been
consistently well attended.
The class was structured in such a way that the lecture
for each meeting was given by a different Lincoln-area
doctor speaking on his specialty. Beginning with an initial
registration of 77, the attendance has varied from a low of
35 to a high of 9, with an average class of 45 to 50.
This kind of student response cannot help but be en
couraging to the coordinating committee which first c o n
cieved of the idea of a free university, and I hope that their
work will be continued next semester by another group
of students interested in expanding the scope of total edu
cation of this campus. '
Rod Basler
Secretary Theta Nu
Convince Don't Convert
Dear Editor:
Any column representing hard work deserves comment,
and Mr. Voss's is no exception. I was disappointed to f i n d
none of the "unfamiliar facts and opinions about Vietnam
of which Voss had been touted as a purveyor. Perhaps
next week.
What bothers me most is Voss's ignorance of am
biguous reactions. A policeman in "Crime and Pun
ishment:" "This damn psychology cuts both ways."
Blood Sacrifice?
1. Why avoid bloody pictures? I've seen photos taken
by the other side showing the "ugliness (North Vietnam)
has helped created." No difference. One picture is worth
10,000 words. Whose 10,000 words? Conclusion: squeem
ishness is not necessarily a political phenomenon. Perhaps
a return to regular blood sacrifices would cure us.
2. Is it my d u t y to fight there? That depends. On
whether anything is wrong. That is what Mr. Voss forgot
to tell us. Is war in Vietnam wrong because It is just like
war on Jews? Or is it wrong because it is war? And what
is wrong with war? Oh, I forgot. We are squeemish be-'
cause of no blood sacrifices lately.
3. What's the difference between a Speck end a Special
ist 3c Voss? One of logic, I think. Or else everyone In WWII
ought to be made to prove that he fired in self-defense or
as a hunting accident. Mr. Voss has crossed his legal
and his war concepts, or he is pleading for a change in
usaee. Now tell us whv we should chanee.
What And Why
4. Does the end justify the means? What end? Or per
haps Mr. Voss is a man with means but no end. Is "Better
dead then Red" any different than "Better Red than
Dead?" More than maxims, please. Or your enemies will
shoot you down with nothing but a paltry "You had rather
switch than fight." That proves nothing either. Shabby
logic cannot establish shabby morality. The trouble is
simply that I don't know what Mr. Voss is driving at or
why. Just that he doesn't like war or the Vietnam war and
that he doesn't want us to like one or the other. In short,
I couldn't find the fact or opinion.
Now before Mr. Voss dismisses me as a hawk, let me
say I not only dislike war in general and the war in Viet
nam (who ever said you were supposed to like war any
way), but I am as a matter of principle against both. But
not on grounds of shabby logic or pulpitized pleas. And not
because I can't stand the sight of blood. More facts and
clearer opinions, please.
Lest the ghost of McCarthy and the skeleton of Russell
damn you with "Red, here, now." Or worse, "Non-red,
not here, not now," accompanied by an accusing non-point
of the specter finger. Don't be squeemish, Mr. Voss: Give
us a bloody good effort. Convince; don't convert. Leave
that to the missionaries. Or ... No 1 You couldn't be.
- In truth
Logicus .
Brink Of Radical Conservatism
Dear Editor:
TJitl.t 731, , Kie. ,n. Av! VI num 4V?. r.rr.1 -
s-tiuvi auu iiia uujra tiici cm jiovc uiunu uicii tut'i.
If Lincoln ever had a case that would stand up in higher
courts, they have lost it now. For the arrest of the sales
clerks in the Heroic Bookstore on flimsy grounds will cost
them Steen as well as the girls. What amuses me most is
that Nebraska in general and Lincoln in particular has
consistently portrayed themselves as the land of intelligent
rational conservativism. By this, I used to assume that
they kept their eyes open for the practicalities of getting
what they wanted. How close to the brink of radical and
Irrational conservativism they were, and we never sus
pected. For with eyes closed to the tactics needed to put
their case on Steen safely beyond appeal, they have blindly
and precipitously plunged into a course of action that can
only lose all.
Ant that, my radical friends, is genuinely humorous. Do
not be so serious about your cause that you fall to see the
humor, or you might become as blind as the trumpeteers
in the haystack. Nay, take heart and laugh.
Those humorists among us who cannot stop laughing
long enough to go to jail with you, will at least support
you by buying the rest of our books at Heroic. Salesclerks
or not. The government of free enterprise trying to put a
free enterprise out of business just to rid themselves of
one man: that is funmy. And I hope good advertising for
Heroic.
A Bookworm
Daily Nebraskan
Vol. M No. U
April I. 1M7
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EDITORIAL WAIT
Editor Way Krenackeri Manatlna Editor Brno a Ileal News Editor Jan
Hklai Niaht News Editor Pel Benaetti Editorial Pag Assistant taals Phelpe"
porta Editor rJd loenoflei Assistant Sports Editor Tarry oVaernlcki Senior
Null Writers. Jails Morris. Cheryl Trltt. Randy Irsyi Junior Wrtlirs
Mick Lowe. Dsvld Buntaln. Roier Boy. Jim Cvlaaer. Dan Looker, Paul Eaton.
Mark Gordon. Chrii Carlson News Assistant Ellen Wlrthi Photographers Mike
aaymaa. Doua Kelattri Copy Editors Romiwy Rcutssl, Lynn A a Qottsrhalk.
meyer DU(ri'1' iuM' G'ucock, Carta Koekwajl, DUa Urtlnilet, Ann Hoefs-
BDSINEW STAFF
Business Manaisr Bob Glnai National Advsrtiela Manaaer Borer Bows
Productlo Manater Charlie Batten Classified Adverttalai Manassrs Janet
Boatman. John Flemminfi Secretary Amy Bouakai Business Assistants Bob
G,lMI" rr,"tt " fuller. Chris Loans. Katlty School ey. Lkid Jeffrey)
subscription Manaasr Jim Buntai Clrourlstlo Manaaar Lyaa RatUsai Circula
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