Tuesday, June 18, 1968
Summer Nebraskan
Page
By Wanda Hostetter
(Ed.'s Note: This story was
a journalism assignment
made in March of 1968. before
any peace negotiations were
begun. The opinions express'
ed are still believed to be
representative of the
diversexity found on the
University of Nebraska cam
pus.)
The Vietnamese war and
the controversy surrounding
the war have helped to build
the public's stereotype of
college campuses as nests for
doves and anti-war sym
phathizers. The supposed
solid aove-rront on tne cam
puses has, however, some to'
consistencies.
While most people feel that
campuses have assumed a
liberal anti-war stand, many
professors and students are
found in a middle no man's
land, located somewhere
between dove and hawk.
These campus members seem
to find it difficult to flatly
accept simple yes or no
answers to the problem.
An example of the
Irregularities of opinion oc
curred at the University of
Nebraska when Dow
Chemical Co., the holders of
a contrnt for making napalm
bombs, was on the campus
to interview prospective
employees. About 50 anti-war
demonstrators picketed the
Union while, at the same
time, a group of students
carried signs supporting the
war.
This paradoxical situation
would seem to indicate that
the students have taken a
black or white view of the
war. Yet when 10 professors
at the university, who said
they approved more than op
posed the administration's
stand, were asked to explain
their support for the war,
their views seemed more
gray tnan DiacK or wniie,
Even among a group of war
supporters, a comparison of
their opinions found few areas
of agreement.
Own Modifications
Their opinions became
grayed because they did not
accept the administration's
views without first placing
their own modifications on the
Johnson stand. For instance,
one professor interviewed
supported the war but
strongly condemned, o n
moral grounds, the bombing
of the North. Often the op
posing views can limit the
tenuous support for the war,
one professor said.
The professors were found
in eight areas of study and
sometimes held the minority
All-Staters
Perform
Next Week
Continued from page one.
On Sunday, June 23 the All
State Chorus which numbers
over 200, will be presented
under the direction of Ray
mond Miller of the NU School
of Music. It will take place
in the Union Ballroom at 3:00
p.m.
The All-State Orchestra,
under the direction of
Emanuel Wishnow, director
ot the School of Music, will
be presented on Monday,
June 24, at 8:00 p.m., also
in the Union Ballroom.
The highlight of the concert
season will be the All-State
'All America Concert" to be
presented o n Wednesday,
June 26, at Pershing
Auditorium.
"We are trying to present
what we consider if a proper
image of today's youth with
the 'All America Concert,"
Moran said. The concert will
emphasize patriotic, spiritual
and "protest" songs.
"When we say protest, we
mean song which criticize
social orders which the youth
of America have widely
associated themselves to,
Moran said, adding that one
of the features of the concert
will be a special arrangement
of the civil rights song, "We
Shall Overcome."
"We have planned this
program since January," he
continued, "and it is
frightening what has happen
ed since then. We Just adjust
the concert to the new situations-"
Moran said that tie "All
America Concert" will in
clude a special tribute to the
late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
There are no admission
prices for any of the All-State
programs, including the plays
and debates of the speech
department.
Smcm Available
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Campus Opinion Divided on
opinion of the war in their
departments as their col
legues opposed the war
Pnilosophy professor Robert
Anderson and English pro
fessors Stock and Stubblefield
said they felt most professors
in English and philosophy
opposed the war on moral and
ethical grounds.
In the history and political
science departments, the
professors questioned siaid
most of their fellow
facultymembers were largely
in a middle zone with but
few who were strongly for or
against the war. The lack of
common ground between the
opposing views was given as
a reason for the slight
discussion of the war which
occurs between those pro
fessors of different views.
Dr. Rex Reckeway, who
teaches secondary education
classes, said he felt most of
his colleagues were as in
decisive concerning tne war
as he was. He said there was
no one among a group of 10
to 12 professors who often
discuss Vietnam over lunch
who advocated pulling out or
stopping the bombing.
Reckeway said one pro
fessor became frustrated over
the frequent discussion of
Vietnam. The professor
finally gave an ultimatum.
"He told us, 'I promise to
eat with you, but lay off
Vietnam,' " said Reckeway.
Criticized Involvement
This feeling of uncertainty
was also found when the pro
fessors were asked to explain
reasons for the U.S. involve
ment in Vietnam. The reasons
given show how different the
shades of gray can be. Among
the supporters of the war
were found professors who
criticized the U.S. for ever
becoming involved in Viet
nam.
One professor, Arthur B.
Winter, who criticized in
volvement, was a strong war
supporter and spoke in favor
of the war at a teach-in on
the situation.
"I don't think it is
necessarily in the interest of
the United States to engage
in military activity on the
Asian mainland," the political
scientist said. Winter pointed
to the large expense of the
war and the general
unreadiness of the Asian
people to accept their role as
citizens as reasons for his
feelings. Still, he said that
almost everyone realizes that
the U.S. has' to remain even
though no one is happy about
it.
"Well be criticized un
necessarily," Winter said,
"and will get little for what
we give."
Philosophy professor
Anderson saw the U.S. in
volvement as a policy of con
tainment such as the one that
was followed in Korea, Berlin
and Greece.
"I see it as a part of the
global strategy we've been
pursuing since the 1940's," he
said. This strategy was
marked by the beginning of
the Cold War and the end of
the honeymoon with the
Russians.
Those more strongly sup
ported the U.S. action in
Vietnam had a catalogue of
reasons for doing so. The list
included the leadership role
of the U.S., treaty obligations,
the defense of Asia, the com
mitment to the Vietnamese
people and altruism. Four
professors placed the com
mitment to the Vietnamese
people as the main reason for
U.S. involvement.
"The political alignment of
Vietnam wouldn't bother me
as much as the relative
assurance that the people in
Vietnam would have some
WONDERING WHAT TO DO FOR
RECREATION THIS SUMMER?
Come to
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One block north of Yin on 27th
measure of self-determination,"
professor Stubblefield
said. "That is why we are
there". C. J. Kennedy, a pro
fessor of economic history,
said that the commitment
that the rest of the world
thinks the U.S. has made is
another part of in
volvement. Too Late Too Change
While the reasons for the
U.S. being in Vietnam were
varied, most of the professors
agreed that since the U.S.
was in Vietnam, we should
remain. Here was one of few
areas where most of the pro
fessors seemed to agree on
one shade of gray as they
felt it was too late for the
U.S. to make a drastic shift
in policy.
Asian authority Peter
Cheng, who received his
bachelor of arts degree at
Taiwan, said we should re
main in Vietnam simply
because the U.S. could not get
out with a satisfactory solu
tion at this time. He said,
however, that the U.S. should
review the s i t u a t i o n fre
quently to see what is wrong
and what can be done.
"Vietnam is an important
spot because we are there and
cannot get out," he said. He
asserted that right or wrong
is no longer the issue.
"This argument is out of
date," he said. "The point
now is how to end the con
Public Will Be Informed
By Simulated Accidents
Mead A tractor will be
upset and three buildings will
be set on fire at the Nebraska
Tractor Power and Safety
Day at Mead on July 25. The
emphasis of the demonstra
tions will be on safety, ac
cording to R. D. Schnieder,
University of Nebraska Ex
tension safety specialist.
It took only 20 years for
people to see the protective
benefits of enclosing
automobiles but it has taken
70 years to do the same for
tractors, Schnieder com
mented. Tractor manufac
turers are now building cabs
for operator protection in
case of roll over.
The automotive industry
has used the packaging con
cept as a means of protecting
the operator. Padded dashes
and visors, deep dish steering
wheels, safety door latches
and other safety concepts are
being used by the automotive
industry. Tractors have not
gone guite this far; however.
many of the same techniques
are being used, Schnieder
said.
At the Tractor Power and
Safety Day a tractor with a
cab designed to protect the
operator will purposely be run
off a roadway twice.
On the first run, NU ag
engineers will try to snow
that a tractor usually can be
kept upright it it Is allowed
to corrrect itself or if the
operator steers the tractor to
follow the direction the trac
tor is headed, Schnieder ex
plained.
During the secona run, tne
tractor will be run off the
roadway and an attempt
made to steer it back onto
the roadway. In this case,
centrifugal force will take
A - .
over ana tne tractor snouia
upset.
"The upset wui ne com
parable to what could happen
to any tractor. It is hoped
that viewers at the Field Day
will realize this and see how
the cab can protect them in
case of an upset," the NU
Special
tatei 45c per hew
T St.
G?.0V et
flict." He also said that the
U.S. could have picked a
more strategic location to
fight. He proposed one where
the local government had-
more support such a s
Thailand or the Philippines.
An example of a supporter
of the war undergoing an
almost complete change of
opinion was professor Albin
Anderson who teaches upper
level Russian history classes.
He explained carefully how he
classifies himself apart from
other hawks and doves.
I've gone through not a
complete change of view, but
one of revision," he said. A
month before the September
elections in Vietnam, he said
he believed the Communist
threat and supported the war
as it kept several options open
to the Vietnamese,people.
"I had been in Communist
dominated countries and once
a decision to go Communist
has been reached, it is ir
reversible," he said.
Wrote To Rusk
In August Anderson wrote
to Secretary of State Dean
Rusk suggesting that when
the elections in Vietnam were
over the Vietnamese govern
ment should begin assuming
more complete military
responsibility. He said he
would favor a continuation of
economic aid and the
pacification programs but the
United States should tell
specialist commented.
The fire safety demonstra
tion will include the use of
chemicals not only to fight
fires but also to treat con
struction materials so as to
produce fire retardan
characteristics.
The three buildings to be
ignited are all small. One will
be built of plywood which has
been treated to be fire retar
dant. The other two buildings
will not be treated.
The fire demonstration will
show the self-extinguishing
nature of the treated building,
according to Dr. O. E. Cross
of the NU A g r i c u 1 tu r a 1
Engineering Department.
The Maze in the untreated
buildings will be put out by
two dry chemicals. One of the
chemicals will permit com
bustible vapors to be given
off; the 'other will not.
This demonstration will
show the advantages and ex
tinguishing characteristics of
the chemicals used, Cross
said.
"Tractors should not be
upset but if they are, the
upset need not be fatal.
"Buildings should not catch
fire but if they do, the
flames can be put out by us
ing the proper chemicals,"
the engineers conclude.
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The Nebraska Union
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"III SEARCH
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i
Juno 19
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Nebraska Union Ballroom
Vietnam privately and
publicly that within ' ' x ' '
amount of months U.S. troops
will begin leaving.
it is obvious that the Saigon
government under Ky and
now Thieu simply have not
assumed re sponsibility
militarily or politically," he
said. "The South Vietnamese
people should have an option,
but they have never been told
it is only an option."
The narrow strip of com
mon ground that hound the
professors was further limited
when they gave their views
on the type of peace set
tlements which they favored.
It vacame evident, however,
that the professors were
uncertain how the conflict
could and would be settled.
Two groups were dominant
one favored a military victory
while another would seek a
more peaceful solution.
If a military step-up were
needed, it would be approved
by Stock (who teaches
American literature). He said
the U.S. should not be con
cerned about negotiation or
setting conditions to bring
Hanoi to the peace tables
Rather he claimed that the
Viet Cong will just stop
fighting when they are ready
and a face-saving device will
be employed at that time.
Agreeing with Stock,
philosophy professor An
derson felt the United States
will ultimately have little
choice as to the final settl
ement. Either the U.S. will
lose and be asked to leave
or she will hang on, put more
men in the conflict and stop
the Communists. He said that
negotiations at this time
would only give the enemy
a diversion to continue the
war.
Compromise?
Military victories were not
viewed as the answer to a
settlement in Vietnam by
professors Cheng and
Reckeway. Compromise and
the use of peaceful means
were seen as the central
avenue to peace.
"How to do this is the
question," Cheng told a class
in international relations on
the campus. He said he
agreed with Senator Robert
Kennedy that another one,
two or even five million men
could not save Vietnam until
the South Vietnamese
government ends corruption,
steps up reform and gets the
support of the people.
In another lecture Cheng
said that a peace negotiation
could be forthcoming follow
ing a U.S.-Vietnamese win or
loss at Khe Sanh. He sug-
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OF DYLAN
il
U.S. Viet Nam
gested that
the North Viet-
namese are
victory so
seeking a major '
that they can
negotiate from a position ui
strength.
The importance and ef
fectiveness of pacification of
fered little area of agreement
for the professors even though
many of them felt it was an
effective way to end the war.
Cheng defined pacification as
an attempts to gain the
people's support in the
villages through economic
and social reform. The pro
gram introduces electricty,
builds houses, and suggests
agricultural reforms.
Pacification and a peace
settlement were equated by
political scientist Winter who
teaches courses in European
politics.
"The only satisfactory
situation in one in which civil
peace will reign in South
Vietnam," he said. "This is
what we are trying to do."
Winter said that most pro
blems with the pacification
program occur when men are
taken from it to the bat
tlefield. Representative Government
U.S. Marine Combined Ac
tion Units had developed a
long record of protecting
villages in Vietnam with a
squad of Marines and a pla
toon of South Vietnamese, but
then the squads were sent to
the demilitarized zone to
fight, Winter said. He ad
vocated a truly representative
government in South Vietnam
that could play a larger hole
in pacification.
Asian colleague Cheng! who
frequently jokes with students
over possible solutions, said
that pacification could not
secure the people in the
villages until a political con
sensus was reached and this
could not be done while the
war continued. He said
pacification would be a pro
blem for the U.S. as long as
the only thing the Vietnamese
were united on was "Yankee
go home."
"The Viet Cong have more
support among the people,"
said Cheng. He drew a
parallel between the support
of the Vietnamese people for
the Viet Cong and the support
the Chinese gave Mao in 1949.
The Chinese wanted a change
and the only choice available
was Communist.'
He used the recent attack
on southern cities as an ex-
a
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the
Tfcs Iiacola
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stamps
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ample of the failure of the
V i e t n amesc government,
Cheng saiii that there shoulil
have been at least
at least one in
former to tell the Allies ol
the impending attack.
History professor Anderson
also was disillusioned with the
success of the pacification
program. He advocated turn
ing the program over to the
South Vietnamese.
The rest of the supporters
were uncertain as to how the
program could be
successfully implemented, but
they felt it was important as
it could help end the conflict.
Stock said that the main
purpose of the program was
to help the people relate to
the nation rather than to the
land and their family as they
usuallp do.
The professors varied views
on pacification, peace set
tlements and involvement
could suggest a large dif
ference politically, but such
was not the case as over half
were Democrats. Only two of
the professors, Stock and
Kennedy, were Republican
while philosophy professor
Anderson was the only In
dependent. Four of the pro
fessors chose Richard Nixon
as the Republican contender
for the presidency who most
closely agrees with their
views on Vietnam.
Feelings Representative
Many of those interviewed
said that the confusion and
uncertainty felt by them was
representative of the feelings
of the public. They said the
war is clouded by the many
divergent opinions and con
fusion surrounds the questions
of who the enemy is, what
or whom the U.S. is fighting
to protect and are we winning
the war.
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Tdeplsoaa ssd Telegraph
Fffort
Moral implications also fog
the controversy. The pro
fessors disagreed on what the
moral issue ws. Dr. Eldridge
of ihe College of Agriculture
who fought in the Pacific in
World War I said that the
moral issues remained the
same as they were in hat war
while philosophy professor
Anderson disagreed. He said
the war can be upheld legally,
but the atrocities used by both
sides raise a new type of
moral issue which make him
oppose the bombings.
Anderson also said that he
viewed draft-card burning as
a simple dramatization of the
protestor's view. He pointed
out that even if the car were
burned, a record would still
be on ifle with the draft
board.
Dr. Cheng summed up the
controversy over the war that
makes the professors see
gray instead of black or white
as a war with no solution or
timetable.
"We don't know were we
are in Vietnam," Cheng said.
He said this means the people
cannot see the end of the war
and as the battles seem in
decisive, the people lose faith
in the military.
When Robert McNamara
gave a six months deadline
for ending the war in 1965,
the people felt they had an
opinion to rely upon.
McNamara's view was "a
great miscalculation," Cheng
said, as the people are still
waiting for evidence of a vic
tory. "I don't have the solution,"
Cheng said. "If you do, let
me know and we can send
a telegram to the White
House." He said he knew they
were seeking an end to the
war, also.
432-3645
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