font braden
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Trouble ahead
for Muskie?
DOVER, N.H.-There are a great many more
spruce trees than there are people in New
Hampshire butboth stand silent before Edmund
Muskie. The front-runner tramped through wet
snow from one small meeting to another last
Tuesday and was greeted with a politeness so
granite-faced that it could not possibly be
mistaken for enthusiasm.
It may be that his is the way New Hampshire
is. Having one of everything already, as Robert
Frost once pointed out-one mountain, one
university, one stateman, one President-New
Hampshire isn't about to cross the street to
shake hands with something there's more than
one oflike a presidential candidate.
It may be that good neighbor Muskie
understands the sufficiency of New Hampshire
men. At any rate, he does not affront them by
crossing the street to shake hands with them.
Then, too, the Muskie campaign is only now
getting under way. A headquarters in
Manchester, this states' largest city, is now just
opening; and in-state staff is only now being
assembled. Muskie's organization seems to have
taken New Hampshire almost as much for
granted as New Hampshire seems to take
Muskie.
If all this is New England reticence, Muskie
has nothing to worry about. Three months
from now his neighbors will give him votes to
which a neighbor may feel entitled and all will
be well.
But even at this early date it is impossible to
down the suspicion that there may be trouble
ahead. Is it a warning of trouble to watch
Muskie walking through a crowded college
cafeteria on his way to a meeting while the
diners hardly bother to look up from their
coffee?
Is it a warning of trouble that he can speak
for 20 minutes without worrying about being
interrupted by applause? Is it a warning of
trouble that a man waiting for a haircut in a
barber shop murmurs a polite, "No thanks,"
when asked if he would like the candidate now
walking through the door to autograph a
picture?
Would these things happen to a Lindsay? A
Kennedy? Is it Muskie or is it New Hampshire?
One feels an almost irresistible impulse to speak
out: "Look, this man you're not even bothering
to look at is one of the best and most
intelligent and bravest leaders of your country.
He's worked hard for you. He's a man who
listens, a man you can trust. He cares about you
Do something to show you care about him."
Of all the folkways by which Americans
conduct their politics, the folkway which
makes New Hampshire a major test for the
Presidency is the least logical. New Hampshire
is small; any group of 10 people constitute a
power bloc. It is unrepresentative. It doesn't
have a major city. It has only one newspaper of
any size and it is one which can be counted
upon to deliver 15 to 20 of the state's vote
to Sam Yorty, who runs not to win an office
but to maintain a career. It would be more
logical to hold the primary in a single Chicago
ward.
But the folkway exists and Muskie has to
exist with it, though it may destroy him and the
chances for victory of a Democratic Party
which has made him the man with the best
chance of winning.
If Muskie is running scared, if he is offended
by the lack of attention here, he doesn't show
it. But every sign indicates as of now that the
Muskie name and the easy Muskie style are
creating about as much excitement as a soft
New Hampshire snow.
Copyright 1971, Los Angeles Times
41
curtis tarr
The Draft
responds
Curtis Tarr is director of the U.S. Selective
Service System.
The agent for progress and improvement is
participation. The Selective Service System has
undergone many significant changes in the past
two years. Many of the changes are directly
attributed to the young men and women who
participated responsibly during this difficult
period of change.
Our chief mechanism for this youth
involvement has been the Selective Service
Youth Advisory Committees. Established in
every state across the country, the groups have
discussed the ideas, suggestions and criticisms
of youth on a wide variety of draft topics.
One of the more important changes brought
about concerned the age of local draft board
members. The youth committees suggested
lower ages and a curtailment of the length of
service on local boards. Regulations previously
stated tha citizens could not be appointed to
local boards beyond their 75th birthday or for
more than 25 years. The new regulation and
law limit service on local draft boards to 20
years and set a minimum age of 65 years.
A maximum age of 18 has been set for
appointment to local boards.
In accord with our youth advisers'
recommendations, the new law abolished
student deferments for all college students who
were not enrolled during the 1970-71 academic
year. In other words, from now on, no more
college deferments will be granted.
But the law also provides that both
undergraduate and graduate students who
receive induction orders will have their
inductions postponed until the end of their
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1971
current academic term, quarter, or semester. A
student in his last academic year can have his
induction postponed until the end of the school
year, allowing him to graduate.
The advisers were concerned that draft calls
varied from community to community, and
they sought a more uniform approach to
selecting men for service.
In the past a system based upon total
registration was used to apportion the national
draft call to the state headquarters, who in turn
apportioned the call to individual local draft
boards. The new regulations removed the
requirement to use this system and instead
established a uniform national call. Now all
men in the nation with the same lottery
numbers who are available will receive
induction notices at nearly the same time.
It was recommended that young men be
afforded a judicial review of appeals to local
and state boards in classification matters. The
new law provides a realistic move in this
direction, permitting a young man appealing his
classification to bring witnesses and present his
appeal to a quorum of the board. The young
man also is allowed now to make a personal
appearance before the Senate and Presidential
a peal boards.
Appointed by the President upon the
recommendations of the state governor, the
local board member holds, perhaps v the most
important position in the Selective Service
System. A young man or woman who might be
interested in serving on a local board or in
assuming other volunteer positions in the
Selective Service System should contact the
office of his or her governor.
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Final Tryoufs
For
The Boyfriend
first musical in new playhouse
Tuos. 7:30 p.m.
Lincoln Community Playhouse 18th & L
WHITC CVC9
COFFEEHOUSE CONCERT
White Eyes
Union South Crib
8:00 -10:30 p.m., December 9 and 10
(Thurs., and Fri)
sponsored by Union Program Council
. Nebraska Union
FREE concert
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