How The Parties Stand On Education To 1956 Olympic Games
(The following article is the second in a series which will evaluate the major political issues of the 1956 presidential campaign.)
With more and more of the post-World War II baby crop reaching school age every year, the nation's problem of where to send the increasing number of students becomes more acute every year.
About 205,000 new teachers are needed this year in elementary and high schools. with 125,000 more seen as necessary replacements for teachers who will drop out.
The nation now has a shortage of 198,000 classrooms, and experts predict a need of 375,- 000 by 1960. The present construction rate of 60,000 appears to be making only a small dent in the shortage.
The President has recommended a start on government aid to school construction, and he has been backed up by majorities of both the House and Senate. However, the segregation issue alone remains as the principal stumbling block.
To meet the emergency the Committee for the White House Conference on Education recommended that expenditures on public schools be doubled within the next decade, with corresponding increases in teachers' salaries seen as necessary to meet the temptations offered by better-paying jobs.
Many northern Congressmen in both parties support the amendment by Rep. Adam C. Powell (D-N.Y.), which would withhold aid from those school districts which have not complied with the Supreme Court orders on desegregation.
However, those Congressmen who oppose the
principle of federal aid to schools and those who oppose the Powell amendment have the strength to block legislation by vote or by filibuster.
As matters stand now, the President is the only candidate who has actually taken a strong stand. Mr. Eisenhower has been instrumental in calling the White House Conference, and has openly advocated an immediate start on federal aid to school construction. The President has also expressed his opposition to the Powell amendment.
Neither of the top Democratic candidates has endorsed the Powell amendment. Adlai Stevenson has gone on record as strongly opposing the Powell plan, while Estes Kefauver has remained mute on the issue.
The Southern States, led by Virginia, are pushing for federal aid to segregated private schools. The South is joined by Catholic offiials, who are working for federal aid for non-public schools, which would include church-supported schools.
Most of those who oppose the Powell amendment feel that the enforcement of the desegregation ruling should be handled by the courts rather than by legislation.
As things stand now, the education issues probably will not be too important in the upcoming presidential campaign. The presidential issues seem to delve into what most persons consider more serious problems.
However, the aid-to-education issue will undoubtedly come up in both the Congressional and Presidential campaigns, and in view of the obvious statistics, both parties will undoubtedly support some type of aid. The question left up to the voters will be only that of how the aid should be apportioned and administered.
—Dick Walt
What Will Happen To McKeon?
Not since the "Patton slapping incident" of World War II, in which Lt. Gen. George S. Patton accused and slapped an enlisted man for supposed cowardice in battle, has a story such as the Parris Island, S.C., "death march" of a month ago received such prominent play in the newspapers.
Although inquiries have been made into the midnight discipline march of April 8, led by S/Sgt. Matthew C. McKeon, and formal charges of manslaughter, cruelty, disobeying orders, and discrediting the armed forces have been made against him, a few statements have been made by Gen. Randolph McCall Pate, Marine Corps commandant, that seem open to question.
The first was Gen. Pate's assurance that there will be a shakeup of the entire recruit training system at the two Marine "boot camps" at Parris Island and San Diego, Calif., to make sure that all forms of "hazing" and "un-American" types of punishment are "absolutely abolished."
It seems correct to assume that such demonstrations as the Parris Island incident are a deviation from the normal pattern of boot camp training. But is such an assumption correct? Or have incidents of this nature, and others as well, occurred without their being brought to the public's knowledge?
Rep. Carl Vinson of Georgia, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee urged the committee to defer further action on the matter and give the Corps a chance to "place its own house in order."
It doesn't seem likely that a tightly knit nucleus of the armed forces such as the Marine Corps, which has deeply ingrained into it rigid discipline and tradition, is going to eliminate overnight many
of the methods through which it originally grew strong.
Just what sort of information is either Gen. Pate or an investigating committee going to gain concerning mistreatment of recruits, especially when scared trainees know that they themselves, and not the committee, must face their drill instructors after reporting grievances or mistreatment?
A second comment by Gen, Pate concerned the commandant of the Parris Island base, Maj. Gen, J. C. Burger, who was relieved of the base command and transferred to Camp Lejeune, N.C., to a post of comparable importance.
Gen. Pate said he wanted it made plain that he had no criticism of Gen. Burger, either personally or as an officer. This seems rather contradictory—he has no criticism, but he orders the man to be relieved of his post.
Gen. Pate's other statement came earlier when he told the armed services committee that S/Sgt. McKeon would not be made the "goat" in the inquiry.
Pehaps McKeon was not what would be termed a "goat" in the inquiry, but what will take place in the court-martial trial to begin Monday?
Bob Bruce
It is true that the march which resulted in the loss of six lives is a tragedy, but such an uncompromising statement, besides raising doubt, brings up the question. "Is the Marine Corps trying S Sgt. McKeon for manslaughter and the other three offenses he is charged with, or is it using him as a whipping boy to convince the authorities and the public that it is going to initiate reform within the Corps?
Back The Big Red All Year
Every year about this time, students develop a common failing that should be mentioned. The student body foregts that KU has spring sports, and as a result the baseball, track, golf, and tennis teams might as well not exist. Although the teams represent the students, it is too much trouble for the majority of the students to take an afternoon off and go out and watch the teams play.
This year KU has one of its best baseball teams in recent years. A lot of students have turned out for the games, yet the number of student spectators at the games should be tripled. The track team is one of the best in the nation, and could possibly take the NCAA title away from the University of Southern California. However, the crowd at the Oklahoma A&M meet was pathetic. As for the
It will be in the "land down under" that American teams will hope to come out on top when they compete in Australia in the 1956 Olympic Games.
golf and tennis teams, they could and possibly will win the Big Seven. However, again the support of the students is poor.
So when the next Big Seven baseball game, track meet, golf or tennis match takes place here on the campus or at a nearby school, let's all turn out and back the teams. With the proper backing, KU could win the Big Seven in all four sports. Bob Riley
There, on the smallest of the five continents, the only one entirely within the southern hemisphere and the only one which is an island, hundreds of athletes will flock to prove their own athletic prowess and to gain honor and recognition for the country which they represent.
Bob Riley
Soon the eyes of the world will be focusing on Australia, the country which lies between the Indian and the Pacific oceans, far to the southeast of Asia. Its area of 2,948,366 square miles is about 600,000 less than that of Europe and almost equal to that of the United States without Alaska or its island possessions.
Is Smallest Continent
This smallest of the continents or largest of the islands, as it is sometimes called, constitutes a dependency of Great Britain, and has been known since 1901 as the Commonwealth of Australia. Within the Commonwealth 'there are the five states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia.
There are approximately 5,419,702 white persons in Australia. The population is unevenly distributed and averages 1.67 persons to each square mile.
Produces Quantities Of Gold
Produces Quantities Of Gold It is gold-$50 million worth a year—which has contributed the most to making Australia important commercially. Streams of adventurers have been drawn by its lure since its discovery in 1851. From that date to this, gold mining has been one of the chief industries, and since 1852 more than $3 billion worth of the precious metal has been produced.
Gold is produced in all of the five states, but New South Wales has by far the largest output. In all, the silver yield, including the value of lead found with it, is $20 million a year, while copper falls but $5 million short of that amount and coal production has increased steadily to more than $22 million. Zinc, iron, lead, and various precious stones in small quantities also are found in this, one of the world's richest mining regions.
The area devoted to crops is comparatively small—only about 15 million acres of the entire Commonwealth. Wheat is the most important crop but corn, oats, barley, potatoes, sugar cane, and hay are produced in large enough quantities to supply the home demand. Despite little agriculture the grasslands are excellent for sheep raising.
World's Greatest Wool Producer
The huge flocks raised there make Australia the greatest wool-producing country in the world—exceeding 700 million pounds, which is twice as much as that of the United States or Argentina.
The government is similar to that of the U.S. It is divided into three branches—executive, legislative, and judicial.
A governor-general sits at the head of the executive branch. He is commander-in-chief of the
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Army and Navy and has the power to apoint judges and members of his executive council.
The legislative branch consists of two houses, a Senate and a House of Representatives. Senators are elected for six years and representatives for three.
At the head of the judiciary department is the High Court of Australia, which has original jurisdiction in cases involving relations with other nations and in cases in which the Commonwealth or any state is a party.
A the federal government takes charge of banking and insurance, marriage, divorce, parental rights and guardianship, immigration and emigration, telegraphs, telephones, and in times of danger, of the railways. Women have full suffrage on equal terms with men.
Some of the other important governmental policies of Australia have been expressed in laws providing for old age and invalid pensions; a maternity bonus whereby a mother can receive a sum equal to $24 on the birth of each child; eight-hour work day; governmental loans to farmers for improving land; the building of working men's cottages, which then are rented or sold on very easy terms; and governmental ownership or control of public utilities.
As in the United States, there is no national system of education, but each state has its own carefully worked-out system. Attendance is free and compulsory for children between 6 and 14, and recently the compulsory law has been very strictly enforced. A distinctive feature of the Australian schools is the religious instruction that is provided by them. It is given outside of school hours, however, and by ministers instead of the regular teachers.
Australia maintains a large standing army, but since 1910 all male citizens between 12 and 26 have been compelled by law to undergo military training, either in a cadet corps or as regular citizen soldiers. While the regular Army in peace numbers less than 3,000, a force of about 170,000 is available when needed. The Australian troops are well drilled, and particularly effective in their mounted infantry service.
Thus, the country which soon will gain the limelight when it plays host to the Olympic Games, contrary to popular opinion, has more to develop than the potential jumping power of kangaroos. Although it is located "down under" the government of this little continent is democratic and its future looks quite bright.
—Ann Kelly
The first University Daily Kansas was published Jan. 16, 1912.
President Lincoln officially abolished slavery 91 years ago.
UNIVERSITY
Dailu Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
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rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year. Published
in Lawson, University. University year except
Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays,
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second-class matter Sept. 17, 1910 at
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John McMillion ... Managing Editor
Barbara Bell, Bob Lyle, Kent Thomas,
David Webb, Assistant Managing Editors;
Jane Pecinovsky, City Editor;
Margaret Armstrong, Gerald Dawson,
Assistant Editor; Ken Tracy,
Telegraph Editor; Robert Biley,
Larry Stroup, Assistant Telegraph Editors;
Felecia Fenberg, Society Editor;
Betty Jean Stanford, Assistant Society Editor;
Robert Bruce, Sports Editor;
Daryl Hall, Louis Stroup, Assistant Sports Editors; Larry Hll, Picture Edi-
NEWS DEPARTMENT
RUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Richard Hunter...Business Manager
James Wiens, Advertising Manager
David B. Cleveland, National Adv-
tising Manager; Mary Lue Wickerschlae,
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Baskett Jr., Promotion Manager.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Dick Walt ... Editorial Editor
Ann Kelly, Ray Wingerson, Associate
Editors.