Supreme Court Ruling May Slow Censorship
Mrs. Frances Vaughn, chairman of the state film censor board, said recently that the movie industry has been making a flurry of requests for certification of objectionable pictures.
These applications by the industry apparently are efforts to take advantage of the recent Supreme Court ruling held to be a slap at censorship, she said.
Mrs. Vaughn and the other two members of the motion picture review board should let the public, whether as individuals or as organized groups, pass judgment on films by giving or withholding patronage. In the last analysis the public must be relied upon to be the guardian of its own standards.
"Kansas law says that motion pictures shown in the state shall be clean and wholesome," Mrs. Vaughn said. "The films we have banned were not in that category."
"The Moon Is Blue" is one of the six movies the board banned last year. How the board could ban this film and yet allow "Miss Sadie Thompson" to be shown (recently in Lawrence), is beyond comprehension. The latter film is oozing with scenes the censor board might class as "objectionable." "Sadie" hits with both barrels, both audibly and visually, where "Moon" has only a subtly suggestive dialogue.
This brings us to the questions: Who is to say what is immoral or obscene? What should set the standards—the personal tastes of the three members of the censoring board or the interests of the public?
The Supreme Court has ruled that New York could not stop the showing of a French film, "La Ronde," and that Ohio could not ban the crime movie, "M." The decision overruling the censors was unanimous—and this in a period when unanimous decisions by the Supreme Court are exceptional.
Expression by means of motion pictures is included with the free speech and free press guarantees of the First and Fourteenth amendments. The court was not concerned with the "dirtiness" or the crime-inciting qualities of the two films in question. It was concerning itself with the freedom of speech, movies having been determined to be a form of speech in the meaning of the Constitution.
It is of the essence of free speech that there shall be no "prior restraint"—which is to say that no one shall have the power to say in advance what shall be spoken (or shown).
The public, with its prevailing conceptions of morality and the proprieties, holds the scales. —Tom Shannon
Greatness But Not Sainthood Attributed to First President
Washington's birthday, observed over the U. S. today, always brings up the question: How great a man was the father of our countrv?
Through the years since George Washington's death in 1799, there has been a tendency to remember him as something more than an ordinary man. "In fact it is sometimes possible to get the impression that Washington was some sort of a saint, who carefully put the American people on the safe road to democracy when he could have established a royal monarchy in his own name.
As a result of his contributions Washington usually heads the list of our greatest presidents, followed closely by Abraham Lincoln, another stateman who sometimes has been given more esteem than is usually due to even the most worthy of human beings.
This tendency to immortalize our American heroes of the past is not limited, of course, to Washington and Lincoln. But as the myth of perfection is developed, usually someone begins to debunk the buildup.
According to historians, a book titled "Democracy" appearing in 1880. first began to blast the theory of Washington's superiority to natural man. The book said he was a "raw-boned, country farmer, very hard featured, very awkward, very illiterate, and very dull."
Since that time the greatness of Washington often has been debated.
with evidence offered on both sides of the question. The net result has probably been the presentation of more accurate accounts of Washington's life, meaning that biographies today show his deficiencies as well as his strong points.
Douglas Freeman, who has written five volumes of a Washington biography, points out that regardless of what his attackers may say, no one can ignore the fact that he was a great leader. Patience, respect for others, and integrity are listed as Washington's strong points.
During the Revolutionary war he had to keep a small, disorganized army together. This was an army that was strong enough only to fight delaying engagements against the British, hoping for aid from France to save the day. This was also an army which had little financial support and several instances of disloyalty.
Considering the problems faced by our first president, it is difficult to understand how anyone who achieved as much as Washington did would not be considered a great leader.
Following the war, Washington was instrumental in forming a strong federal government from 13 loosely organized states. Then he
'Be wise not only in words, but in deeds;
ThoughtfortheDay ReligiousEmphasisWeek
Mere knowledge is not the goal, but
action. "** *-Talmud.
Page 2 University Daily Kansan Monday, Feb. 22, 1954
How does it feel to sit in the midst of 3,000 Iowa State college students and watch the Jayhawkers and Cyclones play a close game?
Who Knows?
By SAM TEAFORD
To say the least, I felt rather lonely as I watched the Jayhawkers win 78-70 at Iowa State Saturday night.
As soon as I was seated, the Cyclones came running on the floor. Everyone around me, all 3,000 of them, stood up and cheered. Then they sang the school song.
The game was played in the Armory at Ames, which is a fieldhouse similar to the one at Kansas State college. The only difference is that at Iowa State it's possible to see the players on the court without field glasses.
Then the students all sat down, just as the Jayhawkers came on the floor. Ever faithful to the red and blue, I stood up. I would have sung the KU school song, but I couldn't remember the words.
All this time I was sitting there. I wasn't singing anything, but no one seemed to notice.
I climbed into the student section bleachers, trying to be nonchalant. I hoped they would think I had transferred to Iowa State at mid-semester.
The game started. A few minutes later, Dallas Dobbs hit a good jump shot. I was going to cheer, but I couldn't seem to find the words. It was too quiet. "Nice going, Dallas." I whispered.
At the end of the first quarter Iowa State was ahead. Everyone on my side of the Armory was cheering. Everyone except me, that is.
Early in the second quarter, KU regained the lead.
Someone behind me waved his fist in the air and snarled. "Those blankety-blank Kansas so-and-so's"
"Go. Big Red," I whispered.
At the end of the first half Iowa State led by three points, and the student section gave their team a standing ovation as it left the floor.
"Wait until the next half, you bums." was my silent comment.
During the half-time intermission several young Iowa Staters ran through square dance routines to entertain the crowd. They "swung their partners, promenaded," and so on. At least it was different from gymnastics, saying nothing against gymnasts, of course.
Then the second half started. I applauded silently as the Jayhawkers began to cut the margin. A few minutes later, KU once more was ahead. I started to cheer out loud, but then I noticed that someone in the row behind was scowling at me. I whispered the Rock Chalk chant.
At the end of the third quarter the student section again stood to sing as the band played the school and again I remained silently seated.
The girl beside me looked down
"Are you from Kansas?" she asked
with a slight smile.
was the first president of the young nation.
"Yeah," I admitted. She smiled. I smiled. We were friends.
Accomplishments like that cannot be ignored. Washington was only a man, but he was a man among men. —Sam Teaford
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Biblex
图
**WHAT'S THI MATTER WITH YER MEMORY?** — TWO WEEKS ONTH that UNIT AN
YOU STILL CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME WAS JOHN—*CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH*
"SAY THAT'S THE GAL I SAW AT SUMMER CAMP IN 49 - SHE WAS WEARIN' A GREY SWATER THAT DAY - SOMEONE SAH Her NAME WA GRAZELA FLODDER!"
Across the Campuses-
Nearsighted Iowa Staters Can See Only Cheerleaders
At Iowa State college the Union Society of Nearsighted Athletic Fans is fighting desperately to stop plans of cutting the number of cheerleaders, and in West Virginia, the state auditor has decided that the University won't belong to the accrediting association. In Minnesota, the university is continuing its fight against fraternity "discrimination," and an Oregon State college professor is worried about students not having enough electives during their college careers.
IOWA STATE—The Union Society of Nearsighted Athletic Fans is planning to petition against the cutting of the number of cheerleaders. The chairman of the group says, "It's unconstitutional and unfair—being near-sighted, we can't see all the way out on the field . . . (it) would force us to have to read comic books during the games."
WEST VIRGINIA—The state auditor, acting in defiance of the attorney general's office, has decided that the University won't be allowed to pay the annual dues of $350 to an accrediting association. He says the University "does not owe tribute to any profitteering outfit." He's been advised that he is in his office to "minister" not question the advisability of expenditures.
MINNESOTA—Two fraternities are currently on the carpet because of a University policy clause on "discrimination." Both have appealed because they feel that no discrimination is being practiced. One stipulates that initiates must be either master Masons or have personal ties to the Masons. The other requires that a man be a "practical Catholic" at the time of his initiation.
OREGON STATE—A Business administration professor states that ROTC has taken away too many of the elective hours-forcing over-dependence upon the students. His solution: Regard at least half of the required number of hours as "related subjects" in technical minor-giving the students back some of their elective hours.
TEXAS A&M—A&M has a group of students who will do almost anything for a price. They call themselves "Enterprises Unlimited" and have only two stipulations: (1) it must be within reason; and (2) subject to the approval of the dean of men. They advertise "We want odd jobs—and the odder the better."
SYRACUSE—The "Battle of the Mud" is being fought. Construction work on the campus has left parts of the campus roadways bare, and the spring rains are beginning. Students have suggested everything from planks to a "student bridge."
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I HAD MONEY
YOU PLAYED ON MY HEART LIKE ON
A LINLEUM CHESSEBOARD
BUT NOW I IS NO BLISS
OBLEGE TO YOU NO MORE.
THE FAMILY FORTUNE IS GONE.
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas Student newspaper
News Room KU 251    Ad Room KU 768
Member of the Kansas Press Assn., National Editor Assn., Inland Daily Press Association, and National Advertising Represented by the National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Avenue, N.Y. City. Mail Subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4 a quarterly. Published in Lawrence, U.S. Every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, U.S. Exceptions may be made. Entered second class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan. Post Office under act
NEWS STAFF
Executive editor ... Shirley Platt
Managing editors ... Tom Stewart, Mary