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University Daily Kansan
Friday, Jan. 8, 1954
21 Americans to Get New Return Chance
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Tokyo—(U.P.)—The Indian command said today it would give 21 unrepatriated American prisoners another chance to return to their homeland and families.
Atrocity Films Stir Hot Dispute
Washington, —(UP) The Army said today it cancelled a filmed television showing of Korean war atrocities at the request of the State department. A State department spokesman denied it.
A Defense department official offered another reason for withdrawing the films of torture and brutality of Allied prisoners of Communists He said rechecking indicated the film needed "further editing" for errors.
Col. George P. Welch, head of the Army news section, said the film was "withdrawn temporarily at the request of the State department."
The film was to have been shown today over some television stations on the program, "The Big Picture," a weekly television show produced by the Army. Eventually it was to be released to about 240 TV stations.
Sen. Charles E. Potter (R-Mich.) denounced withholding of the film as "absolutely ridiculous." He said he would begin a congressional investigation. Sen. Potter heads a one-man task force which recently held hearings on the Korean war atrocities.
An Army spokesman, who did not wish to be identified, said the State department felt it would not be "opportune" to release the film at this time in view of the forthcoming Big Four Foreign Ministers' meeting in Berlin.
The State department flatly denied this.
"This film was not withdrawn at our request," a State department official said. "The full details of why it was withdrawn are available at the Defense department."
H.S.T. Denies Red Herring
Washington — (U.P) — Harry S. Truman today denied making the famous "red herring" remark widely attributed to him in connection with the Congressional investigation of Alger Hiss.
The former President said a reporter attending his first White House news conference in 1948 asked if the action of the un-American Activities committee "was not in the form of a red herring to cover up what the Republican administration in the 80th Congress had not done."
"I said it might be," Mr. Truman said. "And that's where it all started."
"I never made any statement that there was a red herring, although the Republicans when they're in power always try to cover up their mistakes by attacking somebody or some institution," Mr. Truman added.
He made the statements during a filmed interview at Kansas City with columnist Drew Pearson to be used as part of a new television series starting next week.
(Q. Mr. President, do you think the Capitol Hill spy hearings are a good thing or do you think they are a red herring to divert attention from the anti-inflation program?
(An unofficial transcript of the Aug. 5, 1948, news conference mentioned by Mr. Truman shows this exchange:
(A. Yes, I do and I'll read you another statement on that since you brought it up. (Laughter). (He read a statement accusing Republican leaders of the 80th Congress of refusing to let Congress vote on price control and other legislation for which he had called it into special session.) . . . and they are simply a red herring to keep from doing what it ought to do. . .
Lt. Gen. K. S. Thimayya, Indian head of the prisoners' commission, promised to conduct a "head count" of the Americans, thus giving them an opportunity to request repatriation.
The Indians' announcement came at the same time that Lt. Gen. William K. Harrison, chief truce negotiator, made a mystery flight from Tokyo to Seoul, indicating the United Nations may try to reopen talks on a Korean peace conference.
There were other important developments on the Korean front:
1. South Korea charged that the United Nations was losing its battle with the Communists by trying to negotiate a peaceful settlement.
2. The Indian command charged that South Korean "agents" had disrupted its "head count" of 22,000 anti-Communist Chinese and North Koreans because 135 accepted repatriation last week.
3. Lt. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, Eighth Army commander, said he had given South Korean Foreign Minister Pyum Yung Tae advance warning that American troops would protect Indian guards from attacks by ROKs attempting to free anti-Red prisoners.
4. Taylor announced he would make public U.N. plans for processing the anti-Communists prisoners at midnight, Jan. 22—the date for their release to which both sides agreed in the Korean armistice.
When it became apparent that none of the then 22 Americans who had refused repatriation would attend allied "home come" lectures, Thimaya, as head of the neutral nations repatriation commission, said he would conduct his own interviews after the deadline.
Thimayya said he could offer the Americans another chance to go home simply by bringing them face-to-face with Indian custodial officers.
The Indian general put this plan into effect last week when he marched 4,000 anti-Communist prisoners in single file before one of his officers and asked for their names and serial numbers only.
When Thimayva announced that 135 prisoners had decided to return to Communism, the South Korean foreign minister threatened to "take action."
Pyun's threat against the Indians, one of many verbal attacks he has made against Thimayya's troops whom he has denounced as "pro-Communist," was met by a stern rebuke from Taylor.
The Eighth Army commander firmly told Pyum that if ROK troops or any other regular or irregular forces attempted forcibly to enter the Indian compound before the prisoners are released that American troops would protect the guards at all cost.
Written by Professor Herbert A. Smith, associate professor of education, and Robert E. Cook of Tecumseh, Neb., it appears in the January issue of The American School Board journal, a monthly periodical devoted to the interests of school board members.
Professors Suggest Small School Idea
Providing adequate facilities for high school science instruction is the subject of an article called "Necessary Elements in a Science Room Design for the Small School."
The authors' proposed edition is intended for high schools enrolling annually fewer than 300 students, which make up three fourths of the nation's high schools.
kepublicans to See Movie
A movie will be featured at the Young Republican club meeting 7:30 p.m. today in Green theater. Memberships in the organization are still available, either at the meeting or from organized house chairmen, Rollin Peschka, college sophomore, said today.
There was measureable oil production in 177 of the 254 Texas counties in 1950.
The home economics department will hold a departmental open house from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday in Fraser hall. It is sponsored by the department, Home Economics club, and Omicron Nu, honorary home economics sorority.
Home Ec Holds Tea, Open House
The department is arranging to have displays and demonstrations to illustrate all areas of home economics such as food, nutrition, clothing, textiles, marriage and family relations, home management, housing, child development, family health, and home decorations.
The foods area will show the use of prepared mixes and the products which can be made from them. Students studying housing will show by use of models good and poor room arrangements. The use of deep fryers will be demonstrated in the kitchens.
Student guides will explain the displays and show visitors through the department. Tea will be served in the dining room.
Clothing design students will have a display of miniature costumes of different areas and how these styles have affected our present style of clothing.
The longest session of Congress was the third session of the 76th Congress, from Jan. 3, 1940 to Jan. 3, 1941-366 days. The first session of the 77th Congress and the second session of the 81st Congress both lasted 365 days.
Art Collector Explains Home Decoration Ideas
Why people do the things they do in home decoration was explained yesterday at a fine arts convocation by Richard Gump, author and art collector.
Describing good taste as choosing something which will have meaning for you, Mr. Gump said the public generally didn't "give a hoot about good design" but instead based its selections on other considerations.
Using color slides to illustrate his talk, Mr. Gump showed a picture of a museum piece which was inlaid with ivory. "It's an atrocity," he said.
Yet Mr. Gump said people would look at the museum piece and say, "Look at how fine the work is" or "Just think the ivory came from Africa," without stopping to think about the hideous design.
Things that are imported do not automatically have good design either. Mr. Gump said. "They can make atrocities in other countries, too." he pointed out.
A more important consideration would be to find out if the thing works, Mr. Gump said. If it is useful or if it serves a good purpose. Mr. Gump said people should feel that the object in question was in good taste.
In selection of furnishings or art objects for the home people too often worry about "who done it" or the number of man hours involved in construction or "who owned it" or "if it's the latest thing," Mr. Gump said.
Commenting on the current vogue in modern living, Mr. Gump said
a dining room-television room combination is common. There is a button to press which will open the front door, and people sit around a curved table so that all can see the screen while eating, he said.
Band, Orchestra Get 33 Locker Cabinets
Thirty-three new locker cabinets for the storage of musical instruments have been received for the band and orchestra and are being used in Hoch auditorium.
The cabinets are wood with brass handles and hinges, and were built by the Sholander Mill Work shop of Topeka. They have 70 compartments of varying sizes and shapes, and provide storage space for 135 instruments, with individual locks for each.
The lockers were designed and built for the proposed new Fine Arts building, but have been placed in various rooms in Hoch auditorium for present use.