University Daily Kansan Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1953
Don't Step on Toes You May Get Hurt
As usual, people of various states expect to support free and expressive student newspapers, but when the editors of these papers dare go against any established principles they are in trouble.
A few college editors caught it in the neck again last week.
The case at hand is that of the Red and Black of the University of Georgia, in Athens. This is a weekly student newspaper.
It seems the Red and Black ran an editorial expressing a liberal attitude toward segregation in education. In so doing, it stepped on the toes of Roy V. Harris, a strong supporter of Gov. Herman Talmadge.
With this outright slam against freedom of the press the editors, Walter Lundy Jr., and Bill Shipp, resigned. In the face of matters they could do little else and still hold any claim as honest and responsible editors.
Harris denounced the students as "a handful of sissy, misguided souirs," and threatened to cut off the school paper's money.
Nor was this the end of the matter. A student-majority board was set up to make the editorial decisions on "controversial" matters.
It is also quite apparent that Mr. Harris thinks others are "sissy and misguided" only when they oppose any plan or idea that is contrary to his philosophy of living.
It is a strange commentary on American affairs when it takes the ignorance and smallness of one group of people to bring out the honesty and integrity of others.
For a man who wields a strong political power in the U.S. to take such a stand seems to go against all doctrines of democracy and freedom of thought that have been established in the country.
—Ken Coy
One Thing's for Sure The Screen Is Wide
"The Robe" is secing boxoffice records all over America. It's been playing at the New York Roxy and the Kansas City Orpheum since September. An enthralled Kansan prophet said the film would break records in Lawrence. Enthusiastic viewers are lending their names to theater ads.
Before you see "The Robe" you hear a cultured voice tell the public that it now will participate in a magnificent motion picture experience. "You are in on the making of history." Or, in effect, we are giving you "The Robe" for 75 cents, 90 cents, or $1.20, that is.
Then the curtains part, the stereophonic sound swells to a crescendo, and you await breathlessly the greatest experience since "Gone with the Wind."
You ignore, possibly, the face that "The Robe," while a best-selling novel, is a minor work of literature. Or maybe you don't care, for here is great inspiration. Here are the brilliant young British actor Richard Burton, chosen over hundreds of others for a role as great as that of Rhett Butler; the impressive Jean Simmons; the athletic hulk Victor Mature. Here are the words of Christ spoken by a young Hollywood star named Cameron Mitchell.
History is being made.
For CinemaScope is here. The giant curved screen is meant to create the illusion of depth. But for this writer it never created that illusion. It only pointed up the grandeur of an earlier Romans vs. Christians epic, the dull "Que Vadis."
"Quo Vadis" was long and tedious and had some of the worst acting ever seen in a so-called great motion picture. But it had scope and sweep and spectacle. "The Robe" provided beautiful American-filmed vistas of both ancient Rome and Holy Land. "Quo Vadis," of course, was filmed on the spot. It was able, therefore, to create a certain documentary illusion.
The ads for "The Robe" said the Granada screen was bigger than
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Kansas City and Topeka." Well, almost. Those are good-sized towns.
The ads also said, "You see it without glasses." This writer needed his glasses. In fact, he'll need stronger glasses for much more Technicolor in Cinema-Scope (both are trade names so naturally they must be capitalized).
The Romans of "The Robe" are cruel, lustful, pagan, but they lack the gusto and the charm of some of the Romans of "Quo Vadis," notably Leo Genn.
Burton is easier to take than Spangler Arlington Brugh in "Quo Vadis". But Spangler, sometimes known as Robert Taylor, has never been palmed off as a great actor.
Miss Simmons is easily as vassal to Deborah Kerr was in "Oqi Vadia."
Stereophonic sound makes wonderful thunder, but it's hard to believe you are sitting in on the Crucifixion.
Jay Robinson, whose ranting in stereophonic sound hurts the eardrums, can overact in the same leagues with Peter Ustinov—Nero of "Guo Vadis"—any day.
Much more of this sort of thing and the writer will go join up with the Romans. -R.D.
One Man's Opinion
If the Russian leaders can find ways of interpreting the President's speech to the United Nations as a threat of atomic warfare, then we can only reach the above conclusions.
It's granted that forming a committee to look into the possibility of a pooling of atomic resources would be a rather difficult task to accomplish. But by its actions, Russia makes it clear that it does not want, and is not even willing to try, to remove this threat from the world.
In view of these recent developments, it becomes obvious that the United States and other nations desiring relief from war threats must work together, most likely through the UN, to achieve these ends. If Russia and her satellites do not wish to take part in discussions designed for peace, then the other nations, countries which are interested in peace, must join forces to accomplish this goal.
To the Editor:
By ED HOWARD
Do the Communist countries of the world want peace, or do they want the continual fear of atomic warfare hanging over the heads of the peoples of the world?
From the Russian answer to President Eisenhower's suggestion to pool atomic knowledge so that peaceful work can be accomplished with atomic power, we can conclude little else than that the Communists will continue to "use" the United States and United Nations as examples of "aggressor" countries, and that they do not want even to try for peace.
It would not be an easy task to talk about peace with the threat of war imminent, but that task must be carried out for the good of mankind.
The Rock Chalk Revue was invented and produced by the YMCA for the express purpose of finally building a backlog in order to have, at last, a full-time executive secretary. It must be realized that most organizations have faculty sponsors who have a professional interest in the organization and are able to carry on the business and correspondence from year to year. Unfortunately this is not the case with the YMCA and there is therefore a need for a paid executive secretary.
The YMCA feels it should present its case for the Rock Chalk Revue. While we recognize the right of the All Student Council to administer all non-academic affairs of this University, we do not believe that it should be allowed to socialize the funds or control funds of any organization on the Hill, since these funds are generally raised by organizational enterprise and do not belong to the ASC.
Letters
Also, the YMCA is struggling to develop the necessary capital to have a fine program which will prove a service and benefit to the University.
It may be that a large amount of money is being expected from this. Unfortunately, no astronomical sums have been realized at any time, the Y ordinarily getting around $900. True, last year, by a happy circumstance, the Revue brought in the unusual sum of $1,200. Actually, that much may never be taken in again, but whatever the Y raises from the Rock Chalk Revue, is certainly its own!
The KU-YMCA, however, is not selfish, which would be a spirit foreign to "Y" thinking. We recognize the ASC's need of money to function. We are willing, therefore, as sole and absolute sponsor of the Rock Chalk Revue, to share 50 per cent of the net proceeds with the ASC on this principle of shared benefits.
But we feel that the Rock Chalk Revue is our enterprise and that we should continue to be in complete control of the distribution of funds received therefrom. Any departure from this policy seems contrary to the true democratic system of individual enterprise which we all profess to support.
W. Scott Hayden President.
Kansas Turnpike Possibility Hinges on January Report
Possibility of the construction of a modern turnpike which would link Kansas City with Oklahoma City by way of Topeka and Wichita was described recently by Gale Moss, director of the Kansas Highway Commission.
Moss' report on the progress of investigations made by the state Turnpike authority, of which he is chairman, was given to the members of the Highway council of the Kansas State Chamber of Commerce.
Construction work on the Kansas turnpike can be started within a year if the January report of the Turnpike authority shows that the construction of a toll highway through Kansas is feasible and can be financed, Moss said.
Moss told the council that "the best talent in the country is conducting the survey which will be reflected in the January report of the Turnpike Commission." The investigation being conducted for the commission includes traffic counts on the proposed route and an estimate of the cost of building the proposed 251-mile superhighway.
financed by the issuance of bonds by the Turnpike authority. It would take about $2\frac{1}{3}$ to three years to build, he said. Under the terms of the 1953 statute which established the commission, the bonds will not obligate the state's credit.
Moss said early estimates have indicated the Kansas turnpike would cost about $100 million or about $400,000 per mile. He explained the cost of construction would be
A proposed expansion of Oklahoma's Turner turnpike which would extend the highway from Oklahoma City to the state line will be the subject of a referendum vote in January. Moss said that latest reports from the Turner turnpike show that the highway is earning $1,800 more per day than is needed to pay off its indebenedness, while the free road serving the same area is carrying only 15 per cent less traffic than it did before the turnpike was built.
The proposal which resulted in the creation of the Kansas Turnpike authority by the 1953 Legislature originated in a meeting of the State Chamber's Highway council in 1952.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler