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University Daily Kansan
Friday, Oct. 9, 1953
Kansan Editorial Staff Apologizes for Bloopers
Carelessness or stupidity cannot be excused, but the Kansan editorial staff would like to offer its renders a sincere apology for an article printed in the Sept. 24 issue, headlined "World Students Unite For Better Education."
The article in question was a handout from the Polish embassy in Washington and concerned a world student congress is Warsaw. It was—in short—undisguised, unadulterated Communist propaganda.
The editorial reprinted opposite from the University of Minnesota Daily of Sept. 30 first called our attention to the blooper. Since then other papers, student and otherwise, have taken up the matter—and have been far less just than our Minnesota colleagues.
We agree unqualifiedly with the Minnesota editorial in that any reader would be justified in feeling that "printing such releases without comment or clarification constitutes endorsement."
The Kansas editorial staff certainly does not endorse the contents of the article. Hence, the apology.
Through what error in human judgment the article made its way into the Kansan editorial page does not matter. We made a mighty stupid mistake and are ready and willing to advertise it to the world—with hat in hand.
And while we're cleaning house, the staff would like readers to know that in the future no more snide comments will follow letters to the editor. The purpose of this page is to stimulate student thinking, and several rather nasty editor's notes in the past few issues could have no other effect than discouraging students to write letters to the editor.
Fair enough?
Mary Betz Tom Stewart Jerry Knudson
Greenlease Kidnaping Recalls Lindbergh Case
The question of who actually pulled the trigger on the gun that killed Bobby Greenlease will not have too much bearing on the eventual penalties against the persons involved in the kidnap-murder.
This crime will probably come under the jurisdiction of the Lindbergh kidnap law, a federal law enacted after the notorious crime 21 years ago. This law provides for death or imprisonment up to life for persons involved in a kidnapping action if the kidnapped person is not returned unharmed.
On March 1, 1832, the 19-month-old son of world-famous lier Charles A. Lindbergh and his socially prominent wife was taken in the night from a cradle at the Lindbergh's isolated Hopewell, N.J. estate.
The Lindberghs paid $50,000 in ransom on April 2, 1932, more than a month after the kidnaping happened. The ransom was thrown over the fence of a cemetery in the Bronx section of New York by a volunteer intermediary. Nearly one-third of the money was later recovered.
The body of the Lindbergh baby was finally found 73 days after his abduction in a brush-covered grave not far from the family estate. It was reduced almost to a skeleton. The baby was killed by a blow on the head.
Federal authorities didn't step into the Lindbergh case until Feb. 10, 1933, almost a year after the kidnapping. Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a German-born carpenter with no previous crime record, was arrested for the murder in the Bronx Sept. 18, 1934, almost 19 months after the kidnapping. He was subsequently executed for the crime.
The Lindbergh kidnap act, which resulted from that crime, provides for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to take action after seven days have elapsed from the time of the crime. This act makes the presumption that after a week, the kidnapped person has been transported across a state line, therefore making in interstate or foreign commerce.
In any event, should the kidnapers of Bobby Greenlease be able to prove that they didn't take him across a state line, they will still come under the jurisdiction of the Missouri kidnap law. This state law provides death in the lethal gas chamber for a conviction of murder or kidnapping for ransom, with a minimum penalty for kidnapping of five years in prison. —Don Tice
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas Student newspaper News Room KU 251 Ad Room KU 376
Member of the Kansas Press Assn.., National Electoral Assn., Inland News Department Represented by the National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Avenue, N.Y. City Subscription rates: $150-$250 and a semester if in Lawrence). Published in Lawn, Kenny, every afternoon during the University's anniversary holidays and examination periods. Entered second class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kenny, March 3, 1879.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editorial Editor Mary Betz
Editorial Assistants Jeff
Tom Stewart
4:00-Henry Jerome Show
4:15-Airline Trio
4:30-Dixie's Doorstep
4:55-Your Union Today
5:00-Patchworks
5:20-Shep Fields
5:45-Keynotes by Carle
6:00-University Theatre Hour: Fantasy
in Strings
6:30-In the Mood
6:55-News Roundup
7:00-Thru' The Listening Table
K D G U Schedule
Law Library Bids to Open
Bids for installing shelves and carrels (seating space) in four tiers of the Green hall library stacks will be opened Oct. 28, State Architect John Brown said yesterday.
who painted pretty pictures of educational facilities in the Soviet Union, the Chinese People's republic and the People's democracies of Europe. But it didn't add that this was to be expected, since IUS has never had anything but kind words for the Communist countries.
The newest and most spectacular volcano in North America is Paracutin in Mexico. It appeared in a corn field on Feb. 20, 1943, and within nine years developed a cone 1,800 feet high. It appears to be burned out.
A College Paper in Kansas Spreads the Word Around
Many years have gone by since we first heard that old chestnut about the dangers of a little knowledge. In that time we've come across any number of examples, but none quite so shining as one provided last week by the student newspaper at the University of Kansas.
It mentioned that 106 organizations were represented—but it didn't point out that the United States National Student association, which represents more than 800,000 American students (including you as students at Minnesota), did not send a delegate because it has found it almost impossible to participate in a non-political conference with IUS.
On Thursday, the headline "World Students Unite for Better Education" appeared over an editorial in the Daily Kansan. The editorial told of an international meeting of "more than a thousand delegates from 202 student organizations in 106 countries." The conference was held in Warsaw, Poland.
The Kansan said it was the Third World Congress of "ISU." Actually the group was the International Union of Students, or IUS. This was a minor error, true; but we know where it originated. It came directly from a news release distributed by the Polish embassy, and all the Kansan did was to substitute the press-release praise of the congress for its own editorial thought.
By so doing the newspaper failed seriously in its responsibility to its readers. The Kansan passed on the words of congress speakers
The IUS—which has its headquarters in Prague, Czechoslovakia—has, among other things, registered "indignant protest" against the alleged bacteriological warfare in Korea and allowed obscure, non-representative student organizations to speak for entire countries at its conferences.
These are things which should be investigated before endorsement. And to us, reprinting such releases without comment of clarification constitutes endorsement.
Letters:
Discrimination, Comanche, Study
Ballot Answer To Discrimination?
To the Editor:
I wonder how many of the students who have been contributing letters to the Kansas concerning racial discrimination in Lawrence have ever stopped to think that the best method to attack a social evil is through the ballot box?
In all its years in office the plunderbund, alias the Republican Party, has never, to my knowledge, enacted legislation with suitable punitive provisions to protect the rights of any racial group.
The first step toward eradicating all discrimination is to return to political party that is pledged to the enactment of an F. E. P. C. law with teeth. Consult your party platforms if you are confused!
What should be done about the discriminatory restaurants around the campus is obvious—a student boycott.
Awhile back the Kansan was asking what had happened to the committee that was working on this problem? I don't know, but why doesn't the Kansan do something about it? I'll help.
James P. Johnston
1st year law
Comanche's Spirit Sets Forth Case
To the Editor:
My name is Comanche. I was once a horse, but I'm not even that anymore, now I'm just skin and bones and stuffing. I fought gallantly for my life, which fits for its expansion and progress. I know you will listen to my story.
I once took a trip to Montana but I didn't like it in that part of the country, it was shameful the way they treated me there. In Montana I was subjected to all sorts of humiliation, was wounded and left on a sun parched battlefield to die. I would have died too, except that the desire not to die and be left in Montana gave me strength to live.
With help I made it out of Montana and immediately began to recover. Later I was taken to Kansas where my recovery became complete. I loved it in Kansas, there the grass was lush and green rather than scorched and dray as it had been in Montana. I lived on content and happy in Kansas and when I died the people there still took good care of me.
My remains were preserved and I was given a fine air conditioned room in Dyche Museum. There I reside today one of the best known, loved, and respected citizens of Kansas. Yearly thousands of Kansans and people from all over the world come and visit me. Whole generations have known me and now occasionally even the grandchildren of old friends come in to pay their respects.
I have only one slight fear and that is that I will be sent back to Montana; but I know that the people of Kansas are fair-minded and generous and will always provide a home for me here among their sons and daughters at the University of Kansas.
The Spirit of Comanche Name Withheld by Request
Story Disgruntles Engineer Senior
From: A senior in engineering
From: A senior in engineering
to: Editor, University Daly Kansan
Re: "Enroll in Engineering—Name Your Own Price", page 1, University Daily Kansan, Wednesday, October 7, 1953
Enroll in engineering and name your own price? Sure. . if you can find a sheepskin with your name on it.
Still trying to find out what it is that makes us "Sliderule Romeos" so valuable? You won't find the answer among the usual crowd at the Hawks Nest every evening. No, you won't find the answer among the dates at the local theaters nor among the groups that frequently dance at the Student Union
The answer is behind the lighted rooms around Lawrence at 2:30 in the morning. There, the engineer is working for his 142 credit hours and hoping to graduate in five years. .. working for the same degree that Good Time Charlie receives for only 120 credit hours and four years of "work" (?)
—Unsigned