Page 2 University Daily Kansan Tuesday, March 24,1953
Little Man on Campus
by Dick Bibler
"Oh I'm so sorry class—I see by my watch I've lectured past the bell again."
Don Moser
Random Thoughts
If we are to believe the line that the Russians are now spewing forth, and this is a rather difficult thing to do, it would seem that the cold war might have passed another crisis.
The Soviet propagandists have added a new lyric to their song of peace. Suddenly the United States and Great Britain are old friends who cooperated in the destruction of the fascists during World War II.
This new line is a complete reversal of the old commie line. For years the Reds told their people that the capitalist countries sat back while the Red army won the war.
On the surface this new line seems like the East and West may soon come together. We think that chances of that are just as slim as ever.
It's a good guess that the Reds aren't ready to join with the U.S. yet. Instead, this change may be felt strongly in Korea.
It could be that Russia is getting tired of financing the Korean action. Although Russia is not losing men in the battle, they are losing money in the way of planes and ammunition.
A better guess would be the death of Josef Stalin caused the change. The ex-prime minister stood for the communist party in Russia and her satisterns. We think Georgi Malenkov's position is not very strong yet. It took a strong man like Josef Stalin to risk the action in Korea; we do not think that the new prime minister has this strength.
For some reason, still unknown, Georgi Malenkov has resigned as secretary of the communist party. By doing this, he has lost 75 per cent of his power.
Mao Tse-tung must also feel the lack of power in Premier Malenkov. The Red Chinese leader took orders from Josef Stalin, but will he take them from Georgi Malenkov? We doubt it.
The new Russian line, the weakness of Premier Malenkov, and the power dreams of Mao Tse-tung, may be the breaking point in the Korean stalemate. The next few weeks might bring a big change to power politics. For the first time in a long time, it looks as if there is a chance of peacefully ending the Korean war.
Secretary of State Dulles never uses the word "Democratic" when referring to the Democratic administration. He merely says Democrat administration. Guess he's afraid the word democratic will be taken the wrong way.
When we go to the movies, we like to see entertainment. We do not like to have some stars and stripes Hollywood propaganda jammed down our guillets as if we were intellectually spoon-fed infants. Witness Dore Schary's recent contribution to American patriotism-"The Hoaxsters," which is ostensibly an "objective record" of democracy versus communism supposedly told in "cold photographic facts."
'Hoaxter's' Message Falls Flat
"The Hoaxters," recently seen in Lawrence, is anything but that. It is a magnificent example of emotional propagandism as developed to a precise science by Herr Goebbels for Adolf Hitler.
We are not quarrelling with the message of the film, heaven and Joe McCarthy forbid. If a film were produced which actually did set forth the historical development and perversions of communism in a sane moment, it would be extremely worthy in this era of confusion and hysteria.
But all we get from this picture is a vague idea that someone is trying to sell us "snake oil" in the same fashion of the old-time medicine man, related on the Communist and fascist side in stirring scenes of goose-stepping soldiers, throbbing drums, bloody daggers, and smoking branding irons. The democratic answer is extolled in terms of waving wheat fields, Abraham Lincoln's statue, and soft organ music.
Stalin was a devil, and Mao Tse-tung is a devil. These men alone have caused all the world's woes. These god-leaders betrayed their peoples, the theory goes, plunging the world into conflict each time a new devil arose.
Apparently there were no broad social, economic, or political causes and effects at all which led to the World War II and the present Cold War.
organ music.
In essence the movie falls for the "devil theory" of recent history. Adolf Hitler was a devil, Benito Mussolini was a devil, Tojo was a devil, Josef
And surely, on our side of the story, we can present more logical arguments—more fundamental ideals—than the worn-out symbols and slogans that in recent years we have been tending to piously mouth rather than to sincerely think out and express our convictions in our beliefs, our practices.
practices:
"The Hoaxers," in all fairness, tacks on several minutes of the theme that while rallying against communism we must not become "100 per cent Americans," that we must not rally behind anyone with a good spiel and a star-spangled banner. But the bulk of the film preaches just this line.
What are we being buttered up for? If the American way of life must be explained in one easy dose—just swallow, don't reflect—in order for this country to arm against the insidious inroads of communism, then we are adopting the same tactics that make other people willing to die for the hammer and sickle.
The implications behind such propaganda pills as "The Hoxters" are shuddering.
—Jerry Knudson
UN Seen as Only Hope For Universal Peace
For many years leading Americans have been fighting for security for our people, for freedom from our religious and racial bigotries, and for a lasting peace between all nations and creeds.
One of the outstanding of these leaders is Dr. Ralph Bunche, Negro educator, territorial specialist, mediator, and present director and principal secretary of the trusteeship of the United Nations.
He has devoted his life to the furthering of his beliefs. In 1936 he became co-director of the Institute of Race Relations, in which position he worked for the abolishment of the bigotries which affect the prestige and strength of leadership of our nation.
His enthusiastic support and faith in the United Nations stems from his ever-growing belief that making democracy work in every country is vital for acquiring international security. During recent months, however, prospects for this security have been dampened considerably by the arguing, vetoing, and general disagreement between Communist and democratic forces. But on careful consideration this mediatory plan is the only avenue towards world peace open to humanity, with the exception of a third world war entailing the use of atomic weapons.
For the first time in history there is a collective determination to fight Communist aggression, as shown by the war in Korea. The nations of the world have united to fight this strange war—a war with no victory at its end—for they have foreseen the possibility of fighting a war on much larger scales.
But the solution of this war must rest finally with the UN. It must choose a practical alternative between complete withdrawal, or an atomic war. This alternative will lie in building internal pressures to force the opposition to accept an armistice.
As Dr. Bunche, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950, sees it the objective must be to build solidarity for the nations, and a bond of collective security among them. At the present time the UN has lost ground with many Americans because of its failure to "dent" the "cold war" and the "blind and dangerous" neo-isolationism of some of its delegates.
In these critical but not hopeless times, Dr. Bunche believes that the world nations can be saved and world war averted through the conscious effort of each individual—and he sets an example to the world by his untiring efforts toward his goal.
Much of this dissatisfaction is due, however, to the higher expectations of the more progressive people of our country who think of the UN only in terms of the amount of actual action taken and not the values of discussion.
—Gladys Henry
One Man's Opinion
Dr. Ralph Bunche, in speaking before a near capacity crowd of students and faculty members in Hoch auditorium Tuesday morning, reiterated beliefs he has outlined in literature available to anyone interested for a number of years.
By DON SARTEN
The compelling personality of the man himself, however, is not so well known—but might have been guessed at with only the barest analysis of his background. It took more than idealistic sounding phrases to patch relations between the Arabs and the Jews. It just wasn't anything one thought about—until confronted with the man responsible and listening to him talk.
Of major interest to the embryo journalist was his reference to India where he said "a really responsible press may be found. One which does not suppress, distort, or try to twist a speaker's words to suit their own needs."
Was this a thinly veiled slap at America's press? If so, is it justified? Unfortunately, Dr. Bunche did not elaborate. And there must be an easier way to find out than fighting a line of 50 or more people trying to shake his hand following each speech.
Along this same vein he deplored the fact that only the fights in the U.N. attract any spectators. "When Mr. Vishinsky is raising all kinds of trouble on the floor, the galleries are packed and the people hang onto every word. At other times—there aren't a handful," he said.
So, in working strictly from his talk, maybe the press in America has some justification in its sensationalism. As long as the reader or listener continues to demand demagogues before they pay any attention—then the newspaper must cater to their desires, or go out of existence.
UNIVERSITY
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