THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1951
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE NINE
Thought for the Day
"I would rather live in a country with newspapers and without a government, than in a country with a government but without newspapers." —Thomas Jefferson.
The Editorial Page
"Thank You, Daily Worker"
Directly across the page is reprinted from the Communist Daily Worker an apology to the Daily Kansan and a correction of facts by that paper in connection with the recent A-bomb petition circulated on the campus.
It is a very interesting statement. By examining it closely, we all can learn how to apologize and justify our mistakes in the same breath. First to be noted is the statement's high moral tone. The followers of this Godless creed have assumed the holiest of holier-than-thou attitudes in their reply.
The Worker has blandly dismissed its erroneous reporting that "11,000 students signed the petition," and the statement that the Daily Kansan "pushed the drive for signatures on its own," with the excuse that this was "due to an error in transmission."
We would like to know what kind of "transmission" allows such gross errors. If there is an overly-enthusiastic Daily Worker correspondent on the campus, he has only to call up the Kansan office and we will be glad to acquaint him (or her) with some of the basic principles of journalism.
However, it seems more likely that the Worker was simply following the rules of "new journalism" as developed and practiced so thoroughly in Russia. The Russian overlords admittedly allow facts to be distorted in the interest of the "people."
The fundamental lie in the Daily Worker's story is not in the twisted facts. In its apology and correction the Worker is only too willing to admit the errors if the reader will believe only one thing. And that is the Communist contention that Americans are clamoring for a negotiated peace-at-any-cost in Korea.
The majority of American families do not want their boys to die on foreign battlefields as the Worker points out, but at the same time they do not favor appeasement of Russia.
The Daily Kansan has never "pushed" such a policy nor is it likely to do so in the future. —E. J. C.
A columnist for another paper suggests the K.U. basketball team be used to form a human radio tower to replace the one which fell recently. Maybe Cumulus Clyde can at last live up this nickname.
"The Pink Lady" will come to the Fraser stage, a U.D.K. headline proclaims. We don't know who the pink lady is, but presume she is related to the Red Dean of Canterbury. But if so, she won't be the first fellow-traveler to declaim from the Fraser stage—if we can believe some of the violent letters-to-the-editor printed on this page.
Little Man On Campus
by Bibler
"What a foul dealin', mistrustin', atrocity committin' Prof. old Snarf is— This test he gave us was completely different than th' one he gave in yer 10 o'clock class."
To the Daily Kansan. . .
From the Daily Worker
The Daily Kansan
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kan.
Dear Sirs:
We have received a copy of your editorial which declares that the Daily Worker distorted the facts concerning the peace petitions circulated on the campus of your university. The Daily Worker regrets that its account, due to an error in transmission, said 11,000 students signed the petitions.
We regret, too, that you did not tell this newspaper of the error for we would have been happy to correct it. We knew of it only by receiving a copy of your editorial.
nedy, neither of whom opposed the illegal armed intervention into Korea.
But we know we make no error in reality when we say that the overwhelming majority of American families do not want their boys to die in distant battlefields. This, overwhelmingly, is the tenor of the letters-to-editors. And our newspaper has reflected that.
We make no error when we say—as we said six months ago—that this is the most unpopular war in American history. That truth has swept across the country and is admitted today even by senators like Taft who raised no vociferous objections to sending our boys to Korea last May. It is admitted in the speeches of former President Hoover and former Ambassador Ken-
This newspaper is the only one in the country which has been publishing the biggest news story of our time: the grass-roots upsurge against the Korean war, and for negotiations to achieve a durable peace. We have been receiving thousands of clippings from all parts of the country reporting the facts in the letters-to-editors columns. By the law of averages, we are bound to make an error in fact some time.
But the Daily Worker took its stand against Truman's action then, and it was belabored by the press everywhere. But in the past six weeks, millions—in fact, one can safely say, the majority of our nation—wants the boys back from Korea, and demands that peace be achieved through negotiation, rather than permitting the outbreak of atomic war.
So, as we apologize for the error in the story about Kansas University, we feel it necessary to point out the above facts inasmuch as you declare: "We can see now where the Daily Worker gets its reputation."
We willingly publish your contention that "to the best of our knowledge, not more than 200 students and instructors signed said petitions, not the entire student body as the article implies."
And also that the Daily Kansan did not "push" the drive for signatures, but "merely declared," in your issue of Dec. 6; "Editors Note: We believe the suggestion to be a worthy one and although the Kansan cannot accept or send the petitions or signatures, we are reprinting the form used by the English instructors from Monday's issue."
Sincerely,
Though we recognize the difference between the Daily Worker and the Daily Kansan, we hope that we can see eye-to-eye on the matter of winning the peace through negotiations. We do not believe you favor the idea of sending millions of our youth to distant battlefields to die in atomic war. Certainly not when all differences can be resolved through negotiations.
JOHN GATES, Editor.
Sign All Letters For Publication
To the reader:
All letters to the editor must be signed. If there is a possibility that the writer or writers of a letter may be embarrassed, or suffer reprisals, names will be withheld. The editor reserves the right to condense letters that are exceptionally long. In all instances where condensation is necessary, every effort will be made to retain the writer's opinion as he wishes it expressed.
—the editor.
Yesteryears-
Song To Remember
This summer while the chancellor's house was being re-done, a painter was busy working in his first floor room while a carpenter was sawing a board upstairs. Carried away with the wonderful day, the fellow downstairs broke out in a jubilant song. Straining and stretching for each note, the singer rose to unheard of heights.
(From the Nov. 21, 1941 issue of the University Daily Kansas)
Unable to stand it any longer, the bored-sawer bellowed down, "Hey can you whistle?"
A moment of silence, then the as- tonished answer, "Why yes, Why?" "Well whistle then, because you certainly can't sing." The irritated carpenter shouted back.
A few moments later, the upstairs worker came down. There was Chancellor Malott—the only occupant of the entire first floor.
Patronize Kansan Advertisers!
The Public's Pulse I Choose Freedom
Dear Editor:
I read with interest Mr. Sunye's letter in Thursday's Kansan. If I understand correctly, Mr. Sunye objects to the section in Mr. Lamb's article in the "Dove" concerning the recent attacks on Owen Lattimore by Senator McCarthy of Wisconsin.
Whatever Mr. Lattimore's ideological connections, the attacks on him are unjustifiable if it is clear that in a democracy an injustice against one is a menace to all. Even if Mr. Lattimore were a card-carrying Communist, it seems that the damage he could have done in his relatively minor position is hardly greater than the damage Senator McCarthy has done by his methods of denouncing Mr. Lattimore, and by his contribution to the political life of the U.S. in general.
I have not read enough of Mr. Lattimore's writings to know if he has "constructive suggestions" for U.S. foreign policy or if he is a fellow traveler of the Communist party and as such, is dangerous to the security of the U.S. If the latter is true, as Mr. Sunye suggests, then Mr. Lattimore was undoubtedly a threat to the U.S. to the extent that he helped shape its policies. But here, I feel, two considerations may be brought to Mr. Sunye's attention.
The issue which Mr. Lamb's article raises and which Mr Sunye has chosen to ignore, is whether demagogues should be allowed to furnish their personal interests or the interests of their group; which means ultimately whether demagogues should be allowed to change the atmosphere of crisis to an atmosphere of panic, until the country is ready to be "saved" by surrendering its freedom.
Mr. Lamb is obviously afraid of the rise of Faseism. I must confess that I am too, and I see that Mr. Sunye is not. He is more interested in the connections of Mr. Lattimore with the Communist party. I assume it is because Mr. Sunye is afraid of Stalinism. I am also afraid
of Stalinism, having been more directly affected by it than Mr. Sunye, am not, however, afraid of Stalinism in the U.S. where it is universally known to influence only a small portion of the lunatic fringe. Furthermore, I believe that the persons who denounce Stalinism most loudly on the home front are incapable of opposing it on a world scale, where it is infinitely more dangerous.
Unlike Senator McCarthy and Mr. Sunye, I am not interested in defending "democracy," there are too many persons defending it that I wouldn't be caught dead with Franco is a "democrat," and Peron is a "democrat." Tito and others are now defending the "spiritual values of the West." All this makes me prefer merely freedom, and democracy only as long as it guarantees freedom. Also it make me believe that the totalitarian state should be avoided as one would avoid the plague, and resisted regardless of whether it is imposed by Stalinists or anti-Stalinists.
Dan Gallin
College junior
Editor's note: This is a semantic age, Mr. Gallin. Everyone is for "freedom," -Stalin, you, Franco, I etc. . . Perhaps, in 50 words or less, you can tell us just what "freedom" is.
Dear Editor:
How about continuing with the Kansan feature "At the Flicks?" I feel that this column provided a much needed guide to the movie goer.
Richard Bradley Education Junior