207 26 71576
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1949
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE FIVE
This Is Berlin:
Free University Of Berlin Has Democratic Charter
By CARLA EDDY
(Berlin Correspondent for the University Daily Kansan)
This is Berlin—the home of the world's youngest university—the Free University of Berlin. Its story begins with the old University of Berlin, which was founded in 1909 and grew to an enrollment of 11,000 students.
In 1933 the Nazi hand fell on the university and it was used to serve totalitarian ideologies. At the end of the war, its friends throughout the world hoped that once again a great university could be rebuilt. This hope was soon disappointed.
The university's buildings fell within the Soviet sector of the city, and Soviet authorities proposed to reopen it under their direct control. The Western Allies suggested that the university be placed under the Berlin city government, as it always has been, or controlled jointly by the four powers. The Soviets vetoed these plans, and opened the university early in 1946. By the end of that year, the pattern it was being fitted to was apparent.
Unnest grew among both students and teachers. When six student opposition leaders were kidnapped in the spring of 1947, anti-communist students began publishing a magazine called Colloquium, which became the spokesman of student opposition throughout the Soviet zone. In April, 1948, three of its editors and contributors were expelled because of articles on Soviet methods of dealing with universities. Their dismissal by the Soviet authorities, without reference to the regular procedures of student discipline, caused two student demonstrations that focused the public eye on the controversy.
The following month the Berlin city assembly voted 83 to 17 to place the University of Berlin under its direction, and if this plan failed, to established a new university in the western sectors of the city. German communists and the Soviets violently opposed the former plan. If Berliners wished to take a stand for academic freedom, they would have to undertake the enormously difficult task of founding a new university. They did wish to make the stand.
The sons and daughters of workers were favored over those of professional men and "capitalists." A strongly communist preparatory school was established to provide the university with followers of the party line. Communist professors were brought in to fill key positions on the legal, economics and philosophy faculties. Berlin university was indeed reorganized.
Volunteer committees which had sprung up were merged into a single preparatory committee, which worked out a practical plan and set up an unpaid secretariat in an empty building. Meanwhile, the blockage of Berlin became complete and the currency reform multiplied financing problems. Acquisition of expensive equipment was postponed, and prospective students did much of the work of repairing and furnishing the buildings. On Nov. 10, the city government, no linger subject to Soviet vetoes, approved statutes giving the Free University of Berlin a legal basis.
Classes were organized under three faculties: philosophy, law-economics, and medicine. From more than 5,000 applicants only 2,000 could be selected because of existing facilities. Selection was based on the student's academic record and on his promise of success, with extra points given those who had a record of resistance to Nazism. As a result, less than eight per cent of the students were officers in the army or held offices in Hitler-organizations—probably the lowest percentage in Germany.
Twenty per cent of the students are the sons and daughters of laborers, as compared with three per cent for German universities before the war. Twenty-five per cent are young women, a figure high for any German university. Fifty per cent of the students came from the Soviet zone or transferred from the old Berlin university. Five per cent came from the western zones of Germany. Seventeen foreign countries are represented in the student body.
The university enjoys one of the most democratic charters in Europe or America. Its governing body of 12 members consists of Berlin's mayor, finance minister and education minister; the director, a professor, a student, and three elected laymen (this year these places are held by a judge, a labor leader, and a Nobel prize-winning chemist). A striking innovation in internal control is the presence of two students in the university senate. And thus the steady work of teaching and studying and building goes on, providing a democratic experience for the young people whose education was interrupted by totalitarian rule and war.
KU Life To Be Featured In 16mm Color Film
The filming of a 16 mm. color movie of the University and campus is nearing completion, Tom Yoe, director of public relations said.
In progress for about a month, the film is being prepared for the bureau of visual education by the Centron corporation of Lawrence. Art Wolf, '39, is the director. He also filmed "Far Above the Golden Valley" in 1940.
The movie includes shots of classrooms and laboratories from all departments of the University and other sources of student activity. Commentary and music will be added to the film, Mr. Yoe said.
First showing of the film is planned for commencement week-end. After that, it will be sent to Kansas high schools, alumni groups, and various service organizations through out the state, he added.
Air Force Reserve Unit May Be Established
An effort is being made to establish an Air Force Reserve Training unit in Lawrence, Donald F. Powell, director of intramurals, said.
"There is a ground force reserve unit already here, but the nearest air force unit is Topeka. That means that we in the air force reserves have to drive 60 miles twice a month to attend meetings," Mr. Powell said. "If 50 or more men are interested we can set up a local unit and get our credits transferred to a Lawrence unit," he added.
Any enlisted man or officer in the air force reserves interested in the new unit should come in and see or contact Mr. Powell in 107 Robinson immediately. The unit will be open to both students and men from the town.
William Schmeiderer, general secretary of the Kansas City Y.M. C.A. and Harold Barner, secretary of George Williams college of Chicago, will be the keynote speakers at the second annual conference of the Y.M.C.A. Profession to be held at the University Friday, May 6, and Saturday, May 7.
Y' Leaders Will Speak
At 4 p.m. Friday in the Pine room of the Union Mr. Schmeiderer will speak on "Y.M.C.A. History" and following his talk Mr. Barner will discuss "The Y.M.C.A. as a Profession."
Coule Dam weighs 21,600,000 tons. tons.
The movie "Men of Tomorrow" will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday in the Pinel room. Following the movie Harry Harlan, associate general secretary of the Kansas City, Mo. Y.M.C.A. will discuss "Personal Satisfactions in the Y.M.C.A." Harold Kuebler, executive director of the Student Y.M.C.A. for the Rocky Mountain region, will conclude the evening with a discussion of "The Scope of the Y.M.C.A."
Saturday, discussions will be held on organizations and programs in the Y.M.C.A. with Raymond Hill of the Community club branch of the Kansas City, Mo., Y.M.C.A. giving tests and measurements of proficiency.
Interviews with the Y.M.C.A. secretaries will be available in the fields of boy's work, physical education, program work, and county work. Any interested person should give his name to Ned D. Linegar, executive secretary of the University Y.M.C.A., this week.
Deep-Freeze Frog Entered In Hi-Jump
Angels Camp, Calif., (U.P.)—A 1,200-year-old- frog entered under the name of "Lazarus" in the latest stunt in this year's Calaveras county jumping frog contest.
The frog, embedded in a chunk of glacier ice, was entered by Dr. D. L. Albatic, Angels Camp physician. Dr. Albatic said the frog might be revived when the ice was melted.
"There seems to be no known limits to the powers of a frog or other reptiles to revive after long periods of dormancy." he said.
Dr. Albasic, an amateur student of glaciers, said he found the frog in the Dang glacier at Yosemite park which he estimated to be at least 1,200 years old. He is keeping it in a deepfreeze cabinet and said he would try to revive the frog some time next week.
The contest, based on Mark Twain's story of an early-day contest, will be held May 13,14, and 15.
Always A First Time— But This First Cost $10
On leaving his cab, a passenger asked Mason:
St. Louis—(U.P.)-Perry Mason, a taxicab driver, found out that there's a first time for everything.
Mason new experience cost him $10.
Horses are vanishing from the New England scene at a rate of about 8,000 annually.
"You ever been held up before?" I haven't, the cab driver replied.
"You have now," said the passenger, displaying a revolver.
YM-YWCA Hears Scout Executive
The way a boy begins his camping experience determines whether he will have a good time at camp, Donald Baldwin, seout executive for the Kaw council, told a joint meeting of the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. Tuesday.
Mr. Baldwin spoke at the second meeting of the Camp Counselors' Training course sponsored by the Y.M.C.A. The third meeting will be held Thursday in the projection room of Fraser hall.
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Competition for two $750 scholarships, awarded annually to college journalism seniors by the International Circulation Managers' association, will close May 10.
The education program is designed to raise circulation management standards, enable journalists to do specialized circulation research work on graduate level, and create a better understanding of the circulation business among journalism students.
Applications may be obtained from the William Allen White School of Journalism and public Information.
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