University Daily Kansan
45th Year No.137
Wednesday, April 28, 1948
STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
'Average Reader Misunderstands Modern Fiction'
Modern contemporary fiction—with its lack of heroic virtue and morality—is misunderstood by the average reader. The "tired business man" refuses the esthetic interpretation required to grasp the moral truths of the modern novel.
This was the explanation offered by Joseph W. Beach, professor of English at the University of Minnesota, for the widespread condemnation of contemporary fiction. His talk, "The Problem of Evil in Modern Literature," was the last Humanities lecture this year.
"The techniques of contemporary writers such as Dos Passos, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Farrell and others involves a purely dramatic method of presentation," Mr. Beach said. "This, combined with an almost total suppression of personal comment by the author, tends to leave the reader with a sense that the literary work is without direction, or that its direction is towards evil rather than good." Attracts And Repels
"What attracts many readers and repels more are the clues which are plentifully present throughout the work of writers like Eliot and Dos Passos, but are scattered and unlabeled.
"The reader must identify these clues for himself and he must put them together without direct help from the author. Many are bewildered by this modern method and may easily conclude that modern literature is an uncharted wilderness so far as moral intention is concerned." Mr. Beach said.
What most of the faculty wives, women's clubs, dentists, and investment brokers miss is the "heroic virtue" as expressed in the Victorian novels which seldom strike them as having a low moral tone, he added.
"Consider Thackeray, Shakespeare, Chaucer, or Dante, all of whom considered truth paramount over goodness. Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. Critique."
Why Professors Criticize
"Some professors of English literature ensure contemporary fiction saying that it largely deals with submoral types and that there is not enough representation of moral conflict. They are accustomed to another terminology and are not familiar with the frame of reference within which, in contemporary fiction, the moral problem is formulated.
"They do not realize that what these men are undertaking is a more radical inquiry into the nature of morality, an inquiry which attempts to go deeper than the surface and to discover the very roots of moral feeling."
Practice Trials To Begin Tomorrow
The first of a series of trials by law students of the trial practice class of Carl Slough, assistant professor of law, will begin at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the court room of Green hall. The public is invited.
The case will be a damage suit arising out of an automobile accident. Lawyers for the plaintiff will be Roy D. Adcock, John H. Atchison, Robert F. Bailey, William F. Barber, and Harold T. Beck.
Counsel for the defense will be Donald E. Johnson, William W. Jus-tus, Kenneth S. Larkins, Weymouth G. Lowe, and Thomas S. Mackle.
First year law students will be members of the jury, and Professor Slough will be judge.
Author To Speak At Fraser Tonight
S. I. Hayakawa, author, educator, and lecturer, will speak at 8 tonight in Fraser theater. His topic will be "Interpretations of Humanities and the Sciences through Linguistic Theory."
A dinner in honor of Dr. Hayakawa will be given by the General Semantics club at 6 p.m. in the English room of the Union with an informal meeting for club members in the East room after the lecture.
Student Court Cuts 3 Fines
Appeals in three parking cases were heard by the student court Tuesday.
William W. Justice, third year law student, appealed two tickets, one of which was affirmed for a fine of $2. Justice had been fined $1 previously for two other violations.
Leland Norris, College freshman, appealed 14 of 22 violations. All were reversed and Norris was fined $13 on the remaining eight charges. He had been assessed $41 at the last session, but fine was reduced when his parents accepted responsibility for the 14 tickets.
Gordon Parhm, engineering senior, appealed three of five violations. Two were affirme d'a fine of $1. Parhm's brother, who is not a student, acknowledge receipt of two tickets in a letter to the court, and the third ticket reversed will be charged to Parhm's wife.
Default judgment was entered against Edward P. Marquis, business junior. He was fined $1 on two violations.
Notice of appeal on all tickets received on or before April 30 must be filed with the parking office by noon, May 7, said Donald Johnson, chief justice. The last regular session will be held May 11. A special session will be held May 18 to hear appeals on tickets received in May.
Engineers To Pick Council May 7
School of Engineering students Tuesday nominated 10 candidates for class representatives to the engineering council. The election will be held May 7.
Candidates are Jack R. Bruy, Edward R. Lambert, Paul H. Jackson, Winton L. Studt, seniors; Robert K. Thayer, Walter R. Stockbrand, Robert J. Greenwell, juniors, and William D. Leake, Elton B. Noble, Gerald H. Frieling, freshmen.
The engineering council is made up of one representative from each class, and one representative from each department in the school. Engineering students will also vote for president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer 'at the May 7 elections.
Publication of Carl A. Preyer's "Sonata for Piano in E Flat" will soon be possible, Dean D. M. Swarthout, of the School of Fine Arts said today. Publication of the sonata has been planned as a memorial to the former University professor. More than $900 has been received by the University endowment association, Dean Swarthout said.
National Federation of Music Clubs.
Dr. Howard F. Gloyne, '43 and '46, of Kansas City, is chairman of the memorial drive. Dr. Gloyne is a former student of Professor Preyer-
Preyer Sonata May Be Published Soon
The sonato won the prize of the National Federation of Music Clubs.
New Staff Takes Over Council Duties
Patrick H. Thiessen was sworn in Tuesday as president of the All Student Council by James D. Waugh, retiring president.
Officers for the new Council are Ernest C. Friesen, vice-president; Dorothy J. Scroggy, secretary, and Robert F. Bennett, treasurer. William Conboy was appointed Council representative to the U.N.E.S. C.O. meeting.
The last business of the old Council included a grant of $75 for the Quill club and appropriations for sending two delegates to the National Student association meeting at the University of Wisconsin Aug. 28. They also heard a report that the Relays ball had incurred a deficit of $156. 72. Seven amendments to the constitution were passed on second reading but must be signed by the chancellor before they are effective.
L. C. Woodruff, dean of men, welcomed the new Council members. He warned them that they must accept the responsibility of their respective duties.
Members present in addition to the officers were Arnold J. Englund, Bernard M. Nagle, Alan Shearer, George A. Lowe, Shirley J. Ousley, Donald L. Helm, Wilma Shore, Anne Ellis, Helen Piller, James D. Petersen, Theodore M. Utschen, James R. Hunsucker, Joan M. Bushey, Samuel R. McCamant, Robert E. Morris, and Ralph E. Kienle.
The student U.N.E.S.C.O. will adopt a constitution and elect permanent officers at an all-student meeting at 7 p.m. today in Frank Strong auditorium.
To Lay Plans For UNESCO
Frederick Cross, College freshman will present the constitution for ratification. Bruce Wilder, sophomore chairman of the temporary organization, will speak on the work of U.N.E.S.C.O. Carolyn Campbell junior, will explain its application to the campus.
Robert Malott, senior, and William Conboy, junior, will preside Presidents of all organized houses, campus organizations, and professional societies have been asked to send delegates to the meeting. One hundred and fifty invitations have been sent out, according to Hilda James, junior, administration and planning officer.
Officers for a new World Student Service fund board to be composed of representatives of campus organizations will be elected at 4 p.m. today in the Kansas room of the Union.
WSSF Will Elect New Board Today
The officers will include a president, who will be co-ordinator and presiding officer of the board; cochairmen, who will be in charge of the W.S.S.F. drive next year; a special events chairman, who will be responsible for conducting incidental drives for W.S.S.F., a publicity chairman, and a secretary-treasurer.
W. S.F.S., will have a new organizational 'set-up in that it will have a policy-making board consisting of representatives of any campus organization which wishes to be represented. Formerly the student drive has been conducted by the Y.W.C.A. and Y.M.C.A., each of which appointed a co-chairman to execute plans for the drive.
Jobs On Kansan Open To Students
The positions of editor and business manager of the Summer Session Kansan are open to qualified students.
Applications for the two paying jobs should be submitted to Prof. Elmer F. Beth, acting chairman of the Journalism school, by May 5 The Summer Session Kansan will be published on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Applicants need not be journalism majors, Mr. Beth said. The application letter should give in detail the training and experience which the writer has had. Personal interviews will be arranged with selected applicants.
Only one member of a family will be allowed to teach in any one department of the University beginning in the fall of 1949, Raymond Nichols, executive secretary, said today.
Most of the teachers affected are only helping to relieve the teacher shortage, and realize that their jobs are temporary. Mr. Nichols said.
New Policy Cuts Teaching Staff
Relatives working in the same department have received a year's notice. Beginning immediately the University will not appoint new teachers if they already have a relative working in that department.
"This is the first step in re-establishing the pre-war policies of the University which were waived during the war years because of the shortage of teachers," he said.
Those affected are Prof. and Mrs Roger Barker, psychology; Mr. and Mrs. J. A Burzle, German; Prof. M.D. Clubb and Merrell Clubb, Jr. English; Prof. and Mrs. Allen Crafton, Speech; Prof. and Mrs. Robert Foster, home economics; Mr. and Mrs. Marko Haggard, Western Civilization; Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Heider psychology; Mr. and Mrs. Milton Horowitz, psychology; Prof. and Mrs. J. F. Wilkins; voice; and Mrs. Edward Zeller, geology.
KU Schoeppel Club To Aid New Voters
The first project of the campus Schoeppel-for-Senator club will be to compile and publicize information for new voters and information for those who may have to vote an absentee ballot this year.
Jack H. Greene, first year law student and chairman of the club said that printed information sheets would be distributed in the organized houses.
50 KC 7th Graders To Tour Campus
The students will eat lunch at the Union cafeteria and visit points of interest on the campus. They have asked to be shown through the museums, science laboratories, library, Journalism building, and the wind tunnel, Miss Bedell said.
Jay Jones Hortense Bedell, education junior, and Mary Lynn Troussdale, College junior, will conduct 50 seventh graders from a Kansas City, Mo, school on a tour of the campus tomorrow afternoon.
Charles D. Stough, Lawrence city attorney, attended the meeting Tuesday and gave a brief resume of voting instructions to those present. He is working with the club in getting out the information sheets.
The next meeting of the club will be at 5 p. m. May 4 in the law lounge of Green hall.
Directory Is Largest Item In ASC's Bill
Arnold J. England, finance committee chairman, reports that $5.-033.42 has been donated so far to campus organizations, and $1,083.39 has been spent directly by the Council. A few bills for the current year are still outstanding, he said.
The distribution of the student directory without charge accounted for the largest single expenditure of All Student Council funds during the past year.
The organizations which have received Council funds are Mortar Board $150, Associated Women Students $300, Y.W.C.A. $200, Y.M.C.A. $200, National Technicalations $25, Engineering Exposition $250, (Omicron Delta Kappa) $101, I.S.A. $150, W.S.S.F. $50, Alpha Phi Omega $250.
Forums board $350, International Relations club $125, Forensic club $90, United World Federalists $15, Quill club $275, International club $150, Homecoming committee $25, New Writers organization $200, the Eagle $75, foreign student scholarship $500, Jewish student league $100, State-wide activities $150, student directory $1,143.42.
Money spent directly by the Council went to the following purposes: Bitter Bird debt $300.50, cheer leaders and traditions committee $46.81, Jayhawk nibble $83.25, K.U.-Kansas State joint Council meeting $21.25, mimeograph bills $72.60, freshman election $92.90, travel expense $46.50, Varsity dance deficit (from last year) $354.35, homecoming $39.74, social committee $6.85, suggestion box $18.58. This totals $1,083.39.
This is a total of $5,033.42
4 Students Adapt Stories For KFKU
Four University students have prepared radio adaptations of children's stories for The Flying Carpet program presented by KFKU at 2:30 p.m. every Thursday. The story Three Golden Apples," adapted by to be presented tomorrow is "The Three Golden Apples," adapted by Edith Malot, College sophomore, "Beowulf and Grendel" will be given May 6. The radio adaptation was prepared by Martha Spreadlin, College junior, "The Prince and the Pauper," arranged by Jo Anne Jacobs, College sophomore, will be presented May 13. Sarah Jane Heil adapted "Sohrab and Rustum" for the program on April 22.
The adaptations are part of the work in a course in children's literature taught by Mrs. Robert Calderwood, instructor in English.
The programs are broadcast to schools throughout Kansas and are included as a regular part of the school work. Robert Calderwood, associate professor of speech, is the story teller.
Kansas Debaters At West Point Today
Kenneth Beasley, College senior, and Edward Stollenweerk, sophomore, will represent the University at the collegiate debate tournament today through Friday at West Point, N. Y. Thirty schools will compete. University debaters have won 108 debates and lost only 16 this year in intercollegiate competition.
WEATHER
Kansas--Fair today and tonight.
Thursday partly cloudy. Slightly warmer west today and in east
Thursday. High today 75 to 82. Low
tonight 45 to 55.