Publication Days Published daily except Saturday and Sunday by Students of the University of Kansas
Daily Kansan
Weather Forecast
Considerable cloudiness tonight
Clearing Friday. Somewhat
colder tonight. Continued
cold Friday.
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1944
42ND YEAR
Sidelights Given On Franklin's Life By Van Doren
"I am often asked to speak on Benjamin Franklin by those who think he would be out of place with the people today," began Carl Van Doren in his speech on Franklin last night in Fraser theater, "but a man of Franklin's qualities does not die."
Mr. Van Doren spoke in an amable manner to an attentive audience of faculty members, students, and townpeople. He said that, more important than the many inventions and household conveniences for which we remember him, are the fundamental ideas Franklin propounded. Electronics owe much to his concept of electricity; his theories on population are still valid; and his early attempts at weather forecasting, found in his "Poor Richard's Almanac," marked an important beginning in that science.
Franklin is probably best remembered for his homely maxims, Mr. Van Doren said. He explained the common cold with the words, "If you have been in a hot, crowded room and go out in the cold, it is because you have been in not out, that you are suffering."
Noted for Truthfulness
When asked how he managed to outwit politicians, Franklin remarked that he took great pains to tell them only the exact truth.
"Franklin did not finish his autobiography. He was too busy making history to write about it," stated Mr. Van Doren. As a result, incorrect emphasis has been placed on Franklin's frugality. This is explained by the popularity of one edition of "Poor Richard" in which Franklin wrote an article on the virtues of economy. This particular Almanac has been more widely quoted than any other.
Franklin Loved Elegance
Time of Barbecue Changed by ROTO
"Benjamin Franklin was a master of cadence, spending a great deal of time on style. He wrote prose as carefully as Keats wrote poetry," continued Mr. Van Doren. "However, Franklin never made speeches. His great reticence in speaking was caused by his love of graceful speech. A Frenchman once remarked
Mr. Van Doren stressed that Franklin was not a frugal man. Though he could tell others how to save pennies, he could not practice it himself. In reality, he had a considerable love of elegance.
(continued to page three)
The Reserve Officer Training Corps barbecue and picnic will begin at 7 o'clock tonight in the Military Science building instead of 5:30 as previously announced, Lt. Col. L.W. McMorris, commandant of the R.O.T.C., said today.
Sgt. Major William Kolllendar, (retired), "chef de gare," will offer the following bill of fare: boiled hot dogs, barbecue sauce, pickles, potato chips, ice cream, and coffee.
All members of the football and basketball squads are to be special guests of the R.O.T.C. for the evening and Col. McMorris has extended an invitation to all male instructors and to all male freshman and sophomore students who are interested in B.O.T.C.
NUMBER 40
Rally Postponed; Council At Work On Election Plans
The WIGS-Pachacamae rally planned for last night was postponed until Monday night, Bettie Bixby, WIGS campaign manager reports, after the All Student Council set up the date of the freshman election to next Tuesday at a special meeting yesterday noon. The rally Monday will be held in the Union lounge, Miss Bixby said. Exact time has not been set.
The election committee, headed by Joan Burch, and composed of two members from each of the four political parties on the campus is preparing a list of freshman students from the files of the dean of men and the dean of women to determine student voting eligibility. Previously student directory classification and official lists from the office of the registrar have been used to check student classification. Because of confusion in straightening out names of students enrolled in the summer semester, the fall term, and the winter semester, such lists are not available at this time.
Freshmen candidates who are running for the position on the All Student Council are Shirley Willburn of the new D.U. dormitory, candidate of the Progressive Women's Cooperative League; and Jean McIntire, president of the new Kappa Sig dormitory, Women's Independent-Greek Society candidate
Men candidates for the other council vacancy are John Irwin, Battenfeld, Progressive Men's Cooperative League; and Sam Hunter, Sigma Chi, Pacachamac candidate.
Running for freshman class officers on the WIGS-Pacachaam ticket are Ralph Kiene, Battenfeld, president; Sara Heil, Kappa Sig dormitory, vice-president; and Pat Allen, Harmon Co-op, secretary-treasurer.
(continued to page three)
The All Student Council committee on parking has been called upon to decide what is to be the action in cases in which students who had made application for parking permits but as yet had no permit were issued parking tickets this week.
ASC Will Settle Parking Issues
Application for the parking permits is made at the office of the adviser of men. The parking committee passes on the application. The permit is then paid at the business office in Frank strong hall. For those students who secured a parking permit in the summer semester, permits will be renewed by the committee. The permits are good until June 30. The charge for the permit is 25 cents.
The second offense will be a fine of $1. Fines are $2, $3, and $5 for the next three offenses. After a tototal of five offenses in one semester, the violator must go before the Student Supreme Court for the assessment of the fine. The total of fines is not carried over into a new semester.
The question arose after many red tags were given out Monday and Tuesday to those of whom some had applied as early as Nov. 1, but had received no reply. They were resting, however, under the assurance that a rule of the ASC provides no fine for the first offense.
Faculty members may get permits directly from the business office.
Sour Owl to Be Sold Friday Or at the Game Saturday
The first issue of the Sour Owl will be ready for distribution either Friday afternoon as originally planned, or will be sold at the Oklahoma game Saturday, by sorority freshmen.
"It depends on the printer," Clark Henry, editor, said today.
Pulitzer Prize Winner Lectures For Fun
An honest affection for Franklin
No writer would dare create a man like Franklin, Van Doren contended. He was too versatile a genius.
For his own writing, Mr. Van Doren will stick to straight history. "It's much more exciting, richer than fiction. Life is more inventive than we are." He explained that novelists could not put all the exciting incidents that happen in real life into their books lest readers feel them unreal or unnatural.
Affable, unassuming Carl Van Doren, who left his dress suit at home because there wasn't room in his bag, admitted he was lecturing because it gave him an illusion he was working. "It isn't really, you know. It's fun."
His holiday from work is doctor's orders; to recuperate from a recent major eye operation which threatened Mr. Van Doren with blindness
Murder classics are the second half of the rest cure. Conan Doyle is the unchallenged master of all time, Van Doren stated, but good recent handlers of the twisted "whodunnit" yarn include Eric Ambler, Dorothy L. Sayers, (yes, Miss Hoopes, he said it), Nigal Marsh, and Agatha Christie. Sayers' "Nine Tailors" is the best modern mystery novel, according to Mr. Van Doren.
Indeed, Franklin was well on his way to becoming a celluloid wife with Charles Laughton when "one of the idiotic things happened that can happen only in Hollywood." RKO made a flop historical picture ("Brigham Young" with Tyrone Power) and became convinced that historical films were box office poison. "Franklin" was shelved.
However, Mr. Van Doren said with a twinkle, there would still be a filmed "Franklin," but he couldn't say anything more about it now.
Affection for Franklin Honest
On his lecture tours, the eminent historian can't get far from home base, New York, for he presents the "American Scriptures" on the New York Philharmonic broadcast Sunday afternoons. Subjects for programs are decided by monthly committee meetings he said.
started Mr. Van Doren on his plans for the biography that later won the Pulitzer prize. Mr. Van Doren confessed he would like to see the book filmed with Dudley Diggs in the title role.
This was Van Doren's first visit to the University campus, but he was impressed. And he likes to talk to students—"I can talk to faculty members any time—but students—they're something."
CVC Will Sponsor Sixth War Loan; Red Cross Drive
Sponsorship of the Sixth War Loan on the Hill starting Nov. 20 is one of the major points in the 1944-45 program of the Co-ed Volunteer Corps presented at a general meeting of the organization yesterday.
In addition to this activity, Joan Burch, head of CVC, announced several other features of the new program which includes co-operation with the Union Activities committee in decorating the Union building at Christmas, and sponsorship of the blood donors bank in January.
The CVC will also lead the Red Cross drive on the Hill, March 1-3L in co-operation with the local Red Cross committee. Finally, the organization will sponsor undergraduate scholarships for University draftees who wish to complete their college education after the war. This loan fund, which was built by the initiative of CVC members, will be entrusted to the University Endowment Association to be used at its discretion.
About 50 freshmen were sworn in as privates at the meeting, Miss Burch said. Duties, ranks of officers and the purpose of the CVC were read. Qualifications for membership were also given. They include the following: a member must be a student enrolled at the University; any University woman who is not a member of the Corps may take the oath and be sworn in as a private.
Naval Training Unit Gets New Officer
Lt. Arnold B. Copping is a new member of the staff of the naval training unit of the University, assuming his duties here yesterday.
Twente Will Speak In PTA Discussion
He is a college graduate, having received his bachelor of arts and his master of arts degrees at the New York State College for Teachers, Albany, N. Y.
Lieutenant Copping was transferred here from the Armed Guard Service at Brooklyn, N. Y. He received his training at the Armed Guard School at Little Creek, Va., his docterination at Fort Schuyler, N. Y., and has been on sea duty since June, 1943.
Miss Esther Twente, assistant professor of sociology, will be one of the participants in a panel discussion on proposed legislation on child welfare Monday night at 8 p.m. in the Liberty Memorial High School. The discussion is the fifth and last of a series on Kansas legislation sponsored by the study group of the Parents and Teachers council of Lawrence. The last two discussions have concerned child welfare.
Other participants of the panel will be Edwin Abels, representative of the Kansas legislature, M. N. Penny county commissioner, and Mrs. A. Bliernsen, probation officer of县 county court.
Mrs. Guy Keeler, president or the Parent-Teacher association, has invited the public to attend.
Mapia Islands Are Captured With Little Effort
General McArthur's troops on Leyte island at the same time drove toward a final battle with the Japanese defense forces pocketed in the Ormoc sector.
(International News Service)
Seizure of the Mapia Islands north of New Guinea, a small group formerly known as St. David's islands, was reported from the Philippine headquarters today. Capture of the island stronghold, effected with only slight resistance from Japanese forces, forges a new link in the American-held chain that has cut off an estimated 90,000 Japanese entrapped on New Guinea.
On the western front, the American third army, moved to within one and one-half miles of Metz, closing an arc about the city from both sides as German defenders were left with only an eight-mile escape gap. Other Yank troops pressed on toward Germany's vital Saar basin, some 20 miles away.
On the eastern front, Russian troops hammered forward in a three-pronged attack against the Hungarian capital as they overran 50 towns and villages. Final phase of the battle for Budapest appeared imminent as the Soviet-Ukraine army surged through a new gap in the Nazi line and moved toward the outskirts of Budapest, guarding approaches to Austria.
The British second army in Holland swept forward as much as five miles in some sectors as they smashed toward the Maas river and the Nazi communications stringpoint at Venlo. They seized five towns in their advance.
In Italy the British eighth army scored further gains north and west of the captured city of Forli, placing the vital Florence-Forli highway completely in Allied hands.
Students in the School of Fine Arts are presenting a combined voice, piano, and violin recital at 3:30 p.m. today in Fraser theater.
Fine Arts Students Give Recital Today
DuMont Reed is singing "Where 'er You Walk" by Handel. Margaret Emic, fine arts junior, is singing two numbers, "Bonjour, Suzon," by Delibes, and "As We Part," by Igenzritz.
The "Jewel Song" from the opera "Faust," is being sung by Arlene Nickels, fine arts senior. Betty McMillin is playing the violin selection, "Adagio from Concerto No. 5 n A Minor" by Mozart.
Norma Jean Lutz is singing "O Mio Fornando" by Donizetti. Gorgia Weinrich is playing "Chaconne" for piano by Bach-Busoni.
Buhl Receives Promotion To Lieutenant Commander
Lt. Comm. Arthur H. Bulk, in charge of naval training on the campus, has been notified of his advancement to the new rank of lieutenant commander. Lt.-Commander Bulk came to the campus July 16, 1942, as a lieutenant to head the training of machinists' mates. He is now in charge of V-12 training.