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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1943
Case of Walter Gudert May Be Broader Than That of German Sympathizer
German-born Walter E. Gudert, a Lawrence accountant, is facing cancellation of his naturalization as a United States citizen, after proceedings were filed in the federal district court at Topeka last week by the U. S. District Attorney. The action is based on the charge that Mr. Gudert is an alleged Nazi sympathizer.
After an investigation by the FBI, it was revealed that a statement by Gudert to his local draft board asked that he be listed as a conscientious objector. He said, "I believe in the Christian standard of right and wrong: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' It is my honest conviction that this war against the have-not nations is a flagrant violation of this principle, and that I, being a German, would perpetrate a hideous crime, if I supported in any way this attack upon my own people."
Such beliefs and statements to Mr. Gudert are, no doubt, a religion. The sincerity of a man making such a comment while the country in which he resides is at war with his homeland can not be questioned. He believes he is right; he lives by his ideals.
For an American, however, it is easy to realize that Mr. Guder's ideals are not even consistent with those of his fatherland today. "I believe in the Christian standard of right and wrong: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'," he has said. Still, Goering has stated, "Our business is not to do justice but to destroy and exterminate." Dr. Joseph Goebbels has declared in Der Angriff, "The only instrument with which one can conduct foreign policy is alone and exclusively—the sword."
Hitler himself has said, "Two worlds are in conflict, two philosophies of life . . . one of these two worlds must break asunder." For Mr. Gudert—he must choose one of two worlds he can not live in one and defend the other.
Gudert in a letter to District Judge Hugh Means said that he might have become a citizen under a misconception of what citizenship obligations meant. Perhaps this is where the trouble is. How many more Mr. Gudert's are there in America, claiming United States citizenship without full understanding of what it means?
America at times has been lax with the naturalization laws, allowing foreigners to become citizens when their knowledge of English was small, granting citizenship to persons who did not know the complete obligation they were taking toward flag and country. Now in wartime, the procedure may be more strict, but the Mr. Gudert's have already taken their oaths, the papers have already been signed, and misunderstandings and misconceptions have gone unmentioned.
Perhaps Mr. Gudert's entrance into the "wrong" world can be traced to other sources, and maybe this case is too broad for words of "unpatriotism" and "Nazi sympathizer."
It is reported that Mme. Chiang Kai-shek was asked at a press conference recently if she was going to take Mrs. Roosevelt back to China with her. That might be carrying lendlease too far.
Just Wondering
If voters realize that Congress has a much higher percentage of absenteeism than the worst industrial plant. Don't politicians think their work is "essential?"
Tomorrow Marks Signing of Law Promising Freedom to Islands
Tomorrow will be March 24,1943. Nine years ago tomorrow Congress enacted the Tydings-McDuffie Law. Nine years ago tomorrow the President affixed his signature to it.
The Tydings-McDuffie Law is almost unique in the history of nations, an act to set a people free. Under its provisions, the Philippines and the Filipinos would have achieved independence in ten years. The Japanese may have interfered with the timetable, but they can never quench the passion of the Filipino for freedom.
On Jan. 17, 1933, Congress passed over the Presidential veto the Philippine Independence Bill, submitting to a referendum of the Philippine voters a proposal for independence, effective 10 years thereafter on lines laid down by Congress. But the Philippine legislature rejected the Bill.
Then, on March 24, 1934, Congress enacted the Tydings-McDuffie Law, which was free from various features to which the Philippine legislature had objected, and the latter accepted it on May 1, 1943; in January, 1935, a convention in the Philippines drafted the constitution of the "Philippine Commonwealth" to provide for the government of the Islands during the ten-year period.
Before the outbreak of the war, the Philippines were governed by a dual instrument, consisting of a permanent constitution (subject to the usual powers of self-amendment when full sovereignty is achieved) and an Ordinance governing the relations between the United States and the Commonwealth for a period of 10 years from Nov. 15, 1935. When the Ordinance lapses (on July 4, 1946), the Commonwealth automatically takes over full sovereignty and becomes "the Republic of the Philippines." On May 14, 1935, this dual instrument was ratified overwhelmingly by the Philippine electorate, both men and women, at a national plebescite and came into force Nov. 15, 1935.
The Philippine Islands were invaded by the Japanese on Dec. 10, 1941. On May 7, 1942, Corregidor fell. It has been the vow of Gen. Douglas MacArthur that he will return to reconquer the Philippines. May he achieve his goal before July 4, 1946. The United States dislikes to break its word.—J.G.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-Chief ... Virginia Tieman
Editorial Associates ... Don Keown, Jimmy
Gunn, Maurice Barker
Life's little disappointments: On the Phi Gam steak fry last Friday, for the first time this year, Randy Moore got up nerve enough to hold Jane Woestemeyer's hand. The floor of the cabin was crowded and the light of the fire dim, so Randy held hands not just a little, but all evening. Every once in a while he gave the hand in his an affectionate squeeze. Always his hand was squeezed back—just a little. It was lots of fun and Randy was just telling himself that he must do this more often when the party broke up and he found himself clutching the paw of an hysterical Vic Costello.
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Notes on the Alpha Chi fire: At 5 a.m. Saturday morning Betty Brownlee discovered it. The Paul Revere who dashed from door to door remains anonymous.
Beverly Waters dressed rapidly in all of her sweaters (ten). In a moment of heroism she filled two buckets of water, but between the fire and the sweaters she was forced to abandon one bucket on second and one on first before reaching safety outdoors. Marion Ransom fell into both buckets while making her exit in two fur coats.
Mary B. Flint appeared on the porch three minutes after the alarm clutching the picture of Bob Steeper, her fiance, and several pieces of her silver collection. She was still asleep.
The firemen were rather distracted by so many girls in such informal attire, but they did their best. The fire started on two old mattresses in the basement. It would have been reported earlier only the house man who was sleeping on them didn't wake up.
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Big business: No one is supposed to think when Bettie Cohagan appears at a mid-week in the near future escorted by Bob Timmons that the blind date agencies of Kappa Alpha Theta and Beta Theta Pi have been on a bender. Although Bettie is six feet tall with heels, and Bob can't see over a five foot wall, both parties know what they are doing. Especially Bob. Beta actives once bet him a considerable sum that he would not (or could not) have a date with Bettie.
Good looking outfit you have there: Merrill Jones, Kappa Sig, and Gerald Tewell, A. K. Psi, just happened to sit by each other in the show Sunday night. Merrill was with his customary date, Theta Shirley Bayles and Gerald was with "the boys." The two groups left about the same time and met again at the bus stop—at which point Jones began noticing how familiar Tewell looked, and Tewell began noticing how familiar Jones looked. About half way home it dawned on them that they were wearing each other's coats.
War Hits Jayhawk Co-op Pioneer in Field
By PAUL BROWNLEE
The Jayhwak Co-op has gone to war.
With the drafting of students, the calling of the reserves, and the normal decrease in enrollment hitting the men's co-operative houses on the Hill as well as other groups, the three houses reached the situation where consolidation for the duration was
the only solution. So the Jayhawk Co-op was selected as the house to dissolve.
Located at 1614 Kentucky, the Jayhawk Co-op was the nucleus of the co-operative movement on the campus. Out of the Jayhawk, the University of Kansas Student Housing Association evolved and began the current year with six co-operative houses under its wing.
Kermit Franks, John Moore, Y secretary at the time, Bob Fluker, Keith Martin, Luther Buchele, Ed Price, and many others gave the Jayhawk the push needed to begin the co-operative movement.
The Jayhawk was organized in the fall of 1939 by a group of independent students looking for economical, wholesome, and fraternal housing accommodations on the Hill.
After the Jayhawk had received the enthusiastic approval of its occupants, the co-operls admitted new members, split their group at the Jayhawk, and moved part of the membership to 1409 Rhode Island
and organized the Rock Chalk Co-op in the spring of 1941.
After the Rock Chalk was organized, the members, aided by Hilden Gibson, associate professor of political science and sociology, saw the need of a body empowered with the right of stabilizing rent between the houses and of providing a central system for the financial and legal set-up of the co-operative houses. The result was the University of Kansas Student Housing Association.
The association now has six members—Jayhawk Co-op, Rock Chalk Co-op, John Moore Co-op, and three women co-ops, Jay Coeds, Kaw Koettes, and Harman Co-op.
Two weeks ago the Jayhawk boys voted to merge with the John Moore and Rock Chalk Co-ops for the duration, after the Kaw Koeffes had volunteered to move from 1138 Mississippi to the Jayhawk and keep the house intact for the duration.
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Burket, houseparents at the Jawhawk, along
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