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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1942
The KANSAN Comments...
Union Soon?
Will World War II replace London with Washington as the hub of the British Commonwealth of Nations? If the Commonwealth nations do turn to Washington for leadership, will the United States, with an ultra-isolation background, acknowledge its authority?
The Statute of Westminster in 1931 broke the Commonwealth into its component parts—the self governing dominions. Westminster freed them from virtually all governmental control by London. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa henceforth had only bonds of sentiment with the United Kingdom. The British sovereign was their common king, but as he is merely the figurehead of the British government, English political control of the Dominions was at an end.
The Dominions, like the United States, are adamant toward European alliances. Livingstone Hartley once wrote in the American Review, "The United States has more kinship of view with the British Empire on foreign affairs than it would have with Great Britain alone, since the latter cannot help being a European power."
Economically, the United States has more than $2,700,000,000—one fourth of America's foreign investment—sunk in British territories. When the war began, Canadian capitalists had $1,097,600 invested in United States industry; American investors had approximately $4,000,000 in Canadian enterprises. American financiers have more money in Canadian industry than do the British. One-fifth of American exports go to the British Commonwealth; an American-Commonwealth union would alleviate, if not entirely obviate, tariff barriers which will be a paramount problem in post war planning.
Already the Self Governing Dominions are looking to the United States for men and material to help them protect themselves. As early as August, 1939, Prime Minister Chamberlain admitted before the House of Commons that the British did not have in the Far East a fleet superior to the Japanese, but he intimated that the English fleet in European waters was greater than that of the Nipponese and added, "In certain circumstances, we may find it necessary to send that fleet out there (to the Far East)."
James Frederick Green, writing for the Foreign Policy Reports shortly after the war began, prognosticated, "If Germany should capture or destroy the British battle fleet, the Commonwealth of Australia would immediately become vulnerable to its only potential enemy, Japan, unless the United States intervened." While England's fleet has not been destroyed or captured, the rejuvenated German fleet and the remnants of Italy's sea power so threaten Britain and its lifelines that it can ill afford to dispatch any naval aid to Australia.
Consequently, Australia and nearby New Zealand, with an impotent naval force of eight cruisers, five destroyers, and various auxiliary craft, now depend on American sea might to help protect and sustain the two ocean-bound commonwealth nations. London ostensibly has abandoned them in their time of tribulation, while Washington has answered their entreaties for food and guns. Reciprocally, the Aussies have accepted enthusiastically United States General Douglas MacArthur to lead
the United Nations forces in defense of Australia.
The Union of South Africa, isolated on the southern tip of the Dark Continent, has not been threatened with invasion. Free from attack for the present, at least, South Africa has made no pleas for help or gestures for cooperation toward America. The Commonwealth of Nations—Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa have a total population of 24,000,000 most of whom are white. All except South Africa are closely bound to the United States, and should the Axis build a base on Vichy-held Madagascar to attack British bases in Africa, the South African Union would probably need American help.
President Roosevelt, speaking before a gathering of Canadians at Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, in 1938, voiced the opinion that "Civilization is not national—it is international." Interdependence is replacing intradependence among nations. Americans are beginning to realize that our nation must play a leading role in the post war world. American isolationism is now history, not policy. Hitler started a war to shift world leadership from London to Berlin; it would seem he has succeeded in transferring international emphasis from London to Washington.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 39 Tuesday, May 5, 1942 No. 131
Notices due at News Bureau, 8 Journalism, at 10 a.m. on day of publication during the week, and at 11 a.m. on Saturday for Sunday issue.
There will be a Quack Club meeting for diving tryouts Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in Robinson Gyn.-Margaret Whitehead, President.
W. S.G.A.—meeting tonight, 7:00 o'clock in the Pine room of the Memorial Union building. Mary Jo Cox, Secretary.
JAY JANES Jay Janes will hold their regular meeting Wednesday at 4:30 in the Kansas room of the Memorial Union building. The picnic has been postponed until the following Wednesday.-Mary Kay Brown, President.
W. A.A. members—The W. A. A. Spring Banquet will be held Thursday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union building. There will be initiation and installation of officers Price of the dinner will be 50c.-Lo Smith, President.
QUILL CLUB will have a 5:30 p.m. dinner meeting in the cafeteria of the Memorial Union building Thursday to be followed by a meeting in the Pine room. Mrs. A. J. Mix will speak to the group about success in magazine writing. Members attend—Jean Sellers, Chancellor.
SENIORS—The Diploma Fee should be paid by May 15. Seniors expecting to receive degrees either in June or at the end of summer session who have not filed application for degree cards in the Registrar's Office should do so immediately. —Laurence C. Woodruff, Assistant Registrar.
Students who have taken the courses in Home Nursing and Child Care are eligible for Red Cross Certificates in Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick. Former students who are interested should make inquiry at the office of the Department of Home Economics. Room 104, Fraser hall.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
Publisher ... Kenneth Jackson
Lawrence, Kansas
NEWS STAFF
Floyd Decaire
editors Charles Pearson,
Ralph Coldren Joy Miller, Bob Coleman
Sunday editor Bill Editor
Sports editor Alan Houghton
Society editor Ruth Beeler
News editor Virginia Tieman
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-chief ... Mary Frances McAnaw
Associate editors ... Alan Houghton
Don Keown, Joe King, Charles Roos
Feature editor ... John Harvey
Gamma Phi Janet Marvin and Marjorie Rader, education junior, began their feuding early last winter when Miss Rader sent Miss Marvin a book of basketball rules, thus casting a reflection on the latter's ability to play the game.
The feud reached a climax last week when Marjorie went to the trouble and expense of having a set of wedding invitations printed—announcing the approaching marriage of Janet to a certain Archibald V Dump. The invitations were sent to all the friends of the bride-to-be residing in the area.
Since the wedding was set for May 8th, Janet is concentrating 24 hours a day on the canceling of the invitations and endeavoring to get herself back into circulation.
A fellow by the name of Don Jackson came out with this panicker in t Iowa Daily the other day:
Question: "What is the difference between a hairdresser and a sculptor?"
Answer: "A hairdresser curls up and dyes while the sculptor makes faces and busts."
The Alpha Chi Omega serenade last night featured something new—a quartet arrangement of a "Goodnight Song." The melody was arranged by Margaret Holcomb, fine arts sophomore, and was sung by Alpha Chi's Fleming, Leimert, Bonewits, and Holcomb.
When the Sigma Nu's buy their wastepaper baskets in the fall, they get the metal kind because they provide so much fun in the spring season. With the coming of the May flowers, the Sigma Nu's begin throwing water out of their windows on whoever chances to be lurking below—transporting the water from hydrant to window by means of the wastepaper baskets.
Bill Park, pledge, became fanatical with the enjoyment of the sport and spent hours dashing water from his window. He loved the sport.
Friday night, the often-washed victims of young Park, held a meeting and decided something drastic had to be done before a drowning occurred.
That night the plotters carefully ran a hose to the sleeping porch and neatly tucked the nozzle beneath the bedding of Park's bed.
Park retired and fell asleep. The hose was turned on but nothing exciting happened. The bed gradually filled with water but still the pledge slept on. The lookers began to think they had drowned the victim with the first squirt of water.
But then he awoke—screaming and splashing he swore the second destruction of the world by means of water was on.
The Sigma Nu houseman predicts the mattress and bedding will be dried out completely by the time pledge Fark graduates.
What do you think of when plastics are mentioned—fancy steering wheels, clever cigarette cases, and other "gadgets"? To many persons plastics have meant items such as those just mentioned ever since they first came on the market in the late 1920's. However try referring to plastics as "gadgets" while talking to any plastics producer if you would like to start a good fight.
Plastics have always been industrial materials. Since they first came into public notice, almost half of their tonnage has gone into industry in the form of insulation, goggles, bearings for roller mills, fuse boxes. $ ^{?} $
Plastics or "Gadgets" All Used for Defense
pipe fittings, lighting fixtures and laboratory and factory equipment.
Today heavy industrial and defense uses far exceed the former 50 per cent. In February 1941 O.P.M. advised manufacturers to substitute the use of plastics for metals, particularly aluminum, magnesium and zinc and plastics provided "one way out" of the material shortage. Five months later there was talk of substituting metals for plastics. This abrupt about face was caused by a shortage of plastics which were needed for war production.
First, in the air corps, plastics are used for airplane windshields, gun blisters, turrets, trim tabs, and innumerable parts in the communications, control, and lighting systems of bombers and fighters.
The flying suits of high altitude pilots are being plastic-coated to make them air tight and resistant to oil, acid, and water. After a governmental study of 600 bomber parts, plastic replacements were recommended for consideration in 82 and
were reported immediately practical in 34.
The navy's use of plastics far exceeds that of the air corps. Mosquito boats use plastic-bonded plywood. Experiments are being carried out with plastic gun blasters and plastic-bonded splinter protectors. Furthermore, every naval vessel, regardless of size, is a literal network of electrical systems with plastics playing numerous roles all the way from telephone receivers to range-finders. These plastics are really buried out of sight and are seldom brought to the attention of the public. An exception was the much publicized polyvinyl chloride, some grades of which were not long ago placed on the mandatory priorities list. This plastic is a necessity in insulation and cable sheathing and the navy refused to allow it to go to waste in shower curtains and in another line of defense—that of baby panties.
Plastics are also used a great deal in the communications system of the Signal Corps; in the electrical apparatus of tanks, scout cars, and
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