PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1942
The KANSAN Comments...
Calcutta: Outpost of Empire
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of a series of editorials giving the background and importance of cities and territories in the Pacific war zone.
Rising out of the maze of tidal rivers and mud flats in northeastern India is the mystical metropolis of Calcutta. Capital of Bengal province, which borders on war-scourged Burma, it is a city of $1\frac{1}{2}$ million people and stretches along both sides of the Hooghly river a few miles above the Bay of Bengal.
The city was founded in 1690 by Job Charnock, an agent for the British East India company, as a colony of Madras, a south Indian port. The British were driven out in 1756 by native warriors, but, led by Lord Clive, they recaptured the city the next year. It now completely overshadows Madras and rivals Bombay as the first city of India.
With its port on the bay, it is a great commercial center, both as a link in the chain of Empire outposts and as a shipping point for the important Bengal jute industry. Its residents claim it is the second city in the whole British Empire.
Calcutta has a hot, humid climate, with an average mean temperature of 79 degrees. The coolest season of the year will be virtually over in a month. April and May are exceedingly hot months, and in June the monsoons begin.
Out of its million and a half inhabitants, there are only 9.000 Europeans. The rest are two-thirds Bengali and one-third other assorted Asiatic stocks. Bengal natives are more docile than the wild tribes of the northwest.
If Rangoon falls, Calcutta is the logical port for Landing of Chinese supplies. In the battle for the riches of India and the lifeline of China, it may be the key.-C.R.R.
The Children's Theater of Denver University will present a play, "Sleeping Beauty." Based on the life of a college man, of course.
The Wages of War
Women of America are faced with the most critical period of their lives. Most of them have never been confronted with such a problem before. They are in a quandary, and it is to be expected that riots and insurrections will result from prohibition of the manufacture of corsets from rubber.
It has become, in the past few decades, an unspeakable disgrace to allow the human form divine to follow its natural course and spread out into a body which looks capable of sustaining life. Women, from the high school girl to the dowager, have compressed their figures and found it possible to retain a sylphlike form forever. But now all their experimentation—what amounts to a life's work—is gone for naught.
All the niceties of modern female civilization must go by the board in order that our nation may conserve vitally needed rubber just to preserve freedom and insure our way of life.
But women must not be too bitter. Men also have fallen victims to the rubber shortage. Without suspenders, trousers must be secured uncomfortably and precariously with belts. They will sag and float in the uneasy breeze as a male population roundly curses the Japs for making the rubber shortage so pressing.
This is not the whole story, though. There will be no garters, either. It will work no hardship on college men, for most of them
never saw a garter, anyhow, but Mr. Average Man, the staunch backbone of democracy, will have to learn to like his socks down around his shoe tops. All for defense, y'know.
Can't you visualize the family of the near future setting out for a night at the opera, with father clacking spiritedly along on his leather heels, his socks dragging in the dust, and his trousers looking like a flag at half mast? And mother will come billowing along after him, her uncorseted form undulating softly, and her clothing all to small?
Lucky we're complacent!
General Douglas MacArthur has lauded Russia for courage. He should know.
Shades of Robin Hood! Two Iowa boys have been arrested for shooting a deer south of Lansing, and attempting to hide the carcass.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 39 Thursday, February 26, 1942 No.93
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.
MEN'S STUDENT COUNCIL: There will be a special meeting Monday, March 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the Pine Room-Fred Lawson, Secretary.
DRAMATIC WORKSHOP. Meeting Monday, March 2, at 4:30 in the Little Theatre, Green Hall. Edith Ann Fleming will present plans for casting the Palm Sunday play, "The Terrible Meek." The final report on the all-student spring show will be submitted by the play committee. Please be prompt.—Dave Watermulder, president.
PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION: The third Proficiency Examination of the year will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 8:30 a.m. Students who wish to take the examination must register in person at the College Office, 229 Frank Strong Hall, Feb. 23-25. Prerequisites are junior or senior standing and five hours credit in Freshman Rhetoric.-J. B. Virtue.
NEW ADDRESSES FOR DIRECTORY SUPPLEMENT: Students who changed addresses between semesters and who have not reported new addresses to the Registrar's office should file these addresses at once so that corrections may appear in' the Directory Supplement.—James K. Hitt, Assistant Registrar.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
Publisher ... Kenneth Jackson
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-chief Charles Pearson
Editorial associates Maurice Barker and
Floyd Decaire
NEWS STAFF
Feature editor
Managing editor ... Heidi Viets
Campus editors ... Betty Abels and Floyd Decaire
Sports editor ... Chuck Elliott
Society editor ... Saralena Sherman
News editor ... Ralph Coldren
Sunday editor ... John Conard
United Press editor ... Bob Coleman
BUSINESS STAFF
Business manager ... Frank Baumgartner
Advertising manager ... Wally Kunkel
NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION 1942 Active Member
Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school year except September 17, 1910, at the post office at Lawrence, Kansas, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
(Written by Jack Werts for the First-Aid class of Doctor F. C. Allen)
(Written by Jack Werts for the First-Aid class of Doctor F. C. Allen) In the past few years, as automobiles have become virtually a necessity in the United States, automobile manufacturers have provided almost everything humanly possible to make their products a safe, comfortable and attractive means of transportation.
But they have forgotten one thing. They have not installed first-aid kits. Precision in workmanship and good quality materials have been used less danger to persons riding in the vehicle. Arm rests, ash trays, woodcraft ventilation, safety glass, windshield wipers, radios, and heating facilities are all examples of the manufacturer's efforts. But speed remains a hazard.
Manufacturers should have placed first-aid kits in every automobile that came off the assembly line long ago. But either they thought it bad psychology, or the idea never occurred to them. Granted, with car production almost at a standstill it is rather futile to suggest that manufacturers carry out the program now.
We emphatically believe that the Red Cross or some other influential organization should see that first-aid kits are installed in every automobile. Our suggestion is that a law be introduced compelling drivers to buy a first-aid kit just as he is compelled to possess a driver's license. The average citizen will not purchase a kit of his own accord.
The average person who buys an automobile does not buy it with the idea that he is going to wreck it. But he does realize that many people are injured in automobile accidents every day. And although he does not expect to be hurt himself, if he stops to think he will have to admit that he could be injured while driving or riding as a passenger. We are no safer on the road than the driver we meet. Especially is this true when tires are wearing thinner and thinner without being replaced.
It is true that first-aid stations are numerous throughout the country. But if a wreck occurs on the highway and one of the occupants is in a faint and is bleeding profusely from cuts, if the auto is demolished, and if a companion is conscious but helpless because there is no first-aid equipment in the automobile, how much help will be obtained from a sign by the roadside saying "First-Aid Station—5 mi.?" The injured person may die while the companion goes for help because bandages, disinfectants, tourniquet, and other first-aid articles are not available.
We agree. That is a lot of "Ifs" but accidents do happen under such circumstances and people do die because they cannot be cared for properly and quickly.
If only one life is saved because of the millions of first-aid kits which would be installed as suggested here, who will argue that the trouble and effort has not been worth while and that lives will not be saved?
Safety is being stressed more today than ever before because we have seen the results of carlessness in our everyday life and because of what may come as a result of war in the next few years. Since emphasis is placed on saving lives and keeping physically fit, we think that the Rec Cross should take our suggestion. Make first-aid kits a compulsory property in every automobile without any further unnecessary and costly delay.
Rock Chalk Talk BETTY WEST
Monte Merkel, delicate blossom of the football team, has got the armed forces interested in him to the extent of signing him up for the Naval Air Corps. The tender part of it all is that Monte will have to lose between thirty and forty pounds, before they can issue him a uniform he can wedge himself into.
File in the Short, Adequate, and To-the-Point Letter compartment (This note was received by a Hill woman not long ago and is passed on to you for reasons too awful to mention.)
February 18, 1942
There isn't much to say. On Jan. 20, I met Miss ... at a party. Our engagement was announced Sunday, Feb. 5, and we are to be married Easter Sunday, April 5.
Best wishes always. Sincerely,
Dear ...
Several days ago Alpha Chi Betty Leimert, starting on a big drive preparatory to studying for a quiz, went to bed at 7 p.m., and set her alarm clock for 45 minutes later, planning to get up then.
Came 7:45 p.m., the alarm clock went off, Leimert arose, hopped out of bed a bit begged, waded into her housecoat, and tore downstairs, all ready for breakfast, and prepared to start a new day.
It might also be mentioned that there were several dates passing the time chatting in the Alpha Chi hall who were almost as confused as Miss Leimert about the situation.
Paid Ad: Now that Anne Nettels is really a senior, with graduation looming before her, she desires to be called by her true given name which happens to be Mathilde, and not by the childish appellation of Anne.
4.
Phi Gam Fritz Smith is still blushing copiously from last week's Phi dinner, when a prearranged trick chair collapsed and left him spluttering on the floor. Practical-joking Phi Gam's even went so far as to make arrangements for the waiter standing near by to apologize profusely to Fritz in loud, audible tones.
la
to
fin
al
in
sv
the
ni
po
sa
ca
N
ol
st
m
in
bo
Ar
st
m
oI
in
H
m
hJ
bo
B
Sc
P
i
V
n
s
h
s
h
n
w
e
n
w
e
n
H