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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1941
The KANSAN Comments...
U.S. NEUTRALITY LEGISLATION 1935-1939
Discussion of United States neutrality legislation is soon to be the chief subject in all political circles as a result of the President's order to the Navy to shoot on sight Axis vessels in waters patrolled by the United States.
Our present neutrality legislation stems from the attempt of the United States to solve the greatest diplomatic problem of our times—promoting peace in a world drifting toward war. At the beginning of President Roosevelt's first term, the United States faced three alternatives: It could protect its interests abroad by overwhelming armaments; it could retire, or attempt to retire, into economic and political isolationism, or it could cooperate with other powers interested in maintaining peace. Most Americans allowed themselves to be convinced that they could escape being involved in "other people's quarrels" by "minding our own business" or abandoning such interests as might lead us into war. All proposals to discriminate against aggressors as advocated by the League covenant or the Kellogg Pact were pushed aside by those urging "impartiality".
By 1935 most Americans had become convinced that war abroad was inevitable and that the new American Neutrality legislation was designed to prevent United States involvement in the war by the isolationists. This legislation is in part a result of the investigation of the munitions industry conducted by Senator Nye of North Dakota. The investigation revealed the great extent to which the "merchants of death" had been evading governmental decrees in regard to the arms traffic.
The legislators assumed that the price of peace was the sacrifice of all profits. To insure against war meant abandonment of foreign trade and investments. No distinction was made between aggressor and victim.
The act declared "that upon the outbreak of or during the progress of war between, or among, two or more foreign states, the President shall proclaim such fact, and it shall thereafter be unlawful to export arms, ammunition, or implements of war from any place in the United States to any port of such belligerent states, or to any neutral port for trans-shipment to, or for the use of, a belligerent country. . The President may from time to time, by proclamation extend such embargo . . as and when they become involved in such war."
As a result of the enforcement of this act during the Italian - Ethiopian war, the United States virtually handed the victory to Italy—by wiholding supplies to Ethiopia which needed them, as well as from Italy which didn't need them. The United States had thus become the economic ally of all aggressors.
The passage of this act marked a definite about face in American foreign policy, but was not in any sense a declaration of war. Under
In 1939, a new act was passed which differed only in degree of embargo. Then came the rapid chain of events—the fall of Copenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Brussels, and then France—which was followed in the United States by William Allen White's "Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies." Beginning with the establishment of this committee, public opinion has mobilized, until today it is at least an even bet between isolationists and interventionists. On March 11, 1941, the Lend-Lease bill was signed by the President.
the act, the United States was now the arsenal of democracy. But the old Neutrality Act is still in effect. With the continuing parade of events forcing the President to policies not in line with the Neutrality Act, Congress is faced with the task of amending or repealing the Act
Even the big newspapers make mistakes. Four of five captions under pictures of 1942 automobiles were transposed in Sunday's New York Times.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 39 Sunday, Oct. 4, 1941 No. 16
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.
RHADAMANTHI. Rhadamanthi will meet at 7:30 Tuesday evening in the Pine Room of the Memorial Union. All students interested in verse are invited to attend—John Waggoner, president.
KU KUS: There will be a meeting of the Ku Kus at 1:00 p.m., Monday evening in the Union lounge. All members, except the new initiates, bring your dues. It is required.-Roy Edwards, president.
DIRECTORY: Copy for the Student Directory is now being prepared. Students who have not filed addresses and telephone numbers at the Registrar's Office should do so at once. James K. Hitt, assistant registrar.
UNION ACTIVITIES: All people interested in Student Activities Committees apply at Student Activities office, Union Building, between 2:30 and 5:00 in the afternoon—Fred Mitchelson, publicity manager, Union Activities.
CERCLE FRANCAIS: Le Cercle Francais se renuma mercredi, le 8 octobre, a trois heures et demie dans la salle 113 Frank Strong, pour elise les officiers de cette annie. Tous ceux qui parlent français sont invites.— Robert Pyle, sponsor.
JAY JANES: Jay Janes will meet Wednesday at 4:30 in the Pine room. Please wear uniforms in the after noon for pledging services. Don't forget to have permissions for attending out of town game turned in to Miss Meguiar's office.-Genevieve Harman, president.
PSYCHOLOGY CLUB: The Psychology Club will meet Monday at 4:30 in Room 21, Frank Strong Hall. There will be election of officers. All persons interested in psychology are invited. There will be a short meeting of Psi Chi members following the Psychology Club meeting-Kenneth Moore.
DRAMATIC CLUB: The K.U. Dynamic Club will meet Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 in the Little Theatre, Green Hall. Apprentices are expected to pay their pledge dues and receive instructions for this semester's work. All actives are requested to be present in order to complete the check-up of the roll for the new year. If not able to be present, please notify an officer. Dave Watermulder, president.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ORGANIZATION: The Christian Science Organization will hold a regular meeting Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 in the Pine Room of the Union building. All students, graduates and faculty members are welcome.Betty Charles, secretary.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
Publisher ... Stan Stauffer
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Charles Pearson
Editorial Associates: Bill Feeney, Floyd Decaire,
Marv Frances McAnaw
Feature Editor ... Betty West
NEWS STAFF
Managing Editor ... Chuck Elliott
Campus Editors ... Heidi Viets, Orlando Epp
Sports Editor ... Clint Kanaga
Society Editor ... Jean Fees
News Editor ... Glee Smith
Sunday Editor ... Milo Farneti
United Press Editor ... David Whitney
Re-write Editor ... Kay Bozarth
Copy Editors: Anne Nettels, Mary Margaret Gray
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Frank Baumgartner
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Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school year except Monday and Saturday. Entered as second class student on May 27th. Office at Lawrence, Lawrence, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Symbols or Men?
By THEODORE PAULLIN,
Instructor of History
I have been increasingly alarmed lately by the tendency of people around me to live by means of symbols. "V's," coats of arms, buttons for this cause and that are popping out on more and more coat lapels, taking their places beside fraternity and lodge pins to identify their wearers as members of this social group or of that political persuasion. It is all very convenient, because all we have to do to know all about a person is to observe his insignia, and we can immediately place him in his proper category. It is also convenient for the wearers, because they too are able to identify themselves and their ideas easily, and all they have to do to interpret the latest campus scandal or the latest development on the war front is to observe the reactions of the leaders who wear the same insignia. I am vaguely reminded of a leader who once delved into ancient lore and came up with a swastika, which he used as a symbol so potent that he was able to convert a whole nation into a band of dreadful, unthinking automatons. It seems that when men place too much reliance upon symbols they become unable to think any longer for themselves, and that the sense of security which the symbol gives them makes them forget their individual responsibilities and to think of themselves only as members of a group.
It is strange that some of the wearers of symbols should spend so much time talking about the virtues of democracy. Surely we must see that democracy cannot be created by masses of people following a "Leader," whether we use the word in English or translate it into German or Italian. Nor can it be created by such leaders. Men of democratic tempers tried to create democracy in Europe after the last war, but developed only a crop of dictatorships all the way from Poland to Greece and Jugoslavia even before the most powerful of dictators began his great adventure in 1939. This experience should show us that democracy can exist only in the hearts of a people—in the hearts and minds of the "little people" like you and me.
This democracy must arise from a tradition like our Jewish-Christian tradition which places supreme emphasis upon the value of the individual human personality. Our tradition insists that respect for the human being as such cannot be limited by consideration of color, religion, or of nationality. If democracy is to succeed at all we must have respect for the least, as well as the greatest of the world's people.
We must have respect for the opinions of every individual no matter how much we may happen to disagree with him. If our democracy means anything it means that the opinions of every single member of our society must have a part in the formulation of the common judgments, and that his choice must be free and unhampered by restrictions, either of an official nature, or of the type exercised by his neighbors through informal social and economic pressures.
But respect for human personality is more than that. If we were to define democracy as mere majority rule and were to insist that after the majority, we would have to admit even Nazi Germany into the company of the democracies. The heart of real democracy is to be found in that true respect for human personality which recognizes the rights of the minority, even though it be a minority of only one. Legally we recognize this principle in the Bill of Rights in the Federal Constitution. But if these rights are to have any meaning they must also be recognized by all our people, and every one of us must see to it that by word and act we do nothing to injure the sensibilities of our fellows.
We all acknowledge this in a vague fashion. We all condemn the brutal treatment meted out in Germany to Jews and to others who did not happen to agree with the majority party. We all get fearful when we hear even a hint of racial or religious intolerance in a high place, and it is right that we should protest Lindbergh's recent references to the Jews. But it is easy to condemn these tendencies in others and much more difficult to apply the same standards to our own action.
We must realize that democracy can succeed only when each of us, individually, and the millions of others in the world like us, individually, decide to make it work at all we must make it work on our own campus first. For instance, when I see our fellow students who happen to be Negroes being asked to sit in special sections of our university eating places, and when I think of the other restrictions placed upon their participation in university affairs and activities, I ask myself, "Where is that respect for individual human personality without which democracy can never succeed anywhere?" If it does not exist on this campus, and other campuses like this, it can never exist for America.
When I look further about the campus and observe the growing intolerance for differences of opinion, especially over matters connected with American participation in the current war, I ask, "Where on this campus is that respect for the opinions of every individual, in reaching common democratic decisions?" If it doesn't exist here and in other places like this, it can never exist for America.
And I ask myself a similar question when I see our wearers of symbols. For if every individual in a democracy is not willing to accept the high responsibility of thinking for himself regardless of membership in groups or the opinions of groups, that democracy is on its way to domination by demagogues and dictators.
If we are really concerned today about defending the democratic way of life, let us think about these things let us build within our own hearts this respect for human personality, and let us accept this individual responsibility to think through all our local and national problems. If we are unwilling to do these things, we can at least cease being hypocrites. We can stop talking about democracy.
Plan New Wing For Greenhouse
The present wings of the greenhouse were built in 1922 when Prof. W.C. Stevens was chairman of the department, which at that time had charge of the landscape activities of the University.
The University greenhouse, situated just below Fowler shops, is to be enlarged. A new section will join the two present wings of the greenhouse. It will provide additional space, needed to grow specimens for beautifying the campus.
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