PAGE SIX
EDITORIAL
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1940.
The Campus Comments - - OPINOINS EXPRESSED by STUDENTS and FACULTY
Editors Note
The editor of the Kansan wishes to call the attention of contributors to the You Said It Department to the established rule that letters to the editor must be limited to 300 words, and must be signed. A pen name may be used if the writer wishes, but no letter not bearing the writer's name and address will be published. The names of contributors who wish to use a pen name will be kept in strict confidence.
★★
He Missed the Point
Not having been to Washington lately, I cannot say whether it, or Roosevelt either, is "dizzy from Lewis' tornado walkout on the New Deal." But I suspect that if it is dizzy, it from something more significant than the Lewis walkout. "Lewis is another Napoleon in exile." If I understand the Kansan's editorial writer, Lewis is just a frustrated, would-be dictator.
To the Editor:
Some wise guy once said that we can discover a man's virtues by looking at his enemies. Let's look at Lewis, whom the Kansan, either because of near-sightedness or wishful thinking, mistakenly identifies as the CIO. The CIO is an organization of some two million workers with minds of their own. It is doubtful that they can be turned away from a true leader, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, by a hot-headed radical who has gained ever so many friends by calling the vice-president of the United States a "labor-baiting, whisky-drinking, poker-playing, evil old man."
"Any other candidate but Roosevelt will be to the right of the New Deal." If Roosevelt picks that candidate—how so? And as for the little chasm that might grow into a canyon, I say that it is better for the party that it does. Let Lewis go sit on the side lines with Al Smith, John J. Raskob, Wm. Randolph Hearst, Herbert Hoover, and a host of others who quit when they found out that the Democratic party is too great to be dominated by anybody or anything.
JERRY RISELY.
★ ★ ★
The Roosevelt Cycle
To the Editor:
The silence of President Roosevelt over the third term issue that has bothered Democratic hopefuls and Republican leaders alike, calls to mind another case of political upheaval, another third term controversy, and another Roosevelt.
Just 29 years ago, another political row was in the brewing, caused by another Roosevelt's silence. Throughout the year 1911, he traveled on a speech-making tour of the east and middlewest. The best of this country's politicians tried to sound him out, but the best they received was a broad, flashing smile.
Then one afternoon in January, 1912, there came from the offices of the "Outlook" magazine, the announcement that T. R. would run if there was a demand. The nation's seven progressive governors were kind enough to supply the demand by signing their names to a letter which was composed in the "Outlook" office. The first Roosevelt was off on his ill-fated third term attempt.
So, while the present Roosevelt cruises about the Gulf of Mexico giving nothing more than a broad smile as an answer to questions about the third term, one remembers Teddy's silence. Will history repeat itself, or do Roosevelts have good memories?
VIRGINIA GRAY.
She Slams Faculty
To the Editor:
I came up to this University to get educated. Since my very young days when I was running around in rompers I had always believed that anyone who went to the University of Kansas and received a diploma was someone special. I also believed that when a young man secured a teaching position at KU he had just about reached the height of success.
Now that I'm actually here I'm sorry to say I doubt more and more my former beliefs. Why, I've one teacher who honestly can't give one statement of fact without saying, "Just why that is I don't know, but it's just one of those things." Or he tells you that even if you aren't in his lecture class he holds you responsible for what he says in it when you take his lab tests. What he really means is that he therefore expects us
to "regurgitate" when he gives his tests.
Another of my teachers can't keep even one thought in mind long enough to get it across to the class. Before he gets half through some of them he even begins to doubt himself and decides it isn't worth talking about after all.
JOSEPHINE DOAKES.
★ ★ ★
Perhaps the reason we had so many people flunk out last semester is as much the teachers' fault as the students'. Anyway, it isn't right to come to a University and get teachers, some of whom should be in high schools, or maybe digging ditches.
Calls Stalin Murderer
To the Editor:
Incompetent leadership and chaotic political conditions are behind the Russian military machine. For months Finland, a country with a population of 4,000,-000 has checkmated the armies of Russia, a country with a population of 170,000,000.
Russia could never take the offensive against a major power. Seventy-five out of 80 members of the Superior War Council have disappeared; nine-tenths of the political commissars of the army have been removed; 147 officers have been executed by Mr. Joseph Stalin, Russia's ruthless dictator. Of those leaders left, only 15 per cent of the colonels have passed through military school. In the Soviet air force, two commissars, the chief of the air force general staff, three chiefs of the aerial forces, and the commander of the Moscow airdrome have been executed.
The peasants and small employee classes who make up the majority of the Russian army hate and fear Stalin. The Soviet leaders in turn mistrust the army, and have re-established complete Communist party control alongside the direct line of army command.
When spring thaws the snow in Finland, thousands of frozen Russians will be revealed. The agonized expressions and distorted bodies will tell their own story—that of needless murder of men and boys who met death in a war they had no desire to create.
VIRGINIA ROACH.
★ ★ ★
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
OFFICIAL BULLETIN
Vol. 37 Friday, March 8, 1940 No. 16
FIRESIDE FORUM; The Fireside Forum will meet this Sunday evening at 7:00 o'clock at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hilden Gibson, 2201 New Hampshire. Transportation will be provided for those who find it more convenient to come to the church. Everyone is welcome—Lorraine Polson, publicity chairman.
GIRL RESERVE TRAINING COURSE: Girl Reserve Training Course will start tomorrow. The first meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the basement of Spooner-Thayer Museum—Eda Paddock.
HOME ECONOMICS CLUB: The Home Economics Club will meet at 4:30 Tuesday at the Home Management House. Miss Ingrid Frestadius will speak on "The Home Life in Sweden." - Audrey Bateman, president.
MEN'S STUDENT COUNCIL; There will be a regular meeting of the M.S.C. Monday at 8:15 in the Pine Room of the Union building.-Irving Kuraner, secretary.
MUSIC ROOM: A special concert will be played this evening at 7:30. The room will be open tomorrow evening from 7:30 to 9:30—Erie Klema, chairman.
Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school year; entered as second class September 17, 1910, at the post office at Lawrence, Kansas, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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More Truth Than Poetry--- Larder Beetle Cleans Dyche's 15,000 Skeletons
"Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas and so on ad infinitum."
This little verse, although ridiculous, contains more truth than poetry. Just examine in the Dyche museum the 15,000 skeletons that have had the flesh eaten away by the pestilent larder beetle.
These tiny meat scavengers, unwelcome guests in almost every biological laboratory, are of great benefit to the curators of our University museums, mainly to those in Dyche museum.
According to C. D. Bunker, asst. curator at Dyche, the process of utilizing the larder beetle, scientifically known as the Dermestes lardarius, originated at the University slightly more than 15 years ago. "We used the tiny beetles on birds, animals, mammals, reptiles, and amphibia, from the smallest to the largest. They always do the job well," he assured.
After the hide is severed from the animal's body, the carcass is left to dry. The fuzzy, black female beetles, approximately 6 millimeters in length, are planted on the dry flesh in a dark room. They lay hundreds of eggs, which hatch in a short time into minute larvae.
"They are clean and leave no trace of odor," Bunker explained. The young parasites then feast on the animal, devouring the meat. The more meat, the faster they eat and the quicker they grow into the adult stage.
When they finally attain the form of a full-grown beetle, the females of the new generation lay more eggs. Thus the life cycle continues—the eggs hatch into the young larvae, and so on "ad infinitum," until the flesh is completely cleaned from the animal. Nothing is left except the skeleton.
Curiously enough the bones occupy very little space. The remains of an ordinary frog, salamander, or toad could be put in a box measuring $2\frac{1}{2}$ inches and still have plenty of room to spare. The bones of a common fox could fit neatly into a box measuring $3\frac{1}{2}$ inches. Most of the collection at the Dyche museum is native to North America, although there are many foreign species.
The time required to liberate the meat from the carcass varies according to the kind and size of the victim, the amount of flesh, the condition of the weather, and the number of beetles used. For small animals and reptiles only a few days are suffice. But for mammals as large as an elephant, an entire season is necessary.
The process is usually begun in the fall of the year. The corpse is placed in the basement, where no observation is made of it until the following spring. By this time it is cleaned perfectly. The skeleton is brushed off and carried upstairs. It is stored away according to the order, family, sub-family, and sub-order for the use of students and general public.
ROCK CHALK TALK
By HARRY HILL
Benny Lemons, Guest Writer
An example of how a little incident can make a person famous: When Hill's column got lost in transit yesterday the huge hole in page seven was filled by the wit of George, the office mouse. Today, the Kansan office was deluged with mail asking that George be allowed to continue the column.
★
Something else the Kansan got this morning was a six-page column in longhand, some of which reads as follows:
"This is March. Spring is scheduled to be on the way. And yet lawns look very depleted of greenery. We may find color now in the distance of the landscape and in the tree tops that are taking on a purplish hue."
(Editor's note—the column has been identified as Shin copy which was lost several days ago.)
"One sees girls as well as boys smoke nowadays. Their spare money has gone from silk hose and hair pins into a cigaret fund."
Another of the column's bits:
Sage observation.
Best suggestion yet to solve the Athletic Association's problems was (Continued on page seven)