Daily Hansan
Tuesday, April 19, 1960
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
57th Year, No.124
5 Faculty Men Back Docking's Spencer Move
Five KU faculty members today agreed with the stand taken by Gov. George Docking in commuting the death penalty sentence of Bobby Joe Spencer to life imprisonment.
Spencer was sentenced to hang for killing his landlady Mrs. Ruby Blanton, in Kansas City, Kan. The Kansas Supreme Court upheld the sentence but Docking last week commuted to life imprisonment and said his action reflected his attitude on capital punishment.
Of the five faculty members interviewed, three were definitely against capital punishment. The other two also were sympathetic toward the governor's action.
PAUL E. WILSON, associate professor of law, said:
"I am generally opposed to capital punishment and I think the position Gov. Docking took in commuting the life imprisonment sentence is correct."
William A. Kelly, associate professor of law, said:
"The laws today provide for capital punishment. My own feeling is that I am basically against capital punishment. I feel that this type of punishment does not solve personal problems."
RICHARD K. LEWIS, instructor of business, said:
"I agree with Gov. Docking's actions because I too do not believe in the death penalty for anybody. To me it is treating consequences for causes—a solution for nothing.
"I do not think his actions are politically motivated. To make such a decision required a lot of self conviction on the Governor's part. The move could hurt him fatally in political circles as did Gov. Pat Brown's decision hurt him in California."
James E. Seaver, associate professor of history and director of the western civilization department, said:
"MOST COUNTRIES of western Europe seem to be moving away from the death penalty. It does pose a great problem on the
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TOO ICY—Potter Lake is still too cold for Donna Engle, Joplin, Mo., junior, to dangle her feet in the water as she studies in the sun. Warmer and windy weather is forecast today. Tomorrow will be partly cloudy and continued warm with a high of 80 degrees expected. There is a chance for scattered showers in the late afternoon tomorrow.
Review Day Okayed,Set Thursday Before Finals
KU will have its first review day May 26, the day before final examinations are scheduled to begin.
Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy said in the Examination Schedule Notice to Faculty and Students:
Patch to Tell Of Peru, Bolivia
A specialist on the development of Peru and Bolivia will be a guest on the KU campus tomorrow through April 29.
Richard W. Patch, anthropologist and a member of the American Universities Field Staff (AUFS), will address campus classes on 19 topics involving problems and current facts concerning the two Latin American nations.
Mr. Patch will carry with him several short color and sound films of Bolivia. The narration is in Spanish, but Mr. Patch will translate and comment on the films as desired.
Mr. Patch joined the AUFS in 1957.
"Thursday, May 26, 1960, is set aside for study and review. There will be no classes and no examinations on this day."
THE REVIEW day was approved before spring vacation by the Senate Advisory committee.
The committee approved the entire recommendation of the Senate Calendar committee for the coming year, which included the review day proposal.
Arthur W. Davidson, professor of chemistry and a member of the Senate Advisory committee, said that the committee felt it was too late to change the previously announced schedule for the remainder of the semester and simply added the review day to the schedule.
THE PROPOSAL for review day was initiated last semester by the All Student Council.
The Senate Advisory committee met April 9 to approve the proposal. The results of the meeting were never announced but were released on the final examination schedule.
Herter Acts on S. Korean Crisis
By United Press International
Secretary of State Christian A. Herter called in Korean Ambasador You Chan Yang today to discuss the political riots in South Korea.
Reports from Oriente province said the insurgents battled government troops for half an hour before being repelled. The reports said the government troops took some prisoners but there was no immediate confirmation here.
HAVANA—(UPI)—An insurgent band of troops believed led by ex-Maj. Manuel Beaton attacked the east Cuban city of Palma Soriano today in one of the boldest moves yet carried out by the anti-Castro forces. Palma Soriano is provincial headquarters for the Army.
The riots were protesting last month's allegedly "fraudulent" vice presidential election, which was won by government candidate Lee Ki Poong. Authorities at six major Seoul hospitals reported at 7 a.m. (Lawrence time) that at least 81 persons were dead and 300 seriously injured.
Opposition Hits Castro's Troops
THE ATTACK was considered significant here because of its very boldness, with the insurgents daring to come out of the Sierra Maestra mountains in a hit-run raid. Premier Fidel Castro has been personally directing operations against the Guerillas.
Castro returned to Havana yesterday and ran into reports of new opposition. Today he resumed his attacks on the United States and said President Eisenhower had "no right" to speak out against him, the Cuban revolution or the Cuban government.
Castro made the statement in an interview granted CBS correspondent Richard Bate and published in full by the semi-official newspaper Revolution.
THE PREMIER also denied that he had suggested personal talks with President Eisenhower or U.S. Secretary of State Christian A. Herter to seek solution of differences between Cuba and the United States. He said his remarks in a previous interview with Bates had been distorted.
The premier charged that the U.S. government "is taking advantage of every opportunity to create confusion" over the Cuban revolution.
"If there is someone in the U.S. government who believes he can conquer the Cuban revolution in that way he is making a mistake because the Cuban revolution without any doubt will continue without any vacillation," he said.
President Eisenhower, vacationing at Augusta, Ga., was being kept informed of Korean developments by the State Department and through news dispatches.
Acting White House Press Secretary Wayne Hawks said at Augusta the President was getting regular briefings on the situation. Hawks declined comment on whether the bloodshed and martial law in Korea might cause Eisenhower to cancel his scheduled June 22 visit to that country.
Yang told United Press International that Communist agents already were exploiting the student demonstrations as a cover for distributing leaflets calling for the overthrow of President Syngman Rhee's government and withdrawal of U.S. and United Nations forces from South Korea.
Korea's bloody anti-government riots are the product of frustration and coincidence.
STATE DEPARTMENT officials said the mounting wave of violence in Korea confirmed their fears that uncontrollable protests would follow the Korean government's handling of the recent elections.
There is no indication that the situ-
tation borders on the verge of a revo-
lution. Even if it did, the army's big
guns stood ready to snuff it out in a
few deadly moments.
There is also no indication that the riots and demonstrations have any broad backing. Most of the riots, including today's, started out as more a lark for restive students.
BUT THERE is no doubt that many Koreans, especially those in the larger cities, are victims of a feeling of almost helpless frustration as a result of the March 15 elections which saw President Syngman Rhee and his hand-picked heir apparent, Lee Ki Poong, steamroller their way to victory.
Chinese Communist news-papers gave smash play today to the anti-government demonstrations in South Korea, the Communist New China News Agency reported.
Tax Plan Leader Dies
DANBURY, Conn. — (UPI) Beardsley Ruml, 65, who in 1943 talked the government into the pay-as-you-go income tax plan, died here after a short illness yesterday.
KU Students Will Go to Penitentiary-To Debate
By Donna Engle
Two KU debaters will go inside the walls at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth tomorrow to participate in an audience debate on capital punishment.
Larry Ehrlich, Russell junior, and William Flynn. Bethel sophmoore, will debate the negative side of the question: Resolved that, capital punishment should be abolished. The prison debaters will uphold the affirmative side of the question.
EACH YEAR KU debaters hold a series of three debates with the prison debaters. Last year the Leavenworth debaters won the series, 2
to 1. This year each team has won one debate.
The first two debates at the prison this year were on the national college debate question: Resolved that. Congress should have the right to reverse Supreme Court decisions.
The KU debaters have purchased a gavel which they will have engraved and will present to the prison debaters. The gavel will act as a travelling trophy and will be kept by the winner of tomorrow night's debate, said Joseph Rhea, instructor of speech and director of audience debates.
MR. RHEA said that the prison debaters are chosen by the members
of the prison debating society. The president of the society has been active in the organization for 18 years.
"We have had audience debates for several years and have appeared before 8,000 people in the last two years in Kansas," Mr. Rhea said.
He said KU debaters have participated in 18 audience debates this season. The debates are given before college convocations, high school groups and service clubs.
IN ADDITION to debating the national college debate question, the KU debaters participating in audience debates have debated such
"The debate is concluded by short affirmative and negative wrap up speeches. Also, the chairman takes an active part in the debate, which
topics as: Resolved that, Cuba Should Be Shot With Its Own Arrow; and Resolved that, the Activities of the Communist Party in the United States Should Be Sharply Curtailed.
Explaining the difference between audience debates and typical ones, Mr. Rhea said, "Our usual audience debate is done by presenting an eight-minute affirmative and an eight-minute negative constructive speech, after which we take time for audience questions and remarks.
helps to enliven the show. . . Audience debates are meant to entertain as well as to inform the audiences."
HE SAID the KU debaters find the prison debaters difficult competition. The average IQ of the prison debaters is that of a fall semester junior.
"What amazes me is that they debate well even though they have extremely limited sources from which to get their information," he said.
"Only 15 per cent of their library contains reference works which can be used in preparing for the debate.
Close to 75 per cent of their library contains Western books."