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University Daily Kansan
Monday. Feb. 15. 1960
Dubois' Cuba
Jules Dubois, Latin American correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, has proved he can stir up controversy in Lawrence, Kan., as well as Havana, Cuba.
The reason, of course, is Dubois' critical view of Fidel Castro and his policies since the revolution. Dubois has labeled Castro as a dictator, a demagogue who has stiffed freedom of the press in Cuba, and as a leader who is allowing his government to be directed from Moscow in alliance with Peiping.
The American public has built varying images of Castro since the overthrow of the Batista regime. Some newsmen, such as Dubois, have concluded their analysis of the Cuban situation with denunciation of Castro's administration. Other correspondents, such as Herbert Matthews of the New York Times, have not been so harsh in evaluating Castro. The latter group optimistically point to the possibility of Cuba emerging as a free, independent republic.
One point Dubois failed to stress fully was Cuba's economic revolt against the United States. For much of Castro's anti-Americanism stems from economic rebellion.
Cuba has long been an economic captive of foreign nations. Ninety per cent of Cuba's minerals are in U.S. hands. Eighty per cent of Cuba's public utilities are owned by the United States and 100 per cent of Cuban oil is owned by the United States and British interests.
The United States also imports 40 per cent of Cuba's sugar production — which amounted to $600 million in 1958.
In this light, Castro's anti-Americanism is a revolt from the colonial-like role America has played in mothering Cuba's economy.
Dubois described Castro's agrarian land reform as being like that of Red China. This is probably an unfair use of semantics. Cuba's cooperatives lack the regimentation of China's communes. Family organization is not being destroyed to increase production and efficiency in Cuba. But the land reform is giving the government ownership of the land. And in a recently televised speech, Dr. Ernesto "Che" Guevara, president of the Cuban National Bank, (as reported by the Feb. 10 issue of the Christian Science Monitor) stated the intention of the Cuban government to take over control of 51 to 100 per cent of each of the "basic" industries — metallurgy, fuels, agriculture (including livestock and sugar cane derivatives), and heavy industry.
One of Dubois' main concerns was Communists infiltrating Castro's government. "Che" Guevara denies he is a Communist although he has been identified as such several times. Dubois called him a card-carrying Communist. Osmani Cienfuegos, minister of public works, is an admitted Communist. Other officials in government, the labor movement, schools, radio and television, and in the newspaper business advocate communism for Cuba. And these men are not minor officials either. They have strong voices in their fields.
Injustices are bound to occur during and after a revolution. Sometimes a long-range view must be taken. The mistakes of today may contribute to tomorrow's stabilization.
Cuba needs the American market. And the United States relies upon Cuba's cooperation for naval bases, buying some U.S. commodities, and for strengthening Latin American Relations.
—Doug Yocom
Jazz-the Undefinable Music
By Larry Hazelrigg
Ask a dozen jazz musicians what jazz is - you can expect a dozen answers. That is understandable, because jazz means something different to nearly every musician.
No one really knows when or where jazz began. Actually it was put together like a quilt — pieces came from everywhere. Early jazz included church music, music from the fields and hills and music from the mourner's dirge. Sources in Europe which have greatly affected jazz include England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany and France.
The thing all early jazz had in common was the beat. It has been suggested that the jazz beat came from Africa on the first slave ships.
Early American jazz is associated with New Orleans in the 1880's. It was a type of music based on popular dancing, although all types of music were an influence.
The first true jazz music was played by Negro groups and came to be known as "New Orleans" jazz. "Dixieland" jazz is the term employed to denote music played by white groups, including types of hot jazz common at the time. The two types may be classed as "traditional" jazz, and all other types are segments derived from this source.
Jazz styles began to develop after World War I with such musicians as Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson taking the lead. Henderson is generally recognized as the first and the greatest jazz arranger.
Nearly everyone had an opinion of jazz in the 1920s. It was called the music of "free love" and its purpose has been called to "make people happy." The '20's are now remembered as the "Jazz Age." Authors such as Carl Sandburg, T. S. Eliot, Vachel Lindsay and Scott Fitzgerald employed jazz in their writings. The music was taking on an independent art form.
The first really big change in the method of jazz presentation took place in the late 1920's when Duke Ellington and his band began to express themselves. Each musician imagined himself as a soloist and gave imagination to jazz. The arrangers gained freedom and experimentation began. Different instruments were linked and new sounds were used.
The Negro band remained the true expression of jazz. Bands under the leadership of the Dorsey Brothers and Jack Teagarden failed to match the looseness of the Negro groups.
The first big band to come to full realization of success in jazz was that of Benny Goodman. This success was made possible, to a great extent, by the fact that the great Negro arranger. Fletcher Henderson, was now handling Goodman's music. Goodman's band opened the field of swing, a new segment of jazz.
The small band initiated another segment of jazz in 1940. Bop, as it was called, consisted of improvised
solos. The musicians were rebelling against formal jazz and swing and they used musical lengths not previously associated with jazz. But the basic jazz was always present, although it was cleverly disguised. Bop always left the listener a little different than when he had begun to listen.
Interest in the big band was revived around World War II, mostly through the efforts of Woody Herman. Stan Kenton and Dizzy Gillespie also gained fame. Then came the great Count Basie, who decided to do what an earlier great, Duke Ellington, had done—make his music a standard and display soloists and selections which could not be compared.
Jazz progressed to the "cool and crazy" stages only a few years ago. Cool, some critics say, means two things:
1. The opposite of hot, or exuberant and passionate.
2. Jazz in which emotion or feeling is understated or restrained even though it may be intense. This type has no emotions of its own, so has to lean on the emotions already mentioned, in a disguised form.
Jazz has been full of experimentation since its conception. All the musicians had ideas of their own to try, and the jazz fan demanded new types of jazz.
Dailu Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, triweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
Tilhousing, 3790
Telephone VIking 3-2700
Extension 376, business office
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. News service: United Press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the university year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays, and examination periods. Entered as second-class matter Sept. 17. 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of March 3, 1879.
Some of the recent ideas have been to add flutes and accordions to the jazz band.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Managing Editor
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Douglas Yocom and Jack Harrison ... Co-Editorial Editors
There will always be groups holding to a certain segment of jazz as true jazz. They will range from the small Dixieland band to the large swing band to the small modern or "progressive" group, such as the Dave Brubeck Quartet, with its more "fierce" music.
RUSINESS DEPARTMENT
However, the modern jazz men should remember just how jazz got its start. Charlie Parker, a modern jazz man, once complained to the noted jazz authority, Leonard Feather, that people on the West Coast did not understand his music.
Bruce Lewellyn ... Business Manager
"They liked those real New Orleans style bands, that ancient jazz . . . " Parker exclaimed.
This shows just how fiercely loyal a jazz musician is to his segment of the music. But each musician should realize and live with the fact that many types of jazz exist, and the public wouldn't have it any other way.
Looks This Way . . .
By Jack Harrison
It's been over three years now - three years of irritation and frustration. We finally resorted to organizing the SAAW (Society for the Advancement of the Art of Walking).
Something just had to be done. The sidewalks of KU are a muddle of plodding, jostling, bewildered and uncertain men and women. A messiah is needed to lead KU walkers from this wilderness. SAAW will perform that function.
We have fretted and fumed behind the various obstacles of the sidewalks — the starry eyed couple strolling arm-in-arm into the sunset; the eager, bright-eyed freshmen ambling along-side their
English instructor, lapping up the words of wisdom; the formidable line of chattering sorority girls heading for their thrice-daily coffee hour, and many others.
All move slowly along, oblivious of the rest of the world, bottling up sidewalk traffic, and causing us to be late for our endeared nuclear physics lecture.
February is perhaps the worst month of the year. Snow piled beside the walk prevents a quick detour past the obstacles. Slow walkers are even slower, mincing their way over patches of ice. We fight back the urge to shout out. 'Why'nt
ya get some galoshes or sneakers, ya stupidis!"
The slowpokes haven't the slightest sense of responsibility for the destiny of mankind.
They completely disregard the urgent business of the Great University Family. They care not that the progress of the Trans-Mississippi West is irrevocably throttled. And we have no idea how that fellow opens his nuclear physics lectures.
But all is not lost. SAAW is coming to the rescue of progressive students and faculty members lost in the sidewalk traffic jams.
First we will set about re-making the sidewalks. A minimum of four lanes is needed on all but the rarely traveled paths. (We'll leave a few trails for the wandering lovers).
Signs will be erected. "Slow Traffic Keep Right" is to be the rule, along with "Inside Lane for Passing Only."
Sidewalk patrolmen will crack down on violators of the minimum speed law. The first offense will cost 65 cents, the second $1.18, the third $2.07, and each thereafter $4.02, ad infinitum.
With all that extra time we save, "Harvard on the Kaw" will rise to new heights of academic achievement. And Hawk's Nest coffee revenue will be up.
We are now accepting contributions to the organizational fund of SAAW. If we get enough for a couple of six-packs, we'll get together some evening and draw up the bylaws.
Worth Repeating
Editing is the most companionable form of education.—Edward A. Weeks.
We like to use 300 horsepower to move a 150-pound man one block to purchase a one-ounce package of cigarettes complete with filter tips—so that he won't know he is smoking. Dr. John B. Macdonald.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS By Dick Bibler
"WELL, I'M GLAD TO SEE THEYEVER FINALLY DONE SOMETHING TO SOLVE THE STUDENT PARKING PROBLEM."