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University Daily Kansan Tuesday. Dec. 8. 1959
Unknown Danger
The American communications media, through their diversity and independence, have given the public many different pictures as to the Russian situation. No clear idea of Russian life and attitudes is held by the American public. Perhaps this is because most of the information concerning Russia has been colored by opinion, or is the result of impressions gathered from a brief tour. Practically speaking, no one knows whose interpretation concerning Russia is correct.
"The situation in the Soviet Union is not as glorious as die-hard supporters might observe at a distance, but it also is not as dismal as Americans have come to believe." And she quotes Mr. Cousins:
"Measured by most European standards, the living conditions (in the Soviet) are not too far out of line. Measured by Asian or African standards, however, the living conditions and economic achievements are solidly impressive."
And Miss Maxwell concludes:
"It is not a question, then, of who has the better conditions. But rather it is a question of what is happening and what will continue to happen in the next few years if the living standards of Russia go on at their present pace..."
Daily Nebraskan editor Diana Maxwell, in a recent editorial, has illustrated this confusing variety of opinion through the comments of Norman Cousins, editor of the Saturday Review. She writes:
But Russian standards of living, and Soviet progress, and the like, are not the only subjects on which most Americans are unclear. Many of us fail to recognize the day-to-day danger in which our world exists.
Since the victory of World War II, the drive for security has been one of the dominant motivational factors in American life. Today we Americans are prone to sit back feeling snug and comfortable in the safety of our powerful country. Our imaginations cannot conceive that our way of life soon can end in horrifying war.
The United States has at least 250 Strategic Air Command bombers, loaded with hydrogen bombs, ready for action at any instant. The planes are under orders to fly to Russia the moment any unidentified object coming this way should appear on our radar screens. Under the "safety check" system, when the bombers reach a distance of 200 miles from the Russian border, they must turn around and come back, unless a confirming order allows them to continue into Russia.
The problem, as Mr. Cousins sees it, seems to be this: What if Russia, too, should have a "safety check" system? What if American radar observers should locate another large flock of geese flying toward this continent and send the bombers toward Russia again? And what if the Russians should somehow spot our bombs heading their way and, in return, send their bombers toward the United States?
In a recent address Mr. Cousins stressed his idea that the United States must spend more time and money in constructive efforts toward peace and forget the "foolish" arms race. "It is no longer important whether the Russians can annihilate the United States 50 times over with the United States able to annihilate Russia only 40 times over," he said. "The fact remains—we can annihilate each other—so why not work toward peace instead?"
An example of the present danger was given by Mr. Cousins. He told of the "safety check" system under which our military planes operate. To paraphrase his words:
Recently, an unidentified object appeared on the United States' radar screens. The bombers immediately were ordered on their mission. When they reached the 200-mile limit, they failed to receive an order to continue, and so returned to their bases. The unidentified object turned out to be an unusually large flock of geese.
As Mr. Cousins said, which government would be the first to order its planes back?
—John Husar
For Better Incentive
Editor:
It is about time for the students of this campus to stand by their newspaper. For the past two weeks, the Kansan has been under fire from unfair and unfriendly criticisms by faculty members.
deed, very few. Also, that the men of the political science department, who find the world problems grossly misinterpreted in these columns could send in their enlightened views.
with a statement coming from the department of political science, accusing the Kansan of untruthfulness. Finally, two members of the School of Business blasted the paper for distorting the truth.
It started against Mr. Husar, with charges of "muddiness" made by a member of the department of Romance Languages. It followed
May we remind Mr. Weiss that this paper probably would gladly accept some contribution from the department of Romance Languages and that faculty members who contribute to this paper are, in-
Finally, if Dean Surface and Mr. Grunewald consider the School of Business too holy to be the object of a satire, let them send a man with a better story, bleak but accurate.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS By Dick Bibler
- AND WE LIKE ALL OUR 'RUHEEES TO SEE OUR TROPHY ROOM."
Let us give to its editors a better incentive than unjustified grips. Let us let them know that we think their paper has got spirit and is a credit to this campus and their profession.
These criticisms still amaze me. They show, at least, a cruel lack of indulgence and some permeability to a mild form of humor on the part of certain members of the faculty. By all standards, including truthfulness, the Kansan is an excellent student newspaper and compares favorably with any similar publication—American or European.
Bernard H. Carpentier
Listen group. If you had your hearts set on going to Miami, there's still a way to work it—transfer to Mizzou over Christmas vacation.
Paris, France graduate student
One bright student observed that if the administration enforced the rule which states that no co-eds were allowed in men's apartments, K.U. would probably be an all male institution.
* *
***
The other night in K.C. purely by accident, we stumbled into a beat pad called "Big Daddy's." The decorate and atmosphere of this place was so "cool" that it was lunch time all the time.
By Calder M. Pickett Associate Professor of Journalism
Over the motion picture in the 1920s there constantly hovered the shadow of Europe. Not as bound, apparently, by dictates of the showgoing public as were such nations as Great Britain and the United States, the countries of the continent were able to venture more freely into the realm of art. And from these countries came films that still rank among the greatest ever produced.
One of these films will be the concluding part of a program of German motion pictures to be shown at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the lecture room of the Museum of Art in the series entitled "History of the Film." The picture is "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."
Arthur Knight, in "The Liveliest Art," observes that the "golden era" of the German film was brief, but that it was quite an era. He says that the Germans took the vocabulary of the film (given such latitude by the American Griffith and the pantomimist Chaplin, among others) and extended it. The Germans used themes and relationships never before attempted by film artists.
German directors, unlike many in America, never regarded the film as primarily commercial. That fact may point to the reason why German pictures of the era still hold up. The film was art, not
merely a device to draw patrons into the theater. Germans also received generous subsidies from their government, and they were able to produce influential films, some of which will be shown on Wednesday's program.
Notable Directors
The notable directors were Ernst Lubitsch, who later came to America and produced sophisticated comedies and, in the talkies, musicals; Paul Leni; Fritz Lang, who is best known in America for "Fury," and Paul Wegener, who produced "The Golem," one of the films on this week's program.
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" was a macabre exercise in the imagination, entirely studio-filmed, directed by Robert Wiene. It appeared in 1919. The story is of a madman. A mysterious doctor displays his somnabulist at a fair, and the community is struck by several weird murders. The hero's best friend is found dead, and the hero begins to suspect the doctor, Caligari, and the somnabulist. Neither he nor the police can cope with Caligari, but the hero persists and uncovers the mystery. But the climax provides a twist not evident in the recitation of this fairly orthodox plot.
"Caligari" was marked by the use of the plot-within-a-plot, Freudian symbolism, and the use of stylized settings, inspired by the cubist, surrealistic and futuristic art that then was sweeping Europe. Nothing was realistic. Symbolism is rampant throughout. Blacks and whites are used for contrast. The performers were made to appear unreal. These actors, by the way, were among the great names of the 1920s. Werner Kraus was Caligari, Conrad Veidt the somnabulist. Veidt became a famous name in American films, and the leading lady, Lil Dagover, appeared briefly in this country in the early 1930s.
More Important Film
But "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," one of the important films of all time, was not imitated. No one else attempted a "Caligari." But the atmosphere of horror, the use of mystery, the theme of evil were so evident in the film that they permeated the German film through the 1920s.
And they carried on into the 1930s. Fritz Lang's story of the murderer, "M," was influenced by "Caligari." So, in their way, were the enormously entertaining American horror tales, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "Dracula" and "Frankenstein." For many, says Knight, it was the "doorway into film."
Dailu hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, triweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912
Telephone VIking 3-2700 Extension 711, news room 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.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Jack Harrison ... Managing Editor
Carol Allen, Dick Crocker, Jack Morton and Doug Yocom, Assistant
Managing Editors; Rael Amos, City Editor; Jim Trotter, Sports Editor;
Carolyn Frailey, Society Editor.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
George DeBord and John Husar ... Co-Editorial Editors
Saundra Hayn. Associate Editorial Editor.
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Name Business Manager
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