Cater Says Humphrey Most Able Nominee
Douglass Cater's suggestion that Hubert Humphrey is the most "able" man for the Democratic presidential nomination left his audience gaping at the Editor's Day Lecture Saturday.
The Washington editor of "The Reporter" magazine said in a question period after his speech that Sen. Humphrey (D-Minn) is the "most able candidate for the Democratic nomination in terms of keenness of mind, awareness, vitality and energy."
He said that if elections were held at this time, however, Richard Nixon would be the most
probable GOP candidate and that Adlai Stevenson would be the most likely Democratic nominee.
After the lecture, Mr. Cater stopped talking to the small knot of people escorting him down the stairs and looked over his shoulder at the note-scribbling Daily Kansan reporters. He laughed.
"The worst thing that can happen to a reporter is to be reported," the veteran analytical reporter equipped, with a chuckle.
Least Likely Candidate "Actually, Humphrey is the least likely candidate among the leading contenders" he said. His
efforts have not gotten him off the ground. He has been constantly roadblocked by the Stevensonian image of an effective politician.
"And in the South Humphrey is stereotyped as the arch-type of northern radical," he added.
"Humphrey's fault is his lack of selective ability. He spreads himself too thin over too many things which bring him a lack of concrete achievement," Mr. Cater explained.
"He has been unable to create the image effect necessary for a
presidential candidate," Mr. Cater said.
"Of course, that is one of the dilemmas of a senator. All he can do is take something and hope he is behind a substantial piece of legislation," he explained.
Mr. Cater said an appreciative group is pushing Stevenson toward the presidential nomination.
He said Stevenson is not lifting a hand to get the presidential nomination.
"His work is being done for him. Stevenson, himself, is remote from the pressure of Washington politics."
One of the reasons Stevenson is popular, despite two defects, is that his brilliant speeches still excite and stimulate many Democrats, the Washington editor explained.
"Most of the politicians today have lost the power of being articulate," Mr. Cater said.
He said Nixon has upped his status in recent months because of his visit in the Soviet Union, and that Rockefeller must make up his mind whether to run for presidential nomination in the next two months.
Daily Hansan
57th Year, No.22
Food Director Replies To Student's Query
The food director and director of the Kansas Union explained the Union's food service in answer to a student's questions today.
Monday, Oct. 19, 1959
The student wanted to know if prices were changed in the cafeteria line during the course of the meal, and why there are no price markings on every dish in the display counter.
Dwayne Hall, food director of the Kansas Union, said: "I understand why a student would wonder about price markings. If he had 72 cents in his pocket, he naturally wouldn't want to be caught at the end of the line with 80 cents worth of food.
"But we feed 500-600 students every day at lunch. We assume they have a good idea of the cost. All the prices are on the bulletin boards, and the waiting ladies are glad to answer questions."
"There are no price markings on each dish because there is no room in our display cases for variety and a pricing structure both," Mr. Hall explained.
"The prices never vary. If a student chooses a jello salad, he will always be charged 10 cents. Fruits and vegetables are 15 cents. Fruit halves are 20 cents.
Mr. Hall said the cafeteria offers a variety of seven or eight salads and desserts.
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
Then the student wanted to know what happened to the profit from its food services.
Frank Burge, director of the Kansas Union, said:
"We operate for the student's benefit and not for profit. Our operations allow us to enlarge and equip our facilities to operate.
"Profit? How else could we have acquired a million dollar loan for enlarging the north side of the Kansas Union? You see, we are trying to prepare for the big enrollment surge in the 1960's"
"But since they're doing so much catering to other people," the student said, "I don't see how they're operating on a non-profit basis."
Mr. Hall answered:
Catering is naturally more expensive because of the personal service involved. The money — or profit, if you wish — is plowed back into expansion or the decor improvement."
He said the catering service is designed to give privacy and candlelight for expanding the special graces of student functions, dinners, luncheons, and parties.
"The Kansas Union food service fed 4000 people, students, parents, and alumni attending the KU-Kansas football game. Academic conferences through the KU extension service are also supplied by the catering service." Mr. Hall said.
Mr. Hall offered a few answers:
"We have 120 students working in the food services department.
"Our goal is the finest service possible to the KU youth. My office, next to the east, outside entrance to the cafeteria, is open. Anyone can come in with a complaint. To make our goal possible, the opportunity to correct our mistakes has to exist."
ANY PLACE BUT HERE—This horizontal reminder turned up this weekend to keep frustrated students from "parking" on the wrong side of Potter Lake. No word as of yet from the traffic department about where the sign belongs.
Magazine Staff Petitions Due Nov. 3
Petitions for positions on the six-member editorial board of "Spectrum," a new campus literary-academic magazine authorized by the All Student Council, are due by Nov. 3.
Petitions should be taken to the ASC office in the Kansas Union
14 Frosh File Office Petitions
Fourteen freshmen have filed petitions for class offices and two All Student Council positions.
The candidates are:
President — Francis Lohman,
Kansas City, Mo.; Grant Merritt,
Muskegon, Mich.; Bruce Robb, Mission,
and Donald McKillop, Grand
Rapids, Mich.
Vice President — Richard Rousselot, Shawnee, and Bruce Brewer, Kansas City, Kan.
Secretary — Stanley Kranzler, Brookings, S.D., and Jenean Hendrickson, Kansas City, Mo.
Treasurer — Susan Shotliff, Kansas City, Mo.; Robert Ash, Lawrence; David Knudson, Goodland, and Mary Ann Warburton, Coffeyville.
Vox Populi, campus political party, is sponsoring two candidates for freshman women's dormitory representatives on the ASC. Two council positions are open.
The candidates are Ann Miner, Kansas City, Mo., and Nancy A. Borel, Falls Church, Va.
Primary elections will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday in Strong Hall. The general election will be Nov. 3 and 4.
Douglass Cater
He said newsmen are too concerned with "packaging the news into neat bundles."
"Sen. Joseph McCarthy made headlines with very little context."
WASHINGTON — (UPI) — President Eisenhower's fact-finding board reported today that steel negotiations are hopeless deadlocked, but the White House declined to say if the President would seek an immediate injunction to halt the strike for 80 days.
Taft-Hartley Board Says Talks in Hopeless Deadlock
Hagerty said the President wants to study the report carefully.
Cater Urges 'Get at Truth'
This cleared the way for Eisenhower to ask for a court order to end the strike. But Presidential Press Secretary James C. Hagert* would not sav when or if the President would take such action.
The three-man fact-finding panel set up under the Taft-Hartley law told the President that union and management have failed to agree on "any single issue of any consequence," and there are no prospects for an early end of the 97-day-old walkout.
The Washington editor of "The Reporter" magazine warned Kansas newspapermen Saturday against a tendency to package news instead of digging at the essential truth.
Douglass Cater spoke Saturday at the annual Kansas Editor's Day and Friday to journalism and political science students.
The Steelworkers Union served notice it would fight "with might and main" against issuance of an injunction.
He said:
"There is no time limit on that This report is now before the President and I have no announcement at this time of any Presidential action."
The Justice Department was prepared to go into court in Pittsburgh and seek and injunction if the President gives the go-ahead. Department officials said, however, that no action was expected today.
David J. McDonald, steel junior president, declared that the steel-workers would go to the Supreme Court if necessary to fight issuance of a court order to end the economy-crippling walkout.
Weather
KANSAS—Fair east and south tonight. Cloudy northwest tonight and over state tomorrow with scattered showers west portion by evening. Warmer southeast tonight. Turning colder west and north portions tomorrow. Low tonight 35 to 45. High tomorrow 60s northwest to lower 70s southeast.
he said, "Sometimes the best and ablest men get little attention. Some politicians grow great without contributing much." Cater said.
"It is deceit to pretend a newspaper or group can print all the news. A reporter does a selective job.
"There is a problem of how many times he gets the essential truth. We need a reappraisal of the role of the press and a new definition of 'news.'" he said.
Growth Is Synonymous
"Growth of the press is one way of looking at the growth of government. Government is a vastly different business today than in an earlier decade.
"There is a change in the quality and quantity of press coverage of government."
He said there is no government office which has not found it necessary to appeal to public opinion through the press.
"We have a system of government by publicity. Everyone must appeal to the various publics. No modern president could afford to discuss the use of press conferences," Mr. Cater said.
Success Depends on Press
"Any true politician knows that the development of the information process can mean either success or failure of a whole program." he said.
"Consistent foreign policy defies understanding. If the citizen does not and thinks he cannot understand, he becomes cynical. The chaos that results is an approach to totalitarian and dictatorial government." he said.
In outlining the history of the presidential press conference, Mr. Cater noted that it began with Woodrow Wilson and reached its peak effectiveness with Franklin D. Roosevelt.
"Harry Truman formalized the press conference, and when it outgrew his office, he moved it to the Executive Office Building across the street from the White House." he said.
'Knocked Self Out'
"Truman was the master of knocking himself out with his own rabbit punch in a press conference," he added.
He said President Truman baited reporters, then became disturbed and failed to realize the meaning of a statement he had made.
"We as reporters are not partisans nor are we part of the business of government," he said.
"I don't think it serves the public's purpose as an institution when he (the President) is put on the spot." Mr. Cater said.
"Both the President and the press have to remember that the purpose of the press conference is to educate and enlighten the public," he said.