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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Jan. 18, 1961
Apology to Joe
While a great amount in cash and goods stolen from KU students over the past two years remains unrecovered, the blame cannot be placed on the Campus Police department as stated in yesterday's editorial.
It was an error in judgment to question the efficiency of the campus police when they have no adequate facilities to investigate robberies and burglaries. Though the record sheds light on an appalling situation, the responsibility for the investigation of such crimes falls on those agencies which have investigative branches. The campus police do not have a detective bureau nor provisions for one.
Daily Hansan
of the items stolen were taken in areas that are almost impossible to guard such as the Kansas Union. A case in point: the theft of two Rembrandts from the Spooner-Thayer Art Museum. The etchings were not under lock and key. They were easily accessible to anyone gaining entrance to the museum.
They are responsible for traffic control and security. The fact that no student has been killed or injured in a campus automobile or pedestrian accident, despite a greatly increased traffic volume, attests to the efficiency of the department. With an undermanned staff, we are surprised that Chief Joseph Skillman is able to maintain any blasmance of security at all. Many
Perhaps, in light of the amount of unrecovered property, the administration might consider adding a person highly trained in investigative methods to the campus police staff. Then we would not have to rely so heavily on other agencies, who in the past have not been able to apprehend the criminals or recover the stolen goods. It is apparent that something must be done for the point made yesterday regarding the hopelessness of recovering stolen property is still a valid one.
We apologize to Chief Skillman and his staff who have done a fine job within their assigned areas of responsibility.
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, trweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
Telephone Viking 3-2700
Extension 711, news room
Telephone Vlking 3-2700 Extension 711, news room Extension 376, business office
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press.
Represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St., New York 22,
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
Managing Editor Carol Heller, Jane Boyd, Priscilla Burton and Carrie Edwards, Assistant Managing Editors; Pat Sheley and Suzanne Shaw, City Editors; John Macdonald, Sports Editor; Peggy Kallos and Donna Engle, Society Editors.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
John Peterson and Bill Blundell
John Peterson and Bill Blundell Co-Editorial Editors
Our Readers Speak -
Carol Heller, Jane Boyd, Priscilla Burton and Carrie Edwards, Assistant Managing Editors; Pat Sheley and Suzanne Shaw, City Editors; John Macdonald, Sports Editor; Peggy Kallos and Donna Engle, Society Editors. Business Manager
Letters on Mr. Abels, Sit-ins, Integration and the UDK
"Muckraking" Revealed Editor:
Let me say now that while I apparently hold a more conservative viewpoint than the UDK editorial staff, Byron Klapper, and the CRC, I too am in favor of ultimate non-segregation, and in the equality of man. Perhaps in a little more gentle, dignified manner than you seemingly advocate, but with less hard feelings and resentment in the long run.
I AM HOWEVER, A FIRM BELIEVER in freedom of personal expression and of belief, therefore, I hold that discriminators and segregationists also have a right to exist and voice their views. I believe that an individual should have the right to dispose of his personal property in any way he should choose, including manner and choice of distribution.
I believe also, that before the UDK, as the voice of the students, takes it upon itself to descend from the Hill and pass judgment upon the local merchants and townspeople, it should make certain that it is in a position to do so. I think the Bible mentioned something along this line in a sage saying about those who are without sin throwing the first rocks.
I am truly disappointed to find that the UDK has not completely purged the campus of its sins before settling its wrath elsewhere. It seems that if you were true to your alleged editorial policies there would have been many more articles encouraging greater social intercourse between the races on the Hill than there have been.
I understand that the UDK had a part in ridding the housing office of its "White" and "Negro" separate housing lists, but have you checked to see if any more of the segregated rooms have really been made available to the colored students?
Your articles on the Greek "segregation clauses" have certainly been along your editorial vein, but have there been enough? Have they been vehement enough? Have you run a series on this close-to-home story? Have you demanded any legislation along this front? Have you pointed your both accusing and judging finger at what I am sure must seem to you a sorry mess indeed? Or was it TOO close-to-home?
HAVE YOU REALLY BEEN true to your policies here on the Hill? I don't remember any tear-jerking articles stressing the moral importance of exchange dances between fraternities and sororities of the different races. Have you come out strongly for more dating in a non-discriminate manner, or for more inter-racial marriages? I don't think so, but still you feel it is your privilege and duty to pass sentence upon the morals, manners, mores, and economic ac
tions of people who make Lawrence their home for a lifetime, not a four year visit.
Whether you realize it or not we are guests of the city of Lawrence. We are here to obtain an education, not to reform our hosts. I know it isn't often that a mere college newspaper editor has a chance to whoop it up with a "Crusade," but don't you feel that you have contributed little more than discontent, and agitation to the town, some students, and many businessmen?
If conditions are so bad here in Lawrence it is surprising to me that there have been no large scale spontaneous demonstrations by the colored people of Lawrence to secure their own rights? Why do a few students feel it is their calling to descend on local taverns like avenging angels, striking the fetters from our beer-starved comrades?
I hope I would not be insulting our many fine out-of-state students if I mentioned that it might not be their place to crusade, demonstrate, or raise a huge protest against policies of a people, a town, and a state where they have not, nor will not, ever permanently make their home. Especially when I am certain there is much good work along these lines that might be performed at home, saving the cost of tuition for these greater works. Most out-of-state students are here to seriously seek an education. Not act as semi-professional agitators. Most have more pressing studies and social and cultural activities to attend to than to be able to while away their time staging demonstrations in local businesses.
Were these mostly students from Lawrence who valiantly struggled to be admitted where they were obviously not wanted? Is there some magical attraction that these bars hold above all the others that welcome Negro customers? Have the downtrondden colored people of Lawrence raised a great "Halleujah" at the various blows struck for their acceptance by the CRC, and the UDK? Or were the students merely protesting in their own self-interest? Just what percentage of the students in the CRC are from Lawrence anyhow?
IF YOUR INTENT WAS TO draw attention to the UDK as a force of some magnitude on the campus you have done so. If your purpose was to establish yourselves as journalists you have managed this too, and in the best "muckraking" style. If you felt it was your job to alienate some of the townspeople against, not only the editors, but the paper and the entire student body, then you have certainly accomplished this-
Your editorialization on both page one and page two have been great in the grand Chicago Tribune manner. Your selection of one-
sided articles and slanted headlines shows real thought and planning. Bully for you! Good show! But I hope you don't think you're repensing my views. Or those of a good many other students who believe that while desegregation is a good and coming thing, editorializing in news articles, agitation, and "yellow journalism" have no place in a college newspaper.
B. L. Redding Sr.
Kansas City, Kansas, senior
--so eloquently for, because like the South, they are seeing their mythical and totally unrealistic world crumble. They have degenerated to such a level that they are trying to strike back by seeking a scapegoat to distract attention and channel feelings away from the problem and to a view in accordance with their own. Hitler did this, Stalin did this and more recently it is being practiced by Fidel Castro. These peoples' values and judgments are being seriously threatened and because of this, they have seriously narrowed their vision by seeing as a solution the placing of blame on an individual and a geographic area.
Sit-in Recalled
The group that participated in the sit-in demonstration Thursday originated on the KU campus and was composed of students from here. This sit-in is news today but is it the first time a group of KU students have staged a demonstration like this? Is the problem one of our generation or does it go back in KU's history. The problem is obviously not new and neither are the methods taken to alleviate the racial discrimination issue.
At Kansas University in 1948 a group known as C.O.R.E., Committee on Racial Equality, organized a sit-in which took place at a local cafe that refused to serve Negro students. A group of students, Negro and White came into this cafe and sat down—they were refused service and politely were asked to leave, yet they remained. The police were summoned by the proprietor and the demonstrators removed from the premises. Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?
Retrospectively looking at the basic problem, we find that the number of merchants, townpeople and students in favor of racial segregation has decreased in geometrical bounds. The number of merchants that refuse to serve Negro students is very small, while discrimination was extremely prevalent not too long ago in this town.
Twelve years ago there existed a "gentleman's agreement" in the Big Six which precluded the participation by Negro athletes in conference sports.
There has been considerable progress on a controversial social transformation, this progress has displayed a gradual tendency toward integration and anti-discrimination.
Demonstrations like the one Thursday night do nothing but impede the progress of the "Negro Cause." The justifications for the action are nebulous and such actions, per se, are of detrimental consequence. The end is inevitable but a natural, gradual process will be the vehicle of change.
This type of demonstration is not new at KU, rather it is old. It is too late to mitigate Thursday's incident but not too late to view such actions in the future with caution and discretion.
Mike McCarthy
Again. Mr. Abels
Prairie Village senior
Editor:
Four years ago, when I came west from New York, virtually everyone like Mr. Abels thought of New Yorkers as gangsters, union organizers and rabble rousers. What you, the midwesterner, has done was to stereotype New Yorkers, not on the basis of knowledge, but on a basis of fear. What Mr. Abels saw of the Bronx was a preconceived idea. He saw what he wanted and not what is real. Had he been objective he wouldn't seek to denigrate New York and consequently Mr. Klapper. Social behavior is complex and mentally tiring, so we therefore adhere, as though to a raft, to those ideas which represent our understanding.
MR. ABELS' UNDERSTANDING, as most midwesterners, is fairly limited because the midwest has isolated itself by preconceived ideas. I offer as proof to this theory of isolation the fact that the midwest is two to five years behind in clothing style and fifty years behind in architecture. Architecture is quite a measure of an area's cultural and intellectual level. This can be easily substantiated by the better architects. This is a prime manifestation of vested interest and a vested interest in understanding is more preciously guarded than any other treasure. If this is broken down, so then is a person's self-concept and his phenomenal self. In effect the person would become a lost soul having lost his values and his perceptions. It is for these reasons that Mr. Abels so imprudently calls people and organizations pink and is seeking to belittle and berate New Yorkers. This is the only way he can maintain his self. He furthers this by proclaiming all the marvelous accomplishments of man. What he is really saying is that man is now able to kill as many people with one plane as all the planes did in World Wars I and II.
WE FOUGHT WORLD WAR II because some people felt they were better than everyone else. If we give it some thought it becomes obvious that we are in effect still fighting the same war. A war of equality.
What is being fought for is not a place to drink beer but an age-old religious ideal and the same ideal that is in our dauntless constitution. This area more than any other should be acquainted with the firm religious belief that all men were created equal. If this is not so, why then are we fighting Communism, fought Nazism, fought tyranny, but will not fight segregation? There can be no half ideals as is now being practiced, for this is hypocrisy.
I PITY MR. ABELS AND THE too many midwesterners he speaks
No! Mr. Abels and his cohorts must learn the facts of life. New Yorkers learn them the first time someone picks on us either mentally or physically.
Last, but by no means least, how could any objective person believe that Mr. Klapper and or the New Yorkers, so influenced the midwesterner? Did we use mass hypnosis or just lick the state of Kansas? If this is so, then Mr. Abels in one breath calls the boys and girls of Kansas, mature thinking individuals and subtly in the next breath contradicts this.
I would like to give the Kansas boys and girls credit for being mature thinking individuals but only a few have demonstrated being such.
Steve Hurst Bronx, N.Y., senior
...
Plaudits for Sit-inners Editor:
Congratulations to Michael Landwehr and Tom Heitz and all the other students responsible for showing that KU men can become aroused to action on vital issues. It gives me a great deal of pride, as I'm sure it does others, to see KU linked with integration in a manner much more democratic and constitutional than the linkage earned by the University of Georgia students.
The administration should not only support this type of peaceful demonstration but encourage it. This sort of active non-violent display should be one of the character developing facets an institution of learning should try to instill. It is at the University that basic values and ideals, either in terms of Judaeo-Christian ethics or philosophical truths, not only be talked of in terms of antiquity but instituted in terms of the present. It is always appropriate to speak up for the rights of others and complacency on such matters should be discouraged.
Milton Diamond
Grace Diamond
Grace DiAngelo
Lawrence Graduate Students
P. S. A commendation is also due the UDK staff on their editorial support for what is not always the "popular" view but what is usually the correct one.