Ethiopian Emperor Reported Ousted
LONDON—(UPI) — The British Foreign Office said today an Addis Ababa radio broadcast claimed Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie had been overthrown.
A Foreign Office spokesman said the broadcast reported the Emperor's son, Crown Prince Asfa Wosen Haile Selassie, either heads or is a member of the new government.
"The situation is thoroughly confused," the spokesman said. "We have no firm knowledge of what is going on there. We are awaiting word from our people there."
The Washington reports were not clear whether the crown prince was acting on his own initiative or on orders of some of the armed forces and young civilian elements of the country.
A British ham radio operator said he had picked up a message from an amateur operator in Addis Ababa also reporting a d'etat took place there this morning.
Selassie, the bearded leader whose country was overrun by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, has been in power since 1930.
American diplomatic sources in Washington reported earlier that Crown Prince Asfa Wosen was attempting a coup against his 68-year-old father, now on a state visit to Brazil.
Diplomatic sources in Washington said his son announced that
Wescoe Greetings
It is impossible for us to do what we would like—to express to each of you, students, faculty and staff, our warm expression of thanks for the way you have accepted us. You have given us a new home, a real feeling of belonging, and we are appreciative.
May we in this general way, but no less sincerely than if we could do it in person, wish all of you a very happy holiday season.
In short, and we coin a phrase,
Merry Christmas to all—and a
Happy New Year as well.
Daily hansan
THE WESCOE FAMILY
Wednesday, Dec. 14, 1960
the Ethiopian people are tired of the emperor's feudal rule and that he was forming a government headed by himself with members of the armed forces and young intellectuals.
It was understood the U.S., Soviet and other embassies were being guarded by Ethiopian soldiers but that the situation was quiet.
Machine guns were reported mounted on several government buildings.
Reports reaching Washington indicated the leaders of the coup had grounded all planes in Ethiopia. However airline offices in London said they had heard no reports of airline traffic being affected in Addis Ababa.
The Cable and Wireless Co. in London said it could get no messages through to Addis Ababa. It did not know the reason but said, "We just cannot make contact." Telephone calls also were refused.
The lack of direct communication was not of itself fully significant. Under the best conditions cables require hours for delivery and telephone calls frequently must be booked 12 hours in advance.
Washington reports said the succession in the imperial family in Ethiopia does not necessarily go to the crown prince. Consequently, they said, this may be the reason why he may not be devoted to the emperor — if Asfa Wosen is acting of his own free will.
Weather
Partly cloudy to cloudy and warmer today. Mostly cloudy with occasional rain or snow mostly northeast portion tonight and Thursday. Highs today 40s. Lows tonight 20s. Highs Thursday middle to upper 30s.
Vespers Fund Gets $535.44
The free will offering for this year's music and art students Christmas Vespers Scholarship Fund consisted of 1,019 pennies, dollar bills, a $10 check, one button and one Canadian dollar. The contribution, $535.44, was the lowest since 1958 which was $639.05.
LAWRENCE. KANSAS
58th Year, No. 60
KU Labels Bert Coan Decision 'Capricious'
By John Peterson
KU today condemned "the long and continued harrassment" it has received from the NCAA and Big Eight and called the decision stripping the Jayhawks of the league football championship "capricious."
The statement, released in a nine-page "white paper" from the chancellor's office, said that "the University believes that Coan has been subjected to a penalty he does not deserve."
The "white paper", referring often to the University of Missouri's instigation and leadership in the case, blasted the Big Eight for an atmosphere of "suspicion and distrust" and berated the legality of the decision.
THE STATEMENT clearly said that Kansas will not ask for any further action on the case.
"On at least three occasions prior to the conference athletic committee's decision the faculty representatives had opportunities to declare Mr. Coan ineligible, but only on the last occasion, after a championship had been won, did they take action."
The "white paper" said KU has filed "an official request for reconsideration on the grounds that the conference faculty representatives had acted contrary to the offical rules and regulations as published by the conference."
There have been no indications the conference will act on this protest.
THE PAPER emphatically said that the testimony presented at the Big Eight meeting by Coach Jack Mitchell, Kenneth (Bud) Adams, and Bert Cox "was made
by men of integrity. In not disproving it but merely disbelieving it, the regulatory bodies concerned run counter to the American traditions of justice and its foundation on the rule of law, not of men."
The paper cites Missouri's persistence in pressing for action on Coan's eligibility.
The University specifically pointed the finger at the University of Missouri at the December 8, meeting by protesting the actions of MU officials in:
1. Not reporting rumors of violations of conference rules to the faculty representatives of the institution involved:
"2. Releasing to the public and to the press information about a member institution."
The paper also cites Missouri's activities as follows:
"Nov. 2 — The University of Nebraska faculty representative telephoned Dean Laurence Woodruff, informing him that officials of the University of Nebraska had been in contact with University of Missouri officials, and raising the question of Mr. Coan's eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics for the University of Kansas.
"Nov. 5 — Dean Woodruff received a special delivery letter, dated Nov. 3, from the University of Missouri faculty representative, inquiring into Mr. Coan's eligibility.
"Nov. 19 — Kansas defeated Missouri 23-7. Mr. Coan participated. The announcer for the University of Missouri Sports Network commented during and after the game that Mr. Coan's ineligibility might yet determine the outcome of the game."
THE UNIVERSITY, in the paper, maintained the position that KU has been guilty of nothing and added that "at no time have all the facts been presented."
The main contention of the "white paper" is that rules and regulations were not followed at the committee meeting that declared Coan ineligible.
Quoting from the conference rules, the paper says:
"The sole responsibility for the accuracy of the lists and the eligibility of the players listed rests with the institution. . . ."
The University's comment on this was:
"The University of Kansas Faculty Senate Committee on Eligibility considered Mr. Coan's status and decided unanimously that he was eligible for intercollegiate athletic competition."
THE UNIVERSITY pointed out that the legislation of the conference meeting rules says:
"No change in the rules may be made unless notice is contained in the agenda for the regular meeting or in notice of a special meeting sent out 10 days in advance."
"The faculty representatives then voted 6-2 that the question of Mr. Coan's eligibility would be settled by a simple majority, 5-3, as had been the case in some other decisions by the conference in the past."
The University commented:
☆
(The paper did not say if notification of the proposed vote to change to a simple majority had been sent to the member schools 10 days prior to the meeting, as the Rule appears to require.)
Kansas' Shame-The Forgotten Educator
By Frank Morgan
(Editor's Note: This is the second of a series of articles about the present status of the teacher retirement program at the University of Kansas and possible improvements in that program.)
Eight variables determine whether a retired University of Kansas faculty member lives comfortably or under conditions bordering on destitution. Instances of both exist in Lawrence.
The variables are age, health, amount of savings, social security, number of years of service to KU, property owned, family and personal annuities.
Noticeably absent from the list are benefits from a state retirement plan.
"After the money from the sale of the family house is gone, I don't know where I'll get the money for the rent. I hope I'll be gone by then, however."
The woman speaking is 84 years young. She is a former professor of Romance languages at KU.
SHE WAS BUSY addressing 400 Christmas cards to her friends and former students throughout the world while candidly chatting about her life.
She began teaching at KU in 1909. She has no family. She is single. She retired before social security coverage was applied to the teaching profession. She receives the maximum pension of $1,480 a year from the state for her 39 years' service. Her only other source of income is the money from the sale of her family home upon her retirement in 1948.
"I feel I have had a wonderful life in that I was exceedingly fortunate to have been a teacher," she said.
"My disposition has never been to be down-hearted about anything."
She lives in KU's Sprague Apartments for retired faculty members. The living room of the three room apartment is lined with shelves of books and mementos of her travels and career.
"When your whole life has been devoted to books,
you find it difficult to do without them," she said. "They are all I have."
THE PRESENT state program of pensions for teachers has been in effect since 1941. There have been several "cost of living" adjustments made since then, but these are considered negligible. A ceiling was set on the maximum amount any retired teacher could receive, regardless of years of service, and was combined with the maximum amount of social security insurance received—a total of $2,872.
One of the forgotten
There is one individual, however, whose plight is vehemently criticised by administrators, active teachers and the more fortunate retired members—the widow of an ex-teacher.
The state of Kansas stops payments immediately upon the death of the faculty member. A widow is cut off without financial resources. She does not receive any social security payments if her husband retired before 1951 when teachers first were covered by the social security program, and only a minimum payment if he retired after 1951.
This program has been termed by some administrators as the least adequate of any university retirement plan. Some retired members says $1,480 is impossible to subsist on. Others say it is enough for the necessities but that entertainment or small luxuries are out of the question.
IT HAS OFTEN been the case for a woman who has led an active, fruitful life in the academic community to spend her final years as a responsibility of the Douglas County welfare organization. Through this she receives $95 per month in addition to social security.
How can these widows exist?
Some don't. Often they are placed in retirement homes supported by the county and state. Many have the aid of friends or relatives. A few, too proud to be dependent, eke out an existence by baby-sitting and other tasks in a daily battle for survival.
(Continued on page 4)