THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
79th Year, No.14
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
Friday, October 4, 1968
UDK News Roundup
By United Press International
Astronaut has faith
SPACE CENTER, Houston-Astronaut James McDivitt said Thursday his faith in the recently-troublesome Apollo lunar landing craft he must fly next year was restored last week by a highly successful space chamber test at Cape Kennedy.
He said he had been discouraged by problems that kept the craft from getting a clean bill of health. But, he said, these now appear cleared up.
Reds noted at Chicago
WASHINGTON-House investigators now claim documented proof at least 21 Communists plotted demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention in August as part of a plan to overthrow the government.
Rep. Richard Ichord, D-Mo., head of a special subcommittee of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, made the claim as the panel went into its third and final day of hearings on the incidents at Chicago.
Dubcek in Moscow
MOSCOW-Soviet leaders talked in the Kremlin with Czechoslovak Communist reformers and publicly spanked them in newspapers today.
Czechoslovak party First Secretary Alexander Dubcek came Thursday seeking an early end of the Soviet-bloc occupation of his nation.
The mood of Moscow indicated he was being told the occupation would continue in force until the Kremlin was satisfied its brand of Communism is safe in the little neighboring nation.
Youths riot in Peru
LIMA, Peru—Army troops turned water cannons and tear gas today on gangs of youths who smashed shop windows and stoned government buildings to protest the military overthrow of President Fernando Belaunde Terry.
Troops manning a water cannon broke up repeated demonstrations of youths shouting "Traitors!" in the Plaza de Armas.
Flying bedstead launched
SPACE CENTER, Houston-The super flying bedstead took to the air for the first time Thursday, climbing 50 feet during its maiden manned flight.
The "bedstead" is a weird-looking trainer designed to teach astronauts how to land on the moon. It is an advanced version of the spider-shaped craft which crashed last May after astronaut Neil Armstrong lost control and ejected.
UN nomination okayed
WASHINGTON—The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Thursday unanimously approved President Johnson's appointment of Russell Swiggins as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The former editor and executive vice president of the Washington Post was nominated to succeed George Ball, who resigned to campaign for Hubert H. Humphrey, the Democratic presidential nominee.
--bombs and shells into the dug-in Communists.
Americans throw back Communists
By ALVIN B. WEBB Jr.
SAIGON (UPI)—U.S. Green Berets and their Vietnamese sidekicks patrolling infiltration corridors scarred with Communist tank tracks threw back a four-wave North Vietnamese attack within a mile of Cambodia, military spokesmen said today.
South Vietnamese officials said the furious battle 66 miles northwest of Saigon left 150 members of North Vietnam's 8th Division dead Thursday. The guerrillas downed a U.S. helicopter early in the fighting, killing four Americans.
Spokesmen put other allied losses at four South Vietnamese irregulars killed and nine Americans and 38 irregulars wounded. U. S. warplanes and artillery slammed hundreds of
UPI correspondent Kate Webb, in a plane over the battlefield, reported the terrain laced with Communist tank tracks. American B52 Stratofortresses saturated the battlefield with bombs following the battle.
Elsewhere, the North Vietnamese 308th Division pushed its siege of U.S. Green Berets at northern Thuong Duc into a seventh day but gave no sign a ground attack was in the works. B52s pounded the 7,000 Communists relentlessly.
U. S. spokesmen today reported the collision of an Air Force transport and an Army helicopter over the northern coast Thursday that killed 24 American GIs. There were no survivors.
Percy will visit here Saturday
Sen. Charles Percy, R-Ill., and six prominent Kansas Republicans will be at KU tomorrow.
With Percy will be Rick Harman, candidate for governor, Bob Dole, candidate for the U.S. Senate, Sen. James B. Pearson and Larry Winn, Third District Congressman running for a second term.
The Republicans will attend a reception in the Kansas Union Big Eight Room after the KU-New Mexico football game.
Percy, in Kansas supporting Harman's candidacy, was elected to the Senate in 1966 after defeating Paul Douglas, the Democratic incumbent. Percy was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Illinois in 1964.
Harman, who is making his first attempt at elected public office, is the general manager of the Myron Green cafeteria chain.
Pearson is now serving his second term in the Senate. He was appointed in 1962 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Sen. Andrew Schoeppel.
Also present will be McDill Boyd, the Republican National Committeeman from Kansas and Don Cannoncon, chairman of the Republican State Central Committee for Kansas.
The group will arrive by plane from Manhattan after speaking to the Kansas Federation of American Women. After leaving KU the Republicans will go to Salina for a $25 a plate fund raising dinner.
The twin-engine Caribou transport with 13 men aboard smashed into the CH47 Chinook carrying 11 men shortly after takeoff Thursday night from coastal Camp Evans, 380 miles north of Saigon.
U. S. spokesmen had no immediate explanation for the collision. They said there was no Communist ground fire reported when the Caribou lifted off.
The Viet Cong's "Liberation Radio" today claimed the allies defense of Saigon was "defeated and panic stricken." It said "the U.S. puppets will certainly be attacked more and more vigorously . . . in the days ahead."
--invasion, Galton says, "I am not a brave man, but an inquisitive one. Besides," he adds, "the libraries were closed and I couldn't do my research."
WEATHER
Today fair and cool. Variable winds becoming light southerly by afternoon. Highs mid to upper 60s. Tonight increasing cloudiness and not so cool. Chance of scattered light rain by morning. Lows upper 40s. Saturday variable cloudiness and cool. Chance of scattered showers in the foreonow. Precipitation probability. Today near zero. Tonight and Saturday 30 per cent.
Report changed to clarify position
Peoples Voice will continue its campaign for adoption of the "minority report" on student government.
The minority report (the Dissenting Report of the Student Faculty Committee on University Governance, published in Thursday's Kansan) was revised Tuesday by Voice.
Voice will meet at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the Kansas Union Jayhawk Room.
Prof sees Czech invasion
By FRED PARRIS
Kansan Staff Writer
As most Americans listened eagerly to reports of the Czech invasion, one KU professor lived through the ordeal.
Herbert Galton, associate professor of Slavic languages and literatures, was in Prague, Czechoslovakia when the Russians struck. He had been there since November, 1967, doing research on Slavic linguistics. He witnessed the overthrow of the Novotny regime, the rise of Dubcek and liberalization and the crushing blow of the Russians.
"In ten months, I saw a people change," Galton said. "From the dull resignation which characterized the Novotny regime, to a sense of elation developed under Dubcek. 'We also will live like Americans,' they said. Then came the invasion and deep, glum stoicism."
Throughout the entire week of the invasion, Galton had freedom of movement.
"While I was occasionally stopped by Soviet troops, I was never physically threatened. Although I saw troops shooting at other persons, I was never a traget myself. I think the American flagoon my car helped a lot in this respect," Galton said.
On the streets, Galton watched truckloads of students drive to buildings guarded by Soviet troops and shout "Gestapo and "Aggressor" at them repeatedly. He also saw crowds of Czechs surround solitary Russian soldiers and verbally torment them.
"There were times when I almost felt sorry for the Russian soldiers," Galton said. "They were so pathetic and confused."
Since the streets were filled with troops and people, Galton tried to seek refuge in the sprawling Prague parks. Even there, he found Soviet troops and equipment stationed.
This irritated him, Galton said, and he began to slyly tease the Soviet troops.
"When I was asked my identity by a group of Russian soldiers, I said 'I am an American imperialist.' The troops would reply good-naturedly, 'But you have strayed rather far.'
"To this, I would retort, 'Yes, and you have strayed rather far.'"
Galton credits his success in this encounter to his fluent Russian.
Galton said he concluded his conversation by saying impudently, "The Czechs like us and hate you now." and walked away.
"I think it amused and flattered them to find an American who could speak their language fluently."
Of his adventures during the
At first, many Czechs thought they had been attacked by West Germany, Galton said. Russian soldiers were hazy at first about their destination.
Galton says that his only real troubles during the invasion came not from the Russians but from Czech reaction.
"Memories of World War II are very strong here," Galton said. "The Germans are still greatly feared by their East European neighbors."
"Approximately two weeks after the invasion, I went driving in the countryside. No sooner did I reach unfamiliar territory then I discovered that all road and directional signs had been taken down. It took me considerably longer than normal to reach my destination."
Galton says that the liberalization movement was initiated by students and the intelligentsia. The students were no doubt influenced by the student unrest in the West, he added.
Galton summed up his Czechoslovak observations saying:
"While Czechoslovakia has been crushed by Soviet armed might, the spirit of her people remains unsubdued."