Russian Sincerity Probed at Geneva Herter Offers Secret Meetings Troop Reduction Asked by West
GENEVA — (UPI)— Secretary of State Christian A. Hertzer today handed Russia a dramatic Western offer to trade global troop cuts for quick restoration of freedom for all of Germany—starting with Berlin.
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrea Gromyko, who obviously knew something about the Western Plan before it was presented, indicated in a speech at yesterday's Big Four session that Moscow rejected in advance any Western move to link political steps on Berlin and Germany with European security.
The West had little hope that Gromyko would readily accept any package that would deprive the Communists of a major satellite, such as they have now in East Germany.
In his speech yesterday, Gromyko said that "Such an approach... would amount to a complete blocking of our work."
Herter's plan included these steps:
1. Reunification of Germany through free elections in four stages, starting with a free vote in all Berlin and formation of a joint East German-West German commission of 35 delegates to write an all-German election law.
3. Big power troop cuts around the world, with the United States and Russia reducing forces to 1.7 million men each at the final stage.
2 Establishment of a system of European security by gradual thinning out of troops and establishment of ground inspection.
The plan would take effect over a period of $2\frac{1}{2}$ years. If the Soviet Union did not stall too long, Germany thus could become free and united by the end of 1961.
Western troops would remain in Berlin, Herter said, until the last stage of the plan, which is a final peace treaty with a freely elected all-German government.
Weather
Partly cloudy west and generally fair east tonight and tomorrow. Continued cool tonight, a little warmer tomorrow. Low tonight 38 to 45. High tomorrow 70 to 75.
GENEVA — (UPI) — The West moved today to determine Russia's sincerity by pressing for secret meetings that would cut off the Soviet propaganda flow from the four-power talks here.
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromvko has not yet committed himself on the proposal, but observers said acceptance of secrecy would indicate strongly Moscow wants genuine negotiations.
They said a rejection would be tantamount to admission that the Soviet government looks upon the meeting mainly as a propaganda forum.
The suggestion to negotiate behind closed doors came yesterday from Secretary of State Herter. It was firmly endorsed by Britain and France.
The West believes secret talks will allow serious negotiations and reduce any temptation to talk to the grandstands.
Closed-door negotiations would also free the conference from the possibility of unwarranted interference from East German "advisers" sitting in at Geneva.
West Proposes Nuclear Talks
GENEVA — (UPI)— The United States and Britain proposed today that scientists from their countries and the Soviet Union meet again to bring detection methods up to date before formal agreement to end nuclear tests is reached.
Secretary of State Herter and Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd said they were particularly interested in improving means of detecting high altitude tests.
They also told Gromyko they wanted Big Three scientists to consider again what kind of technical data should be counted as evidence of an illegal nuclear explosion.
Herter and Lloyd met with Gromyko for one hour and 20 minutes this morning.
Dailu hansan
56th Year, No.147
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
Company officials at its headquarters in Bartlesville, Okla., said the explosion occurred in the building.
Murphy Gives Stand On Faculty in Politics
The blast, heard over a large area. shattered windows in nearby residences.
Thursday, May 14, 1959
The watchman ran out of the building when he heard the blast, he said, but returned immediately and shut off valves controlling the flow of propane gas into the tanks.
The fire raged out of control for several hours after the blast at 5:45 am.
The night watchman was the only person in the area at the time. He escaped injury, but was taken to a hospital and treated for shock.
Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy this morning disagreed with a Board of Regents rule prohibiting a faculty member from running for Congress.
But he supported the Board of Regents' position which forbids faculty members from running for state office.
The ripped tanks and office building were destroyed within minutes after the blast.
HUTCHINSON — (UPI) A thunderous explosion and fire damaged two huge liquefied gas tanks and destroyed an office building today at Cities Service Company's bulk station west of Hutchinson.
Chancellor Murphy stated his views at a press conference this morning clarifying his talk last night at a meeting of the KU Young Democrats.
Concerning the rule prohibiting faculty members from running for Congress, Chancellor Murphy said:
"I believe that rule to be too restrictive as regarding a member of the staff running for Congress. I
Hutch Blast Rips Tanks
Flames were still visible for miles surrounding the area three hours later.
hope it will someday be remedied so that a faculty member could have a leave of absence so he could run for Congress."
Dr. Murphy pointed out that his statement concerned only Congress. He said he would support the Regents stand against faculty members' running for a state office.
"The Board of Regents fully accepts the principle that every citizen, regardless of his job, has the right and indeed the obligation to participate in the political life of the community," Chancellor Murphy said.
For this reason, he said, the Board of Regents has set down certain rules for staff and faculty members to follow.
"However, the Board of Regents is equally as determined that the University itself should never be caught up in partisan politics."
1. Members of the staff or faculty may participate actively in local political life. Chancellor Murphy described running for city commis-
HOPE Deadline Extended One Day
Students wishing to nominate instructors for the HOPE award will have an extra day to do so.
HOPE—Honors for Outstanding Progressive Educators—is this year's senior class gift.
Nominations are to be turned into the Alumni Office, 127 Strong Hall, by 5 p.m. Friday instead of Thursday as was announced earlier. Any senior may submit a nomination.
An award of about $100 will be given annually to a University faculty member who has made the greatest contribution of the year to the welfare of his students and to increasing the prestige of the University.
Nominations should include the instructor's name for reference. The nominees must be full-time members of the faculty.
son, the school board or holding a position as precinct or committee chairman as this type of political activity.
See editorial Page 2
2. But faculty members may not run for any state or federal office without resigning. Such offices would be the state Legislature, Congress or the governorship.
"Related to this is the use by a faculty member of his title in partisan politics. This was brought to a head by the famous advertisement (of last fall when faculty members stated their position with the University when opposing the right to work amendment.) The Board had no rule prior to this issue so the men who signed this advertisement broke no rule.
"The Board has now said any faculty member has the same right as any citizen to sign petitions and advertisements on partisan issues as an individual. He should not, however, identify himself as a member of the University," Chancellor Murphy said.
The chancellor was asked his opinion of criticisms saving a faculty member running for Congress would create tensions.
"To spend your time figuring out how to get a University loved by everybody is a waste of time. When you reach that point you don't have a University—you have a trade school," the chancellor replied.
Demos Can Sweep In '60, Docking Says
TOPEKA —(UPI) — Democrats could win full control of Kansas government next year, Gov. George Docking said last night.
"Unless we get too anxious to win control of the Senate and put too many of our best campaigners in those races. I think we're going to get the House," he said.
The governor spoke to the Shawnee County and Washburn University Young Democrats.
He pointed out that Kansas Democratic candidates got a larger total vote than Republicans last year.
Four Alumni to Be Honored at Commencement
Four alumni will receive citations during Commencement exercises June 1 for distinguished service.
The citations are given by the University and Alumni Assn. and are voted by a secret committee on the basis of the individual's contribution to mankind.
recipients of the citations are: Mrs. Verne Alden, Wellsville, a
state leader in educational and home demonstration affairs;
Stanley Learned, assistant to the president of Phillips Petroleum Co. Bartlesville, Okla.;
Dr. Clifford W. Seibel, assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in charge of all helium activity, Amarillo, Tex.
Dr. Alexander Marble, member of the Harvard Medical School faculty Boston Mass.;
Dr. Clifford W. Seibel
Mrs. Verne Alden
Mrs. Alden became president of the National Home Demonstration Council in 1958 and will represent the Council at the Triennial meeting of the Associated Country Women of the World in Edinburgh, Scotland, this July.
She has been a member of the Kansas High School textbook committee and served two terms on the Kansas State Board of Education. She was also a member of the White House Conference on Education in 1955 and a member of the Kansas Committee of the Rural Education Division of the National Education Assn.
Mr. Learned became assistant to the president of Phillips Petroleum Co. in 1953.
Was President of Chamber
He has been president of the Oklahoma Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers, and has served three terms as president of the Oklahoma Safety Council.
Mr. Learned has been chairman of the advisory board of KU's Greater University Fund for the past year. He has twice been a member of the President's Committee for Traffic Safety.
Dr. Marble is one of the nation's authorities on diabetes. The bibliography of his professional writings has more than 100 entries. He is a Brigadier General in the Army Medical Reserve and a member of
the Joslin Clinic in Boston, where he is in charge of chemical research.
e is in charge of chemistry.
Dr. Seibel Former Faculty Man
Dr. Seibel, known as "Mr. Helium," is a former member of the chemistry faculty at KU. In 1917 the government employed him as engineer and chemist in charge of the first large scale production of helium.
He has played the major part in design and construction of all the
Dr. Seibel received the distinguished service award and gold medal of the Department of the Interior in 1954. In 1956 he received the National Civil Service League's Career award.
government's helium plants and is responsible for their operation.
The Texas Technological College at Lubbock awarded him an honorary doctor of science degree in 1937.
Dr. Alexander Marble
Stanley Learned