Daily hansan
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
58th Year, No.115
Friday, March 31, 1961
Abolition Film Stirs Debate
Film Editing, Police Brutality Are Some Discussion Topics
Four speakers and several viewers of "Operation Abolition" clashed last night over alleged Communist inspiration of student riots in San Francisco last May.
In a lively debate and question-answer session before an overflow crowd of about 650 persons, two Wichita lawyers defended the film and the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and two faculty members attacked the film and the committee.
THE LAWYERS, Leonard Banowetz and Gene Lawrence Keller, made these assertions:
- J. Edgar Hoover, director of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has written a pamphlet saying the riots were Communist-inspired.
... John Ise is skeptical ...
- "Principles of law and order" were flouted by the demonstrators.
- Any movement to abolish the House Committee on Un-American Activities should be done through "due process of law."
TAKING THE opposite viewpoint. Clifford P. Ketzel, assistant professor of political science, and John Ise,
He said Welch, who was once a director of the NAM, has not had any connection with it for many years.
NAM Raps Birch Group
NEW YORK — (UPI) The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) disclosed today it had in effect censured the John Birch Society in a board resolution adopted last September.
Sligh emphasized that the NAM "has no connection with the John Birch Society, and never has, and never will."
Charles R. Sliigh, Jr., executive vice president of the NAM, told United Press International the three former NAM presidents listed as members of the council of the controversial society participated in drawing up the resolution, which was passed unanimously.
The resolution did not mention the society or its founder and leader, Robert Welch, by name. But Slign said it was passed after disclosure that Welch had called former President Dwight D. Eisenhower a Communist.
It affirmed the NAM's confidence in Eisenhower and said the organization "does not and will not knowingly be associated with any individual or be a party to any organization that questions the loyalty and integrity of President Eisenhower or attempts to degrade the fundamental respect due him and his high office."
professor emeritus of economics, made these assertions:
- The film is dishonest.
- By a "juxtaposition of the students' pictures with those of probable Communists," the film attempts to establish that the students were Communist-inspired.
- San Francisco police were guilty of brutality in their handling of the demonstrators.
After the film was shown, Carol McMillen, Coldwater junior and coordinator of the National Student Assn. committee on campus which sponsored the film, conducted a question-answer session.
HERE ARE some of the significant exchanges:
Q: Do you feel there is any internal threat to the peace of this country?
A: (Prof. Ise) I don't think so.
Q: (Bernard W. Eissenstat, assistant instructor of Western civilization) What evidence can you cite that these students were Communist-inspired?
A: (Mr. Keller) J. Edgar Hoover has issued a pamphlet saying this.
Q. (MR. EISSENSTAT) I don't care for Mr. Hoover's opinion. I want to know what evidence you have.
A: (Mr. Keller) I am inclined to go along with Mr. Hoover. If you don't wish to, that is your right.
Q. (Mr. Eisenstaff) Thank you
(Continued on page 8)
(Continued on page 8)
... Gene Keller makes a point...
The film "Operation Abolition" has been shown on many college campuses recently. In the interest of its readers, the UDK has prepared a special feature—FOCUS—found on pages two and three. Here we try to present opposing arguments about the film and the House Un-American Activities Committee, for which it was made.
On the Inside-
Weather
Slow diminishing cloudiness today. Partly cloudy tonight. Mostly fair Saturday. No important temperature changes. High today middle 40s. Low tonight 30 to 35.
Debate Packed House For Showing
LOOKING AND LISTENING—Students sit, their eyes glued to the screen, as the controversial film "Operation Abolition" makes its KU debut.
The film "Operation Abolition," seen last night in Fraser Theater by an overflow crowd, shows what the House Un-American Activities Committee considers to be Communist inspiration of student riots against the committee.
The film was sponsored at KU by the National Student Assn. committee, which passed out literature before the showing "in an effort to present both sides of the issue" covered by the film.
The film shows scenes from the 1960 student demonstrations and riots outside and inside the committee hearings in San Francisco.
FOUR SPEAKERS discussed the film after it was shown.
The film showed subpoenaed witnesses refusing to answer questions put by the committee, "communist agitators" leading the demonstrations and riot police forcing the demonstrators to leave the city hall
FIREMEN are shown hosing down demonstrators who refused to leave after judges in the city hall ordered clearance of the city hall.
The film said the demonstrators were told by the agitators to sit down, lock arms and put their hands in their pockets. This is what the demonstrators called "passive resistance" to the police orders to leave the city hall.
Many of the soaked sit-down demonstrators were carried out and slid down the wet steps in front of city hall by the police.
THE FILM identified several people whom it called "trained communist agitators." It said one of the landeagers was Archie Brown and called him the second in command of California's Communist Party. Harry Bridges, president of the International Longshoreman's Union, was also identified as a communist agitator.
Brown and others leading demonstrations among the courtroom spectators were shown. Brown demanded that the doors be opened to the public and at one point led the spectators in chanting this demand.
The committee explained that this could not be done because the 400 seats in the room were already filled and spectators could not stand in the aisles.
Stop Dav is May 26
Stop day this semester will be Friday, May 26. The last day of classes is Thursday, May 25. Friday is set aside for study and review. There will be no classes and no examinations this day, except for English and Engineering Mechanics (see examination schedule on page five).
At Home And Abroad
By United Press International
Laos Crisis -
But Rusk stressed anew that the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization allies would take "appropriate action" if peaceful negotiations with the Communists fail.
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Dean Rusk returned here from key allied conferences on Laos today with a declaration he was "much encouraged" by recent developments in the crisis.
Earlier, in Vientiane, Premier Boun Oum and defense chief Gen. Phoumi Nosavan flew hurriedly to southern Laos to make a personal check of reports invading communist forces had scored major victories there, authoritative sources said.
Meanwhile "neutralist" ex-Premier Prince Souvanna Phouma called on the United States and Russia to halt shipments of military aid to opposing forces in his embattled homeland.
Bomber Crash —
DENTON, N.C. — An Air Force B52 jet bomber with eight men aboard exploded in flight high over North Carolina last night and crashed in flames near a group of farmhouses.
At least two members of the crew parachuted to safety from an altitude of about 30,000 feet.
The Air Force would confirm only that the plane commander was killed. His body and the body of another man were found.
Four crewmen, including the pilot, were listed as missing.
--crumpled it and threw it away.
GOP Slams Budget-
WASHINGTON—The Republican National Committee claimed today that President Kennedy's defense budget was a "flat repudiation of Kennedy the candidate" and largely an endorsement of the Eisenhower defense program.
The GOP publication, "Battle Line" said that in the wake of 1960 Democratic campaign charges that the Eisenhower administration was "sacrificing defense needs on the altar of a balanced budget" the new Kennedy defense budget calls for an increase of a "mere five per cent." Of this, it added, only two per cent would occur in fiscal 1962.
--crumpled it and threw it away.
Algerian Talks -
PARIS — The Algerian rebels today announced they will cancel peace talks with France, scheduled to start next Friday in Eviam where extremists today assassinated the mayor with two bomb explosions.
A rebel spokesman in Tunis did not refer to the bomb murder of Mayor Camille Blanc but said Switzerland would be informed the talks were off because France had trepelled them in advance by offering to talk with rival rebel groups.
Viewers Differ on Merits of 'Abolition'
Student reactions to "Operation Abolition," the film produced by the House un-American Activities Committee and shown on the campus last night, were varied.
"The film was very educational," Dennis Heffner, Dodge City senior, said. "Due to the scarcity of evidence, I couldn't say if the riots were inspired by Communists or not, but it's sure there was Communist influence."
A WOMAN STUDENT said the film evaded the issue of bias. She stated further that the discussion following the showing of the film evaded the issue of law and order.
"The committee looked like slobs on the screen," a male student said. "I don't see how the committee could let the film be shown as an exhibit of their activities."
Aslam Faridi, Karachi, Pakistan, graduate student, said:
"Those people who try to probe into the affairs of others perhaps don't have confidence in their own system, country or people. I have never met any Communists since I have been here and by crying danger of Communism in this country these people are trying to focus the attention of people towards Communism. I don't think any sane man can believe in Communism."
One student tried to walk into the theater with a poster reading, "Down With HUAC."
"LET ME SEE that poster," a member of the National Student Association said.
The student backed away. The NSA member grabbed the poster,
Another male student said he hated to see facts misrepresented.
The sign-carrier walked into the theater and sat down.
Another male student said he hated to see facts misrepresented. "The film was chopped up injudiciously," he said. "What happened in six hours was cut down to 45 minutes. How can this be a fair representation of what really happened? The audience is led to believe many things that really are not true."
One student commented:
A group of women students expressed their opinion:
"THE WHOLE THING was a
"The film was shown at KU tonight . . . so what? There will be no riots here, the budget won't be cut, and we've seen what a few hot heads in California did. What is everyone so upset about?"
farce* It was overemphasized on the campus, and I think it was a big disappointment for everyone. The best part of the evening was the speakers."
One Lawrence resident carried a portable tape recorder inside his suit coat. Another man accompanied him.
The men explained they were recording "worthwhile" information for a committee they are working to establish.
Both stated that they were seeing the film for the first time, and they agreed that it might have some distortions in it.
"It was an excellent example of mob action and rioting which can be easily stirred up through Communist infiltration," said one.
"There are probably some Communists on this campus," the other added, "at least if the Commu-