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University Daily Kansan Friday, March 3. 1961
A Real 'Deal'...
Recently 23 legislators shoved a proposal through the Kansas Senate that will incorporate Wichita University into the state educational system. Now the proposal goes before the House of Representatives, where, with Gov. Anderson's backing, it should be approved once more. It is fortunate for those who want to see Wichita become a state school immediately that the Kansas legislature is not composed of Kansas editors. There appear to be far fewer of them in the proposal's corner than there are senators.
AND, THE TALKING KANSAS EDITORS are doing over this affair is not coming through their hats.
During the last week, Lawrence, Salina, Manhattan, Abilene and Hutchinson newspapers hammered away at the rush-rush tactics of lobbyists for Wichita U. Another newspaper, the Hays News, plainly scoffed at the idea that the Wichita school will be able to add anything of educational value to the state school system that is not already there. "Wichita's white elephant" and "Wichita's hot potato" are but two names dubbed the potential state university by the News. And the Hays paper became even more vitriolic, ending an editorial by calling the university "more of an athletic than educational emporium."
This is not saying that the plan in without backing of the press, however. Some Kansas dailies, although few in number, are definitely pro-proposal.
PERHAPS THE MOST OUTSPOKEN OF the minority is—guess what—the Wichita Eagle. "The vote or approval Thursday heralds great things for the future of education in Kansas. It means that at least in the upper house of the legislature there is a solid core of astute lawmakers who are determined to meet the problem of providing quality higher education for thousands of young people of their state," the Eagle stated last week.
The two questions that faced the senators, according to the Eagle, were: "Could Kansas afford to pass up an institution valued at 23 million dollars?" and "What would it cost state
taxpayers to duplicate Wichita University's facilities elsewhere to handle the onrush of students in future years?"
A RATHER NICE PICTURE. THERE, IN the vast southern Kansas plains, stands Wichita University, a 23 million dollar institution with a red ribbon tied around it. A gift to the Kansas taxpayer already tired of reaching into his pocket to support his five state universities. A real deal. ...
And one with a rather questionable odor.
It is difficult to see just how the addition of Wichita University to the state system will solve Kansas' future educational growing pains. In the first place, there are students already attending the institution. As a matter of fact, they number almost six thousand. These six thousand students are not going to jump aside for any "onrush of students in future years." If the Wichita school is going to handle any future overflow from the present five state universities, it will have to be done by expansion. Expansion is a process that enables all universities to educate more students. Expansion, unfortunately for the Kansas taxpayer, also is a costly process. He will have to pay to keep "his shiny gift" shiny.
AND HE MIGHT AS WELL PAY THE same amount to support five top-flight universities than can expand to meet future needs rather than six of a mediocre quality. Maintaining six universities at a high academic level on a budget tailored for five is a trick Houdini-like in nature. Of course, there are alternatives. One is to let the academic quality deteriorate. Another is to raise taxes somewhere. . .
At present, the Wichita taxpayer shells out 65 cents for each $100 of his property to maintain his university. The Kansan who maintains his five state schools pays about 25 cents less. Now, Wichitans are Kansans too — just like Garden Cityans, Osage Cityans and the rest of us. But Rodgers and Hammerstein were wrong. . . . why should "territory folks stick together" when all that will do is save some a few nickels while hurting the educational facilities of all?
Dan Felger
Editor:
SUPPLEMENT TO HAYAKAWA
Edition
If my notes, memory, and interest serve me correctly, it would seem that your reporter somewhat "missed the boat" in reporting the substance and meaning of Dr. Hayakawa's Humanities lecture on Tuesday. I find myself compelled to at least add what I consider weer some of the very important considerations covered in that lecture that were for some reason omitted in your report.
DR. HAYAKAWA STRESSED from beginning to end of his lecture the importance of the self-fulfilling prophecy" applied to international relations. We evaluate and "b believe that Russia aims to destroy us, so we ring them with bases and build more bombs, which confirms their belief that we aim to destroy them; they
... Letters ...
"strengthen their defenses" more, which confirms our belief that they want to destroy us . . . etc., etc., etc. . . until we eventually fulfill the original "prophecy" of destruction that we assumed. To me, the graveness of this point was not sufficiently felt in your summary. Perhaps we tend to think that it isn't too important . . just the "same old line".
Secondly, the title of the report used the words "Cultural exchange." "Cultural exchange seems to imply the general program of exchange of art forms (the ballet, films, musicians, etc.) that we have been experiencing lately between the two countries. Mr. Hayakawa did commend and recommend this means. But he went much further. And this was not even mentioned in your report. He suggested what I suppose might be called a "political-educational" offer—that we, unilaterally, invite two or three thousand Soviet minds—professors, scholars, instructors, to this country, expenses paid, to hear what they have to say, what their "beefs" are, and how they see things; in other words to expose ourselves to them; to test our concept of freedom of expression of all ideas and viewpoints, that we seemingly pride ourselves in. He did not suggest exchange, as I remember. He suggested that we invite them, no strings attached, and pay their way. He also suggested that this would probably cost no more than the price of one bomber.
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, triweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
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Telephone VIking 3-2700 Extension 711, news room Extension 376. business office
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Jim Peterson ... Managing Editor
Bill Blundell, Carrie Edwards, Lynn Cheatum and Ralph Wilson, Assistant Managing Editors; Tom Turner, City Editor; Bill Sheldon, Sports Editor; Sue Thieman, Society Editor.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Frank Morgan and Dan Felger ... Co-Editorial Editors
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
THIS IS AN INTENSELY controversial proposal, with many hard-hitting aspects that might at least make us "sit up and think." It was also Dr. Hayakawa's answer to "something new and different" that we might try, and to me the high point of what he had to offer to us—a seemingly valid way of trying to say that "war is not inevitable."
John Massa ... Business Manager
I realize that there wasn't much space for a full report of the lecture, what with ASC troubles, recounting of Frost votes, Kansas Senate, advertisements, and other such things; but the world is in an insane mess that is drawing closer and closer to annihilation every day, and I feel that any "constructive proposal" should be considered and related, even if it does come from a semanticist.
THEREFORE, IN SINCERE behalf of what might be a "sane" answer, or at least the beginning of a more positive "self-fulfilling prophecy" for our times than we now tend to follow. I ask that this addition be added to your report of Dr. Hayakawa's lecture.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
F. Roberts Searcy Shreveport, La., senior
"IF YA ASK ME - IT HAS ALWAYS HAD A 'FUNNY' TASTE."
By Calder M. Pickett
Associate Professor of Journalism
WASHINGTON SQUARE and THE EUROPEANS, by Henry James. Dell Laurel Books, 50 cents.
Henry James didn't think much of these two short stories. He ignored them in the celebrated New York edition, and critics tend to lump them with the minor novels of James.
There is good reason for this, particularly in the case of "The Europeans." Though it has its interesting twists, it is quite a conventional little thing, and it lacks the brilliant perceptions of the major novels. "Washington Square" is in its way so readable that one wonders if the James of "The Wings of the Dove" really wrote it.
"WASHINGTON SQUARE" IS KNOWN TO BROADWAYgoers and movie-goers through a version called "The Heiress." It is the story of Catherine Sloper, rich and dull and dowdy; Dr. Sloper, her dominating father (a comparable type is Moulton-Barrett, father of the famous Elizabeth), and Morris Townsend, the smooth young fortune-hunter.
James has not created in Catherine a figure for whom one can feel much compassion. This is too bad; Catherine fails to achieve tragic dignity when she faces her later years alone and unloved. Dr. Sloper is sonewhat of a monster, and Morris Townsend is a weakling. But "Washington Square" is an engrossing, beautifully written story that gives us a good picture of New York society in mid-19th century.
"THE EUROPEANS" IS TOULED AS THE "INTERNATIONAL theme in reverse." Eugenia, the Baroness Munster, and her brother, Felix, come to Boston with a blunt purpose—to live off their innocent American relatives. Eugenia returns to Europe thwarted (though why she suddenly decides not to take a rich man she clearly could have is somewhat of a mystery). Felix marries Gertrude, the charming and ingenious cousin upon whom he originally had planned to prey.
His setting happens to be New England instead of Paris or Venice, but the concept with which he works remains that of two cultures in conflict. It is interesting to conjecture on the motives of this American novelist who ended his days as a British subject. He left these shores in partial rejection of the crassness and sordidness of the Gilded Age, yet it is always the Americans of his rejected country who are exposed to the chicaneries of Europeans.
Eugenia and Felix could be any of the numerous predators who abound in such volumes as "The American." "The Portrait of a Lady," and "The Wings of the Dove." Henry James undoubtedly loved to work variations on the theme of the innocent exposed to the depredations of the sophisticates of Europe.
Worth Repeating
To equate scholarship with publication might be reasonable if the impulse to publish were spontaneous. If one is moved by curiosity and skilled in the act of discovery, then it is both generous and modest to tell one's peers what one has learned, for their edification and their criticism. But when filling a block of print is done at regular intervals under tacit compulsion, and a judicious silence greets each successive teasing of the obvious or the trivial, the idea of scholarship itself is compromised. Indeed, the cynicism and discontent of the young are justified, and the observer of the academic scene is at last brought to think that there may be something wrong with a system in which Lord Acton could never have become an assistant professor.-Jacques Barzun