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University Daily Kansam Friday. Feb. 17, 1961
Another 'Great Leap'
One of the most oft-repeated phrases the Reds have used in recent years in attempting to raise agricultural output in Communist China has been "A Great Leap Forward." It appears now that the Reds have tried to leap a little too far, for the nation is experiencing one of its most serious famines of modern times. Moreover, reports filtering out of the country say that the food shortage could have political repercussions.
TO BE SURE. WEATHER HAS BEEN THE cause for many of Mao Tse-tung's headaches in the last two years. One of the major projects of the Communist regime has been to construct a system of dams on the large Chinese rivers which would provide protection from both floods and drought. Construction has not been completed. Drought, however, did not wait for the tardy Chinese to finish the job. The soil of the vast central China plain was parched and powdered by drought last year. There were no rains again this year.
As a result, grain production dropped to perhaps 100 million tons below the 1960 goal of 297 million tons. This is of tremendous importance because 60 per cent of the income of Mao's regime is derived in some way from agricultural products. But the crop failure can not be chalked up entirely against the weather. Faulty administrative practices in the communes are much to blame, and there have been hints that the morale of the Chinese workers, like the sun-baked Chinese plains, has cracked.
FOR THIS, THE COMMUNISTS HAVE NO scapegoats other than themselves. In their drive to increase production on all fronts, the Chinese have often been lured into making mistakes simply by not analyzing the problem adequately. An example of this is their concern over faltering pork production. After all workers had been
ordered to eat in communal halls, Chinese officials began to notice a sharp decline in the number of pigs slaughtered each month. Why? It turned out that the Chinese porkers subsisted mainly on scraps, and since the Chinese no longer ate in their homes there were fewer scraps. Hastily, officials agreed to let the workers eat in their own homes again.
The Chinese had taken a "great leap forward." Then they were forced to do an abrupt about face and take one more step "forward."
IN THEIR DRIVE TO DEVELOP HEAVY industry, the Reds have apparently made a similar mistake—this time at the expense of agriculture. Now the steel industry has been de-emphasized in favor of agriculture.
But industry, the Communists realize is not the only thing that must be de-emphasized to increase food production. In order to even approach their goals, the Reds appear to be de-emphasizing the Chinese worker even more. This requires, as might be expected, a coersive force. Apparently Mao and his men believe that this can be accomplished politically.
RECENTLY, ARRANGEMENTS WERE made for six regional bureaus to be re-established under the pretense that problems could be dealt with more effectively on a regional basis. These same bureaus had been junked six yeas ago when the Reds decided that China was politically unified enough for central control. This in itself is a leap forward-step backward approach that will probably deal effectively with possible proletarian discontent. And if this doesn't serve as a strong enough coercion, then Red China has more men under arms than any other nation in history.
Dan Felger
CAN CAN: Varsity: Color.
By Bill Blundell
This was the picture that raised Khrushchev's eyebrows. If Nikita had watched the whole thing rather than ogle a few of the girls for a few brief moments, he might not have been so impressed.
THIS IS A GOOD MUSICAL,
very good in a few spots, but it
falls a bit short of superior entertainment. The color and dash and
big names are all there; Sinatra,
Chevalier, Paris in 1896, Mont-
marte and its racy dancing girls.
These last were the real stars of this film. The dance numbers in "Can Can" were superb, as the agile, Bardot-like Juliet Prowse
Screen Scene
and a gaggle of gay beauties in the line performed with zest and abandon — perhaps too much abandon for some of the timid souls in the audience, who sat on the edges of their seats waiting for some drastic accident to occur. It was certainly not the costume designer's fault that one of the girls didn't fall clean out of her decollete. The dresses were cut so low that even a careless exhalation could have spelled disaster.
BUT THE GIRLS CONQUERED this handicap and gave the audience some of the best dancing ever seen on film. Miss Prowse was outstanding, particularly in the gusty opening dance scene; where she played a fun-loving, if not lasciwi-
ous, French maiden, and the big ballet number at the end of the picture, in which she is a sinuous serpent indeed, tempting Adam and Eve.
If the dancing was one of the film's assets, the singing was not. Cole Porter's songs are tailored for a faster, zestier delivery than is possible for Maurice Chevalier to supply. As the playboy judge who is more familiar with Bromo-Seltzer than with Serutan he is well-cast; but the pitying viewer can only hope he can finish two choruses of "When Love Comes In" without suffering a stroke.
FAT CAT
FRANK SINATRA IS SOMEwhat disappointing in the starring role. He sings well, particularly with Shirley McLaine. But his dramatic efforts leave a lot to be desired; almost everything, in fact. Perhaps he's becoming type cast, but it seems he just dropped over from the "Ocean's Eleven" set and brought the same side-of-the-mouth wisecracking character with him. The viewer has a difficult time picturing Sinatra as a devilmay-care French barrister who defends Shirley when she is tried (before Chevalier) for staging a "lewd and lascivious dance" (the Can Can) and is her casual lover when not in court.
But Louis Jourdan should take the trophy for the most abused actor of the show. He does little more than furrow his brow and emit a few oily phrases at carefully spaced intervals. But when they make him sing, he is utterly destroyed-
IF THE MALE MEMBERS OF the cast were disappointing, Shirley McLaine was more than anyone could have expected. She sang wonderfully, and played her role as the proprietress of a rowdy dance hall to natural and unrestrained perfection.
Unfortunately, we see too much of Sinatra, Chevalier and Jourdan and not enough of McLaine and Prowse and the other singers and dancers. A little more music and a little less talk would have made this good show a great one.
Bill Blundell
Daily Hansan
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NEWS DEPARTMENT
John 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.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Frank Morgan and Dan Felger ... Co-Editorial Editors
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Business Manager
I was somewhat disturbed by the account of the last Civil Rights' meeting in your columns (Feb. 16). I do not object on personal grounds to being portrayed as a fanatic; in view of the enthusiasm which I put into causes which I believe in.
It is sufficiently true to be amusing — but it creates a very misleading impression of the Civil Right's Council which has an excellent record of constructive work and non-violent agitation for the improvement of race relations and the defense of human rights.
Denis Kenneay
Denis Kennedy Lawrence graduate student
CRCer Disturbed
Editor:
--said courses. Again there are other people in this world and there are some who like to study Western Civilization very much. This little note may help you to rehabilitation but better still would be to sit down and ask yourself what you are here to do. The following are some suggested questions: Did I come to KU to enroll in the College or do I belong in another school at the University? Am I here for an education, grades, or a degree? (There's a difference between all three, you know.) Does the world revolve around me and my interests and just who in the hell am I anyway?
To Learn or Not To
This letter is in reply to a letter by Carl A. Bentz in the UDK last Wednesday concerning the "misunderstanding of the aims of higher education in our universities." I'm sorry, but I can't come to grips with the "enlightened" author of the letter on the English class issue, because I studied composition in another college. Although there is need for direct 'refutation on the Western Civilization program.
THE WESTERN CIVILIZATION program, according to the "plighted" student who has only finished one semester of the readings, is supposedly designed to "penalize" students who come to KU. I would agree entirely with him that they are being "penalized" for attending KU if they intend to "get a degree" from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences without learning anything. They should and will be penalized for attempting to slip their way through college with the least knowledge. The aim, as I understand it, of a university such as this is to educate people, not provide entertainment of joyous courses. The Engineers and Fine Arts students don't die from not having Western Civilization, but their subject of study is not that of liberal arts and science education.
The fact that those of you who "don't give a darn" (some indication of wanting to use damn, but saving face of crudeness prevented him) about Pirandello Rousseau and Hobbes (I'll bet you had to look those names up in your already prepared "Outline of Western Civilization" notebook!) are exactly the individuals who don't belong in Western Civilization or the College or maybe school. If more people were willing to study what some of these men had to say "about themselves and us" we might see some possible solutions to our ever present social problems. Even though your main interest no doubt lies in an area other than Western Civilization and English you should at least make a little effort to understand that there are other realms of learning.
FROM THE INDICATION OF the "English proficient" letter there is no place in "your" life for the
The
Scien
the h
The
earne
Stu are:
To avoid boring the reader I shall end my tirade by also suggesting a solution to the Western Civilization problem (if there be a problem). Those who are not interested in Western Civilization shouldn't be required to take it. They should not be required to take any comprehensive exam either. Since Western Civilization is just one of the many essential courses in obtaining a "liberal education" those not interested in education of the liberal nature should transfer to another school. In fact, if they don't care to have English, Western Civilization, and all those other boring courses, I suggest they withdraw and enroll in a trade school that will meet their mechanical ability. There are some who just like to learn and think, while others worship degrees and "earning power on the outside because of a degree."
Kei
sopho
senio
senio
mani
senio
cial
Leavi
enrid
D. B.
rie R
Los
senio
senio
junio
omot
ior;
ior;
Robe
Larm
ma!
Hutchinson Junior
Books Everywhere. But . . .
If Watson Library has so many wonderful books why don't they keep track of them? This is the first semester, thank goodness, that I have had to rely heavily on reference material in preparation for my classes. It is going to be rather difficult if I can only acquire a third of the assigned material.
I have tried on several occasions, since the senterist began to get material. If I were very lucky I would get one out of three references that I needed. As for the other two, their whereabouts were unknown and no one seemed too excited about it. I have had particular trouble locating bound editions of journals. Does someone have a can of vanishing dust?
When the circulation desk can't find a volume they direct you to the undergraduate room, and vice versa. Each department takes the attitude that it's not their responsibility but the liability of the other department.
My gripe does not lie wholly with the library personnel, but also with graduate students and others who feel they are privileged to keep a book which is overdue and to take books to their cubicles and leave them there without bothering to formally check them out. By doing this, it makes it almost impossible for the library personnel to find the book even if they are stirred to do so!
Christel Sanders Excelsior Springs, Mo., senior