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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1958
Increasing Interest In Russia
As the U.S.S.R. has increased as a world power in the past decade, so has American curiosity about the largest country in the world. This interest is shown at KU by the widening opportunities for the student to learn about Russia, and his desire for more such courses.
Since World War II the field of Russian studies has come into its own. Schools throughout the country are offering Russian and Far Eastern programs in political science, history and language. The larger schools are obtaining specialists in these fields. These instructors now amount to a small army, as compared with practically no such specialists before the war.
In 1947 the University catalogue listed only four courses dealing directly with Russia; they were all language courses. The 1957 catalogue lists fifteen having to do mainly with Russia and nine dealing with it to a lesser extent.
These courses are mainly in the fields of language, political science and history, but also in economics and geography.
Of the growth of interest at KU, Dr. Ethan Allen, head of the political science department, says. "There's no question about the increase of interest among students. It's caused us to add to our department and to anticipate adding future courses. The study of Russia is a significant area, one in which students ought to be interested."
Dr. Roy Laird, assistant professor of political science and instructor of Government of the U.S.S.R., expressed his feeling on the part of political science in learning about Russia. "There has been much in the press recently on our needing an understanding of what Russia is doing in the sciences. It is at least as important, if not more so, to continually take a close reading of the Soviet social and political climate. We must not allow recent scientific happenings to shunt us away from these observations. The strength of Russia is in the fabric of her society, not solely in her laboratories."
Two KU history courses take a close look at the happenings in Russia over the last ten centuries. Dr. Robert Colodny, visiting assistant professor of history, teaches both classes. Medieval Russia and Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union.
"The importance of the current interest in Russia," Colodny said, "is that the road to peace
is understanding Russia by studying her history and culture. People want knowledge about Russia, not fiction. To understand Russia you must examine the last 1000 years. Many students realize this, as evidenced by the number who come into Russian history courses to study and understand the culture and people."
KU's most ambitious Russian program is in the language itself. The first Russian language course was offered in 1943. Now twelve courses are offered, from elementary Russian to advanced courses in Russian literature.
Russia uses a 32 letter alphabet which is basically Greek. The language, however, is Slavic in origin and is closely related to other Slavic tongues.
The political scene can cause a university to adjust courses. There has been a rising and falling of interest in Russian since the war, but the over-all trend has been up. The past year has shown a sharp increase.
Sam Anderson, instructor in German and Russian, is a good example of how the change of interest has caused adjustments. As an undergraduate he specialized in Germanic languages. He did minor work in Indo-European languages among them Slavic. This training in Slavic languages included work in Russian. In 1946 and 1947 he did more Russian work to be able to teach advanced classes, in anticipation of the coming importance of Russian.
Mr. Anderson feels that the learning of Russian has more than political importance. "I have always felt," he said, "that Russian is an important cultural language. The study now, for urgent political and economic reasons, is opening new cultural and literary values. These alone are good enough reasons to study the language."
How does the United States compare with Russia in learning about the other country? Not very well, according to Mr. Anderson, who has traveled in Russia and visited schools there. Training in the English language and American studies begins at an early age in Russia. It continues into the higher levels. English is the main foreign language taught in Russian schools.
As Russia and the U. S. grow in might, so must the education of each country in regard to the other. Perhaps through understanding and communication we shall find the key to peace.
Steve Schmidt
Viewers To See Defense Setup
Literally living up to its title. Wide Wide World will circle the globe next Sunday to present a first-hand, 90-minute report on America's vast defense network.
Doors to such previously restricted areas as the Pentagon command post of the joint chiefs of staff in Washington and the "war room" of the Strategic Air Command in Omaha will be opened for the first time to Wide Wide World's live cameras in an effort to bring Americans up to date on what defense measures are being planned to detect and combat an attack on the United States.
The General Motors-sponsored program will be carried over NBC-TV from 3 to 4:30 n.m. CST
One of the highlights of the show will be an appearance by Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy and reports from such top-level military strategists as Gen. Nathan Twining, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Lauris Norstad, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and Adm. Felix Stump, commander in chief of the Pacific forces.
Host Dave Garroway will also interview Gen. Earle Partridge, commander in chief of the North American defense system (NORAD) and
Gen. Thomas Power, commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) on America's defense capabilities.
In addition to taking viewers to some of this country's most highly restricted military installations and command posts, Wide Wide World will present an on-the-spot report of America's defense installations around the globe. The program will be titled "Force for Survival."
Over the past seven weeks NBC cameramen have traveled more than 36,000 miles to shoot film footage at scores of overseas military bases. Their report will include special interviews with Adm. Stump in Hawaii and Gen. Norstad at NATO headquarters in Paris.
In addition viewers will be afforded an opportunity to visit a forward base of the Strategic Air Command at Sidi Sliman in Morocco; a remote village in South Vietnam to talk with members of a military advisory assistance group training Vietnamese to defend themselves against communism, and to Hahn, Germany, to meet Air Force missile men who are only minutes away from the borders of any potential aggressor nation in Europe.
Wide Wide World will also cover Marines of the U. S. 6th Fleet.
Daily Transan
University of Kansas student newspaper
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brweekly year 1909, daily Feb 17, 1913
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NEWS DEPARTMENT
Dick Brown Managing Editor
Larry Boston, Bob Hartley, Mary Beth Noyes Malcolm Applegate, Assistant Managing Editors; LeRoy Lord, City Editor; Martha Crosler, Jack Harrison, Assistant City Editors; Douglas Parker, Telegraph Editor; Mary Alenan Assistant City Editors; Katie Macy, Sports Editor; Bob Macy, Assistant Sports Editor; Pat Swanson, Society Editor; Ron Miller, Picture Editor.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Del Haley ___ Editorial Editor
Evelyn Hall, Marilyn Mermis, Leroy
Zimmerman, Associate Editors
Ted Winkler Business Manager
John Clarke, Advertising Manager; Ann Huston, National Advertising Manager;
Bill Irvine, Classified Advertising Manager;
Tom McGrath Circulation Manager;
Tom Beck, Promotion Manager.
News Quote
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.), in charging the Pentagon has indicated it wants to decide the rules and missions of the branches of the armed forces, a function now performed by Congress:
"There is not the slightest doubt in my mind but what the Marine Corps will be destroyed as a combat force in readiness if present efforts to remove roles and missions from the law are successful."
Find It In The Kansan Classifieds
Leon Trotsky, born Davidovich The first space monkey now lives Bronstein, was exiled from Russia in retirement in a Washington, D. C. in 1929. zoo.
The Don Conard Quartet
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