Editorials 'Kill ratio' no test General William Westmoreland's comment following the recent battles of Chu Pong and Ia Drang that during the "unprecedented victory" American troops never retreated "except for purposes of tactical maneuver" is in the best tradition of war communiqué victories. It is reminiscent of Napoleon's bulletin following the Battle of Leipzig which stated, "The French Army, though victorious, is arriving at Erfurt as a defeated army would have arrived there." The London Morning Chronicle expanded in verse on the French statement: by Dick Bibler wry, the committed lies defeating To Erthirn came, as if retracting We, the combined foes defeating To Erfurth came, as if retreating; As if.—they'd gain'd a victory. IN SPITE OF THE American victory the 1st Cavalry has pulled back and Secretary of Defense McNamara has announced that U.S. air attacks will now focus on Viet Cong supply routes from the North. It seems apparent from those two events that Viet Cong strength on the central highlands is a bit more than the U.S. is currently prepared to handle in offensive operations and therefore the government is hoping to strangle the up to 22 Viet Cong regular regiments through interdiction of supply lines. The last air operation of this sort, in Korea, failed to starve any communists, although it may have hindered any sustained Chinese operations. In South Viet Nam, too, despite a more powerful American air arsenal and a more primitive Communist supply system, air attacks will probably not be decisive, although they may keep the Viet Cong manpower build-up down to manageable proportions. U. S. air attacks on the Ho Chi Minh trail will only be really effective if coupled with decisive ground operations, the most practical of which it would seem would be those aimed at blocking Communist routes of supply. The 1st Air Cavalry's recent fight failed to accomplish any strategic success, its victory coming only because the Viet Cong failed to destroy it and suffered high casualties in the process. But success in Viet Nam cannot be measured by a favorable "kill ratio." THE LAST FEW MONTHS of the war have proved that—despite a series of American victories the Viet Cong are growing stronger, and will continue to do so until American ground forces cut their supply lines. To do so is a difficult and risky task, as the French learned, at a cost of 18,000 men at Dien Bien Phu, but it, and not "kill ratio" victories is the only way supervisor American firepower and mobility will tell, in the end, over Viet Cong manpower. J. Beck LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS Test tube life offers varied aspects Several weeks ago, a Harvard professor made known his discovery of fossilized life forms that existed as long as three billion years ago. Several weeks before, a scientist at the University of Illinois created life in a test tube. The secret of life, hidden for three billion years, is slowly unfolding. What will be the consequence? Dr. Elso S. Barghoon, professor of botany at Harvard, has discovered fossilized bacteria in a chunk of South African rock that dates back three billion years. These are the oldest known evidences of life on earth. But, quick on the heels of discoveries about the past come discoveries that could mean a great revolution in our way of life in future decades. A few weeks ago, Dr. Sol Spiegelman of the University of Illinois synthesized a disease-causing virus in a test tube. His raw materials were dead chemicals. Up to that time, no scientist had been able to produce a nucleic acid in a test tube with "biological activity." The dormant acids could not lead to producing a me-like protein. Spiegelman synthesized a nucleic acid that could produce a new virus. DR. JAMES BONNER, biologist at the California Institute of Technology, has recently made significant strides in work with living cells. He commented recently, "The brain will stay at home, concentrating on thought, while the sense organs roam the world seeing, talking, listening, playing . . . we will enjoy a new freedom — freedom from carrying our heads around." In a few decades, Bonner believes, scientists will have the ability to produce new organs such as hearts, lungs and legs when the need arises. He also predicts the ability to grow larger brains, which he believes to be vital for man to hold his own in the age of computers. To achieve this, scientists must learn what makes cells differentiate — what makes some cells become muscle, bone and heart tissue. Bonner claims that this discovery is near. He also claims scientists will soon be able to tell cells what to become. The human body is an extremely complex organism. It contains 100,000 genes which carry the plan for development. Each cell could become any part of the human body. A substance called histone sits on the genes which must remain inactive, preventing them from giving instructions on growth. The other genes are free to make the protein they are told to make. Bonner is now working on the answer to what makes histone know which genes to inactivate. WHEN HIS WORK IS done, biologists will be able to determine what any set of genes will produce. Bad hearts could repair themselves and a lost arm could regenerate itself. This search for the secret to life began several decades ago. Before World War II, scientists already had worked out the life cycle of the cell. In the cell, they discovered a nucleus which, during cell division, contained rod-shaped bodies which they called chromosomes. These chromosomes carried hereditary traits in the form of small bundles of chemicals that they called genes. But, they still did not know how the information traveled from the nucleus to the rest of the cell. THE DAILY KANSAN'S "General Taylor Answers Pointed Questions" of Dec. 7, gives a confused report of the General's conference on Dec. 6, at two important points. The record should be stated accurately, since some misleading conclusions could be drawn. To the editor: The General did not seriously suggest that college students volunteer to sit it out on South Viet Nam's borders. He said the only way South Viet Nam could be sealed off would be to send many thousands of people to go "sit it out" on the frontiers, and that perhaps college students would like to do this. The statement was obviously satirical, but the article's version can be interpreted seriously. The article next implies that General Taylor said the military has found earlier-made, or even obsolete, weapons to be more efficient for the kind of war we are now fighting. He did not say this. Rather, he said that in some instances earlier types of weapons are more useful. He also said that the military forces have all the latest weapons they can use. The People Say... Philip R. Schmidt Peoria, Illinois Graduate student After the war, someone offered the idea that a chemical called nucleic acid might form genes. A nucleic acid called D.N.A. was found to serve this function. Outside the nucleus, they found another acid that controlled the production of protein. They called this R.N.A. These discoveries opened more doors. Scientists then were able to determine the structure of viruses. A virus infects a cell by injecting its own nucleic acid into a cell. This acid takes over the chemical factory of that cell, and the nucleic acid causes the cell to turn out more viruses rath- e: than new cellular material. AND, NOW A FORM OF life has been created in a nest tube. We can look forward to biologists revamping heredity and giving us bigger and smarter brains. The cheerful aspects of these discoveries are obvious. Bonner's discovery may give many insights into a cure for cancer. Now that scientists know what provides order in cell specialization, they may be able to control the wild growths which possibly cause cancer. But science cannot go blindly into this new and terrifyingly wonderful realm. A pure science devoid of all human compassion is useless in today's volatile world. Scientists have a responsibility to society. These discoveries, made in the name of science, must be used in the name of man. THERE ARE. OF course, ethical and moral problems. Dr. George W. Beadle, a close friend of Bonner and president of the University of Chicago, is not so optimistic about Bonner's precautions. Even if this could be done, he wonders about the moral issues involved. "Who has the right to say what type we want?" he said recently in an interview with the Associated Press. "Hitler had such an idea and look what happened. I'm not sure it would be a wise choice of what kind of children we want." Those discoveries already made and those to come could be the answers to the major problems of our universe disease, poverty, ignorance. But, they also could be terrifying. They could foreshadow an unimaginable tragedy for life. Scientists must realize that their tie to humanity is no less than that of any other man. And, the layman must realize the full impact of these revelations and do his part in putting them to the good of man. —Janet Hamilton 2 Daily Kansan Thursday, December 9, 1965 UNiversity 4-3646, newsroom UNiversity 4-3198, business office Founded 1889 Represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St., New York. N.Y. 10022. Mail subscription rates: $4 a semester or $7 a year. Published and second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays and examination periods. Accommodations, goods, services and employment advertised in the University Daily Kansan are offered to all students without regard to color, creed or national origin. EXECUTIVE STAFF MANAGING EDITOR Judy Farrell BUSINESS MANAGER Ed Vaughn EDITORIAL EDITORS Janet Hamilton, Karen Lambert NEWS AND BUSINESS STAFF Assistant Managing Editors Suzy Black, Susan Hartley Jane Larson, Jacke Thayer Circulation Manager Mike Robn Advertising Manager Dale Reinecker City Editor Joan McCabe Classified Manager Mike Wertz Feature Editor Mary Dunlap Merchandising John Hons Sports Editor Scottie Scott Promotion Manager Keith Issitt Photo Editor Bill Stephens Social Advertising Eugene Parrish Wire Editor Robert Stevens