A modern legacy of shame
The stone floor was cold to her bare feet. There was something about the windowless concrete walls and the closed steel door that made her grasp her mother's hand. Then she knew. She dared not tell her mother or the others.
For the thought of impending death was so impossible, her mind could not accept it. So she waited and prayed for the simple sound of gurgling water. Then she realized how impossible the thought really was, and she thought how foolish...
HER LUNGS reacted all at once. There was no time to be a human being, no time to be a daughter. Her body went into violent contortions and then convulsions. The biological force to live plunged her toward the steel door, clawing at the screaming mounds of flesh already there. It was over, almost.
Then men came in, with hooks, pliers and scissors, and in a short while, the boxes of teeth, hair and gold were ready for hauling. Then the remains were taken to the furnaces.
THIS WAS HITLER'S LEGACY to mankind. Any effort to evade, to forget, to gloss over, to refuse to accept such an "impossible" hellish scene as that which took place at Auschwitz some 25 years ago will eventually lead to the digging of larger mass graves and the building of bigger crematoriums.
For though the German Ghoul is dead, the evil he represented was only new in the sense that he had a highly organized, centralized, industrialized, educated, "religious," and old cultural society to base his power on.
His methods and words, however, smell of antiquity, and ring throughout the corridors of history—"stab in the back, living space, fatherland," and the threat of external and internal radicals, and always the catch-all scapegoat, the minority group.
AND SOMEHOW the impression has been made and established that Hitler and a few thugs were the cause of the world's greatest misfortune (to date). If so, it must remain a mystery how so many German cherubs could be led, so unknowingly and unwillingly, down such a bloody path.
For in the final analysis of Hitler and his thugs, the fault must lay in the minds of all men, particularly the more "responsible and respected" ones, who, with some exceptions, made no effort to stop him; it was only when defeat and destruction became inevitable that there was any effort of opposition, which was all too little and too late.
And what of the present? At what month of the year, of what hour of the day does it become too late? At what moment does a name like Hitler take on the connotation of a monster?
Some 36 million corpses now wave their bony fingers in warning to the world of those frantic shouts from "white" South Africa, from the Middle East, from the Minutemen, from the Black Muslims, ad infinitum.
By JOHN LOVEKIN
"Wait a minute . . no, it couldn't be . . . Jack Mitchell!"
Germany 'ja'; Austin 'nein'
IF THERE IS ANY truth in
To The Editors:
It seems that Dan Austin's article "The New Germany" published in last Friday's (Dec. 2) "Daily Kansan" needs some comment from a German point of view. If the Germans on campus would not react at all to what Mr. Austen has to say, their silence might be interpreted as acquiescence. And acquiesce we do not.
To say the very least, Mr. Austin's article is unfair. We call it unfair to refer to the new German chancellor as a "former Nazi" without further comment and to state that Germany "still harbors all the ingredients that whip up war—intense nationalism, the social disease of manifest destiny and the uncanny ability to find a nation-wide scapegoat."
this statement, which we happen to doubt, it is presented as a ridiculous exaggeration. To suggest that it would be "criminal to allow a West Germany run rampant again in the world of the Bomb" does somehow not sound too fair of Mr. Austin either. Such words rather ring like an unnecessary whipping up of old anti-German sentiments. It certainly demands a good deal of imagination to come to conclusions of this kind from the simple fact of a legal change in government.
We do not even object to Mr. Austin feeling this way—after all, he is expressing his personal opinion, unfair as it may be—but we do object to his making false statements. It is simply not true that Kurt Georg Kiesinger is nationalistic in the implied sense
of the word or that the "parliament decided to return to good, old fashioned German nationalism."
“Shucks, It Was Just One More Little Killing”
We suspect that Mr. Austin probably mixed up news about the recent success, slight as it was, of the National Democrats in the state election of Bavaria with the news about the formation of the new government. It is admitted that the reports about these two events came to this country at approximately the same time.
Finally, we would like to refer Mr. Austin to the article on West Germany in last week's Time Magazine as an example of well-balanced and unprejudiced news-writing. Journalism of this kind is, in our opinion, much more likely to further international understanding.
Hans Borchers
German graduate student
Klaus A. Zerrahn
German graduate student
Official Bulletin
TODAY
Popular Film, 7 & 9:30 p.m. "The Wheeler Denlers." Dyche And
Concert Course, 8:20 p.m. Jeanne-
Dare, plasmat, University
Theatre.
Experimental Theatre. 8:20 p.m.
"The Rogue's Trial."
1533 New Hampshire. Public invited.
International Christmas Dance
& Party, 8:30 p.m. Grand Ballroom,
Union, Live orchestra
SUA Kiddie Movie, 9:30 a.m.
"Heidi!" Dyche Aud.
Popular Film, 7 & 9:30 p.m. "The Wheeler Dealers." Dracaud, Aed.
Experimental Theatre. 8:20 p.m.
"The Rogue's Trial."
Sunflower Doubleheader at Allen
Field House, 7.085 & 9.30 p.m. Baylor-
ock
SUNDAY
Law School Children's Christmas
Green Hall Santa arrives at 21h
Santa Jr. Santa arrives at 21h
Duplicate Bridge, 2 p.m. Jayhawk Room, Union.
Christmas Vespers, 3:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Hoch Aud.
SUA Christmas Resception-Open House 4:15 p.m. South Lounge of
SUA
Popular Film, 7 & 9:30 p.m. "The Wheeler Dealers." Dyche Aud.
2
Daily Kansan
editorial page
Friday, December 9, 1966
Wanted: positive view
After reading day after day the letters of bearded philosophy majors, letters of teachers denouncing the grading system they have instigated, and letters from ancient Greeks condemning a society which stifles intellectualism, I have taken "pen in hand," to put it titly, and composed what I consider a retaliation.
One of the most disgusting things about these people as far as I can see is their negative attitude. If these people are so dissatisfied with society, why don't they propose some solutions? Being in the Engineering School I find it hard for myself to go about looking for problems without considering various solutions.
I ALSO FIND it hard to agree with Pyrrhus and Cineas that we live in an age which stiles free thought. If it did how would they be able to express themselves in print. Perhaps this is the reason they keep their names secret.
More and more I see evidence of the freedom of thought. For example all modes of thinking, present and past, are taught in our classrooms. The economic system of communism (a diametrically opposed and supposed dangerous system to our own) is taught in a certain section of Econ. 10, Fundamentals of Economics. I myself have found no stifling of my intellect (which I am sure is by now considered small indeed by Pyrrhus and Cineas) and I feel that the diversity of my library and my wide range of interests has brought me into contact with many modes of thought in such varied fields as music, literature, economics, art, and philosophy.
IN ANSWER to an assistant in the English department, who undoubtedly has given an F to this letter, I, as one who has existed under the present grading system for fourteen years, am very satisfied with it. For one thing it prepares a person for the system of competition he will have to face once out of school. In the business world you either sink or swim, no one will pay you a salary for trying, except perhaps the government.
I also enjoy the feeling of knowing I have succeeded where others have failed; the satisfaction of making a good grade after working hard for it is something inherent in man. As for the draft evasion aspect of the grading system, perhaps it is not entirely fair but a person is judged in the world from his worth to society. At least we aren't like the Eskimos who commit infanticide and force the older members of the society into the wilderness to die; our culture has some room for those who contribute nothing but themselves.
So you see I am fairly well satisfied with the present conditions and age. I hope you do not think by this that I am not conscious of the problems faced by our age, for I do realize that our society is far from perfect. I do wish though that some constructive suggestions would be offered by the bearded free thinkers.
Steve Burr Hays junior
The Daily Kansan, student newspaper at The University of Kansas, is represented by National Advertising Service, E 18 East St., New York, New York. The University of Kansas offers two 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 are offered to all students without regard to color, creed or national origin.