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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Today considerable cloudiness and cool. Scattered drizzle or light rain ending this forenoon. Northerly winds 15 to 25 miles per hour diminishing by evening. High upper 50s.
79th Year, No.113
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
Friday, April 18, 1969
Candidates debate in Kansan's forum
By RICK PENDERGRASS Kansan Staff Writer
The new Senate Code, gun-wielding campus police, and student housing were three of the topics discussed at a two-hour public meeting of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates last night.
Representatives from the three parties were; Rusty Leffel, Prairie Village junior and Frank Zilm, St. Louis junior for the Campus Coalition; Mark Edwards, Emporia junior and Rick von Ende, Abilene, Tex., graduate student for the Progressive Student Alliance (PSA); DaveAwbry, Hutchinson junior and Marilyn Bowman, Merriam junior for the Independent Student Party.
The meeting was sponsored by the University Daily Kansan to give each party equal opportunity to express views and answer questions from the floor.
Question and answer
Tim Jones, East Aurora, N.Y., senior and Kansan editorial editor, said, "This is kind of a Kansan question and answer period and kind of a debate."
Jones asked what the role of the student body president should be.
Leffel and Edwards answered the question with their definitions of the qualities and abilities necessary for the president to effectively and strongly lead the student body in full representation.
Awbry, after also giving his definitions of the qualities and abilities of the president, said the president realistically represents all students and groups on the campus.
Ron Yates, Kansan editor-in-chief asked the candidates how they plan to insure attendance by representatives to the Student Senate.
Candidates optimistic
The candidates expressed optimism that the representatives will take an active interest in the senate because they are running on their own out of their own ambitions for "strong" student government."
Asked what they consider the three most important issues in this election, the candidates for the first time gave differing answers.
Awbry of the ISP gave his three most important issues as election reform, concerning the cost to the
individual candidates; the racial problems on campus; saving student money by implementing a book exchange system for buying and selling used books.
Edwards, speaking for the PSA, gave the three top issues as academic affairs with student representation in each department; the dearth of black professors which he would alleviate with an exchange program between KU and black schools; problems of the foreign students, particularly with housing.
Zilm of the ISP gave that party's three top issues as organization of student government; University commitment to its community; and academic provisions concerning problems of teaching staff of the freshman and sophomore students.
Yates asked what they will do as president to help solve the off-campus housing problem in Lawrence.
Housing a concern
Leffel, speaking for the Campus Coalition said, "One of the most crucial decisions we have to make, that effects our entire University experience is housing.
"The problems in Lawrence with housing are really bad. We propose to have legal service available," he said.
Awbry, speaking for the ISP said, "We will establish a free inspection service for University housing. We intend, if elected, to see that (Lawrence housing codes) are enforced. We are going to ask the city attorney to prosecute people who discriminate, to prosecute slum lords, many of whom are University professors.
Von Ende gave his answer to the problem saying, "We feel the Lawrence ordinance on the minimum housing code is rather weak in that it provides very minimal standards, kind of low-rent. That could be beefed up through student boycotts if necessary."
Edwards and von Ende - PSA
Questioned from the floor about their opinions of the campus police carrying guns, all three candidates said they opposed the current policy. Their basic arguments revolved around the question of the gun as a possible danger when carried in a crowd such as at a basketball or football game.
The Kansan will publish the complete transcript of the debate in three consecutive issues next week.
Awbry and Bowman - ISP
Leffel and Zilm - CC Photos by Ron Bishop
UDK News Roundup By United Press International
Protest to continue
NEW YORK - Leaders of the Columbia University Chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) have vowed to continue the protest started last night with the seizure of a campus building.
The militant students predicted "many many days of real violence" and said more protests would follow, probably Monday.
War heat rising in Laos
VIENTIANE, Laos - Military spokesmen yesterday reported increasing communist pressures in Laos, including use of Soviet-built tanks, a raid on neutralist forces for the first time in seven years and an assault less than four miles from the capital of Vientiane.
Communiques said the attack with amphibious tanks and the raid on the neutralist camp occurred Tuesday night at locations about 60 miles apart.
(Continued to page 12)
U.S. charges aggression in Korean plane incident
PANMUNJOM, Korea (UPI) The United States today accused North Korea of a "calculated act of aggression" in shooting down an American spy plane and told the Communists they must "account for the consequences."
The first face-to-face meeting of U.S. and North Korean officials since the plane went down with 31 men aboard Tuesday pitted U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. James B. Knapp against North Korean Maj. Gen. Ri Choon-Sung at this truce village between the two Koreas.
It ended abruptly 42 minutes after it began. Knapp stalked out of the quonset hut meeting with Ri demanding to know: "What was the belonging of the EC121 aircraft? ... Why do you not tell us the belonging? ... Tell us the belonging."
Apparently under orders not to debat te the incident, Knapp climbed into his car and headed
south, his statement delivered. It said the U.S. Navy EC121 reconnaissance plane was well outside North Korean territory posed no threat to the Communists and was engaged in a "completely legitimate" operation.
"It was not attacking you or preparing to attack you or supporting an attack on you," Knapp's statement said. "The shooting down of this United States plane was not an act of self-defense. It was a calculated act of aggression.
"This act cannot be justified under international law. On the contrary, the centuries-old tradition of freedom of the seas and the newer principle regarding freedom of the airspace over international waters clearly make your action illegal.
"International law and custom call you to account for the
consequences of your violation of these principles."
Knapp referred to the North Koreans' seizure of the U.S. spy ship Pueblo in January of 1968 as evidence of the Communists "aggression." He concluded his statement with:
"We of course expect that you will take appropriate measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. I have nothing more to say at this time."
As Knapp prepared to speak, his aides set up charts showing the location of the four-engine American aircraft when two North Korean MIGs shot it down. Debris found in the Sea of Japan put the crash site about 90 miles off the Communist nation's shore.
Knapp's was the first official U.S. reply to North Korea, which in a communique announcing the downing of the plane on Tuesday
(Continued to page 12)