Page 2
University Daily Kansan
Tuesday; Feb. 11, 1964
Free For Chaos
Recent disasters in African nations' self-rule have raised serious questions about the African independence movement.
Consider the facts of recent weeks:
The East African island of Zanzibar fell to a pro-Communist revolution. The leader of the military revolt was trained in Cuba, and Cuban agents were in Zanzibar at the time of the uprising.
Three other newly-independent East African governments—Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika—suffered military revolts which were put down by British commandos at the request of the countries' leaders.
Before the Zanzibar revolt, President Nyere of Tanganyika announced that the "Africanization plan" would no longer be followed. (Africanization is the replacement of whites in government and military positions with Negroes, regardless of individual qualification.)
Apparently heartened by military success in Zanzibar, discontented segments of the three East African armies mutinied.
The East African leaders were in the embarrassing position of asking military support from the British, their former colonial lords.
Now governmental stability in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika depends on the presence of British troops and three British warships.
To establish order, President Nyere of Tanganyika and Prime Minister Obote of Uganda have appointed commissions to study the most efficient way to turn their countries into "one-party democracy."
Prime Minister Kenyatta of Kenya—the Mau Mau terrorist turned statesman—might do the same.
On the other side of the continent, in Ghana, Premier Nkrumah recently rigged an election which outlawed opposition to his Congress People's Party. In the same election, the citizen's right to habeus corpus was officially suspended—although in practice habeus corpus had been a myth in Ghana for some time.
Add to the abuses in Ghana the arrest and subsequent deportation of six foreign professors last week—four of whom were Americans, two Negro Americans. They were deported on the ground that they were engaged in subversive activity.
All this in the last month—hardly an encouraging picture.
The East African's faith in his government could not but be badly shaken. The same goes for the rest of the world.
When the British pull out again, East Africans will have the job of keeping order back in their lap. It appears that their step to establish "one-party democracy" would have to be followed by even more oppressive measures.
Through it all, the U.S. maintains its pressure on European allies to give remaining African territories self-rule.
We ourselves gained political self-rule from a colonial power, and the freedom slogan is one with which we can identify.
There are strong reasons behind the U.S. stand.
More important, the U.S. is trying to head off anti-imperialism discontent in underdeveloped areas as a way of combating the Reds in the Cold War. More than one-fourth of the U.N. forum is now made up of African countries, and our policies are under their scrutiny.
Still, is self-rule justified if the new local regimes cannot provide representative and orderly government, and the basic civil liberties?
In the future we might use our influence to study more closely whether there is a solid basis for democratic government before other countries are given their sovereignty.
As for the Cold War struggle, we could probably gain more sympathy in Africa by clearing up our race troubles at home than by recognizing a new government every time someone shouts "Uhuru."
Tom Coffman
Dear Fella's
An open letter to the basketball team;
The People Say...
It is unfortunate that the game was not as well refereed. Why is
Congratulations. It is evident that we are going to have a team to be proud of during the second semester. In my opinion, Tuesday's game with Missouri was very well played.
such sloppy calling, which potentially robs both the home team and the visiting team of points, permitted?
I am looking forward to seeing the next home game. I am sure it will be played as well as this one was, and surely it will be refereed better. It could hardly be called worse.
Judith Moats Lawrence Senior
Supports Faculty
We, the members of Kansas University Students for a Democratic Society, wish to express our appreciation of, and support for the faculty members who, in their letter to the UDK on Friday, took a firm and committed stand in the name of social justice.
Editor:
"The Real Question Is, Can We Keep Them In HOT Water?"
John Garlinghouse, President Pro-Tem.
---
from the morgue
Phillip Morris Inc. sponsored a smoking contest between the organized houses on campus in 1959. The prize was a stereo set (shades of Bobby Baker).
The award went to Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, whose members collected 5.587 Marlboro, Phillip Morris, and Parliament cigarette packages.
In 1939, however, an ant-smoking attitude prevailed at KU. The Pachacamac political party fought for a smoking ban. As a result, the Men's Student Council passed a bill restricting MEN students from smoking in almost all campus buildings.
Delta Chi fraternity received an honorable mention for its second highest collection of 5,300 packages.
A notice in the Nov. 17, 1939, Kansan said:
"You can smoke only in; basement of Journalism building; first floor of Green Hall; basement of Haworth Hall; concrete floors of the electrical laboratory; front lobby of Hoch Auditorium; basement of Frank Strong Hall."
Historic News Conference Takes on Cornpone Flavor
President Johnson gave a new twist to the general informality of his news conferences Feb. 3 when he crowded 125 newsmen into a small movie theater in the East Wing of the White House.
A conference had never been held in the room before, and it fell far short of facilitating all the newsmen who usually attend.
Johnson said he found the time and place convenient. "It fitted into my day's schedule," he explained, and briefly apologized to anyone inconvenienced by the arrangement.
To date, Johnson has held four news conferences in the White House and one on his ranch in Texas. At his session on the LBJ ranch, Johnson answered questions from aton a bale of hay.
AFTER THE customary "Thank you, Mr. President," Johnson mounted a horse and rode away.
Don't expect Johnson to stage all his news conferences on the open range. But, at the same time, don't expect many large-scale, televised conferences like the ones held by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy.
Most authorities say President Taft was the first president to conduct news conferences. Taft, generally congenial to reporters, had weekly conferences in the White House cabinet room.
WILSON initiated the mass conference. At the same time, he made the conference more formal. The ex-Princeton University president was likened to a professor lecturing a class in his news conference performance.
Wilson cancelled the conference late in his administration. He was afraid information was being leaked to the war enemy through foreign correspondents.
Harding, a newspaperman himself, revived the news conference. Reporters found him more talkative than his predecessor. Perhaps Harding was a bit too talkative and free with his responses.
Most of tu information gained by reporters in these early 20th century conferences couldn't be attributed to the president. The data was either for the reporter's own enlightenment or for stories they had to report under their own authority.
In answer to a question, Harding misinterpreted a treaty in 1921. This misinterpretation provoked a domestic and foreign furor. Thereafter, reporters were required to submit written questions before Harding's news conferences.
AND EVEN this facet of the presidential news conference became more complex with time. Under Coolidge, reporters attributed information to a "White House spokesman."
Hoover eliminated this "spokesman" from the news conferences. Hoover, under the burden of a president serving during a depression, held few news conferences in the late stages of his tenure.
Franklin Roosevelt gave the news conference a new spirit of informality and directness. To a certain extent, Johnson and Roosevelt conferences will probably contain a remarkable degree of similarity.
In answer to a question, he said the use of the bomb was "always under consideration." But the early news bulletins deleted the "always" and emphasized the "under consideration."
With Truman came what has probably been the greatest news conference fiasco. In a prepared statement at a conference, Truman discussed the possible use of the atomic bomb in Korea.
Truman is best remembered for his news conference manners—or lack of them. He delighted in telling off reporters.
Eisenhower and Kennedy developed the news conference into a television spectacle. In the minds of some observers, television turned the news conference into a popularity contest or a quiz show.
NOW, WITH JOHNSON, no news conferences have been televised. He has indicated, however, that he may hold some of the give-and-take sessions for the benefit of television viewers.
The nation's 36th President hopes to remain flexible in conducting news conferences. The Texan has said he may hold one in his office one day, one in an auditorium the following day.
TRUMAN opened the door to large-scale news conferences. In 1950, he moved the sessions from his office to the treaty room of the old State Department building.
Perhaps others will again be conducted on horseback with the smell of barbecue smoke in the air and plenty of ten-gallon hats in sight.
Roosevelt eliminated the requirement of advance written questions and allowed most of his remarks to be quoted directly.
C T
Rov Miller
University of Kansas student newspaper
111 Flint Hall
UNiversity 4-3646, newsroom
UNiversity 4-3198, business office
became biweekly 1904, triweekly 1908, date
DailiJYfdansan
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, triweekly 1908, dahy Jan.16, 1912.
Member Inland Daily Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press.
Represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St., New York 22,
N.Y. News service: United Press International. Mail subscription rates:
$3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays, and examination periods. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kansas.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Managing Editor
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Tom Coffman ... Editorial Editor
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Bob Brooks ... Business Manager