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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1943)
Oregon W Emerald JACK L. BILLINGS, Acting Editor BETTY BIGGS SCHRICK, Business Manager Marjorie Young, News Editor Dwayne Heathman Advertising Manager Zoa Quisenberry National Advertising Manager ASSISTANTS TO THE EDITOR Marjorie Major, Janet Wagstaff, Editorial Page Assistants Rill Lindley, Assistant in News Department Betsy Wootton, Chief Night Editor Published daily during the college year except Sundays, Mondays, holidays and final examination periods by the Associated Students, University of Oregon. Entered as second-class matter at the postoffice, Eugene, Oregon. — 'What We Shan't Knout . . . week has been a veritable international week at the University, with visitors from England and South Amer ica meeting students and faculty, shaking hands, dispelling false ideas, and discussing mutual problems. There was a common theme running through the talks. Eric Underwood, British publicist who spoke to several groups on the campus Thursday, struck the key-note when he said, “The need for understanding, is great indeed." He referred to British-American understanding, but Dr. Carlos Garcia-Prada, a native Colombian now teaching at the University of Wash ington, and Dr. Kenneth Duncan of Pomona College stressed the same thing regarding the other American countries. It can well bear stressing, too. A few of the Britisher’s il lustrations should suffice to show how far from fact the cas ual, uninformed impressions of foreign countries can be. He used first a short essay written about the United States by an average high school girl in England. The absurdity of her statements was plain to an American, so Underwood read an essay by a U. S. high school girl on what she knew of England. Her comments included: the na tional hero is a woman named Elizabeth; the capital is Lon don which is noted for its fogs; the people live in castles with big parks around them; half the people have titles and the rest are their slaves. Underwood exposed the falsity of these: Lon don is no longer a very foggy city, since the coal fed trolleys have been replaced by electric cars; few people live in castles these days as the “rich” are taxed up to 97^ per cent of their incomes, castles are too expensive to keep up, and they are in convenient; as for titles, the British publicist said that the most important men in England don’t use them although some cannot escape the old custom. ;j< ij« nPODAY the Institute of Inter-American Relations will end. Through it, Dr. Garcia-Prada and Dr. Duncan have been doing their part toward advancing inter-American understand ing. Interest in and knowledge of American neighbors has re cently increased. Though the U. S. knows English speaking countries best it knows the Americas better. When a list is made of the largest and most important countries of the world, thev are little known or understood. It we know so little about those we know best, the discussions started by guest speakers should not end with their forums and talks. They should and must continue into the class rooms, into bull sessions, even into student-led assemblies and forums. In this case—what we don't know will hurt us. —. J. W. Paw&ijful SinXfe/i ... ■pEOPLE have been saying that Negroes are powerful singers for so long, that the phrase is threadbare. But it should be said again and again, because, since the days of the jungle, and the plantations, there has been something in their voices no other race has achieved. It was a long time before the tremendous sounds of the black men's singing seeped into the so-called "higher" planes of our musical heritage. And because it was a long time, the fact that negro singers have equaled and'in some cases eclipsed anything we know musically, is worth repetition. Two years ago, Paul Robeson strode from the McArthur platform with the applause, the almost boisterous approval of his campus audience. It was a concert easy to remember. And his grin was terrific. ❖ * * T'ONldHT, Dorotln Maynor, second only to Marian An derson, will sing. She is someone we don't know yet, but she will probably find the same thing which Robeson comment ed upon back stage two years ago, that this is an appreciative audience, an audience willing to be impressed. Not that it will be hard. From Basin Street to Carnegie hall, these people know how to make a song stick. It has every thing, and nothing, to do with their origin. It could be said that thev have memories, the throat formations for resonance, but the real magic springs from their ambitions to record their spirituals and folk songs. They have a human way with music. —M. M. tyJomatuL Place. A New Front By BERNIECE DAVIDSON The old phrase, “women’s place is in the home,” no longer carries the dogmatic implications that it once did. Today women keeping step with rapidly changing conditions have proven that they can excel in jobs that require a delicate touch and exactness. On the Job Even before many women had been employed in war industries the Women’s Bureau of the de partment of labor had drawn up a list of jobs which women could do and are now doing. These in clude: manipulative skills, such as operating different machines; inspection, including checking and testing; packing; factory service, such as drafting and timekeeping; supervising; train ing; personnel relations and cler ical work. The United States, office of education is sponsoring an engin eering, science and management war training program which of fers courses of a college and post graduate character and is con ducted in 175 universities and colleges. Places for A11 Women with a high school ed ucation who have had no expe rience in operating machinery may also receive their training in one of the 2,500 vocational schools established by the United States office of education. College girls were urged by the American Council on Education in a weekly bulletin to take spe cialized training in health, dip lomatic service and special in vestigation, scientific research, business and industry and edu cation. This bulletin also stated, “Pro duction cannot wait. Under pres ent conditions, women students should plan their individual pro grams to equip them to fill a po sition at the end of any semes ter in case the crises become so acute that the national interest demands their services.” | Milxhed Wiliam. £fuei ... ®j | Yasuko Matsuoka, OO 1 SiiimmiimmimlwimilmiimHiiiHiiniHiiiiiituimlwiiiimtHiiiimiiimiiiHiiiimiumKiuniiiiiuiimiimmmiiiimmimiiiimiiiiimmiimumiimniiiniiiiiiuiiiHiiiiiiiimimtmmiiHi? “If my country needs a statesman, I will be that statesman,” —so wrote Yasuko Matsuoka, ’00, 49 years ago while attend ing an Oakland, California, high school. Matsuoka, former Oregon student, former League of Nations representative, for mer president of the South Manchuria railroad, former foreign minister of Japan. Matsuako’s personal sun is fast sinking in the West. gi!lllUIIIIHll!IB!!IIIWII!HI!i!inilinil!in!!l!IBI!!!!B^ [Nuf Sed] 1 By CHAS. POLITZ 653 Jane Russell shows aplenty. This may seem slightly contra dictory to this writer’s opinion of the '“make ’em sweat—er” girl when last we left her—holding' the taxi door. But much and many things have happened since then. First ly, she is no longer holding the taxi door. Secondly and almost as impor tant she sent us our interview. When the doctor said we could go now, we re-read it. The Other Side Our theories about Hollywood glamour girls were simultaneous ly shattered and uplifted. They can do other than what those “we hide, but on compulsion’’ publicity stills would lead you to believe. They can write, and write well. Anyway Jane Russell can. We have as yet not tried Zazu Pitts. The Russell interview letter which left last night by armored train to take its place beside the Constitution, the declaration of Independence, and is only now waiting to be blessed by General MacArthur, was written in blue ink of a special gorgeous boudoir blue on bonded white stolen hotel stationery. crunching in my ear, dull people, (Please turn to page seven) Larsen Says— By AL LARSEN The boogey-man of fear must have gasped for air when he saw Life’s special issue on the USSR this week. If more such journal istic light is directed toward the darkness of ignorance and warped conceptions which dominates the American attitude toward Soviet Russia, it is entirely possible that we will come out of the war with a positive desire for the in ternational cooperation necessary to peace and economic growth. Our early fears of Russia were based largely on their genuine distrust of all capitalist nations, and on the policies and methods of the Communists. They had the gigantic task of converting Rus sia into her new and surprising material and spiritual strength. Lack of information on what was going on and why it was being done left ample room for magni fied misconceptions. For some one in America to be called a Communist was for many years almost conclusive evidence of guilt in any dark crime. Suspicion The old fears and distrust of Russia are still lurking in the background. They give support to some of the more recent fears. First, that Russia would fight on the wrong side. Then, that she would fight poorly. Then the fear that she would suddenly stop fighting and come to terms with Germany. And now, so habitual has become our fear-attitude that we are dreaming up fears about what Russia will do after the war. Some people doubt the stabil ity of our present sympathies with the Soviet Union. It should be pointed out that our reversal of opinion after Germany at tacked Russia was not due mere ly to self-interest, but that it grew out of a reappraisal of the past in light of the most recent events. A New Light Russian purges, the attack on Finland, the pact with Germany, and the stifling Soviet secrecy, the very actions which had so thoroughly confused and antag onized American public opinion, now appear to be measures of astute far-sightedness. Moreover, careful investiga tion reveals many historical, geo graphical, industrial, ethical, and spiritual similarities between the American and Russian nations. These things in common provide a basis for greater unity, sympa thy and understanding. A Difference Nevertheless, there are certain differences in life, in institutions, and in outlook. The Russians do things that shock us, and we take part in activities that star tle them. In the long run it will be wise not to emphasize the dif ferences. but to try to understand their nature, and how they came to be. Characteristic of Russia has been the desire to benefit by the (Please turn to page scz'eii) Once designated as “Oregons most famous alumnus”—Matsu oka now has a unique position as “Oregon’s most infamous aliuKr nus”—which he seems to dese™ without qualification. The story of Matsuoka is a strange one. Born in March, 1880, at the port of Morotsumi in Yam aguchi Prefecture—he was a fourth son and claims member ship in the illustrious Choshu clan of Japan. At the age of 13, alone, he came to the United States. Worked to put himself through Portland grammar schools, the Oakland high school, and later the University of Oregon law school, then located in Portland, where he was finally, in 1900, granted the right to put LL.B. after his name. This by the time he was 20. Then Matsuoka went. back to Japan. It would have been an op portune time for a boat to sin but it didn’t. He immediatefy studied for his foreign service ex aminations, which he passed bril liantly—and he was in the for eign service till 1917. From this time on his poltiical sun became plainly visible in his national sky. As Time magazine chronicled, “By 1917 his fleetness of wit and tongue, his drive, brought him to be secretary to foreign minister Count Shinpei Goto.” It was explained that his “American education proved a li ability in the service dominated by Tokyo Imperial University Grads.” Started Early Time Speaks «e was japan s delegate to me Paris Peace conference of 1919; Japan’s delegate to the League of Nations’ plenary session con cerning the seizure of MancJ^J ria; president of the powerful South Manchuria railroad, which dominates the bulk of Manchu ria; and finally in July, 1940, he was appointed foreign minister of Japan, and became instrumen tal in securing two important treaties with Germany and Rus sia. ‘Cover Boy’ “Cover man” for July 7, 1941 issue of Time magazine, Matsu olta was described: “The crew haircut, the round boys’ face, the carefree smile, the candor, the courtesy, the mystic organ note of his speechifying, all mask the hard case of the opportunist who has made of himself what he is and hopes to make of himself still more.” Evidently Matsuoka has overplayed his hand. It iq#T' matter of interest that he used to play a sharp game of poker in his Oregon undergraduate days. Even, then, in 1941, the Time correspondent wrote, “. . . the course of Foreign Minister Mat suoka, a course of adventuresome diplomacy combined with mili tary caution, put Japan in one of the worst dilemmas of her his tory. Japan had to decide and quickly, whose sun was setting on the horizon of world domin ion.” Prodigal Son In 1933 Matsuoka visited his alma mater—and made a bold, challenging speech. Just returi^Bk from Geneva, where Jie angr™ walked out of League of Nations’ sessions carrying with him Ja pan's representation in the group •—Matsuoka was ^ired with his (Please turn to'page seven)