Oregon W Emerald
ANNE CRAVEN
Editor
ANNAMAE WINSHIP
Acting Business Manager
ELIZABETH HAUGEN
Managing Editor
PATSY MALONEY
Advertising Manager
MARGUERITE WITTWER
News Editor
LOUISE MONTAG, PEGGY OVERLAND
Associate Editors
Jane Richardson, Phyllis Perkins, Viriginia
Scholl, Mary Margaret Ellsworth, Norris
Yates, City Desk Editors
Bjorg Hansen, Executive Secretary
Betty French Robertson, Women’s Editor •
Flora Furrow, Assistant Managing Editor
Winifred Romtvedt, Assistant News Editor
Darrell Boone, Photographer
Betty Bennett, Music Editor
Phyllis Amacher, World News Editor
Gloria Campbell, Mary K. Minor
Librarians
Wally Adams, Sports Editor
EDI TUK1AL, BUAKU
Norris Yates, Edith Newton
Published daily during the college year except Sundays, Mondays, and holidays and
final examination periods by the Associated Students. University of Oregon.
Entered as second-class matter at the postoffice, Eugene, Oregon.
HelUfian in Politick? . . .
Something new is going to happen on the campus February
1, 2, and 3 when outstanding persons from all over the country
•come here to help students discuss religion and world politics
■during a three*day conference.
To many students this propect may seem of little importance
before they start to actually think about the real meaning of
such a conference, ft may seem that world politics arc quite
one thing and religion completely another, with no basis for
■connection between them. But that conception of the situation
is definitely wrong when we consider many of the important
events in the history of man.
There have been few great migrations that have not had
religion connected with them in some form. Until recent times
there have been few' political parties that were not touched
in some way by definite religious views, and certainly the
religious aspects of the present war cannot be denied when we
consider the religious intolerance used as a weapon in Germany.
Realizing these things, it is obvious that a thorough under
standing of religion in the world today is essential to our
understanding of politics today, and so this coming conference
may very well present an opportunity to add much to our
know ledge, as well as to clear up many questions concerning
what world politics hold for the future. No doubt religion will
hold its place in politics, and with that in mind, alert students
will certainly not want to miss this opportunity to learn what
religious groups are doing and planning.
CriticHm and . . .
Although the excuse for writing this editorial is the recent
announcement by the government that draft quotas all over
the nation have been doubled, it is aimed at the women on the
campus as well as the men. The war has been a supposedly
inescapable reality insofar as our everyday life is concerned,
but too often our attitudes toward it are purely emotional.
Wo do not admit this reality except with great reluctance.
Too many of us arc violently and uncritically patriotic. A
few arc equally as violently antiwar. Their preeminent emotion
is one of repugnance toward the horrors of armed conflict and
the things it does to man and his civilization. Perhaps a major
ity of us are patriotic to a certain degree; we are opposed to
this war both emotionally and intellectually, hut we are stymied
in our opposition by the feeling that we are fighting a war.of
HixjUt Ajjtesi Quell
By BILL SINNOTT
(Ed note: For one week only,
Mr. Sinnott’s “Globally Speak
ing.”)
We feel honored that our es
teemed friend, Bill Buell, has seen
fit to answer our last column. Com
rade Buell seemingly relies solely
on the “New Masses” and “In
Fact” for his slanted account of
the Grecian situation.
Tovarisch Buell is an orthodox
Marist of the pre-Stalin breed. He
believed that the theories of the
liverish Sage of Bloomsbury are
the answers to the world’s ills.
Lord Keynes, the favorite socio
economic prophet of the New
Dealers, himself once called “Capi
tal” an “obsolete economic text
book written before the era of large
scale production.”
We have no quarrel with Gos
podi Buell. We both wish the same
goal—that the peoples of the world
shall have the good things of life.
However, we believe that only the
capitalistic system can achieve
prosperity and freedom from war;
simply because it is more efficient
and dynamic than any planned
economy which can only be ineffi
cient and static.
Buell, like so many other ideal
istic campus pinks, cannot realize
that Stalinism is not communism.
Stalin has reverted to the Russian
nationalism from communistic in
ternationalism.
Buell thinks it is wrong for a
government, headed by a Socialist
premier, in a military occupied
country to take orders from the
British ambassador. However, it is
perfectly right, according to Buell,
that the EAM should take orders
from the Russian ambassador.
About a year ago, “Uncle Joe"
reorganized the Soviet Union into
sixteen “autonomius” republics.
Stalin envisages the time when
more “republics” will be incorpor
ated forcibly into the USSR.
Stalin Ignores Plea
Both Britain and the United
States asked Stalin not to recog
nize the stooge Lublin committee
as the government of Poland until
after a “Big Three” conference.
Stalin recognized his discredited
puppets as the de jure government
of Poland last week.
The appointment of General
Plastiras as premier has aided the
cause of democracy in Greece.
Plastiras is an old foe of the
Glucksburg dynasty. Moderates are
survival. Whether we are or arc not is not a question we are
prepared to answer.
We strive to maintain a more detached approach to the
already pressing problems of the postwar period, but even
here we fall into a deep-seated conflict between our emotional
and rational natures. There are too many millions of starving
and oppressed people; too many thousands of lives hang on
each decision for us to think with the calmness necessary to
solve the postwar muddle.
The majority of us on college campuses—and off, for that
matter—have adopted a plan of escape concerning all but the
most far-removed and immediately personal of difficulties that
have to do with the war. “How does this corncern me?” or
“Thank goodness it doesn’t concern me," are typical of remarks
heard on all sides. The government has doubled the draft
cpiotas. A few 4-Fs and deferred workers will worry. Most of
the rest of us will feel vaguely glad that we are not affected.
Rationing is extended, a new bond drive is announced, a strike
is broken by army intervention. We retain the same essentially
uncritical attitude toward all these happenings. We can discuss
with great glibness the problems facing the Checks and the
Shorts and the Lats and the Slats, but concerning the more
basic question of the ethical justification of the war itself and
of all the measures taken to prosecute it we remain silent even
toward ourselves, frightened by doubt and indecision aroused.
But since the war is a fait accompli, some say, and has to be
won, what's the good of criticism? We believe that it is always
good to criticize. No one can tell us that anything that exists
in fact or is ordered and performed is so right and necessarv
that a critical attitude will not result in improvement of the
situation somewhere along the line. And even if no noticeable
tangible improvement should take place, the renewal of con
sciousness of the ideals and standards which anv sort of criti
cism implies and a redefinition of them are rich enough re
wards in themselves.
flocking to his support now that
the king, for the first time, has
given a pledge not to return to
Greece until after a favorable
plebiscite.
Buell claims that Britain desires
Rhodes, Crete, and other Greek
islands to insure her imperial life
line. This statement is not in ac
cord with the facts. Crete and
other Aegean islands belong to
Greece. Rhodes and the other
Dodecanese islands, formerly Ital
ian occupied, have been promised
to Greece after the armistice.
Buell Right, Almost T
Buell claims the initial leader
ship of the EAM was communist
because they had had underground
experience under Metaxas. He is
right. The communists sabotaged
the Grecian war effort against the
Axis from October, 1940, until the
invasion of Russia because the
commies and the nazis were then
enjoying their “nonaggression”
honeymoon.
Tills same commie sauoiage oc
the war effort against Germany
was carried on in all the allied
countries of western Europe in
particularly successful in France.
The war against nazism was
termed an “imperialistic war” by
Thorez, the secretary-general of
the French communist party.
Thorez deserted from the French
army and was condemned to death
by the third republic. Due to Rus
sian pressure, de Gaulle has re
luctantly consented to his return
to France.
Buell’s stainless EAM has seized
Greek and British civilians as hos
tages and refuses to let Red Cross
officials visit them which is con
trary to international law.
Investments Aid Greece
Buell thinks it is a terrible thing
that there are British investments
in Greece. These British invest
ments gave Greeks jobs and con
tributed to the raising of the Greek
standard of living.
Greece is a barren country. Be
fore the war, she depended on her
large merchant marine for the
functioning of her economy. Buell’s
Greece, run by the EAM, would
only lead to mass starvation cut
off as it would be from world trade.
We believe that the greatest
fallacy now prevalent is that there
are only two roads for the peoples
of the world to follow—either
fascism or communism. We
old-fashioned enough to prefer rne
middle way of democracy—a bal
ance between the two isms so
alike under the shirts.
America Must Decide
America must make up its mind.
Are we going to help the demo
(Please turn to page four)
1939 and 1940. Communists
Jamaican Student Arrives Via Cargo Boat
By DOROTHY HABKL
Because of his quiet nature not
many University students know
John Adamson now attending his
second term here, hut underneath
this pose you'll find one of the most
interesting students on the cam
pus.
John was born in London 21
years ago and when he was 3
moved to Jamaica as "a victim of
circumstances,” as he put it. H's
father, who lias always been a sea
faring man. became stationed in
Jamaica, so t lie family moved
there. John didn't have much to
say about Jamaica, but after a lit
tle questioning he admitted that
it was, "naturally a great deal dif
ferent from America."
"To understand Jamaica," he ad
ded, “you must know that the
island is mostly concerned with
the banana and sugar industry.
There has been, in the past, some
tourist actiivty, but because of the
war that has practically ceased."
UO Girls Franker
When asked about how the girls
were compared to Oregon coeds, he
replied tactfully, “Well, the popula
tion there is almost 90 per cent
negro, but as for the girls here, T
like them, but haven't gotten
around very much as yet.” John
didn't seem to think this was any
thing to be counted against the
American girls, but he did remark
that the coeds are more frank and
have less reserve than the white
women of Jamaica. He also added
that he’d never done so much talk
ing about himself as he has done
here.
John finished his high school
education when he was 1(5 but, he
says, “There is some difference in
the education you receive in Ja
maica. After graduation from high
school you have covered all the
minor fields, such as composition,
literature, etc., and are ready to
specialize in your first term of col
lege instead of having to fill all
the freshman requirements as you
do here.
“When I graduated from high
school there was no established col
lege for me to attend, so I became
a doctor and practiced in the hos
pital for four years." While work
ing in the hospital he mentioned
that at night his time was occu
pied with extension work. As to his
experiences in the hospital, John
didn’t want to go into that, for he
said. "They were too gorey.”
Missionaries Suggest Oregon
When queried about his reasons
for coming to the University of
Oregon he replied, “Well, I didn't
feel like I was getting anyplace,
because of the war, and in the
meantime some friends of mine
who were missionaries, suggested
1 come back with them and attend
the University pre-med school.
After all my credentials were in
order, I left Jamaica on a cargo
boat, to what port we weren’t told i
at the time.
“The trip over wasn't too com
fortable as there were 36 of us
where there should have been 14,
but I solved that problem by mov
ing the mattress up on deck.”
On September 5, 1944, John ar
rived in New Orleans in a rather
perplexed state of mind. No one
could understand him and the Am
erican monetary system, he com
plained, “became more confusing at
every turn, especially with this dol
lar and cent business.” Another
thing he couldn’t quite become ac
customed to was the traffic sig
nals and driving down the right
side of the road.
“Some Joy Ride”
He described his train trip from
New Orleans to Los Angeles as
“some joy ride!” A few of his
difficulties were luggage, FBI,
missing trains and sitting up all
night, "But you get used to that."
From Los Angeles he traveled to
Eugene. "As we came into Eugene
and rode down Willamette street,
I was impressed most of all by
the signs. We don't have so many
of them in Jamaica.”
“I think the University is a fine
school, he remarked, and the pro
fessors are all very helpful.” With
a confused look in his eye, he went
on to explain about registration,
which to him, as to all students,
was just one mass of long lines
and more lines.
Slang With Accent
"Of course it was hard adjusting
myself at first, but now I sort of
think I'm catching on,” he said
jokingly, still with a decided Eng
lish accent although he has man
aged to pick up a'lot of campus
slang. “I have trouble with your
ways of spelling and pronuncia
tion,” he added, “especially with
the word ghoul. To my dismay it
wasn't pronounced igowl.” Des^te
all these handicaps, John seems to
have done quite well for himself
last term, as his GPA was 3.46.