m daily _ ^ iEMERALD » *««d tl«» nuitte/.t «h<fpost office. Eugene. Oregon. Snbacr.p.Hm r»««: *5 per ^k^OpinUme^expreused psge on the editorW »re tho« of the writer and do not pretend to • renre^mThlt ^SSn. of <£ ASUO or of the Uoivwwlj. In.t.oled editorials are »r.tten by the associate editors. Unsigned editorials are written by the editor. Loan a Larson. Editor Carolyn Silva, Business Manager Marjory Bosh. Don Dewry, Caarciiew Gronoaiil, AKsociate Editors Phil Bettihr, Managing Editor Sally Thurston, Advertising Manager Wire services: Associated Press. United Press. Member. Associated Collegiate Pres*. Stas$en's*Right “Only with ... a trained and informed leadership ... does America have the best possible chance of meeting successfully the challenges which lie ahead in the last half of the twentieth century.” That’s what a letter received by a University student the other day said. The signer? Harold Stassen, candidate for the Republican nomination for president. The receiver? Neil Chase, promotion man for Friday’s Republican mock political con vention—“Operation Politics.” Stassen went on to congratulate the University of Oregon for holding such an experiment in national politics. He’s right. We do need that "trained and informed" leader ship. And what better place to obtain some of that training and information than right here in college. You’ll have an opportunity Friday. You’ll have the chance to hear an important politician—Gov. Val Peterson of Nebraska —speak in person on the Republican party. You’ll be able to view, and participate in, a replica of the illustrious national convention of the Republican party. Here’s hoping for a better informed—politically—student body after Friday night. A Successful Weekend Now that the dust has died down, it looks as if it was a pretty successful weekend. The changes in this year’s Duck Preview program—setting the Vodvil back to Friday night rather than Saturday, as was the case last year; switching exchange dinners to Saturday, thus avoiding a last-minute rush on Sunday; providing more things for the high schoolers to do Saturday afternoon—seemed to work out quite well. In fact, the only major gripe about the weekend which has reached our ears to date was the result of a rather comical oversight in the Saturday luncheon preparations: 825 persons were assiduously' plied with hot dogs—without a single blob of mustard. Maybe Oregon State had more guests for their Senior Week end—they reported 1550—but at least ours were all invited ac cording to the legitimate rules. And we’ll hazard a guess that they had just as good a time, if not better, than their friends at OSC. Congratulations and the sincere thanks of the campus are due Jackie Wilkes and her staff of Preview planners for a job well done.—G. G. A New One “you’ve been tardy three times already. What’s your excuse this time?” V t ' ■ l 1 j . 5 r Ah CditoiuU ^ CAMPUS POLITICS: JACKSON VS. DIGNAN The USA anil AGS candidates for presidency of the ASUO are two very nice people, who have pre sented two nice though similar platforms. Helen Jackson l* an excellent speaker anil those who heard her platform speech at the nominating assembly last week have used adjectives ranging from “great” to “wonderful” In describing It. There is no question that she would be an excellent repre sentative of this Institution. And her Ibng list of campus activities and accomplishments Indicate that she would be an effective administrator—us effec tive as a non-Greek administrator could possibly be on this campus. Pat Dignan is equally likeable. People who have worked with him report that he Is an easy man with whom to cooperate. Dignan lacks Miss Jacksons speaking ability. Many who heard his nominating assembly address admitted disappointment. They accused him of say ing little and of hedging on part of what he did say. But more than personality is Involved In the selection of campus leaders. Both candidates favor sending an observer to the National Students association convention, though it is included only in Miss Jackson's platform. She would like to scrape together the funds by cutting the Pacific Slope President's Association convention to finance an observer at the NSA convention this summer. Dignan prefers to wait until next year when funds could be definitely set aside, or to try other sources, such as alumni gifts this year, so that student government would not be short changed by omitting PSPA, which he feels is of proven value. We have always favored sending observers to the NSA convention to gain some concrete knowledge over which student Officials can haggle. The opinions also coincide on the removal of pay telephones from the dormitories. But what politician would dare come out in favor of the pay phones? There is decided difference on Dignan's united fund drive plank. Miss Jackson is opposed, arguing that she wants it to remain on an individual basis so she, and other students, can donate more or less to whichever drive they consider more worthy. Dignan contends—and he’s talked to drive officials about this—that an all-campus drive would actually bring in more money, and bo less trouble for the students. We'd like to hoc It tried. Omitting several minor points In their campaign platforms, wc are left with the one really Import ant iHHue. Mlhj* Jackson favora a campus open pri mary election in which anyone could vote for what ever candidate he favora. Ho, In esaencc, ahe favors the break-up of the Greek bloc. Dignan, speaking for hlmaelf and not hi«t party, ulso desires an open pri mary. The AGS platform this year advocates a popular primary within the Greek party itself, but Dignun has Indicated that he hopes the potentiali ties of an open primary will be displayed to the Greeks through the success of un In-party popular primary. Miss Jackson has presented an idealistic platform. She plans to put through a much-needed Improve ment in student government. An open primary and the resulting coalition pnrties would result in the removal of much of the dirt from dirty politics. But her plans are nebulous. She seems hazy as to just how she will bring about the chunge, aside from ‘cooperation1 with the AGH leader. Ulgnun's stand is less Idealistic but a good deal more practical. He prefers a slow approach to an open primary. He contends that the grrek Greeks and the Independent Independents must first be educated toward such a plan; that they cannot mere ly he TOIJ) to vote for the good of the University rather than the faction. Miss Jackson promises a great deal. We wouki like to see her platform incorporated Into student government. However we do not sec how she can do it. It seems simply impossible for an independent student to tell the Greek bloc to break itself up. Dignan promises less, but there is more chance that he will be able to ‘‘produce.” Dignan has not been closely connected with the powers behind the AGS. but he would have definite control over the party if he were elected president. As vice-president under Miss Jackson he would be only an AGS figure head and would not be able to encourage reform within the Greek bloc. Because he stands for some long-needed Improve ments in the AGS, and consequently In the entire campus political scene, we favor I'at Dignan for the ASUO presidency. Because her excellent Ideas and ideals do not seein as possible of attainment, ue pass over Helen Jackson.—The Kditorinl Staff. Letters to the Editor National Acclaim Emerald Editor: Friday night, May 2, University of Oregon’s venture into “Opera tion Politics" will be unfolded in the form of a Republican mock convention. This convention will be in the hands of the students themselves except for the opening keynote address by Governor Val Peterson of Nebraska. In so far as possible "Operation Politics" will be a realistic replica of the Re publican party’s national conven tion this summer in Chicago. Promotions Chairman Neil Chase has arranged for nation wide coverage of the event by the newspapers and several maga zines including Time, Life, News week, and Collier’s. All living organizations are again reminded that they must have enough students on the floor of the convention to fulfill their number of delegates. Pat Ritchey is promotion chairman for Eisen hower, Verla Thompson for Taft, Sylvia Winsor and Nancy Yates for Stassen, and Bob Hooker for Warren. All students are urged to par ticipate regardless of their poli tical affiliations. It does not mat ter whether one is a Democrat, a Republican, a member of another party, or a nonregistered voter in order to take part in this conven tion. The significance is that it will give all students a chance to ac quaint themselves with the con vention aspect of the American political party system. The suc cess of the affair depends on us, the student body. Let’s put U.O. in the limelight of the political arena. National acclaim is beck oning. Let’s get it. Bob Hooker —-The Atomic Age Kremlin Comm/es: 'Adore Errors Than Centipedes Have Legs' _—-By Phil Johnson - A recent book has been pub lished to prove that the men in the Kremlin are not infallible. Actually, it hardly seems nec esary to prove the fallibility of these men. They have made more er rors than cen tipedes have legs. It might be said of the Com mn nis t movement: "Leaders to the left of run, Johnson them, leaders to the right of them, leaders in front of them, Follied and blundered." Communism its/Mf is founded upon a number of mistaken as sumptions. Marx assumed that the workers must rebel against the oppressors and set a dictator ship of the proletariat. No reason is given for leaving the farmers out of this dictatorship. Nobody explains why the workers should have complete control of the na tion. In addition, Marx assumed that the dictatorship of the proletariat would later he disbanded. Here he ignores the fact that dictators almost never voluntarily relin quish their powers. Another fallacy is the atheism which Marx demanded of his fol lowers. The Communists would have gotten along much better if they did not oppose religion. This opposition has Alienated a great number of peasants in the Slavic regions and has led to useless persecutions of Christian minis ters and followers. The Communist Manifesto has many other propositions whirl) seem nnreusonuble, but none of them compare with the classic' blunders of Stalin and his follow ers. j The worst of these Is the un restrained brutality of the Soviet leaders. Millions of peuple have died In Siberian slave labor rumps. The harsh brutality of the So viet regime has probably alien ated foreigners more than any other feature of Russian pol-* icy. The fear of the secret police, the suppression of the press, the numerous other horrors of Rus sian life, all contribute to the growing dislike of Communism in other lands. It Is difficult to convince others of the “advantages" of Commun ism when the great massacres in' China or the slaughter of Polish prisoners of wai^ln Katyn forest, are rememltered. The main reason for the harsh-' ness of Russian life is probably the officials' fear of revolution^ However, there is no need to fear, revolt as long as a decent stand.' ard of living is assured to the, people. -j Portugal has had a dictator for decades, and there is no threat of' revolution. Franco has had little trouble since he gained control of Spain. Hitler, even when hi ca tion was crushed and ground un der in 194.r>, faced no revolution ary threat outside of the army. Consequently, the Soviet t niori did not need to introduce the slave labor camps, the secret av rests and the quiet massacres. Their system, which has alienate^ much of the world, was unnecessary.