Progress Report on Freshmen
Mid-term grade reports for freshmen women are nearly
twice as low as they were last fall.
Figures released from Mrs. \\ ickham's office show that ad
per cent of last fall’s freshmen women were below average in a*
least one subject at mid-term. This year the percentage is 61.
IQ&Qfoo*
CrlPL9/.
MRS. GOLDA WICKHAM
Too Many Activities ?
CM unm.Hiui um
men, said he believed that
freshmen men's grades were
about the same as last year—
approximately one-third of the
class is failing. However, his
office keeps no record of men's
mid-term grades, and freshmen
men living off-campus do not
fill out grade cards. More off
campus freshmen fail to make
their grades than men living
in dorms, Ellingson said.
Why are women’s grades so
much lower?
It evidently is not caused by
lower intelligence. The Coun
seling Center reported that
freshmen this year had slight
ly higher stanines than last
year.
Due to the Sophomore Hon
ors program and a more effec
tive counseling system, it was
hoped grades would rise.
Mrs. Wickham believes the
the trouble lies in an extra
heavy activity schedule. The Student Affairs committee is now
considering curtailed activities for 1953-54.
Ellingson thinks it may be caused by three home games in
the three mid-term weeks, with one game in Portland.
Laura Olson, counselor for women, who has talked to all of
the 61 per cent, suggested that freshmen don't know how to
study, to take effective notes, and to concentrate. This may be
true, but does not explain why grades are lower this year.
Mid-term statistics do not necessarily indicate the number
of freshmen who will fail to make a 2.00. Miss Olson believes
that only about 50 women will do so. Freshmen women usually
get better grades than men.
If this is so, many plaudits will be due to mid-term grade
cards, Miss Olson, and the counseling system.
But it is likely that more freshmen women will fail to make
their grades this fall than last, and perhaps more men. (H.J.)
Just One of the Boys
“You passed so many of us during football season Prof, the awards
committee says you earned a letter-sweater.”
Orzaon daily
EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald published Tuesday through Friday during the college year
except Sept. 17 and 19; Nov. 27 through Dec. 1; Dec. 4, 9 and 10; Dec. 12 through Jan. 5;
March 5, 10 and 11'; Mar. 13 through Mar. 30; and May 30 through Tune 4, with issues on
Nov. 8, Feb. 7 and May 9 by the Student Publications Board of the University of Oregon.
Entered as second class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5
l>er school year; $2 per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer and do not pretend to
represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written by
editorial staff members. Unsigned editorials are written by the editor.
3Larry Hobart, Editor
Sally Thurston, Business Manager
Switzerland Clings
To Neutrality Plan
But Builds Army
By E. A. Van Natta
Ever since the end of World
War II and especially since the
rupture between the United
States and the Soviet Union,
Switzerland, like most countries
of the world, lias been confronted
with an ever-increasing amount
of problems in the field of foreign
affairs.
This little country has, how
■ ever, continued to face the in
ternational enigma with a great
deal of consistency and resolu
tion—cniefly because the Swiss
government, in attempting to
solve its international problems,
has been guided by the deep-seat
ed desire to maintain the prin
ciple of Swiss neutrality.
Shirking Obligations?
Most of the Western European
countries have in part tried to
understand the Swiss position re
garding neutrality although parts
of the foreign press, both in Eu
rope and in America have from
time to time expressed the idea
that the Swiss are shirking their
international obligations by not
paying full allegiance to the con
cept of collective security as
found in the United Nations Or
ganization.
Others feel that Switzerland is
clinging rather blindly to a neu
trality which only disperses even
more the potential forces of the
Western camp which is itself
menaced by an idealogical and
political bloc which does not
know the meaning of the word
neutrality.
To be neutral for most Swiss
means to remain on the sidelines
in case of a future war between
East and West. It doesn't mean
that Switzerland desires com
plete isolation from the rest of
the world. Her geographic and
economic endowments alone
make such an idea unthinkable
because she must have, foreign
trade in order to prosper.
Wants Commercial Relations
Switzerland is most eager to
establish commercial relations
with the greatest number of na
tions possible. Since the war she
has made trade agreements with
the USSR, Rumania, Bulgaria,
Poland and China plus the major
countries of Western Europe and
America.
Although not a full-fledged
member of the UN, Switzerland
does participate in several of the
special organizations attached to
this body such as Unesco, the In
ternational Labor Organization,
the World Health Organization,
etc. Switzerland feels that she
has a great responsibility to the
peoples of war-scarred Europe
and has, during the past seven
years contributed over 177 mil
lion Swiss francs to various dev
asted countries.
Switzerland is taking part m
the present world-wide arma
ments race having appropriated
over one and a half billion francs
for a three-year build-up of its
defensive forces. The Swiss be
lieve that a policy of neutrality
must have a sufficient military
power to deter any nation or
group of nations from encroach
ing upon Swiss territory or in
dependence. The Swiss people
show a very earnest will to resist
all foreign aggression and are
more than willing to make con
siderable sacrifice for the upkeep'
of an army.
The question of whether or not
Switzerland will be neutral in the
next war won’t depend so much
on her intentions for neutrality
or army but rather on the whims
of the belligerents. Should either
antagonist deem it necessary to
overrun the little country it will
probably be done, even if at great
sacrifice. But in the meantime
one can’t help but admire Swit
zerland for its attempts to be its
own boss.
i
Note to the Editoi'
Critical of France's
Indo-China Action
To the Editor:
With regard to Miss Janine
Etchcpare's attack on Mr. Van
Natta, published in the Emerald,
Nov. If). 1952, I wish to express
the following sentiments. To me,
Mr. Van Natta's analysis was
very fair. Ilis criticism of the
French administration in Viet
nam was so mild and reGcrved
that I thought lie was a French
man or that his article might
have been censored by French
government.
The conflict in Indo-China is
not a new one as it superficially
appears to be. There was no
peace in Indo-China even before
Communism was known to its
people; for, peace can be built
upon only human freedom. Where
there in no real human freedom,
there i3 no peace. The present
conflict in French Indo-China is
merely an outburst of 80 years
struggle of people for freedom,
which has so far unfortunately
been denied by the French colo
nial administration. More immed
iately the present situation stems
from the Declaration of the In
dependence of the Viet-Minh
Democratic Republic in Septem
ber, 1945, following the fall of
Japan.
Nothini' But Hilt red
Eighty years of French occu
pation produced nothing but a
great and living hatred which
was compounded of many thing?
— the dull and weary sense of
unrepaid toil, the chronic injus
tice never articulated, the racial
ism, though not of the American
variety, but just as much resent
ed. The great French libertarian
tradition was never carried to
Vietnam; for libertarianism is
not among the exports of an im
perial nation.
Colonialism inevitably brings
with it exploitation and oppres
sion. In Viet-Nam, as elsewhere,
it dislocated the adjustment of
peasant population to their re
sources. Its worst consequence
was not so much that wealth was
drained off but that the produc
tivity of neither soil nor man was
used to the fullest because the
demands of foreign trade out
weighed all other considerations,
both, economic and social prob
lems. Viet-Nam is endowed with
coal and other minerals as well as
abundant vegetation; and yet its
people have never had enough to
eat.
Independence After War
The military superiority of the
French was effectively used to
control the Indo-Chinese but
proved a little less than adequate
when the Japanese drive for con
tinental conquest reached south
ward into the French domain.
The French, representative of
Vichy government, cooperated
with the Japanese and then
rendered without a struggh o;; |
March !), 1945. After Japan':; nr
render, the Indo-Chinese nates;!
alists, the Vietmlnhs, took ndvit-j
tage of tlie political vacuum a. :
declared their independence.
The Viet Mlnh League, who <
leadership was dominated by a
firmly entrenched Commute ;
minority, nevertheless, represent
ed a broad coalition Vietnam'
nationalists who ha t work'd w.tli
the Allied powers in the struggle
against the Japanese aggress ■
Agreement In the North
As a result of the Pots;
Conference, the British wi re l
lowed to occupy southern Ir >
China, to disarm and repatriate
the defeated Japanese arn.y.
However they tojk this as •»
opportunity to assist and enab !
the French to regain control t
the south. This led to an outbr< f
of fighting between the Viet Mu h 1
and tire occupying forces in the •
south. An agreement whs reach' i, j
in the north between the Chin' * '
occupying forces, the French a .
the Vietnamese. They agreed t! 1 |
the Chinese would return to t: e
Mainland; the French would r<
enter Northern Indo-Chtna, r<- •
ognlze the new government and
leave after five years.
iSUUB'HjuciiL nt^uuauunit mu
and the result was the outbrea
of fighting between the Frein h
and th“ Indo-Chinese. With ti
outbreak of this war, the Coi -
munist party which led th>*
League of Independence, seiz* 1
this opportunity to convert t.
lesser parties to their view. T '
the suffering Indo-Chinese, t!
Communists came with a fal. .
deliverance. They talked about
the inalienable rights of the man
to bo free and promised to help
them attain it by overthrowing
their foreign rulers.
Turn To Communists
llow were these newly awak-,
ened and ignorant people to kr.ov.
that Communist promises wt. *■
false and impossible of fulfil
ment? Even if they knew, fight
ing the Trench to rid them oi
colonialism, they believed, wouT ,
certainly be a great step toward
freedom. And since under th i
present situation, it is only th
Communists and nobody else tin
are willing to and can help thei 4
they have turned to the Co: c*
munists. They arc using exact
the same method as the Unite r
States did during the WAV. y
in her alliance with Soviet
sia when faqed with the immed-t
iate threat of Japanese impc ,
ialism. And if the U. S. could"
win the gamble, Vietnamese,
conjecture, think the same.
Sincerely yours,
Mitsugu Sakihara
Barrister Inn.
BOOK REVIEW
— j
'New Tales of Space and Time'
By Michael Lundy
Despite the sneers of the as
yet unenlightened highbrows and
pseudo-intellectuals, we are go
ing' to review a science-fiction
anthology this week. “New Tales
of Space and Time,’’ edited by
Raymond J. Ilealy and reprinted
by Docket Books, is an excellent
introduction to that fast growing
and stimulating field of writing
known, by aficionados, as SF.
Xo those who say, out of ignor
ance or intolerance, that SF is
nothing but the cowboy and cow
girl story dressed in rocket ships,
we can cite the case of a Phi
Beta Kappa in Philosophy we
knew, who, when asked by the
Rhodes scholarship committee
what he did for relaxation, an
swered "I read science-fiction.”
He got the appointment and is
now at Oxford.
Something Hare
New Tales of Space and
Time is something rare in an
thologies of SF, for it prints ail
new ^stories. The usual collection
contains at least five stories
(Please turn to page three)