+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
UW and Oppenheimer
The University of Washington has broken
open a real hornets’ nest in the form of the
debate on whether or not to invite Atomic
Scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer to deliver
the Walker-Ames science lectures at the
Seattle campus this spring.
Students and faculty members who have
followed the case are apparently splitting
into two rival camps on the question. The
latest evidence of such a split came to light
Tuesday when a group of full professors
and department heads released a public
statement saying that it was not the Uni
versity, but the president alone who refused
to approve the unanimous nomination of
Oppenheimer as the lecturer.
In all that has been spoken and written
concerning the case of the Atomic Energy
Commission vs. J. Robert Oppenheimer, it
has never been proven to our Satisfaction
that the brilliant physicist is actually a '‘se
curity risk” or that he possesses a character
of "questionable loyalty,”
. We think that anyone who gives serious
thought to the Oppenheimer case, whether
in its current manifestation at the Univer
sity of Washington, or in review of the ini
tial AEC hearings on Oppenheimer’s loyal
ty. should keep in mind the charges against
Oppenheimer—“Persistent and continuing
association with Communists ... substan
tial defects in character ... and persistent
and willful disregard for the obligations of
security.”
To us, only the latter could have been a
serious charge, if it had been proven. The
former two are more reminiscent of the
trials in Revolutionary France of the 1790’s,
when persons went to the guillotine when
government witnesses had testified that
the defendants were “bad patriots.”
Even if these charges had been proven,
and we don’t feel that they have, no ques
tion has been raised concerning Oppen
heimer’s knowledge of science, which after
all is more important for a scientific lecturer
than “acceptable” associations in his per
sonal life.
No one knows what will finally come of
the mess at the University of Washington.
We imagine that the stigma of this action
^ill neither soon nor easily be removed.
And rightly so.
New Senator?
Dick Neuberger should come back to
Oregon, we have plenty of squirrels for
him.
Oregon's junior senator is currently en
gaged in a campaign to save the White
House squrrels. We wonder if lie’s respon
sible for the furry animals that roam the
Oregon campus.
Neuberger and our erstwhile squirrel
chaser Waldo would never have gotten
along. Waldo, the former mascot of the
Theta Chi’s hated squirrels more than the
keepers of the President’s putting green.
Waldo didn't deport the squirrels, he ate
them—if he could catch them that is.
\\ hen the big dog was on campus no
Oregon squirrel dared venture far down a
tree—or \\ aldo would come up after him.
So the squirrels lived high in the trees while
Waldo roamed.
Therefore it seems only logical that the
way to save the putting green and still
keep the squirrels around the White
House is to send Waldo to Washington.
This would solve everyone’s problem.
Neuberger could go-back to worrying about
things like Formosa and the White House
groundskeepers could return to pruning the
hushes or whatever White House grounds
keepers do.
Just think. Waldo would he a natural
hero. He might even get to be senator him
self someday.—(JAV.R.)
Just An Inspection?
The whereabouts of Russia’s ex-premier
Georgi Malenkov had caused considerable
speculation among Western observers until
a member of a Swedish power delegation to
the Soviet Union revealed Tuesday that his
group "had received a personal note from
Malenkov.
The one-time Premier, now minister of
electric power stations, explained his ab
sence from Moscow as being brought on
by a “wide inspection tour’’ of Siberian
power plants.
We just wonder if maybe the former top
man might not be out in Siberia for more
than just an inspection tour—maybe to
supply some of the power himself, in a work
camp for former Communist officials guilty
of the crime of inefficiency.
INTERPRETING THE NEWS
Tax
Expected Soon
By PAUL W. HAJRVEY, Jr.
Of the Associated Press
SALEM (AP)—'The Oregon
Senate traditionally rips the
heart out of House tax programs
and then writes its own, and the
House is forced to accept what
the Senate says.
But this time, it probably will
be different. Senate Tax Com
mittee members seem agreed
that the House program, includ
ing a 32 per cent income tax in
crease and a 3-cent cigarette tax,
is the only solution.
Therefore, the Senate tax
men see their main job is to
stave off a referendum, which
would wreck the whole tax
program and give Oregon its
first state property tax since
1940.
Labor and farm groups say
they’ll refer the cigarette tax to
the people. They are thinking
about giving the same treat
ment to the income tax boost.
The Portland Chamber of Com
merce has indicated it would re
fer the income tax increase if it
included a big surtax.
So, heading off the referendum
is the primary task of the legis
lature. And that’s where the Sen
ate Tax Committee comes in.
One veteran member of the
Senate committee said:
“Our main job will be to
knock some heads together to
convince these groups that the
state would be hurt by a ref
erendum against any part of
the tax program.”
< If only 20,000 persons sign ref
erendum petitions against a bill,
it is automatically prevented
from becoming law until the No
vember, 1956, genera^ election.
This means such a little group
could stop a tax from going into
effect for most of the biennium
in which the money is needed.
If any of the tax program is
referred, a property tax would
take its place. The state property
tax limit is 6 mills plu,s extra
amounts needed to retire state
bonds. So it could raise a total
of 530,000,000 in the biennium.
Labor, the Grange and
Farmer’s Union long have been
against cigarette taxes. The
people have defeated cigarette
levies four times. The proposed
tax would raise $10,000,000 in
the biennium.
They object to the income tax
bill because it affects some low
income groups which now aren’t
taxed. This is done by reducing
the $600 personal exemption to
5500.
The Democrats and farm-labor
groups want a flat surtax, so
that everybody’s tax would be
increased by the same percent
age. The House Tax Committee
and the Portland Chamber of
Commerce say this would be too
rough on -high-income groups,
and discourage people with
money from coming to Oregon.
Even though the revenue pro
gram is on its way through the
mill, don’t count the sales tax
out.
There still is a possibility that
it would be referred to the peo
ple at a special election next
summer.
The House Tax Committee has
been thinking for a long time
about referring the income and
cigarette tax proposals to a sum
mer special election, too.
Its thinking is that if the
people turn down the program
at a special election, then the
legislature could come back
into special session and dras
tically reduce the state budget,
including funds for schools and
public welfare.
I’ve never seen a session in
which so few bills have been de
feated on the floor. And never
have there been so many bills
killed in committee.
THE LOOKING GLASS
The Long Gray Line
Good Movie Fare
By L*n Calvert
Emndd Columnist
“It.’s been a great life for Mar
ty,” says one of the characters
in "The Long Gray Line," cur
rently at the Hetlig, and, if any
thing, the movie will serve only
to make Martin Maher’s life even
greater.
A film biography of Maher,
who for 50 years was a coach
and trainer at West Point, "The
Long Gray Liner" is truely a
tear-jerker from start to finish.
Packed with West Point tradi
tion and sentiment, the movie
takes the viewer from one emo
tion-filled moment to another all
the way through.
tender John Ford’s direction,
Tyrone Power ns Maher gi\es
one of the best performances of
his career. From a rocky young
recruit to one of the most re
spcrted men at the “Point,"
Power gi'es a feeling interpre
tation to his role. We were
particularly impressed with his
playing of .Maher as an old
man.
Kqually as good as Power was
Maureen O'Hara as his wife,
Mary. Usually cast as the beau
tiful girl in pirate and deaert
sagas, Miss O’Hara at last is
given a chance to prove she can
do more than just look pretty
and does it very well.
However, stealing the show
from them all, is Donald Crisp as
Maher's sharp-tongued father
who followed hia son from Ire
land. Cnspf, who has been seen
too seldom lately, fits the part to
near perfection.
And through It nil rmiH "The
Look <»rny I„lne," the cadets
who mnlu> up tli«* heart anil
spirit nf West Point nml uII It
stand* for. Tin* West Point
tiler Club In featured and
throughout tin* film such song*
iih “Army Itlue” and “Bonny
Havens, Oh,” lire liv'd uilli
flm* effect to achieve thi" prop*
or mood.
There in never a lost chance in
the film to lmprose upon the au
dience the fine traditions, spirit
and goodness of West Point, it a
history and Its greatness. The
movie is filled with shots of
marching cadets, West Point
buildings and the view of the
Hudson from the Academy.
The film has all the Ingredients
of what should go Into a good
movie. There is drama, senti
ment, humor and folksiness. With
the exception of what is possib
ly excess sentiment, the work
comes out a well-rounded • ve
ning's entertainment.
However, the pmoth-c of
double - hilling “Cong Cray
Line” uas not too good, we
felt. The main feature is right
at two hours long, tint appar
ently the management felt that
this uas not long enough to
hold an audience. They had to
mid "Charge of the Cancers,'*
a film which should never have
charged In front of any cam
era.
In addition, the added attrac
tion makes the whole program
too long, what with closing hours
and all.
Mispjaced Persons
r^
T
“I think we should ask the Grand Dragon to rearrange the
beds in the pledges’ rooms.”
oreqon
iP02OLD
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Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are those of the writer and do not pretrial to
represent the opinions of the ASI'O or the l iuversity, tnsigned editorials are written hy
the editor; '"dialed editorials hy members of the editorial hoard
JKKKV HARREM,, EdTtLT
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