+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
Man With a Message
Today’s assembly speaker, Methodist
Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam, has a message
which informed Americans should not want
to miss.
We haven’t received the usual advance
publicity material on Bishop Oxnam, so we
cannot offer a preview of his view of “The
Nature of the Contemporary Crisis,” his
topic for the assembly. But we can offer some
significant background information.
Oxnam was a central figure in the. 1953
Congressional investigations of Commu
nism in the clergy of America. California
Representatve Donald Jackson charged
Oxnam with "serving God on Sunday and
the Communist front the rest of the week.”
Fellow Investigator Harold Velde, chair
man of the House Un-American Activities
committee, after Oxnam had testified before
the committee at his own request, then said
that the Bishop had been associated with
several red front groups knowingly or un
knowingly.
That was in November. 1953. The com
mittee had already admitted that there was
no record of Communist Party membership
or affiliation on Oxanm’s record.
Then early in 1954. Oxnam told the
Methodist National Convocation on Urban
Life that Communism had never reached
the clergy of the United States and that the
accusers of the clergy were now admitting
libel.
But even more important. Oxnam pointed
to the fact that American cities are becoming
fear-ridden because of the activities of “vigi
lantes.”
Oxnam’s name became famliar to the gen
eral public when he had the courage to stand
up to the vigilantes and cry out for the truth
—but his skirmishes with the Investigators
are not the only points on his record which
make him well worth listening to.
He was president of the world council
of churches from 1948 to 1954. He has
served as a mediator in labor disputes, and
was a member of the President’s Commit
tee on Higher Education.
He is the author of a book. “I Protest.’’ He
has received citations from the governments
of Greece and the United States.
We don’t know what the Bishop’s analysis
of the contemporary crisis will be. but we do
know that today’s assembly should be a
“must” on the list of those who would be
well-informed about the affairs of the world
in which they live.
... Before You Leap
Rumor has it that the Emerald will not he
the only newspaper represented at the meet
ing of the original campus veterans’ commit
tee this afternoon.
This makes it almost imperative that the
committee consider immediately the ques
tion of whose opinions represent the official
thinking of the committee and who is speak
ing solely for himself.
Broad statements of policy and charges
of affronts to veterans should be weighed,
and the Committee should make certain
that the views of individual members are
not represented as the thinking of the com
mittee as a whole.
Before charges are made such as those
against the Veterans’ Administration last
week, the accuser should be ready to prove
them. Since apparently they did not repre
sent the thinking of the entire committee, the
committee should have acted to prevent their
release .
The Committee should be watchful for
such utterances, especially since a major
question remains unanswered : Is there a real
need for such a committee?
The Committee was not the outgrowth
of a mass meeting of veterans demanding
that their situation be improved. Rather,
it is a “hard core” group, seeking to gain
support as it calls attention to situations to
whch it objects.
The appearance of the “Veterans’ Com
mittee of More Than Ten” shows that there
are some veterans on campus who do not feel
that they are the victimes of unfair treatment
by the University and by agencies of the
federal government.
The name of the second committee, that
fact that the “veterans’ sergeant major”
rather than the “veterans’ commander" is
the group's spokesman, and the initial
statement of the committee’s policies show
an excellent sense of satire.
But tlu* “Veterans' Committee of More
Than Ten" shows more than superficial clev
erness.
The Committee is,in effect, saying. “Wait
a minute, let's look this situation over before
ploughing ahead and demanding sweeping
changes.”
By making the whole situation appear lu
dicrous, the second committee is calling at
tention to the use of the word “veteran” as
an emotional appeal.
It is asking that credit be given where
credit is due. and it is asking if there is really
a need for such a group on campus.
It has not denied the value of a more ade
quate information service for veterans, nor
has it denied that some problems of special
interest to veterans warrant investigation.
It has. however, taken a positive stand
through the medium of satire, on the use of
the title of veteran as an instrument for per
sonal and political gain.
'fhe “Veterans’ Committee of More Than
Ten” has pointed to the fact that it’s usually
wise to look before you leap.
Good Job, Oregon
It's all over except for the last remains of
a few pulverized egg shells in McArthur
court—the shells and a wealth of good feCt
ing between the University and the people of
Eugene.
Some 2000 youngsters and 400 University
students took part in Saturday’s Operation
Easter Egg. True, the children did have to
wait in line in the rain, they did have an Eas
ter egg handout instead of*a hunt, and they
could just barely hear the voices of the actors
portraying the story of the three bears.
But somehow all of this was lost In the -
spirit of the occasion—the sight of portly
senior men carrying little boys on their shoul
ders, of rain-drenched women calling parents
to come after their children and of one of the
officials providing prize money out of his
own pocket for the disappointed possessor of
a prize egg.
It was gratifying, Oregon. And we’re sure
the parents of 2000 happy youngsters were
appreciative, too. -- fS.R.)
Footnotes
A rumor has been going around that three
veterans downtown have gotten together
over one kind of a beverage or another and
formed a “Veterans’ Committee of Less Than
hive.”
* * *
Still another rumor is that the “Veterans’
Committee of More Than Ten,” originated
in Barrister Inn, will soon become “Post
Number One, Veterans’ Committee of More
Than Ten.” Other posts might be in Alpha
and Gamma halls, according to the rumor.
ADLAI SAYS:
Ike's Policies Got
US in Bad Spot
CHICAGO (AP)- Adlal Stev
enson said Monday night the
Elsenhower administration's Fur
Eastern policy has gotten the
United States into a position
where it fares "either another
damaging and humiliating re
treat, or else the hazard of war."
He said he has "the greatest,
misgivings about risking a third
world war in defense of Que
moy and Matsu Islands. Chiang
Kai-Shek's Nationalist outposts
off the Red China coast.
Stevenson said in a broadcast
on two nationwide radio net
works that the Eisenhower ad
ministration is "pursuing a dead
end policy in Asia," which he
said was dictated by political ex
pediency at home.
Dissension With Allies
The 1952 Democratic presiden
tial candidate said dissension
with America's allies over our
policy in regard to the two is
lands "The weakening of the
grand alliance of free nations
pledged to stand together to de
fend themselves, is in my Judge
ment a greater peril to enduring
peace than the islands them
selves.”
He said the United States
should enlist other nations in "an
open declaration condemning the
use of force in Fortaom Strait.
"Declare Its Position"
He said Soviet Russia should
be invited “to declare its posi
tion," to indicate whether It pre
fers the possibility of ultimate
settlement by agreement to an
unpredictable, perhaps limitless
conflict.”
lie said the United Nations
general assembly also should
seek a solution to the Formosa
conflict.
“With the assurance provided
by such a common jsisition con
curred in by the nations whose
weight and prestige are essen
tial to the ultimate success of
any Formosan policy,” Steven
son said, "neither we nor Chtang
Kai-Shek should any longer need
to rely upon a military precari
ous .position in Uiesc little off
shore islands to resist the ag
giessive ambitions of the Chi
nese Communists toward For
mosa.”
Alarmed Our Friends
Stevenson said in a nationwide
broadcast earned by networks of
CBS and NBC the Ktaenhower
administration's "policy of extra
vagant wotds" in the Far blast
< m situation “has alarmed our
I friends a good deal more than
it lias deterred the aggressors.”
Scientific Selection
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