+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
Black-bordered Report
If there is anything at all encouraging
about the black-bordered pledge class grade
reports, it must be the improvement made
by the fraternity pledges. In only four years,
at their current rate of improvement, they'll
catch up with their somewhat more static
sisters.
A total of slightly over 38 per cent, 155 out
of 407, of the fraternity pledges didn’t make
a 2 point fall term. This is down from over
43 per cent in 1954 and nearly 4S percent in
1953.
Even after four years of pouring over the
grades, such a percentage still shocks us.
The average for the fraternity pledge classes
was 2.153, the average for the freshman
men’s dorms, 2.13. Neither are particularly
respectable averages.
Just a glance at the sorority pledges
grades makes them appear better than their
fraternity counterparts. The grades them
selves are. but the grades are below those
of last year and only slightly above those
for 1953. Out of the 285 sorority pledges, 55
did not make a 2 point, for an average of
19.3 percent, as compared to 18.3 percent last
year.
Last year's top sorority pledge grades
were a 3.22 and a 2.89—pretty respectable
averages. This year the top was 2.841, the
low a 2.013. The women did not do as well
as usual.
The most shocking thing was the num
ber of fraternity pledge class below a 2
point. The average for three whole pledge
class was below a 2 point. A few individual
0.00’s did nothing to help them.
A number of the fraternities have been
operating study tables throughout the term.
This, with the better study facilities in the
new dormitory, may have helped the men
improve their grades. Obviously, however,
there is still room for considerable im
provement.
Possibly the place to start is with the In
ter-fraternity council and the fraternities
themselves. Sorority grades are usually
higher than the fraternities. Panhellenic
does not permit women with less than a 4
stanine to rush. IFC might consider a
similar limitation!
The fraternities are not able to maintain
strict control over their freshmen. Com
pared to the women, they are relatively <£ree
from University-set restrictions. The an
swer would seem to be more careful mem
bership selection, with consideration given
to the student’s potential.
Some guidance on the part of the frater
nity must follow this if the fraternities are
to continue to exist. Those 155 men, and 55
women, will not be moving into their houses
next fall if they don't do better in their
scholastic endeavors winter and spring
terms. If they don't, the loss will be the
fraternities, as well as the University’s. W e
look to the fraternities for action.—(S.R.)
Some New Films
Ever attend a Student Union movie? It
you haven't, you may have been missing
some worthwhile entertainment.
All rabid movie-goers should take careful
note of the list of Sunday movies that the
SU movie committee provides each term.
Last term there were several fine films on
the slate. The schedule for winter term looks
even better.
From this corner it looks as though the
top two movies this term will be shown on
Jan. 15 and 22. The first, “With a Song in
My Heart," is the film story of songstress
Jane Froman. The second, with James Stew
art and June Allyson as the stars, is “The
Glenn Miller Story.’’
Another which will probably attract a
large audience will be “Snows of Kiliman
jaro,” Jan. 29.
The first movie of the term will be “Bird
of Paradise,” Jan. 8. The others, in addition
to the three mentioned above, are “Johnny
Belinda,” “Genevieve,” "So Big,” and “Ti
tanic.”
What we like most about the presenta
tions of the movie committee this year is
that they are halfway recent hits. Most of
the pictures this term are not more than a
couple of years old.—(B.R.)
Footnotes
The Most Deserted Place of the Fir>t
Week of the Term—the library—hasn’t been
living’ up to its reputation. Guess too many
people are trying to atone for their fall term
follies.
* * *
Only 48 weeks later the duck tracks up
Hello Walk have almost disappeared. Just
goes to prove how permanent washable
paint is.
* * *
One enterprising student has come up
with a new way to beat the registration lines
at Emerald hall. He mailed his check and
cards to the business office.
* * *
Suggested research project: a chemical
analysis of what passes for coffee at the
Student Union.
INTERPRETING THE MEWS
French People Protest Against
Status Quo; Join Extremists
By J. M. Roberts
Of the Associated Press
The idea of Premier Faure
that elections at this time would
give France a more stable gov
ernment, and the refusal of the
last National Assembly to give
him the election reforms he
thought would help, have pro
duced a shocking political di
lemma.
The French people have regis
tered their protest against
things as they are by adding to
the strength of groups — the
Communists and the anti-taxers
—whose chief objectives are the
very opposite of stabilization.
Since the extremists always
tend toward union, there is
even the possibility of a so
called popular front govern
ment, of the type formed in
various Eastern European
countries after the war which
tdtbnately led to complete
Communist control.
Observers thought it more like
ly that the moderate leftists of
former Premier Mendes-France
and kindred groups might be able
to form a government, but there
was little hope of any govern
ment which would be able to
move confidently toward settle
ment of the many issues which
beset France.
The best-looking hope, but one
which showed no immediate signs
of attainment, was that Mendes
France and Faure would com
promise enough of their differ
ences so that some semblance of
down-the-m i d d 1 e government
could be resumed.
Even this, however, would
not give France any more sta
ble government than those
which have been repeatedly
voted out of office since the
war.
The Poujadist anti-tax move
ment, although it merely ex
pressed and consolidated an atti
tude which has long been recog
nized as one of France’s most dis
ruptive, acquired surprising
strength at the polls.
Its success adds to the ten
dency of the country to duck the
facts of cold war and give up in
the face of its rising costs, just
as the country gave up in the
face of Communism in Indochina.
It is obvious that, even while
their representatives were agree
ing to the recent forming of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organiza
tion, many Frenchmen were
turning away from it.
The most startling and dis
turbing thing in American eyes
will be the gains of the Com
munist Party, which had been
generally considered to be los
ing ground in the face of Rus
sian mistakes and an Increas
ing general prosperity.
The vote reveals a strong ten
dency for the people to turn to
the Communists when they wish
to protest without being able to
center on concrete policies of re
form.
Packing Again
/ —-- a
"SAY. THOSE WERE PRETTY T0UGH'FIRSTDAY'AS5I6NM!N7SMW''
THE LOOKING GLASS
Military Bureaucracy
Eclipses Air Power Rise
By Bob Davis
Emerald Columniit
“The Court-Martial of Billy
Mitchell” is the simply arid com
petently told biography of Brig
adier General William Mitchell
of the Army Air Service, as the
Air Force was called in the first
decade of the twentieth century.
Mitchell was a man dedicated
to the development of the mili
tary aircraft and the increased
responsibility it should have in
future wars. In 1921 he staged
a demonstration of airplane po
tential when a group of his rick
ety bi-planes droned and sput
tered over an “unsinkable” cap
tured German warship. Each
dropped its destructive load
until the ship became painfully
sinkable to the military and ci
vilian dignitaries that were out
to watch the demonstration.
A new dawn In military his
tory was about to break, but
the rising sun of air power
was soon to be eclipsed by
the tradition and bureaucracy
of the military establishment.
Mitchell was shunted into the
wide open nothingness of
Texas where the old school
militarists hoped he would
soon forget all about the
troublesome new airplane.
Mitchell was not to be quieted.
however. After several men had
been killed in a naval an plane
crash, Billy contacted the press
and in violent terms stated that
the recent crashes were the re
sult of ineompentcy, negligence,
and almost treasonable admini
stration of the national defense
hv the War and Navy depart
ments.
An outburst like that in the
military natuinlty called for
court-martial proceedings lie
used his testimony to the fullest
in order to get the plans of his
his force vision out before those
whose help he needed. He d« -
scribed quite accurately the rob
ot the air force as it functions
today. He predicted the attack
on Pearl Harbor with almost
mystical preciseness.
Billy tvas suspended from
the ycrvlec for five years and
so resigned. He beeuine a
martyr to the air force cause
and his name drew a sort of
evangelical spirit into the
later air power advocates.
Gary Cooper is the Hollywood
fascimlle of General Billy and
does a capable job although
Cooper's veranda vitality in
speech and mannerisms does
not always convey the zest and
exhuberance of the fire-ball
General that helped fill the skies
with American aircraft.
The Oregon D»ily Emerald is published five days a week during the school year, rvept
during examination and vacation periods, by the Student Publications H< ard of the I 'ni
*er«Hy of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon Sub
scription rates: $5 per school year; $2 per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer and d) not pretend to
represent the opinions of the ASUO or the University, Unsigned editorials arc written by
the editor; initialed editorials by members of the editorial board.
GORDON RICE, Editor DONNA RUN BERG, B-.siness Manager
SALLY RYAN, Editorial Page Editor JACK RAD1CH, Adve,lining Manager
JERRY CLAUSSEN, BOB ROBINSON, Associate Editors
SAM VAHEY, Managing Editor
ANNE RITCHEY, News Editor JOAN RAINVILLE, Asst. Advertising Mgr.
CHUCK MITCHELMORE, Sports Editor NANCY SHAW, Office Manager
EDITORIAL BOARD: Gordon Rice,
Ritchey, Bob Robinson, Sally Ryan,
ferry ClauHsen,
>am Vahey.
Chuck Mitchelmore, Anne
Ass’t News Editors: Bill Mainwaring,
Marcia Mauttey, Loretta Meyer,
Cornelia Fogle.
Feature Editor: Carol Craig
Women's Editor: Cay Mundorff.
Photography Editor: Pete Taussig
•l'8*’!.Adv. Mgr.: Laura Morris
Classified Adv. Mgr.: Pat C'uihnio
Ass t Office Mgr.: Becky Tor/ler
Circulation Mgr.: Ken Klanrtky
hxerutive Secretary: Grri Goebel
Ass t Sports Kditora: Al Johnson,
Jack Wilsou.