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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1956)
+ EMERALD EDITORIALS + Encouraging Figures Some important changes in military draft policies have been made recently which, it seems, have received little publicity. They are bound to be of interest to all college men. at least those who haven’t already ful filled their military obligation. An article in the Jan. 6 issue of US News and World Report is the best we have seen to date giving the strict lowdown on the situation. Entitled “Young Med Can Relax Again." the article points out that “draft calls now pose less of a threat to youths’ plans and careers than at any time since 1948.” It goes on to say that, barring unforeseen developments, officials expect the draft to hit only about 100,000 young men each year from now on. For those who are unable to interpret this number in light of its true significance, this means that only one out of 15 eligible for the draft will be called an nually. These figures cannot help but encourage those who want to make specific plans lor their future after graduation from college. The fact is that those college men who see fit to “take their chances” with the draft and don't enlist in the advanced reserve of ficers training course now have an exceed ingly good chance of avoiding military serv ice. Those who do enroll in the ROTC course are also finding their outlook different than in years past. Army seniors at Oregon this year have been given a choice in their ap plications of a six-month or a two-year tour of duty. There is no guarantee that they will get the length of tour which they apply for but at this time the chances look pretty good. For the older students, those still eligible for the draft’s beckoning call but past their early 20s, a new policy is even more impor tant. A change in draft rules being pushed by Selective Service headquarters at present calls for all fathers and older men to be pushed to the tail end of draft lists. With one in 15 being taken now, this makes the likeliness of them getting a call only remote. And just what is causing this big change in draft policy when the administration con tinually emphasizes the importance of na tional preparedness? The article has an answer for this ques tion. too. It is a combination of a decline in draft calls and an increase in voluntary en listments. The latter has probably had the most influence although both have been im portant in bringing about the change. The increase in enlistments lias been brought about by two factors. In the first place there are more youths reaching the age of 18 each year than has been true in the past seven years. The children born in the era of the low birth rate during the “('.reat Depression" years are all past 20 and the wave of youths now reaching 18 are the “New Deal’’ babies. The second factor is a 10 per cent raise which was put into effect for the armed services recently. We fear that we are making this sound much too encouraging for those who wish to avoid military service. In order to dispel some of the illusion we might add that a de crease in enlistments or a decision by Con gress to increase the draft would imme diately change the whole picture. This leaves a couple of pretty big “ifs” but still it appears that, at least for the next few years, draft calls will definitely be much lower than they lmve been.—(H R.) Who s Craiy Now? The Civil Aeronautics administration came out with an interesting release the other day. It will be especially eye-catching to those students who attended the recent showing of "The Court-Martial of Hilly Mitchell” at a local theater. According to the announcement nearly 42 million passengers flew on scheduled do mestic and international airlines during 1955. This is an increase of 19.1 per cent over 1954. We looked at these figures and couldn't help but wonder what the pessimists who thought Billy Mitchell was crazy in the 1920's think of air travel today.—(B.K.) Footnotes A word of advice from a frustrated driver trying to avoid getting wet: if you live within two miles of the campus, walk to class. You’ll get there faster, have no trouble finding a parking space, won't have to walk as far, and you’ll be in a nice rosy mood for your 8 o'clock. INTERPRETING THE NEWS Democrats Face Big Problem In Persuading Voters This Year By James Marlow Of the Associated Press WASHINGTON UFI — Adlai Stevenson himself, without say ing so, put his finger on the No. 1 problem facing the Demo crats in trying to persuade the voters to throw the Republi cans out in 1956. “America,” he said in a speech recently, “is well and strong above all nations in all times. We are the luckiest peo ple in the world and we know it.” If that’s the case, the vo ters might ask, why should they take a chance on chang ing administrations in next November’s election? Steven son’s reasons seemed to add up to this: “We can do every thing better.” He was very vague on how. That can't be held against him at this time. It was just a gen eral outline of what he’ll say later. It was also pretty much the outline of what the Democratic party will be saying. There were no surprises. It was pretty much along the lines on which the Democrates already have indicated they will attack the Republicans. It was just enough of an outline to show there are no fundamental differences be tween the two parties and that the differences which do exist are matters of degree more than of kind. Stevenson attacked the Eis enhower administration’s farm program. On this subject he seems unusually hazy and, if he has a solution, he has kept it to himself. He was critical of the admin istration’s foreign policy but did not indicate specifically what was wrong with it except to complain there was too much talk and backing away from it. And — there was no sur prise about this—he accused the Republicans of being the party of “special interest,” meaning it was too cozy to ward big business. This has been a steady complaint of the Democrats for genera tions. Stevenson complained — or seemed to be complaining — that this country was not giv ing enough foreign aid to na tions outside the Communist bloc. If he pursues this line he may suffer some embarrassment in 1956 because it is almost cer tain his own' Democrats 'will try to ram through a tax cut in the election year. v Catting taxes means cut ting revenue. It is hard to see how the Democrats could logically call for a boost in foreign aid if the government has less tax money to spend on it. Stevenson took pains to de scribe his views as “moderate,” although anyone who listened to him in the 1952 campaign must already have reached that conclusion about him anyway. Since President Eisenhower is considered a moderate, and is popular in that role, Steven son could hardly make himself unpopular following the same line, which also happens to be his natural one anyway. Taffy Pull by Fudge 'Ver out of the game; that's tour fifth |n-rson.” THE LOOKIHC CLASS Swashbucklers Buckle Instead of Swashing By Bob Davis Emerald Columnist It is the recent Hollywood trend to test the virility of a male star by setting him up as the principle defender of jus tice in a middle-ages horse op era. In "The Warriors," Errol Flynn is given his chance to show what he can do with arm or, sword, and the lady in dis tress. Sadly, the years have had their mellowing influence on actor Flynn. He has put on some unknightly weight and can capture his old agility only through some good camera work. He now looks like Robert Taylor's double. "The Warriors” uses the basic formula of most of the Hollywood history spectacu lars. Flynn is the English Prince of Wales who is left to reign over the French Aquitaine* after their defeat hy the British in the One Hundred Years War. The French noblemen give him all sorts of trouble and finally take a.B English woman host age which neatly provides the lady in distress ingredient and the Inevitable love angle. Joar.nc Dm dutifully provides the pretty scenery and the chance for Kind to prove that he can still coj«- with a castle full of villains and still not ap pear too ruffled. Naturally a cast of thousand'; - well hun dreds anyway, a id to the pa geantry ami there are some nice shots of th<- Knglish coun tryside. "The Warriors" is no worse arid little better than preceding Cinemascope adven tures into the days when chiv alry was in flower. One Mg disappointment in the film was the defense of the castle scene which is the high point of this type of pic ture. The attack lasted only a few minutes and there was complete absence of any tnolr ten lead or flaming oil that traditionally flows so abund antly over the extras* heads. Perhaps a Burt Lancaster could have injected some life into the Prince's part for it was quite clear that. “The Warriors'* and Knot Flynn, both billed as swashbucklers, too often buck led when they should have swashed. The Oregon Daily Emerald i« published five days a week during tlir school year ex cert during examination and vacation periods, by the Student I'ubluati ,n- Hoard of the I ni versity of Or.gon. Entered as second class matt, r at the po,t office. Eugene V'eg. n Subscription rates: $5 irer school year; $_> jwr term. Opinion.; expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer arid do not pretend to 2?S-,?„Zn0Jd-/ '■e,AlSU° "r! ,h- t;"''-e:s„v. Unsigned editorial, "re written by the witor, initialed editorial* by members of the editorial bon d. GORDON HICK, Editor__DONNA RUNBERC, Husiness Manager SALLY RYAN, Editorial Page Editor JOAN RAINVILLE. l.AUKA MORRIS SAM VAHEV, Managing Editor Co-Advertising Manager, _JERRY CLAUSSEX, HOH ROBINSON, Associate Editor, ANNE RITCHEY. New, Editor_ NANCY SHAW. Office Manager CHUCK MITCH ELMORE. Shorts Editor ARLENE KRAUSS, Nat’l Adv. Mgr. EDITORIAL BOARD: Gordon Rice, Jerry ( lauasen, Chuck Mitchclmore. Anne Kitchcy, Hob Robinson. Sally Ryan, Sam Vahey. A***'’t News Editors: Bill Mainwaring, Marcia Mauney, Loretta Meyer, Cornelia Fogle. Feature Editor : Carol Craig. Women’s Editor: Cay Mundorff. / Clarified Adv. Mgr.: I'at Cushnie -\NS’t Office Mgr. : Hecky Tnwler Circulation Mgr.: Nick Maskal Kxecutive Secretary : fieri Coehel Ass’t Snorts Editors: A1 Johnson, Jack Wilson.
