Daily
EMERALD
Time is Ripe
A problem common to every Congress
since 1946—statehood for Hawaii and/or
Alaska—is currently receiving another look
by Senators and Representatives in the na
tion’s capital.
The two territories have been actively
promoting statehood for themselves for
three decades. Countless arguments pro and
con have been heard in Congressional de
bates, reports and hearings, as well as in
the press.
The arguments have changed little
through the years, and the territories have
progressed almost daily—yet Congress still
haggles on the issue. Why? Perhaps be
cause, while the legislators are all but sure,
they don't want to make a mistake. State
hood, once granted, is final.
The Hawaiian case was the strongest lor
many years, but now Congressional spon
sors of statehood bills feel Alaska will earn
the new status before the Islands.
Hawaii has all the cjualifications tradi
tionally required of a new state—economic
self-sufficiency, an up-to-date educational
and social system and modern government
—but the stickler to its admission has been
Southern opposition to its multi-racial
population.
Alaska lacks most of Hawaii’s attributes,
but probably needs statehood much more.
Increased population, proper development
of immense natural resources and end of
US absentee ownershop are hoped for by
Alaskan statehood backers.
A usual objection to statehood for both
areas is their non-contiguity to the United
States and their separation in miles. But
this factor, with current transportation and
communication facilities, is dimming in sig
nificance.
It seems clear that both territories will
eventually obtain statehood (for which pro
visions have been made in Old Glory)—the
question is when.
Hawaii and Alaska are states in all but
in name, and they should be given equality
long deserved. They have assumed state ob
ligations but are not receiving state bene
fits. The time, long overdue, is ripe.
Pat on the Back
A pat on the back is due the ASUO sen
ate for a decision it made in its meeting
last week. The senate voted to accept an
orientation-leadership committee report that
recommended a weekend leadership confer
ence next fall instead of a "leadership-orien
tation class” that had been discussed earlier.
The committee recommended that, gen
erally, the conference include discussion
and explanation of such things as student
government here and at other schools, the
budget, "enlightenment about bodies with
which the senate deals," and “personal
characteristics” of a good senator and a
good leader.
While we feel the senate would be better
off forgetting about “personal characteris
tics of senators and leaders,” we commend
its decision to try to get together for indi
vidual and group benefit. The senate was
also wise in setting aside any ideas for a
“leadership-orientation class” (someone
even suggested class credit or making it a
compulsory course for freshmen). The fac
ulty would turn down such an idea in a
flash, indeed as they should, and the senate
would appear ridiculous.
The idea of a “leader’s conference,” how
ever, is a good one. We might suggest that
special emphasis be placed on orientation
of various student organizations to the
leaders who attend. There's plenty of con
fusion between campus organizations, and,
if more were understood about organiza
tional set-up, personnel problems and the
role each of the organizations play, chances
are the groups would get along a lot better.
A Good Phrase
Four times a year, the Carnegie Corpora
tion sends us a report on its doings—and a
headline in the most recent issue helped
solidify our ideas on what to say about
Brotherhood Week (just ending).
‘Nothing Human is Alien’ ” was the
headline—in quotes, as if it had been bor
rowed, but we couldn’t locate its source.
But no matter where it came from, that
phrase is a good one. It deserves some ser
ious thought.
For it seems to us that, in promoting
brotherhood of all men, half the battle is
won if individuals can be persuaded that
people with “different” colors and religions
and backgrounds are not so different, after
all; that they’re just people, with the same
faults and virtues we all have.
Spread the word, as your part in Brother
hood Week: “Nothing Human is Alien.”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Emerald Editor:
Concerning Jack Wilson’s sec
ond try to defend the week
which advertises advertising:
The reason many people doubt
the worth of advertising is not
that they fail to realize the
place of advertising in our mass
sales economy. They fully realize
that present day advertising is
necessary for the form of this
society. They merely question
the value of the form. Such a
questioning is obviously beyond
Mr. Wilson’s understanding.
I am intrigued by Mr. Wil
son’s insistence in restricting
alternatives. According to his
last column, he thinks either of
advertising as it is now, or no
advertising at all. Can’t he con
ceive advertising of such a na
ture that it wouldn’t brainwash
the “best-informed” populace in
the world, while still introduc
ing new products?
Advertising has probably al
ways deceived people about its
wares, but present day advertis
ing deceives people about them
selves. The latter is what I rec
ognize during “Advertising Ftec
opnition Week”; I recognize it,
and I dislike it.
I wonder how the colonists
ever got this democracy started
without the “bulwark” of ad
vertising. It is really too bad
that Thomas Paine never pub
lished “Common Sense” because
he didn’t have any advertising
to finance it.
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published four times in September and five days a week
during the school year, except during examination and vacation periods, by the Student
Publications Board of the University of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the
post office, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per year, $2 per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of The Emerald and do not pretend
to represent the opinion of the ASUO or the University.
ALLEN JOHNSON, Editor
WILLIAM COOK, Editorial Page Editor
GARY CAPPS, Business Manager
PHIL HAGER, Managing Editor
vji-'i-'ii v ^tuvci umiik jvidiiaijcr
JERRY RAMSEY, JACK WILSON, Associate Editors
PEPPER ALLEN, News Editor
BOB MULLIN, Sports Editor
Editorial Board: Allen Johnson, William Cook, Phil Hager, Pepper Allen,
Bob Mullin, Jerry Ramsey, Jack Wilson.
How free is a press which is
heavily influenced by the gentle
men who buy that all important
advertising space?
I can’t tell from his column
whether Mr. Wilson thinks of
“art” as an aid in presenting
advertising, or as art with a
capital “A,” i.e., art as prac
ticed by the Artiste. But I can
tell that said columnist has no
idea of the very basic relation
ship of art (with a small "a”)
to man.
A little investigating in an
thropology would quickly show
him that it is most difficult to
think of homo sapiens sans art.
The creating of art is almost
part of the definition of man. It
is, therefore, nonsense to con
sider even figuratively a choice
between eliminating art or ad
vertising.
There is really no choice at
all. It is impossible to separate
art from mankind. Take adver
tising methods of today and
you are led to the type of
mass conformity thinking which
makes a nation ripe for loss of
civil liberty.
Dennis Davis
Junior in AAA
The Rationalizers
, and then there's the expense of rrplarkiRvHlI those flat's . . /'
CkarL WitcU
more
Oregon’s 85th Anniversary
Should Be Celebrated May 7.
There should be some sort of
anniversary celebration on May
7 this year something other
than the educa
tional movie or
the Browsing
Room lecture
that the Student
Union calendar
lists for that
date. It is ac
tually the 85th
birthday of the
University of
Oregon.
R
Yes, I know, this doesn't
square with the October Char
ter Day "birthday” and the
MDCCCLXXVI underneath Mt.
Hood on the University seal.
But May 7, 1873 the day they
turned the first ear.h for Deady
Hall deserves recognition this
year. It was the physical be
ginning of the University of
Oregon.
It’s pretty hard to avoid get
ting caught up in the en
thusiasm of the University's
history from that memorable
day for Eugene's citizens, dres
sed In their Sunday best for the
groundbreaking of a university.
It’s pretty hard to avoid even
in the single-minded search for
a dormitory name.
There are names — worthy
ones too — plus some interest
ing notes on the personalities
behind the present building
names. Judge Matthew P. Deady
for instance, was the leader of
the opposition in the Univer
sity’s first real fight: whether
or not it should be established.
He favored the parochial schools
system over publicly supported
education. (He later crossed to
the other side and became one
of the University’s strongest
supporters.)
But speaking of dormitory
names, how about Judge Joshua
J. Walton, a friend from the
start (member of the founding
Union University Assn, and
early secretary of the board of
regents) ?
II was Judge Walton who
stumped the county for build
ing funds, confronting work
men coincidentally on pay days
and visiting farmers in between.
The chickens, pigs, fruit and
wheat that lie hauled hack to
a Kugcnc storekeeper (X. (»,
Hendricks) lor conversion inXo
cask lunuit slow erasure of thf
debt from stUl-rudc Heady Hall
IteKim courageously on promise*
as a $50,000 project.
J he story is moat thorouglyy
told in The History of tin* t'nu
verslty of Oregon (Rinfords
Mort, 1940) by the late Henry
D. Sheldon, early dean of the
school of education and a mas
remembered by George Turnbull
and Karl Onthank for his "widt
grasp" of knowledge rather thftr
the relative specialization < 1
today. His positions as lectiftc
professor in education, phi
losophy and history bear tfTi>
out,
Although Sheldon doesn’t meuj
tiori the selection of the yellow
from the state flower as th*
school color (it should be "grape
yellow," not "lemonyyeHow" v
he does describe the" first Ore
gon football game (UO 44, Al
bany College 2) which followed
shortly.
And the story of the Univer
sity winds on throug^i 274 pages'
from first President J. W. John
son and his "ten command
ments" (You think the dry zone
is tough? "Mr. C.T.F. having
been seen going Into severnj
saloons, it was moved that Ijis
name be stricken from thq
roll."; to the 1938 inauguration
of Donald Erb, who, anothej
writer says, would have made
Oregon the "Harvard of the
West” but for his untimely
death in 1943.
In between there’s Dr. Thomil'
Condon, the father of science—
especially geology—at Oregon
standing “straight as an ancicni
Druid.” Or the little Eugene
storekeeper, Sam Friendly who’
another-author describes, would
be lifted to the platform at every
pre-game rally for his tradition;
al speech, “Wlctory must (jc
ours!”
If there’s ever a new ROXC
building it should be named foi
Col. John Leader, the British
officer from the Royal Irish
Rifles who organized the highly
patriotic student body (and
some faculty) who had been
drilling with wooden rifles ir
World War I. 4
(Continued on page 3)