Don’t Judge too Hastily
This year’s lengthy orientation program
for freshmen, married and foreign students
stands mid-way towards completion. Opin
ions on its success have been varied. Some
feel it has been extended over too-broad
a time schedule. Many freshmen believe the
' hours spent at discussion sessions could be
more wisely spent this first term studying.
There is the general criticism that the
discussions have been uniform in topic only,
their content varying with the individual
discussion leaders. The result of this free
dom of approach to the topics is obvious;
while some groups cover an adequate num
ber of questions under the subject, others
will elaborate on too few.
Adding to the frosh confusion is the fact
that every campus organization is attempt
ing to orient the frosh as to study programs
and organization of time. There is a point
at which the freshmen begin to rebel at this
redundant advice. And their rebellion can
be justified.
Two discussions remain on the liberal
The Productive Sahara
One of the more interesting aspects of
the newspaper profession is the variety of
mail that comes over the counter twice a
day (as in the case of The Emerald).
In addition to the usual glut of pubilictv
releases there are also pieces that prove to
be very valuable reading, and worthy of
editorial comment. Such an article was “The
Wealth of the Sahara" by Jacques Sous
telle, a reprint from the periodical Foreign
Affairs.
The text of the piece concerns the French
development of the Sahara desert, that vast
wasteland of rock and sand comparable in
size to the United States. It is the second
most uninhabitable area in the world (next
to the north and south polar regions).
Due to French technological probing and
development, the Sahara is beginning to pro
duce a sizeable mineral output. Reserves of
manganese have been found with estimates
ranging up to a 45.75 percent output of the
rare metal per 1 million tons of ore. An
enormous vein of iron has been discovered,
estimated at two billion tons of ore and con
taining over 50 percent iron. Another vein
is yielding 64 percent iron of an exceptional
arts college and student activities. The ori
entation committee feels that the majority
of freshmen will find a specific interest in
each of these topics; that each student at
tending will gain information on these sub
jects useful to him through the next four
years.
The criticisms are no doubt valid. But it
would not be logical to condemn the entire
program because of its several isolated
faults, especially as it enters its final stage.
Only after the program’s completion can
an honest and worthwhile appraisal be un
dertaken of its successes and failures.
Until its conclusion, we hope the stu
dents concerned will recognize what can
be gained from the remainder of orienta
tion. The new improved program deserves
the opportunity to educate the students as
to the organization, philosophy and tradi
tions of their University. And this oppor
tunity lies only in the continued interest of
the new students.
quality and easy to commercialize. Copper,
uranium and precious metals are also being
discovered.
From the economic point of view, says
the article, the most spectacular and import
ant discoveries have been those of coal, oil
and gase. Five “Class A” fields (indicating
reserves in excess of 50 million barrels) are
now producing both oil and natural gas.
The article goes on to pat the French
scientist and engineer on the back for tbe
ingenious development of the Sahara, and
emphasizes the fact that the French do not
intend to exploit the vast potential wealth
all for themselves. Foreign research permits
total 24 percent of the exploration activity in
the region, with American companies such
as Standard Oil of New Jersey actively en
gaged in seeking oil.
Perhaps the Sahara, with its new found
wealth, will provide the French with the
raw materials to make it a great industrial
and world power once again. With a scant
population consisting in the main of wander
ing tribes and oasis dewellers, the threat of
a nationalistic uprising seems very remote,
at least in the forseeable future.
All this from a region which ten years
ago was not even geologically mapped.
Letters to the Editor
Emerald Editor:
After witnessing our third
home game—our fifth consecu
tive victory—of the season, I
. feel obliged to applaud our
* great team — applause which,
unfortunately, has been lacking
; during the games in the
stadiums.
Being a transfer student from
- Stanford, I have been accustom
ed to organized rooting sections,
. white shirts, card stunts, and,
most of all, enthusiastic, spirited
yell leaders_even for a losing
team.
It was quite a shock to at
tend my first Oregon home
game—against Utah—and find,
to my dismay, neither an organ
ized rooting section nor inter
ested, spirit-building yell lead
ers ... and this at a University
- boasting a WINNING TEAM!
7" Evidently this attitude of
disinterest and indifference
towards the team’s efforts and
* the student rooters still per
_ vades, as was demonstrated Sat
- urday against the Air Academy.
To elaborate:
The “yell leaders" displayed
little interest or enthusiasm for
the game or their duties;
—they didn’t function as a
✓ team, but rather as five in
dividuals, each advancing
their own personal tech
niques.
—their efforts were not co
ordinated with those on the
field — they almost missed
the Ducks initial arrival on
the field.
—they missed the opening
kickoff trying to learn a yell.
—they neglected such common
courtesies as leading a cheer
in appreciation of either
bands’ efforts; recognizing an
injured player on the field,
applauding the players when
they came off the field, and
giving a yell of acknowl
edgement for our fine coach
Len Casanova.
—they also directed an ad
ditional lack of manners,
Saturday, towards the USAF
Falconeer who was kind
enough to bring “Mach I”
over to the Oregon side of
the field after the half time
activities. They did not even
recognize the Falconeer, let
alone introduce him to the
student body!
—lastly, both as leaders of the
rooters and as representa
tives of the University, their
actions (leaning on the play
ers’ bench, talking) during
the playing of the National
Anthem prior to the game
and the Oregon Pledge Song
after the game, were in poor
taste.
Inasmuch as we have such a
fine team and, seemingly, a stu
dent-body desirous of supporting
it, I believe some positive ef
forts can be made.
May I suggest:
I. A rooting section to include:
a. a single block of seats —
large enough to accom
modate the students in one
area.
b. the establishment of an
uniform attire (white shirts
and blouses).
c. possibly development of
card stunts.
II. Marked improvement of the
yell leaders:
a. take an interest by work
ing together for the school,
practicing and developing
spirited yells and routines.
b. Coordinate their efforts
with the field action
—greet the team when it
comes on the field.
—cheer the team appropriate
ly during the course of the
game.
(Continued on page 3)
Little Man on Campus
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fOK H/6 NEXT 3 YEARS Of COLl£cer
Grim Comedy of Proceedings
Color Disarmament Proposal
By WILLIAM L. KYAN
AmmIsM PrfW New** Aiwl>*t
There’s a touch of Alice in
Wonderland about the discus
sion of disarmament these days.
This issue is the most im
portant one facing the world
today, involving the question of
the very survival of the human
race. But for all that there is
more than a little grim comedy
in the proceedings. Illogic is
being piled upon illogic until
the mind reels.
For example, have a look at
this exercise in logic just broad
cast by Moscow Radio In sdp
port of the latest Khrushchev
disarmament proposal:
"The Soviet Union has pro
ceeded from the only correct
principle: That controls cannot
be an end in themselves and
must be organically linked with
realization of practical meas
ures.”
This Soviet gobbledygook ap
pears to mean that there can be
no controls over the carrying
out of any disarmament stage
until the disarmament stage is
agreed upon. That is. control
and the disarmament measure
must spring into being at the
same moment.
Moscow goes on: "Since the
Western powers were not pre
pared to recognize the Justice
of this viewpoint, the question
of controls became a stumbling
block to 'disarmament talks.
"As a result, the Soviet gov
ernment formed the firm con
viction that the way out of this
impasse is to be sought in gen
eral and complete disarmament.
Only such a radical solution
of the problem will remove all
the obstacles piled up in the
discussion of partial disarma
ment and pave the way to es
tablishment of a comprehensive
and complete control system.”
In other words, nobody got
anywhere in talking about par
tial disarmament because one
side wanted foolproof controls
agreed upon in advance.
Therefore, by this reasoning,
the talks will be more successful
If they concern complete and
total disarmament with no ad
vance agreement on the control
system.
This is supposed to make
sense. Both sides must be aware
that it does not. But it is pow
erful propaganda. The West
realizes this. But it, too, must
talk about the thing seriously,
or there will be even more pow
erful propaganda against the
West.
So the statesmen of the U.N.
Political Committee are talking
and marking time In thia grim
game of one-upmanship. At this
moment. Khrushchev is one up.
The United States Is rooking
up a general review of the dis
armament situation over fhr
years In preparation for a U.S.
counterproposal which may or
may j»ot even the score.
Lacking such a proposal at
the moment, the United States
seems to take the position it
has no choice but to say It will
give serious consideration to the
Khrushchev bombshell.
This does not mean the United
Staten takes the Khrushchev
proposal seriously, but only that
It fears what the effect will be
In some parts of the world If it
say* It is not taking It seriously.
Khrushchev has been willing
to concede that Ms total dis
armament would be a big bite to
swallow all at once. He pro
poses, then, to take It In stages,
and the two sides once Again
are back where they started: on
the theme of partial disantli
ment.
Both East and West might
welcome a degree of disarma
ment to lighten the awesome
burden of an endless arms race.
But the Soviet stand on the key
question of controls makes one
wonder whether the Kremlin is
or ever was Interested in sig
nificant amount of disarming.
Massive military potential
makes powerful politics, and
there is no indication whatever
that the Kremlin has lost its
taste for powerful politics.
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald i« published
lour time* in September and five day* ■
week during the Hchiml year, except dur
ing examination and vacation period*, hy
the Student Publication* Board of the
Univeriity of Oregon. Entered a* second
clas* matjer at the post office, Eugene,
Oregon. Subacription rate*: $5 per year,
$2 per term.
Opinion* expressed on the editorial page
are those of Tnc Emerald and do not pre
tend to represent the opinion of the ASUO
or the University.
DON JF.PSEN. Editor
WARREN RUCKER, Business Manager
JEFF WILLIAMS, Managing Editor
STEVE M1I.UKIN,
Advertising Manager
MARY JO STEWART, News Editor
KAREN MAUNEY,
ELLIOT CARLSON.
Associate Editors
LARRY KURTZ, Sfiorts Editor
EVERETT CUTTER,
Entertainment Editor
JOHN RUSSELL, Photo Editor
ARLENE SAUNDERS,
Women’s Editor