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College news, December 16, 1953
Bryn Mawr College student newspaper. Merged with Haverford News, News (Bryn Mawr College); Published weekly (except holidays) during academic year.
Bryn Mawr College (creator)
1953-12-16
serial
Weekly
4 pages
digitized microfilm
North and Central America--United States--Pennsylvania--Montgomery--Bryn Mawr
Vol. 40, No. 10
College news (Bryn Mawr College : 1914)--
https://tripod.brynmawr.edu/permalink/01TRI_INST/26mktb/alma991001620579...
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation.
BMC-News-vol40-no10
Page Two
THE
COLLEGE NEWS
\ 5 \
THE COLLEGE NEWS
FOUNDED IN 1914
Bryn Mawr College.
Published weekly during the College Year (except during Thanksgiving,
Christmas znd Easter holidays, and during examination weeks) in the interest
of Bryn Mawr College at the Ardmore Printing Company, Ardmore, Pa., and
Editor-in-Chief.
The College News is fully protected by copyright.
in it may be reprinted either wholly or in part without permission of the
Nothing that appears
Joan Havens, ‘56,
Molly Epstein, ‘56
Joyce Mitchell, ‘55
Charlotte A. Smith, ‘56
Marcia Goldstone, ‘56
Donnie Brown, ‘57
Marcia Case, ‘57
Virginia Gavian, ‘57
Saren Merritt, ‘55
Diane Druding, ‘55
Suzanne Hiss, ‘55
Sondra Rubin, ‘56
Carol Stern, ‘56
EDITORIAL BOARD
Barbara Drysdale, ‘55, Editor-in-Chief
Evelyn DeBaryshe, ‘56, Copy
EDITORIAL STAFF
Alliance ReporterEpsey Cooke, ‘57
Helen Rhinelander, ‘56
League Representative
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Eleanor Small, ‘55
BUSINESS MANAGER
Julia Heimowitz, ‘55
Marjorie Richardson, ‘55, Associate Business Manager
BUSINESS STAFF
Annabelle Williams, ‘56
SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER
Diana Fackenthal, ‘55
SUBSCRIPTION BOARD
Managing Editor
Harriette Solow, 56 »~!
Carole Colebob, ‘57
Mimi Collins, ‘57
Barbara Palmer, ‘57
Carol Bradley, ‘57
Ruth Rasch, ‘57
Margi Abrams, ‘56
SDA Holds Debate
On Social Security
“There has always been charity
from our hearts,” said Mr, Chod-
orov, who took the affirmative in a
debate with Professor Roche of
Haverford on the subject, “Is So-
cial Security a Fraud”? The debate
on Thursday, December 17, at 7:15
was sponsored by S.D.A. and mod-
erated by Mary Cahn.
“The relationship between indi-
vidual and individual disappears
when the government steps in”, said
Mr. Chodorov, who is a member of
the Intercollegiate Society for In-
dividualists. Professor Roche ac-
cused him of distrusting “common
action for the common good.” Lat-
er, Mr. Chodorov said “Most of
the difficulties we have today are
“ Connie Alderson, ‘56
Margaret Schwab, ‘56
Carlene Chittenden, ‘56
Polly Lothman, ‘56
Joan Polk, ‘56
Subscription, $3.50
Subscriptions may begin at any time
Mailing price, $4.00
Entered as second class matter at the Ardmore, Pa., Post Office
Under the Act of March 3, 1879
But Once A Year
A special kind of madness settles over Bryn Mawr just
It is a combination of utter exhaustion,
hope for relief if we can hang on a few more days, and a
before Christmas.
genuine Christmas spirit.
More tables are lifted during this week, more water is
thrown and more people collapse in helpless laughter than
during any other.
” and the Christmas trees go up in every hall.
And so, with an odd mixture of relief and gaiety Christ-
A girl at
pain..
mas comes to Bryn Mawr.
breakfast murmurs “O pain,
Woodbury S peaks Ai Department Tea
On United Nations Labor Or ganization
“Welcome back, we’re glad to
have you,” was the message of
the tea which the students and fac-
ulty of the department of Social
Economics gave for Mrs. M. F.
Woodbury, former head of the de-
partment who has been in Europe
for the last seven years. There,
as chief of the International Labor
Organization’s Bureau ef Women
and Children she has had an op-
portunity to observe the status of
the people and their working con-
ditions. She left her job recently,
and with her husband, has return-
ed to Bryn Mawr to live.
At the tea on Wednesday, De-
cember 7, she told a little of her
experiences and of the ideas she
had gleaned from her work. Grad-
ually, she said, the world around
us is becoming — social-welfare-
minded. Nations and governments
are gradually becoming aware of
Revision Committee
The Revisions Committee for
overhauling the Self-Gov Constitu-
tion would like to urge all students
who have suggestions for improv-
ifig Bryn Mawr’s self-gov system
to let their hall members of the
Committee know. -The .Committee
members are Joy Robbins, Connie
Hicks, Ilse Shapiro, Caroline Mor-
gan, Ann Shocket, Ann Robinson,
Marsha Wells, Carol Parker, and
Debbie Jordan (chairman).
the result of government stepping
‘into social functions.”
His opponent pointed out that
social security is “accepted by
all”, including business and labor.
He explained that it includes the
blind, the unemployed and other
needy groups whose care has been
shifted through the years from
neighboring persons to the coun-
ty, state, and finally the national
level. This is the most efficient
method since our society has
become less agricultural, making
essentials, like food, harder for the
general public to obtain.
Mr. Chodorov’s second point was
that Social Security is not insur-
ance but a tax. The money is put
_into the U. S. Treasury where Con-
gress may use it. He said that
there is no reserve fund, and the
money is put into bonds and it goes
:into circulation. The employer in-
cludes Social Security as an expen-
diture and raises his prices, thus
stimulating inflation and decreas-
ing the value of money received.
He also said that for people with
high incomes, the money received
under Social Security is not pro-
portional to the amount they give.
The government has a_ reserve
fund—of $18,000,000,000—which it
must keep because it would flood
the stock market and result in gov-
ernment control of industry, coun-
tered Professor Roche,
NOTICE TO SENIORS AND
GRADUATE STUDENTS:
The Ford Foundation Board
on Overseas Training and Re-
search is offering Scholarships
and Fellowships in Soviet and
East European Studies and
Foreign Study and Research Fel-
lowships for the year 1954-1955.
their responsibilities in the com-
munities. Their problems are so
great that they make conditions in
the United States seem perfect. In
places like the Middle East there
is constant poverty and degrada-
tion, combined with a complete
lack of community feeling. But
the situation is made more hope-
ful by the budding interest and
the desire to improve the situation
that the governments show.
From World War II until now
the ILO, which started under the
League of Nations and then fell
under the jurisdiction of the 'U. N.
“has begun to give actual services,
instead of merely performing re-
search.” The heartening part of
that program is that it is not only
the big countries like the United
States and Great Britain who are
helping. Countries like India, In-
donesia are aiding all other coun-
tries in whatever way they can.
She added that if, in reading the
newspapers, we should become dis-
couraged about the progress of the
United Nations, we must realize
that much of the work which this
organization does is behind-the- |
scenes and unpublicized.
The organizations such as the
World Health Organization, or the
Food and Agriculture unit are do-
ing real work and are just as vital
as other better-known U. N. or-
ganizations.
The latter are specifically for
Asia and the Near and Middle
East. All those _ interested
should see the dean.
Letter To Editor
Note ‘Informs’ Students
Of Brain-washing
At BM C
Dear Editor:
Recently I received a_ letter
from a prominent citizen of a mid-
western community informing me
that at Bryn Mawr I was being
subjected to a “gentle brain-wash-
ing.” This belief, one can only
presume, was formulated by his
own political convictions. I bring
this to your attention because the
implications of this accusation af-
fect us all. It is a particularly
ugly manifestation of a type of
thinking becoming more and more
familiar.
“Brain washing” is a _ terrible
process. It is not a term to be
, bandied about. In an atmosphere
of mental stagnation it can occur
—but it can not take place in an
atmosphere of freely exchanged
ideas where the development of the
individual is deemed of highest
importance.
. Sincerely,
Laura Lee Stearns, ’56
“Wednesday, December 16,1953
Current Events
Mr. Brown Interprets
History, Effects
Of White Case
“The Harry Dexter White case],
yhas many far-reaching implica-
tions affecting foreign and domes-
tic issues and civil liberties,” said
Dr. Donald Brown in speaking at
Current Events on November 23.
Dr. Brown first reviewed the
history of the case. White, who
was not a public figure during his
service with the Treasury Depart-
ment, is not generally regarded as
being a Communist, but as having
suspicious contacts. His investi-
gation by the F.B.I. was brought
to the attention of Truman, who
nevertheless appointed him Execu-
tive Director of United States In-
termonetary Fund. Brownell charg-
ed that Truman had been blind,
although not subversive, in doing
30, but Truman defended himself
by saying that it was done in or-
der to keep an eye on White and
not arouse the suspicion of the
Communist Party. J. Edgar
Hoover of the F.B.I. then testified
that his organization was never a
part of the plan, but that he had
warned Truman that White was a
dangerous risk.
Political Gesture
In evaluating the case Dr.
Brown said that it was necessary
to realize that when the case broke
Truman had been in office only six
months and had tremendous de-
cisions to make following the war.
Also, friendly relations with Rus-
sia meant that there was little
concern about Communism in gov-
ernment. Therefore Truman can
only be charged with blindness in
his handling of the affair.
Dr. Brown feels that the domes-
tic implications of the case are
chat Eisenhower has lost some ccn-
trol of the Republican Party, which
is using the White case for politi-
cal purposes.
agreement with Leonard Hall over
the question of Communism in
government as an issue in the next
eleg@tion shows that he has lost
some control of his administration.
Dr. Brown believes that the Re-
publicans brought up the case as
a purely political gesture, focus-
sing attention on the previous ad-
ministration’s mistakes instead of
on the recent Republican election
losses and the criticism being
leveled at Secretary of Agriculture
Benson.
“ However, the issue may backfire
on the Republicans. It attacked
Trumzn, who still has tremendous
popular appeal; it may unite the
Democrats against the Republican
program; and it created adverse
‘oreign comment.
Civil Liberties
Dr.. Brown believes that the
the White case also presents a
threat to civil liberties in the coun-
try. Brownell might continue to
select and edit information from
the F.B.I. files, which has never
before been permitted. The case
also gives an added impetus tr
McCarthyism and increases the at-
mosphere of fear in the country.
Brownell has also asked legisla-
tion permitting wire-tapping evi-
dence to be used in court, which
has previously been regarded as
contrary to the American iradition
of personal privacy.
In its effect on foreign opinion,
Dr. Brown said that Europe was
left aghast. The effect on NATO
is unforeseen, but we have not im-
pressed them with ou? political
maturity.
In closing, Dr.
mended that a bi-partisan study of
the case be made.
Eisenhower’s dis-!
Miss Holborn Discusses
Britain’s Views
On U. S. A.
“British Critics of the United
States” was Miss Hanna Holborn’s
topic at Current Events on Novem-
ber 30. She stressed the often-
overlooked fact that those who
criticize the U. S. aren’t necessar-
ily anti-American. Discussion of
Anglo-American differences is im-
portant, -since relationships with
England have been deteriorating
during the past few months. We
eannot disregard these differences;
they must be recognized, under-
stood, and dealt with.
Miss Holborn spoke first of criti-
cisms concerning our foreign pol-
icy. These we hear from all po-
litical quarters in England. The
most severe criticism is reserved
not for the aims of our policy, but
for the techniques and methods by
which we atempt to carry them out.
Our, lack of flexibility is felt to
be our main weakness; many go
so far as to insinuate that we do
not have a policy, but merely a”
stubborn point of view. That our
policy is too dependent on our do-
mestic crises is a British opinion.
Britains feel that our policy is too
dependent on whatever election is
impending, and that Congress, and
not the State Department, actual-
ly formulates foreign policy.
Fear of McCarthyism, isolation-
ists, and the opinions of military
personnel are among the influenc-
es the British believe to affect the
State Department. In pressing for
new solutions, the U. S. succumbs
to a feeling of fear and near hys-
teria; this affects foreign policy,
and ultimately we may find our-
selves with no solution at all, ac-
cording to our neighbors across
the sea.
Churchill’s recent proposal for
a four-power conference met with
great enthusiasm in Britain. The
negative American approach to the
idea generated feeling that the
U. S. is terrified of political reper-
cussions. The “rigid” attitude of
Secretary of State Dulles, and the
recent Harry Dexter White case,
have confirmed the bleak view of
our policy which some British crit-
ics are inclined to take.
The U. S. concerns herself with
Far East policy to the point of ne-
glecting Europe, in Britain’s opin-
ion. The supposition that the U. S.
thinks of Britain as being Eng-
land, and not as the Commonwealth
of Nations, also disturbs the Brit-
ish. Concerning German rearma-
ment, the British, while sensing
the necessity for it, fee] that it is
a serious problem, and that the
U. S. may be depending decreas-
ingly on Britain and more and
more on Germany, in this respect.
The pro-Zionist policy of the U. S.
has long been criticized ‘by Britain,
and other differences center around
the Pacific pact negotiations and
the Indian question.
In criticizing U. S. domesic pol-
icy, the British feel that the econ-
omy cannot be stabilized unless
there is more opportunity for Brit-
ish trade. Bevan is a most influen-
tial British critic. Clement Attlee
differs with Bevan in that he tends
to see the positive effects of rear-
mament in Western Europe. The
Conservatives, while ready to crit-
icize the U. S., feel that England
should ally herself with either the
U. S. or Russia, even though each
nation’s policy does contain flaws.
Brown recom-'
Recently Senator McCarthy
asked that people write letters
to the President condemning
aid to countries trading with
Red China. Others felt that
letters should be written de-
fending the present policy.
The Alliance wishes to sug-
gest that anyone who feels
strongly write letters support-
ing either view.
2