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Page Four\;

THE COLLEGE NEWS

"Wednesday, March 23, 1960°



Author Discusses Democracy
In Relation to Ethical Values

“What is the role of moral pur-
pose in our Foreign Policy?” Mr.
Kenneth Thompson, author of
Ethics and the Dilemmas of For-
eign Policy and a member of the
Rockefeller Foundation discussed
this problem at the lecture culmin-
ating the Interfaith series on
Tuesday, March 15, in the Common
Room.

Mr. Thompsop began by saying
that the series of events between
the two world wars called for a
re-evaluation of our international
goals. Action was realized in two

respects, namely the world organ-

ization of. the UN and a world
court of law. But he went on to
say that “we are now facing a
new aspect of American respon-
sibility.’ (We must form a clear,
effective image of our role and
what our: aims must be;.we must
not only understand our national

values and goals but find our po-
sition in a world where there is no
set of values, The United States
has been less successful in realiz-
ing particular punposes than in
setting large goals; as a result
we are criticized for the large gap
between what we say and what we
do. “We must now mark our eth-
ical guidelines and moral purposes
that we actively attempt to real-
ize in our foreign policy,” Mr.

Thompson said.

America is superficially sensi-
tive to ethical purposes, but its
ethical doctrines are premature
and insufficient. There are no
means to ends, or else the means
are misplaced. Thisis—the—heart
of the question of whether our
means further or corrupt our in-
tended ends.

Another aspect of ethical poli-
cies is that the taint of. self-inter-
est is always present. A nation
is a collective interest, a great
aggregate, with big business, la-
bor, etc., and in such a society. the
individual channels his frustrated
ambitions into a collectivism to
secure his identity with the nation-
al group. So-he accepts the prop-
osition that his community is
morally autonomous, and _ that
whatever is good for his state is
morally right.

Objectively the formers of for-
eign policy must face certain real-
ities.. Moral judgments here are



Frost Reading
Continued from Page 1, Col. 5

it is a really valuable approach to
life, it is a magnanimity as dis-
tinguished from tolerance, and we
feel his personality even beyond
his ambiguity. “It is from hav-
ing stood contrasted / That good
and bad so long have lasted.”

Now that I have heard him say-
ing that poetry for him is based
on feats of association, I go back
to his poems and find confirmed
that impression of dynamics that
I got at first readimg it.

The conception of the ~Poet
whose poems I had read and that
of the (Man I heard talking fit very
well into each other, and the same

integrity“ and —sincerity- which I

think a basic quality in his poetry
struck me tonight as a human
quality of the person Frost.
“There’s more poetry outside of
the institution of verse, than there
is inside.” He repeated this sen-
tence several times. A doubt
comes to my mind: Did I like him
because he gave me an opportun-
ity to be something of a poet, al-
though definitely “outside of the
institution?” . . swell, it may even
be so,.I don’t know, but certainly

complicated by three aspects that
Mr. Thompson called process,
problem, and dimensions. First
is the inevitable complexity of
the machinery of democracy. There
is the massive diffusion of policy
and action, influenced by the tides
of. public opinion, personalities in
the government and the legisla-
ture. These complications »make
a firm judgment almost imposs-
ible.

Then there are the problems,
the issues themselves. Decisions
must be made quickly and the is-
sues are often specific practical
ones far removed from moral ques-
tions.

At this time it is vital to make
a rediscovery of our moral pur-
pose. Mr. Thompson defined four
spheres im which ethics have a
role to play. First is the domain
of the individual. More and more
we are victims of national confor-
mity. Human qualities: such as
courage, leadership, professional-
ism, and resourcefulness must be
revitalized, Secondly, ethics must
be more fully enforced in the do-
main of national life, in our com-
bined society of liberal democratic
traditions and Judeo-Christian
principles.

A third area where ethics must
be rediscovered is in our national
attitude, and our sense of reality
concerning international politics.
There must be a point of congru-
ence betwen political realism and
a sense of moral commitment.
Finally, there must be a respon-
sible evaluation of our destiny in
world politics. The ‘burden of
moral judgment must be felt by
individuals, who must act more
strongly wpon the state,._For—in
reality the state can act only as
individuals influence it and prompt

2

Continued from Page 2, Col. 5

you see wonderful things that don’t
exist on earth—double berries,
triple berries. These dreams aren’t
reworked at all; they’re wonder-
fully complete.

“You can’t trust poets mwhen
they tell how much they rework
their poems. Some of them want
to look as though‘ they worked
hard, and others like to'seem spon-
taneous. Maybe an average of
lies will give you the truth.

“In my poem, ‘The mountain,’
there’s not a word re-written. And
then there is such a thing as pull-
ing, hauling, and fussing around.
What a wonderful thing it is to
see a complicated stanza struck
out. You’d think it would. scare
the poet from anything further.
You need inspiration; I call it
‘animus.’

“Writing a poem is an adven-
ture, I deny that I know the end.
There is a certain logic of the
spirit, not of the mind, and you
must ring it off at the end, like a
bell. What do you go to the North
Pole for? To see if you can get



Flexner Lecture
Continued from Page 1, Col. 2

colored.

There is no comaiial pean
between sacred and secular music.
It is the intention with which it is
created and used that makes the
difference,

The greatest single problem of
the present music is traditional-
ism: first, the slovenly, shallow-
traditionalism of out-dated Victor-
ians; and second, the light-minded
attempt at restoration. The entire
reform and restoration of music
suffers from the same malady. We
have failed-to educate the pastor
and the congregation so that the
church musician cannot safely ex-



it to.

periment with new ideas.



German

Continued from Page 3, Col. 1
or not?

In the recent outbreak “for the
first time the past stood up of its
own accord in the light of: Neo-
Nazism and anti-Semitic incidents
and the German people, confronted
with the past, recognized the dis-
play of the Swastika as a punish-
able offense.

“Things have gotten better than
we could have expected in 1945.”
The German people have accepted
democracy “as a fine confirmation
of the new state and political feel-
ing.”

From the beginning the Weimar
Republic was under siege from
the right and the left, the Nazis
and the Communists. There was
competition for dictatorial power
of Germany that spelled the ruin
of the first German republic.

After the war the threat of
Communist dictatorship. eclipsed
the memory of Hitler. Some peo-
ple said “Hitler saw the Commun-
ist dangers before the others” and
they blamed the Allies for not}
stopping the Communists’ expan-
sion. In a condemnation of Com-
munist totalitarianism, they for-
got Hitler’s variation of it.

Today there is a totally differ-
ent situation. “Defeat in the war
was total and apparent. Absolute-

ly no one dreams of a second re-| a
a democracy, “it is pretty confus-|

turn match., The Germans have
had enough of totalitarianism.
Democracy has been accepted by
the German people, perhaps not
with complete understanding, but
without controversy. The new
eleven-year-old republic has prof-
ited from the lessons of Weimar.”

Election participation shows the
interest of the German in his gov-
ernment: in 1949, 60% voted for
the two big parties (the govern-
ment and the opposition); in 1958,
more than 70%; and in 1957, 82%.



I was happy for a very special
reason; for am intellectual emo-
tion which I felt and believe I

was‘ not the only one to feel...



Almost 88% of the people vote. |
~The democratic ~ consolidation
was helped by the economic pros-

"
Attitudes

the materialistic attitude of the
new generation has driven Mrs.
‘Leber to despair, she realized that
economic success had: some educa-
tional values; it killed the idea
that “only the strong arm of a
strong man could rid the people of
economic bondage.”

There is an approach to sober
political wisdom. The people must
arm themselves against the threat
of Communism, against the Com-
munists of East Germany who at
one point “masquerade as anti-
Nazis and call for reunification”
and at another point for the op-
posite.

“The people have developed an
instinctive solidarity for the
Western world which contributes
to the soundness of our own dem-
ocracy.” The development of. po-
litical consciousness is in recog-
nition of the resistance movement
which offers a —, basis for
a new start.” .

The major problem. in ‘Gevnany
today is that of the “new genera-
tion.” The youth looks at poli-
tics with skepticism and indiffer-
ence; their elders neglected their

-in the recent past.

Because in the past half century
Germany had lived under a mon-
archy, a republic, a dictatorship,
provisional occupation, and now

ing. Many seek a firm hold in
life in technical knowledge and
technical careers rather than in
politics. The youths have a mis-
trust of their elders who made
an unholy mess of things. But
politica] abstinence does mot pre-
clude political judgment.

“Even the skepticism of our
allied friends will prove a useful
spurt to us in dealing with our
Problems.” Expressing her grati-
“tude as a citizen of Berlin, Mrs.

Coffee with Frost .

back, What do you go into a poem
for? To see if you can get out.

“Yeats always said that writing
was a terrible torture for him,
cost him sweat and blood. I don’t
believe that. He just liked the
agony pose. Some of my Freudian
friends won’t believe that any-
thing is written except in misery.
That’s not true. It’s not facility,
but felicity. You’re a thinking
man, with many thoughts scatter-
ed around. They. come together
like a kaleidescope.”

Asked which of his poems were

his favorites, Mr. Frost said, “I
don’t have favorites. All that are
in the anthology have my approv-
al, The one I like best is the one
that has been excessively praised
most recently. I hear about it,
and think, well, that must be a
pretty good poem,
* “Other criticism that tears my
poetry apart, may cost the critic
about five minutes to write, but it
costs me a lifetime of agony. No
criticism has ever changed my
writing or done me any good.

“Someone once asked me if I
was interested in language. Yes,
in a queer, distant way. I never
knew any word out of the diction-
any; I’ve always learned it in con-
text.”

In the next question, Mr. Frost
was asked if he thought the sum-
mit conferences would get anyone
anywhere. “All that talk. The
one thing it might do is shake

*¥down all the spirit until everyone

is so tired they don’t want to
scratch each other any mure.
Bombs will go on the shelf the
way germ warfare has, They are
too dangerous; we'll go back to
punching each other on the jaw.”

Asked whether the poet should
be a social critic; whether he had
any responsibility to his own age,
Mr. Frost said it was a hard ques-
tion, “They pick you out for cer-
tain things you’ve said. One an-
thologist does it, and all the oth-
ers follow after.

“I wasn’t going to be one of
those poets who make a virtue of



political and historical education:

having no one read them. I’ve
never written or read any blurbs
or reviews. I evaluate, but not on
the platform. If you’re around
me you'll know what poets I value.
I was almost forty before I knew
a single writer. Now I’ve gotten
so I’m relieved when I get mad
with someone so I don’t have to
like his poetny any more.

“You want songs like the ones
they had in the Spartan army to
chop people with. You want the
poor babied until they’re no good.
A thread of sentiment is about as
near as you get. The poet is a
master of sentiment. The post of
poetry is on the brink of spiritual
disaster. (We are all living there;

Alumnae Bulletin
Continued from Page 3, Col. 4

mediate disarmament, Mr. Paul-
ing believes “that any rational
human being who knows the facts
about the present world situation
with respect to the nature of war
must draw the conclusion that war
has to be given up, and that dis-
putes between nations must now
be decided by international agree-
ments and an effective system of

as to do justice to the nations and
the people involved,” /

The writer, ever, has added
this broadly defined plan of Mr.
Pauling’s to the list of his former
statements and replied, “Surely
the consistency with which Paul-
ing’s views coincide with those of
International Communism must
disqualify him as a legitimate ex-
ponent of a political point of view.”

There are many _ questions
prompted by this opinion. One
might query on what basis a man’s
communist sidings disqualify him
from holding a politica] point of
view. Is Mr. Pauling advocating
the violent overthrow of the gov-
ernment of the United States to
fulfill his initiation rites to the
Communist party? Would the
writer label Gandhi, Schweitzer,
Russell, the Quakers, Amish and
other religious sects and people
Communists merely because they
advocate disarmament, passive
resistance and so forth?

One might also query why, even
if Mr. Pauling’s stand calling for
disarmament on. a recognition of
the immorality of war were at all
Communistic, the Bulletin or any
other publication of an institution
which openly does not represent in
theory or fact any specific political
loyalties, should not print any
article it chooses, and especially
one~calling forthe preservation
of human life and civilization.



not political but spiritual.”

In closing, Mr, Frost remarked
that a lot had been left unsaid.
“There are lots of loose ends. It’s
like in the newspapers, where there
are always loose ends. You try
the weeklies to see if they finish
things up, but they’re not any
better.”



NOTICE

Student tickets for the Phoe-
nix production fo Henry IV
are available for performances
from now through April 3.
Prices are $2.50 for orchestra
and $1.50 for balcony seats.
Betsy Levering, Denbigh, has
the “exchange’ ’tickets, which .
are to be traded in at the box
office for seat tickets at the



above prices.









Poll Taken on New Dorm

Do you want a sink in your
room, or a public room where non-
smokers may study? Many people
do, according to the poll recently
taken by undergrad. It is difficult
to measure in terms of exact
numbers just what the campus
feeling is on controversial sub-
jects such as. quantity of singles
as opposed to doubles, due to the
fact that some dorms handed the
individual baHots in while others
tallied their own. It is also hard to
ascertain the opinion about details,
as people might have remarked
on particulars such as window
seats had they thought of them.

Some definite student feeling
was manifested, however. People
are in favor of retaining Gothic
architecture. (Many want some
degree of built-in furniture, at
least bookcases. Almost every-
one remarked on the maid service,
and many were in favor of de-
creasing it, though few wanted

meals served cafeteria style. An-'

room on the first floor so that it
can be used for dances, but most
favor the second floor. High ceil-
ings are still desired. People also
want smokers on the second floor
and more smoker space in general.
Some favor convertible smokers,
while others want livable show-
cases,

There were many _ miscellane-
ous suggestions which were not
general considerations. One per-
son suggested vacuum cleaners
for student tse, another suggest-
ed more rugs om which to use
them. Somene else suggested that

basins have one faucet for mixed |

hot and cold water. One person
wants a freight elevator for lug-
gage, while another suggests
omitting fluorescent lighting.

Many people are in favor of hav-
ing five or six singles opening
onto a large living room, and many
want more low-priced suites and
more triples.

The result of the poll will be

international law, in such a way _



Leber concluded with the hope
that the United States would “con-
tinue to put confidence im us 80



perity of the new state. Though

that we can win.”

ne a ine







other thing frequently commented
upon is the diming room. Smail
tables find much favor. Some peo-
ple prefer to have the dining

SEES Pact RE PAREN AION A



combined with those of the college
tours by Anne ‘Marie ‘Cusamano to
form a report which will be used

in planning the new a





















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