Newspaper Page Text
March, 1966
THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
Page 3
Impression From Abroad
During his trip to southern Europe, southeast Asia, and
a part of Africa, Dr. Manley garnered several impressions of
the people and their ways of life. In a speech in chapel, and
subsequent visits to the various dormitories, he shared some
of the experiences that he had had through slides and com
mentary.
He expounded further, while being interviewed, and ad
mitted that he had been especially charmed by Japan, and
deeply moved by what he observed in India. He remarked
that there are three qualities that particularly describe the
Japanese: He found them to be industrious, energetic, and
serene. The courtesy with which he was received was also
cited as a characteristic feature of his travels. Although he
was not among them for as long a time as he was among
natives of other countries, he observed the Japanese to be
comparatively inscrutable, with respect to discovering their
true attitudes toward American tourists. The high degree of
Westernization, through which their excellence in manu
facturing transistor radios, tape recorders, and ships has been
demonstrated, and the latent memory of the atomic bomb are
very apparent. The Chinese, particularly those in Formosa,
and the people of Thailand seemed much warmer and more
friendly. On the whole, he found the peoples of southeast
Asia to be more economically and socially advanced than
those in Burma, Thailand, and India.
Japanese farming and gardening techniques impressed him
as being superior to those anywhere else in the world. He
suggested that the lack of natural resources and the conse
quent thrift of the people may account for the beautiful sim
plicity of their arrangements, in which design constitutes the
main emphasis. Sand and rocks are used to execute narrative
patterns, and floral arrangements are constructed on three
levels, representing heaven, man, and earth.
The Chinese impressed him as being the best cooks. He
appreciated the care with which they prepare food, and the
great variety of the menus.
Dr. Manley did not observe much ritualism, in the tea
services or in the general religious practices, except when he
was formally received as a visitor to various schools and
temples. At the Tokyo Christian College for Women, the
courtesy and good housekeeping that he observed reminded
him that Spelman enjoys a good reputation for the same
features. He also remarked that the admissions standards are
very high in institutions of higher learning. In contrast to the
European system, however, it appears that once accepted, the
student does not find his studies as demanding, and there is
a marked tendency of some Japanese students to engage in
too much extra curricular activity. The faculties are very re
luctant to fail students at this level, since failure would result
in a “loss of face,” and possible suicides on the part of the
disgraced students.
While in India, he was struck by the abject poverty and
suffering of the people. He intends to write or speak of his
impressions of this country, after he has had an opportunity
to balance his own feelings with more objective details. In
this way, he hopes to make his comments less subjective.
Throughout his travels, he encountered three main re
actions to the Viet Nam crisis. Some believe that General
MacArthur should not have stopped at the forty-ninth parallel,
but should have continued into China and settled the issue
then. Others emphatically feel that the United States should
not be in Viet Nam at all. Still others express the view that
if the United States does not check Communism there, it will
Another Bit of News
Speakout Vietnam
Much commentary has appeared lately concerning the rise
of student concern for an interest in world affairs. A striking
example of this was to be seen in Davage Hall on Thursday,
February 10, at a gathering named the Atlanta University
Center Speakout on Vietnam.
The Speakout was just what the name suggests—an op
portunity for the expression of opinions on the question from
students, from resource persons, and from faculty members
—from anyone interested and having something to say.
The Speakout was divided into three sessions, each with
panel and discussion. Edmund B. Gaither and Marion Phillips
were the session chairmen. In the early afternoon session
Professor Howard Zinn of Boston University (formerly of
Spelman) and Professor Robert Brisbane of Morehouse were
the panel members. John Barbers (Asst, to M. L. King, Jr.,
SCLC) and Desmond Wilson (Professor of Political Science
at Emory) were the principal debaters at the second session.
In the evening session Tom Charles Huston (Chairman, Young
Americans for Freedom) and David McReynolds (Field Secre
tary, War Registers League) appeared.
Represented at the gathering were many views, some dia
metrically opposed to each other. Included in this were repre
sentatives from Affirmation Vietnam and from those who
sponsored the demonstration against this Affirmation.
The Speakout was sponsored by the Committee for an
AU Center Speakout on Vietnam, an ad hoc group of students
and faculty with no official connections in the Center.
Security First
National Bank
serving
Southern California
will have a representative
on campus to interview on
Wed., March 30
Candidates will be selected from
the Bachelor’s level of Accounting,
Business Administration, Econom
ics, Finance and other Business
Majors. Liberal Arts degree candi
dates with at least one year of
Accounting, as well as alumni with
a minimum of 1 year’s full-time
banking experience, are also invited
to apply.
Please make necessary arrangements
at your Placement Office
spread to the Philippines, then to Hawaii, and eventually have
to be repelled by military force from the U. S. mainland.
Dr. Manley also commented on the essence of the charm
of the Eastern woman, which he observed to be founded in an
inner beauty. Development of the innate intellectual ability
and the cultivation of diplomacy and courtesy are more vital
to achieving beauty, rather than placing emphasis on physical
attractiveness. Thus he feels that the Western woman should
assert her political and social equality, but in a diplomatic
manner, such that respect rather than resentment is aroused
in her male colleagues. In this way, comity rather than an
tagonism is generated. On the other hand, he said that the
men should recognize the ability of women, and not act to
stifle their potential contributions, to research, administrative
positions, or conversations, simply to maintain the male ego.
From these impressions, each of us at Spelman may derive
more than a vicarious trip abroad, and gain a better under
standing of the feelings and values, and the charm, of foreign
peoples.
Cheryl Birchette
Senators Question
American students and pro
fessors are not the only citizens
who are concerned and con
fused about our country’s Viet
Nam position. The Senate
Foreign Relations Committee
hearings have shown that our
nation’s leaders are also dis
illusioned about this so far un
declared war. These hearings
revealed the uncertainties and
ambiguities that are a part of
this disturbing conflict. The
senators argued that we must
stop thinking about the world
in absolute terms of “black-
white” or “Communist-De
mocracy.” International poli
tics has become so complicated
that we cannot justify our posi
tion with good guy-bad guy
theories. The American people
demand a concrete and specific
explanation of why we are in
Southeast Asia. It is no longer
sufficient to say that we are
fighting “Communist aggres
sion” or that we are fighting
a war for “freedom.” Both
aggression and freedom must
be carefully defined. It is quite
probable that the European,
Asian, and American connota
tions of these words are vastly
different.
Several new recommenda
tions were made during the
Senate hearings. George F.
Kennan, former ambassador to
Moscow and Yugoslavia and
now associated with the Insti
tute for Advanced Study at
Princeton, New Jersey, sug
gested a way to end the war
quickly. Kennan asserted that
everything possible should be
done to avoid escalation of the
war since this could lead to a
major conflict with Red China
and Soviet Russia. But he also
stated that complete withdraw
al of troops at this time could
harm not only American inter
ests but the peace of the world
as well.
As a compromise between
escalation and immediate with
drawal, Kennan has proposed
that we follow a “restrained
and moderate policy,” some
how convincing the Commu
nists that the conference table
is the only way to get Amer
icans out of Viet Nam. Ken-
nan’t last statement is one with
which nearly all Americans
agree: .. our military in
volvement in Viet Nam has to
be recognized as unfortunate—
as something we would not
choose deliberately if the
choice were ours to make
again today.”
Although Kennan spoke in
very general terms and gave no
specific ways to implement his
suggestions, his views on the
evils of escalation and immedi
ate withdrawal are quite ra
tional. A deeper involvement
in this war could lead to twenty
more years of fighting with
only a dim hope for peace. Yet
American troops are so deeply
(Continued on page 4)