Newspaper Page Text
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MERCER UNIVERSITY. MACON, GEORGIA
October 26, 1962 Volume XUJ1, No. 6
Larry Maioriello, Editor
Bob Hurt Yvonne Reeves
Managing Editor Business Manager
Executive Editor John Weatherly
Feature Editor - - Tim Gill
Sports Editor ...... Jack Fincher
Copy Editor Jans Shaw
Associate Editors: Hugh Lawson, Ronald Carr, Marty Layfield, Hanna
Saad, Mary Jane Carter, A1 Stephenson, Dick Shiver, Davis McAuley
News Staff: Kaye Wells, Dana Poole, Katie Koellner, Bob Carter, Judy
Kennerly, Mary Payne, Barbara Bradley, Charron Pitts, Edward Sim
mons, Betty Hancken, Carolyn Phillips, Elaine Hudson, Sandra Faulkner.
Business Staff: Genie Ashurst (Circulation Manager), Jean Smith, Ma-
falda Regina, Martha Durden. Tommie Harris, Donna Barrett, Jayne
Shields, Peggy O’Halloran, Betty Anne Lambert.
Feature Staff: Linda Kelley, Frances Bozeman, Susie Gridley, Elaine
Kelly, Susan Battles, Deanna Shiver, Sandra Williams. Dearm McCauley,
Peggy Jones, Elaine Kelly, Brinson Hood, Bobby Douthit, Dick Hyer,
Joe Williams, Anne Johnson, Jim Maxwell, Walter Pharr.
Sports Staff: Carolyn Arnold, Charles Grant, Jack Lamb, Wayne Poore,
James Hicks, Bobby Johnson.
\
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AL STEPHENSON *
Good First Step
Decision In The Americas
President Kennedy has said bluntly that further military buildup
in Cuba will be met by force. He has chosen a good time to make this
decision, a time when positive evidence of offensive military preparation
has been revealed.
Kennedy’s decision to use force in halting the Soviet buildup was
his only course short of allowing Cuba to become an offensive point of
communist expansion throughout the hemisphere. And this he could
not allow.
Some Americans will accuse him, and rightly so, of returning to the
Dulles policy of taking the nation to the brink of war. But they must
realize as the President has realized, that the United States must risk the
use of force and the terrible destruction it could bring, to prevent a com
munist take-over in the Americas.
The President hqs made his decision, and it becomes the decision of
the American people. An era of subtle retreat has ended, and a time of
unbending action has begun. The pattern set in Cuba could be decisive
in containing communism throughout the world. —RH
It is gratifying, to say the least, to see that the
Kennedy Administration has finally taken posi
tive action against the Communist military build
up in Cuba. The quarantine which the President
this week imposed on further shipments of offen
sive arms to Castro is certainly a step in the right
dilution.
It is a step width must ultimately lead to the
withdrawal of the Communists from Cuba and the
return of the island to the Cuban people if it is
to have anything rigore than a temporary political
significance.
The immediate reaction to the new move on
the part of most Americans seems to be one of
relief; relief that at long last something has been
done, even if it is only a beginning. To this feel
ing is added an attitude of determination; de
termination to support the accomplishment of the
U. S. objectives—at all costs.
Many segments of the population—while laud
ing the President’s action—(egret that it has been
so long in coming. They point out that the seri
ousness of the Communists’ occupation and build
up in Cuba has long been known and that we
should have taken action against them months,
if not years, ago when the price of such action
would have been much less costly. They are right,
of course, and it is proper that this point be made
but we must not let past feelings become detri
mental to the course we have now taken. Late
though it may be, a quarantine has been estab
lished and if adequately supported and followed
to its logical conclusion, we may be able thereby
to rectify, at least partially, our past mistakes.
Equally as important as the reaction within
the United States to the new situation is the sup
port which the U. S. has received from the ma
jor non-communist nations’of the world. Particu
larly significant is the unqualified backing which |
the British government has given to the quaran
tine. Britain's action is significant since it repre
sents an almost unprecedented departure from 1
that country's long history of refusing to respect ]
blockades in peacetime.
Moreover, Canada, who has consistently main
tained trade relations with Castro, has, as a result |
of the U. S. action, denied the use of its bases to
Soviet planes bound for Cuba.
And the Organization of American States, not |
particularly noted for agreement, has voted unani
mously to support both the United States* block
ade of the island and the use of force if necessary I
to secure the removal of offensive weapons from
Cuba. |l
These and other such pledges of support are r* 1
important not only because they strengthen the |
U. S. position on the blockade, but also because
they tend to demonstrate once again the tie
mendous unifying and mobilizing influence which |
can be achieved by the exercise of concerted uni
lateral action on the part of the United States.
Such unilateral firmness has unfortunately beeri I
too seldom evident in U. S. policy in the recent
past. If is hoped, however, that this action will [
mark the long-needed turning point in the for
mulation of our foreign policy.
We have embarked on a hazardous but neces
sary course. It is a course which may take many I
months to complete. It is also a course which canl r
lead to war—through Soviet miscalculation off
our determination. Above all. however, it is a]
course from which we must not turn aside until 1
freedom iB w<yi for Cuba. The President pulled | r
his punches once; let us pray that he has nof
intention of doing so again.
gmmmmsmsm. the case for conservative liberalism—five mmimwxxvvxA
RONALD CARR
Concurrent Majority
And Conservative Liberalism
An Important Committee
The news that a special committee of Mercer University trustees
is meeting to consider the matter of “admissions to the University with
out regard to race or color” is timely and of no small interest to Mer-
cerians.
In the aftermath of the Mississippi matter (which is by no means
a dead letter) we wonder what will happen if and when a qualified
Negro applies for admission to Mercer. Racial integration has taken
place at several other universities in Georgia with varying degrees of
disturbance, and we note with pleasure that our University officials are
aware that the matter can no longer be dismissed with vague references
to the University charter.
This awareness of the potential implications of the situation coupled
with a desire to continue the high standards of the University will do
much to alleviate the problem when eventually it faces us.
We do not know what the Committee will decide or even whether it
will decide anything, but we commend Dr. Harris and the Trustees for
liaving the wisdom and the foresight to look into and prepare for a sit
uation before emotions reign, while it may yet be dealt with on its merits.
—LM
This is the fifth article in a series of six.
Our government operates under the concurrent
majority rule. We are ruled by all the major in
terests and not by a simple majority of the peo
ple. In spite of the various criticisms to “broker
rule” (as concurrent majority rule is jxipularly
called), it still appears to maintain the political
equilibrium between liberty and equality remark
ably well. To put it another way. the American
political system works in such a way as t > almost
guarantee that there will never be eitiu. c tyran
ny of the majority over the minority (extreme
liberalism) or a tyranny of the minority over the
majority (extreme convervatism) A cursory ex
amination of the checks and balances provided
by the Constitution alone, to say nothing of pub
lic opinion, etc., testifies to the validity of this
fact. \
Finally then, we come to an explicit statement
of the doctrine of "conservative liberalism" or vice
versai^as the case may be. Conservative liberalism
recognizes that, as there are two sides of a coin
(obverse and reverse), there must also be two
elements within a thriving, healthy democratic
political system—liberty and equality.
It recognizes the dangers of having both tool
much liberty and too much equality. Moreover.!
it recognizes that although men can have integ-l
rity. they all too often fall below the ideal view I
which both the extreme Rightists and extremrl
Leftists have of mankind. They recognize thalf
neither a Conservative minority-rule nor a Liberal I
Majority rule are immune to corruption and dt-|
generacy.
"Conservative liberalism (or vice-versa) seeki|
to maintain both liberty and equality withn
the democratic framework. Thus through the demj
ocratic process, society can administer its owr^
medicine
If, os in the Progressive Era and in the New
Deal Era, a strong dose of socialism is needed
keep society healthy, then “conservative liberal]
ism" will lie able to do this. On the other hand
if, as in the |>eriod immediately after the Civij
War when American industrialism was bein
horn, a strong dose of conservatism and "laisserl
faire" is needed to ensure continued prospentij
and growth, then “liberal conservatism" will Is
able to ensure this.
HANNA SAAD
Why The Missiles?
The recent official confirmation of reports of
^the sale of supersonic missiletT to Israel by the
United States was received with shock, alarm
and indignation throughout the Arab World. This
decision on the part of the United States govern
ment is a damaging blow to the cause of friend
ship and the steady improvement in relations be
tween the Arah World and the United States.
In addition, it will hinder the prospects of sta
bility, lead to more tensioh in the Middle East
and encourage Israel to renew armed aggression
on Arab territory.
Definitely, no one can ever contest the right of
the United States to make this decision, but along
with the responsibility for the decision itself goes
the. responsibility for the consequences.
To defend this measure, some have already con
tended that peace in the Middle East rests upon
a so-called "balance of forces” between Israel
and the neighboring Arab States. While attempt
ing to redress what is now erronio^sly considered
as unbalance in this situation by supplying Israel
with arms, the United States is assuming grave
responsibility for the present and the future. Is
rael cannot indefinitely maintain an armament
superiority or even’quality with the Arabs, since
the logic of the facts defies such a view.
The “balance of forces” is no formula for peace.
Peace can be achieved only through a Just settle
ment of the Palestine problem. Only the United
States can promote the cause of peace in this
area, for the United States can influence Israel’s
foreign policy as the events of 1966-57 cleanly
demonstrated.
When the United States abstains from support
ing a just settlement in Palestine and favors, in
stead the “arms balance” the Arab people have
no choice but to consider United States foreign
policy hostile to their interests.
To understand the conflict clearly, an answer
should be sought to the following question: "Why
does the United States seek the maintenance of
an "arms balance” and sell supersonic missiles to
Israel?
NOTICE TO SOPHOMORES
AH Sophomores and transfer students who have comph
students who have completed
56 quarter hours of study must take Sophomore Examinations on
the afternoons of November 14 and 15.
These tests will be administered on the third floor of the
Humanities Building. Students taking these tests will report there
on Wednesday, November 14, at 1:30 P.M.
-
The New York Times (Sunday, September 30,
1962) had this to say about the sale of misailes
to Israel: "President Kennedy and his aides had
conveyed the news of the decision to prominent
leaders of Jewish groups in the United States be
fore it was publicly announced. Observers feel the
decision could have political repercussions. Both
parties statewide tickets in New York this fall in
clude two Jewish candidates and the competition
for the support of Jewish votes promises to be
lively.”
Thus the Kennedy administration appears to
be putting domestic political expedience above
any genuine efforts to achieve a permanent peace
in the Middle
A *
DID YOU KNOW THE ARABS HAD SENT UP A SATSUITE?
