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January 28, 1068 Volume XLIX, No. 10 SoUtoziafo Atlanta Baptists Vote For Federal Aid The course of money changes as does that of other things less raa terial This new year has brought mummerings of dropping the gold backing from the dollar and at the same time positive suggestions in how to improve the United States' balance of payments deficit Just as the nature of the national mone tary status changes so does that of colleges. Lust week on Tuesday, January 16 the independent Atlanta Baptist Association voted 487 to 370 to ap ply for federal aid for the new At lanta Baptist College. This progres sive and intelligent step should not surprise anyone who has kept his ear to the ground in college endow ment The horses of doom can be heard trotting near for those insti tutions that will not or cannot ac cept federal dollara. Dr. Monroe F. Swilley, pastor of the Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church and chairman of the Atlan ta Baptist College board of trustees (also past president of the Georgia Baptist Convention), expressed his delight in the progressive outlook of the Atlanta ministers over this controversial issue. He also stated he hopes the Georgia Baptist Con vention will follow suit in dealing with its own component institu tions. The federal monies sought by the Atlanta Baptist College, in the words of Dr. Swilley, will be used for buildings and equipment “pro vided that no such action shall be taken which in any wise limits the freedom of the college in the con duct of its operation in respect to faculty, curriculum or other mat ters.” Thus, the problem of church- state separation is not an issue but a stated fact in the College's be ginning. This paper has in the last year strongly counselled the acceptance of federal dollars along the guide- United States Foreign Policy In Current Review lines of the Southern Baptist Con vention’s BEST Report We see tW Atlanta ministers action as the only intelligent reoourse in denomina tional education. If this course is not adopted by the Georgia Bap tist Convention we again ask that it follow the Southern Baptist sug gestion affd release Mercer so that she may And help elsewhere. The acceptance of federal aid is an in in gaining foundation grants and approaching faculty members. Dr. Clarence Sessions, pastor of the Beecher Hills Baptist Church, has said concerning the subject: “We're talking about your tax dol lar. Whether you like it or not, you are in the business of supporting Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and other denominational schools and colleges. "We consider the GBC's action or inaction to be like an ostrich with it's head buried in the sand; the federal government will not go away. We ride to church on government highways, eat fed erally subsidized agricultural prod ucts in the Mercer cafeteria and enjoy a tax free institutional relig ion: Why not enjoy the further eco nomic fruits of our democracy in stead of thinking that if we bury our heads it will all disappear and we will remain in our impoverish ed abyss. By Wright Davis The U. S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, John Hugh Crimmins was among the featured speakers at the State Department Foreign Policy Conference held at Florida State University Thursday January 18. Mercer delegates who attended the conference were Tam Cauthom, Wright Da vs, and Becky Sims, all representing the Mercer Cluster. The conference was a joint effort of the Department of State, the F.S.U. Union Forum Committee and TKE fraternity, and was conducted by important policy-making figures from various areas of the State De partment Mainland China, Latin America and the U.S., Political Develop ments in Vietnam, The Middle East, and Trade and Aid were the topics discussed in the sessions. Ambaisa- dor Crimmins, the keynote speaker at the confer- ence, spoke on the topic o f “Latin America, Today and To morrow”. He is Crimmins well experienced in the area of Latin America, hav ing spent the last ten years working in Mexican, Brazilian, and Cuban affairs. Ambassador Crimmins in sum ming up his views on Latin Ameri ca stated, “Latin America in short, is . - . and has been for the better part of a generation in the process of revolution, a revolution whose goal is the establishment and en thronement of the principle that every man has the right to develop his talents to the limits of his ca pacity and without artificial bar riers. The central issue in Latin America is . . . whether it will come about in peace and freedom or in bloodshed and violence and despo tism”. Moderator for the one day con ference was Richard I. Phil lips, Deputy As sistant Secretary of State for Pub lic Affairs. Mr. Phillips has served in the Phillips State Depart ment since 1946, and has repre sented the U. S. in several interna tional conferences. “Basic Prob lems in the Mid dle East” was the topic dis cussed by Stuart W. Rockwell, Deputy Assis tant Secretary of State, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Rockwell Affairs. Mr. Rockwell has worked with the State Department for many years and has served in Iran, Turkey, Israel, and Spain. He has recently been responsible for U. S. relations with Israel and the Arab States. John Hold- ridge, Deputy Director of the Office Of Re search and An alysis for East Asia and the Pa cific spoke on the topic of “Re cent Develop- Holdridge monte. Mainland China”. Mr. Holdridge who has served in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore discussed the cul tural revolution now taking place in Red China with particular em phasis on the Red Guard Move ment, and the future of communism in mainland China. “Foreign Aid in Relation to the Food and Population Prob lem” was dis cussed by Frank R. Ellis, director of the AID Food for Freedom Ser vice. Before as- suming his re- EDis sponsibilities as director of the AID program, Mr. Ellis served for 24 years in the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The afternoon session of the con ference was devoted entirely to "Re cent Developments in Viet Nam,” and was led by Phillip C. Habib, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific. Mr. Habib has served in Trinidad, Korea, and most recently in the U. S. Embassy in Saigon. Following the seminars, a panel discussion and question and answer session was held by the Stats De partment officials. Some 600 educa tors, students, and prominent fig ures from the Southeastern United States were in attendance at the conference. C(u6tet CjitC Carrie Reid, this week’s Cluster girl, sports a winning smft as she goes indoors for the winter months. Carrie is a Junk Chi O from Athens, Georgia majoring in Sociology. Blue ejs and blonde hair are the watch words for January 23. Fraternity Averages Exceed All-men’s Scholastic averages of college fra ternity members in three-fifths of reporting institutions throughout the country again exceeded the respective All-Men’s Averages for the academic year of 1966-66, an analysis just released by the Na tional Interfraternity Conference reveals. With 288 colleges and universi ties submitting comparative figures, slightly over 60% showed the AU- Fratemity Average above tfre All- Men’s average. This continues the upward trend in fraternity stand ings that has been evidenced in re cent years, according to Neal R. Berte, Skoike, Illinois, Chairman of the Conference Scholarship Com mittee, and Assistant Director of the College Entrance Examination Board. Since 1964 the number of insti tutions where fraternity averages exceed those of all male students has increased from 110 to 174. When compared on an individual chapter basis, the number above the All-Men’s Average is exactly half: 1,636 out of a total of 3,070 chapters covered. “This clearly indicates that fra ternities are succeeding in their continued program of emphasis on good scholarship,’’ said Dr. Fred H Turner, retiring president of the National Interfraternity Con ference and retiring Dean of Stu dents at the University of Illinois. “It should be borne in mind that the vast majority of fraternity men participate in campus activities. 4®{ercEr Cluster EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tssa C—thsni ASSOCIATE EDITOR Wright Davis Roger Poston, Haywood Turner — Bob Johnson > MANAGER MANAGING EDITOR Bob LaMar Stove Darby Waxdtyn Mills, Deri Ripley, Chris Grets, Gary Johnson, Cathy Geren, Dianne Downer, Goolsby, Shsren Young. Cornelia Bansistt, Gtnny r, Anns Rougman. Linda Poe. Ed Ward, Mary Riddle, Carolyn Braun. Anna Dixon Prof. Bm Wafaunt, Ed Bacon j. a .... Paul Kirk , Ed Beckwith Christy Tyler student government, athletics, lications, and other extra-cumcul undertakings to a much greater tent than do the nonfraternity ms We recognize the value of these a tivities as an important part of college experience, even thoq participants may not achieve grades as a result” “Most frequently chapters quire a standing equal to or abn the All-Men's Average for a pled to be eligible for initiation,” Tni er stated. “Incentives and awai for superior scholarship, couruul upperdaas members, enforcens of ‘quiet hours' and other meths of encouraging study all contrikl to the rise in fraternity grade ages.” One significant result of scholarship drive is the high centage of fraternity men who plete their college work, aecoidi to Dean of Students James C. Leod of Northwestern Univer Educational Advisor of the Coi ence. “An impartial survey by U.S. Office of Education found only 47% of college students non-fraternity institutions 'psa to graduation’ as compared to S of those in national frateri.ita McLeod declared. The Poses Corps Washington. D. C 20SJ5 O PI*ass sand ms Information O Plata* sand ms an applies!Ion Mam* Addrsa*- Clty- PaSUohad a* s public sendee w coop*ration art* Tha Adaertlama Council. —