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POLITICAL SYSTEM ANALYZED IN LIGHT OF PRESIDENTIAL VOTE By AL SIEGRIST President Truman’s victory in a “hopeless” election gives us an opportunity to look into the American party system and' see what makes bur politics click. An attempted third party, the fifth straight presidential defeat handed the Republicans together with Truman’s surprise victory sets the scene for us. Turning first to the third party it is seen that its reason for being was its attempt to gather opposition against what it termed the “bi- partisanism.” Older parties were denounced as the vassals of the wicked, with neither principle nor belief to guide them. They were alleged to exist only to make.deals and to distribute favors, an,d Were charged, correctly, by the third party with a willingness to stoop to dealing with anyone. Viewing this with the shocked eye of a naive reformer the third party member decried this as political insanity. He and his asso ciates -refused to participate in the iniquitous system, separated from it to erect a platform of clearly defined issues. .Politics were to become black and white, and damn the gray. Thus logic came to American politics. Our political thinking was to shed its cocoon to emerge into the maturity of European politics. At first glance this seems to make sense, but a scrutiny of the idea set in the context of the American scene shows why third parties have failed to make the grade in this country. We are a people of varied na tional backgrounds, religious, cul tures, economic designs who live in a continental area, itself mark ed by striking geographic differ ences. Because of these differ ences we find ourselves a nation of groups, all possessing a set of interests to promote and defend. A nation of groups with cherish ed interests, it then becomes the special problem of American poli tics to find means to provide the greatest possible cohesion among the elements of our land. Gov. Dewey played this theme, but erred in stressing the end while ignoring the means. How to get the amount of co hesion among groups is the task of every American politician worthy of the name. When obtained in sufficient amounts to win elections it comes as a result of a set of factors that work deeply below the surface of political activity. The whole operation works with a perplexing' subtlety which the politically chaste see only as a set of evil deals. This unifymg process operates best as an informal agreement among the groups who come to gether with' their separate inter- (Continued on Page 4) Front and Center You, from other colleges! Are you wandering about our bustling campus with a glazed *^vha hop- pen” expression in your eyes? Must Dean Drake or Dean Jones hunt you down One by one and las^o you before you will let your selves be oriented? Stampede yourselves over to the building with the clock tower and let your selves into the room marked “Per sonnel” which is located on the first floor. Here you will find the people who £ 0*0 qualified to advise you in regard to the local academic requirements, schedule c h o i c e , student activities, the finding of a place to live, and where the best spaghetti joint is located. Straighten out these problems now lest you become so neurotic that your Psychology instructoi will be able to roll you into a little ball. UB Camera Club Holds Field Day The current membership drive of the Camera Club will end at the next meeting on Tuesday eve ning, Nov. 16. Only six more mem bers can be accepted because of the limited school facilities for photography work and the desire of the club to impart a sound in dividual understanding of better photography methods to the new members. A Camera Field Day will be conducted in conjunction with the Sitzmarkers Ski Club at their new hill in Colden, N. Y., on Sunday, Nov. 14. They will meet 11 a.m. behind Norton Union, to spend the day taking action pictures on the hill and scenic views of the coun try side. The usual Song Fest party will be held that evening in West Falls, so come prepared for a good time. Replaces Pratt DEAN DEFENDS TUTORIAL SETUP; POINTS OUT PROBLEMS INVOLVED By JULIAN PARK, Dean of College Arts and Sciences The letter in your last issue, signed “R. W.,” entitled “Tutorial Plan Reviewed,” while in general well founded and well intended, needs certain emendations, which I should be glad to make fuller if space permitted. It is true that since 1931 the Arts student body has tripled, but so (approximately) has the faculty. In that year the teach ing faculty numbered 81, this year 217. In that year the ratio between students and teachers was one teacher to every 9.7 students; in 1948- 49, one teacher to every J.1.1 students. This compares rather well with other large universities of this type. The size of certain classes is not too satisfactory, but it is better this year than last. It should be re membered, too, that it is not so easy to find qualified teachers as it is to enroll students. A plan which was evolved for a student body of, say, eight hun- (Continuod on Page 4) - Dr. Pratt to Leave For Harvard U. Dr. Julius W. dean of the Graduate School of Arts • anc' Sciences and professor of history at UB, is leaving the University U teach at Harvard University. Deai Pratt will be visiting professor ol history for the second semester o the year. Prof. J. Fred Rippy of the Uni versity of Chicago will take ov^ Dean Pratt’s history classes at UB, Chancellor Samuel F. Capen said Friday. While at Harvard, Dean Pratt wiir teach two courses, “The Mak ing of Modern America, 18G5 tc the Present” a n d “American Diplomatic History, to 1898.” Dr. Pratt has been a member oi the UB faculty since 1926 anc- and served as the hea^ of the History Department until ‘ thi:- year. He has been the Dean of the Graduate School since 1946. In re cent years he has lectured sum mers at Harvard, Texas, Chicage and Duke Universities. Dean Pratt in 1935 delivered the famous Al bert Shaw Lectures on Diplomat! History at Johns Hopkins. From 1943 to 1944, he was on leave of absence from UB to teach special^ research project for the. Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Dr. Rippy comes to UB aftei having taught at the Universitiei of California, Duke and Chicago. In 1928 he delivered the Shaw lectures at Jbhn$ Hopkins. He is the author of several books devoted to American foreign poli cy, especially in relation to Latin America. OUR ERROR Dottie Haas tells us that we were all wet on our last week’s story on the checking. We reported that there would be a slight charge for the service and then pulled the blooper. We said, “There is money in the budget to defray the ex penses.” Dottie informed us that there is no money for, this, but when money is available the ser vice will be extended, for free. BARGAIN! For sale, cheap: 50,000 scarcely used Dewey buttons. jSee Miguel J. Abgott, Bee offide. ENGINEERING EXECUTIVES STRESS IMPORTANCE OF LIBERAL PROGRAM By MARIUS RISLEY Winfield C. Burley’s straightforward criticism of vocational train ing as Something considerably less than a liberal education was especially meaningful to me because I read it just at the time I was planning an article on this issue. This might as well be it (or part of it at least). Some months ago, as a student in a graduate education course on this campus, I wrote to six business executives—and interviewed one— on the subject of what they thought was right or wrong with modern education. Like the $25,000 a year men interviewed by Mr. Burley, my correspondents were also presidents and vice-presidents of four en gineering firms in the East and Mid-West. I Yell, Yell To Beat Bucknell HEAR YE! HEAR YE! On Fri- day of this week at 7:30 p.m. a student rally «^r the UB-Buck- nell game will be held on the campus, A torch-light procession beginning at Lockwood Library, will wend its way across the cam pus to Rotary Field, where tht students will gather round the council fire. War whoops in the form of cheers will be led by the Salt and Peppers. At this time it is hoped that^both ‘Big Chief Sit-on-Bucknell’s-Fire .nd - Put - It - Out” Clair and the team captain will address the students. In view of the execellent weathei that has prevailed for the last week there is no reason why huge turnout should not be ex pected The number of rooters present at previous home games has left much to be desired. This is the team that is bringing UB into tougher and better known .leagues. Let’s really turn out and give a great team our support. Ybur Last Chance: Learn How to Read Dr. Mazie 'Wagner of the Per sonnel office Announces that today is the last day . to sign up for the new Reading Clinic. The clinic in cludes a reading comprehension .'lass and a reading--speed clas5 for. those who find difficulty in understanding what they have read, or who are slow readers. The first class in reading com prehension will be held Tuesday, November 9 in Hayes 172. The first class for improving speed will be held Wednesday, November 10 in the same room. There will be four sections each day to accom modate the student^’ schedules. These are 9:30, 10:30, 11:30 and 2:30 for both days. The clinic is expected to last six weeks with one meeting for each class each week. Dr. Wagner advises all applicants enroll .for the class in the Per sonnel Office in Hayes Hall. Peace or Pieces The Political Issues Club an nounces that at its next meeting the topic for discussion will be Peace or Pieces—the Desirability of World Government.” Mr. Joseph Kenner will address the club afte! which a group discussion of the topic will follow. The meeting will be held Wed.. Nov. 10 at 3:S0 pjn. tn Croaby 260. was as surprised and pleased as Mr. Burley to find that in most of their responses they emphasized that the best all-round prepara tion any college can give the en- • gineer is the ability to think. They, too, felt that until reforms are made in many educational sys tems, the businesses themselves are better equipped to give voca tional training. But let these men speak for themselves. One vice-president wrote: ‘‘Uni versities . . . should make a great er effort to develop the ability to think in the abstract on the part of students. Too much emphasis today is being given to courses in Transportation, Money and Bank ing, Insurance, Financial Organ ization, etc. At very best, these courses have a v^ry limited value; and by the time, a graduate has gained a place in industry where Jie can use the information, he finds much of the data is outmod ed. If students were given a sound and complete training in mathe matics, English composition, phy sics and logic, they would be well prepared to take up apd solve most of the immediate problems they will encounter in industry.” A corporation president in Ohio wrote: “It would be ideal if every- jne could get a broad, general education including the classics for say three years of college life and then specialize for an addi tional two years. Compulsory courses in philosophy, history, and literature should be in every cur riculum.” The president of a milling iha- -•hine company, in referring to his son’s education, wrote: “Having just spent a weekend with my son in a New England liberal arts col lege, I am much Impressed by #ie advance ip teaching over my own college days . . . I-.have been glad that both my boys could have an opportunity to have, a liberal arts education, primarily as an intel lectual .experience, but^ if they should not continue for any rea son, I would feel that they could get an educational training in our own trade school which would be of more downright practical value in their lives’ work and content ment.” The vice-president of the same milling machine company not only wrote his views, but in addition sent out into his company’s train ing school to get some opinions directly from engineering college graduates now in training. The following three of ten • responses are especially relevant. 1. “Less of the heavy technical grind and a little more liberal arts and extra curricular activity.” 2. “Enroll all freshmen in a liberal arts course. Specialization (Continuad on Page 3)
