Page Two
THE CAMPUS ECHO
Friday, January 17, 1964
Cainp‘*s©Echo
Member
ASSOCTATED COLLEGIATE PRESS PRESS
HAROLD FOSTER EVERETT ADAMS
Editor Business Manager
JEAN NORRIS
Advisor
OFFICE EXTENSION 325
The CAMPUS ECHO is the oTficial student publication of North
Carolina College At Durham. It is published bi-weekly during the
regular school year, except during college holidays, at Service
Printing Company, Durham, N. C.
Subscription rates. $1.35 per semester, $2.50 per school year.
Second class mail privilege at Durham, N. C.
U. s. Restraint Deserves Respect
Recent rejection of the United States in other countries
of the world has been met most effectively by our government
with a great amount of restraint.
Though there was a considerable amount of force from
the United States in the Viet Nam crisis, there has been little
or none at all in the present Panama Canal conflict. And the
show of a small amount of retaliation on the part of the U. S.
has nothing to do with the Communist countries or the Soviet
Union.
The real issue behind the taunting of the Americans in
Panama City, the destroying of American buildings and the
lowering of the United States flag, is that the Panamanians
are opposing U.S. imperialism that reigns in its most open and
classic form.
For some years the Panama Government has threatened
the break-off of diplomatic relations with Washington until
there is agreement that there will be a revision of the 1903
treaty under which the U.S. occupies the Canal Zone. These
treaty rights, the piece of real estate known as the Canal
Zone and the canal itself were acqixired by the U.S. in diplo
matic fashion that characterized much of American expan
sion in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
In Panama, more than many other of the far-flung places
in the world where U.S. political, military and business in
terest flourish, U.S. colonialism exists in a form reminiscent
of that of the British in Cyprus, the French in Algeria, the
Belgians in the Congo. The Panama Canal Zone is an auto
nomous U.S. government reservation cutting across the Re
public of Panama. The U.S. government of the zone govern
ment is also the president of the Panama Company, which
operates the 50 mile canal for the U.S.
Washington pays Panama $1.9 million a year for the
sovereign rights to the Zone and the Canal. The U.S. nets
an annual $14 million profit from the merchant traffic on
the Canal. Poverty is widespread in Panama, but in the U.S.
Zone area Americans live like colonialists everywhere.
That this recent incident was no students’ prank-riot is
indicated by the fact that the government of Panama broke
off diplomatic relations with the U.S. within a few hours,
officially charging the “U.S. armed forces with unmerciful
acts of aggression against the territorial integrity of the
Republic and its undefended population.”
Our government has not withdrawn from the Canal
Zone and it has not given up its military base there, but it
has made efforts to restore peace and order and to make
arrangements to make the U. S. treaty rights more accept
able to Panama. This does not mean that our government
is in the least bit in the hands of pusillanimous politicians.
American diplomacy used in the past was apparently
not a good or favorable one, therefore, the present adminis
tration has to pay the dues. President Johnson and company
have used considerable amount of restraint instead of using
the force they could have in the recent crisis. They have
given way to the OAS so that they may determine where we
stand before they commit us to action from which it may
be impossible to withdraw. They have not only gained our
respect but also the respect of many other neutral capitalist
countries.
Smoking: An Individual Deeison
Our federal government’s report linking cigarette smok
ing with cancer comes not as a surprise to us, but rather as
a reminder and a warning.
Many of us have, no doubt, heard rumors to the effect
that cigarettes as well as cranberry sauce and other things
are hazardous to human health and especially where cancer
is concerned. The Black Muslims religious sect ( and this
does not mean that we are in agreement with their ideas or
practices) has for a long time warned their followers against
the dangers of tobacco nicotine. There also is a report by
the National Advertising Association giving reasons behind
most cigarette companies’ refusal to continue advertising in
college publications—one of the main ones being health. So
now the Federal Government has validated these rumors and
confirmed our suspicions.
We do not agree with those who regard the report as
just another scheme by the government to the rid the South
of its number one wealth producer. Nor do we agree with
those who regard the report as an escape from really find
ing the cure for the inevitable-death-causing disease. The
government made a thorough and authoritative investigation
of the disease and one of its perpetrators, and whether we
like it, this, alas, was its duty and responsibility to us as its
subjects.
The question before us now is to smoke, not to smoke, or
to search for a quid pro quo for the now danigerous psycholo
gical crutch. While we do not advocate smoking, we also
t/GflRETTE^
CflNWR
SMOKING
“...AND NOW A WORD FROM YOUR FRIENDLY SPONSOF^'
THE NORTH CAROLINA TOBACCO INDUSTRIES."
HENRY C. CLARK
"Gag Law” Questionable
The North Carolina Legisla
ture in the last meeting of the
general assembly, passed a law
forbidding all known commu
nists from speaking at state-
supported institutions.
Every since the law was pass
ed, there has been continuous
controversy considering its con
stitutionality. The constitution
states that all people in this
country shall have the freedom
of speech. The state legislature,
however, seems to have differ
ent ideas.
Several colleges and univer
sities in the state have taken
the forefront in expressing their
opposition to the law. Some say
that the law forced them to can
cel some of their planned speak
ers. Some also say that their
students will not get a well-
rounded education as long as
certain speakers are banned
Brenda Pettis, a sophomore,
history major from Belmont, N.
C. answered the question this
way. “Yes, the law is wrong
because the students deserve to
hear all opinions. I think if any
one wants to become a commu^
nist, he will, whether influenced
by the speaker or not.”
Well, it seems as if some of
NCC’s • students also disagree
with the law. How long it will
remain and what effect it will
have remains to be seen.
The ironic thing about it is
that the people whom it least
affects and who want it the
most are the ones who have
forced it on the people that it
will affect most (colleges and
universities) and the people who
want it the least.
Smoking Report
Poses Dilemma
By FRANCES NEELY
Slow down and live longer,
for the life you save might be
your own.
According to Dr. Luther Ter
ry of the U.S. Public Health
Service, people who continue to
smoke will increase the death
rate and the cause will be can
cer in the lungs and larynx. I
don’t disagree with his findings,
but I have known people who
have never smoked a cigarette
to die from lung cancer. What
was the cause of their death,
cancer?
There are millions of smokers
and thousands of chain-smokers
in the world. Do you think all
these people will stop smoking?
The answer is no. Many have
increased tension and anxiety
because of these findings, and as
a result, they have increased
their smoking.
Dr. William Couch, a profes
sor of English at NCC is practi
cally a chain-smoker. He says,
“I smoke from one and a half
to two packs of cigarettes a day,
and plan to stop; however, it
will be difficult.” He says that
he would like to see cigarette
clinics established in Durham
like there are in larger cities.
Cigarette smoking is a habit
which is hard to break. The
only way the habit can be brok
en is to discontinue the produc
tion of cigarettes. One knows
that this can never be done.
Sugar is not taken off the mar
kets to prevent a diabetic from
purchasing it. He purchases it
at his own risk.
If manufacturers were to stop
the production of cigarettes,
there would be a great decrease
in economic activity. What
would happen to farmers who
depend on tobacco industries for
a living? I’ll tell you. They
would end up smoking their
own cigarettes.
The manufacturers have no
alternative They must continue
the production of cigarettes. The
only solution for those who can
not stop smoking is to smoke
less, for the life you save might
be your own.
BILLY WATTS
Compulsory Assemblies Void
from speaking at their institu
tions.
Since North Carolina College
is one of the state’s leading in
stitutions, it is only logical that
some of its students bring some
of their opinions to view con
sidering the speaker ban law.
When asked whether he
thought the law was good or
bad for the state, Floyd Benja
min a junior, biology major
from Brevard, N. C. had this to
say: “Yes, I feel that the speak
er ban law is bad for the state,
for the mere reason that all the
people of the state are not in
accord with it. I feel that the
people of N. C. want to hear all
sides of every case, and I know
that the people of this state are
broad minded enough to make
their own decisions on matters
that concern everyone.”
Should we the students of
NCC be made to attend assem
blies? Of course not! We tjie
students of NCC are a student
body of high intellect and be
lieve in broadening our know
ledge whenever we are given
the chance.
But, is this true? Do the stu
dents of NCC have this atti
tude? Some students around
campus seem to think different
ly
One studenv thought it “com
pletely necessary” for assem
blies to be compulsory because
as he said, “Nobody would go
if it were not. Some students
when they do go and find some
one in their seat they turn and
leave.”
Another thought that compul
sory assemblies would not be
necessary if NCC were on the
honor system.
Still another student thought
that NCC students lacked the
culture with which to appreciate
these assemblies.
Another student aaid, “If the
students of NCC were men and
women as they are supposed to
be, they would not have, to be
made to attend assemblies.
When a person is forced to do
something, he does not get the
full value as he would if he
had done it freely.”
These statements give us as
students a low rating. Do we
have to be made to listen to
new ideas and attitudes by
which we might form new ideas
and opinions? If so, we as stu
dents are missing an important
part of the quality education
that is to be had at NCC.
-March-
do not discourage it. Some smokers will stop smoking for
a while and then start back, some will stop all together,
some will smoke less, some will stop until the manufacturers
rid the tobacco of the cancer causer, and some non-smokers
will begin to smoke. None of the decisions will be made by
the Federal Government; if there is a decision to be made,
it Will and must be made by us as individual persons.
(Continued from page 1)
“Sacrifice for Freedom.”
Several carried m a k e-shift
crosses with “Don’t burn a
cross, bear one. Let the love of
Christ fill your life.”
The marchers, walking single
file, stretched three-fifths of a
mile when they reached down
town Chapel Hill, police said.
The march was the first of
this nature held for civil rights,
and the second largest in Chapel
Hill’s history. Police said it was
topped by a July 4, 1963 dem
onstration which included about
500 participants.