Page Two
the S AL E MIT E
Se4t,
Hn^o^uHedy Ondiaiduxil
Pa/iticipjaiicm 9*t
From Security To Insecurity
I don’t know, but I
What do you read when you are a youngster?
can tell you this, I nourished myself with histones o great men, t
is to say adventure stories of men who gave themselves to something
and fougLt for it: Heyerdahl, Charles de
And when the editor asked me what I got out -of Salem, I gave g
May 8. lq^a|
9k PanamaniaH l^eoA
A Communist-front Youth Festival is being
held in Vienna this summer. The student
government has received much information in
regard to this festival, written in an effort to
inform students what sort of gathering this
will be. It tvas stressed in Legislative Board
that we, as American students, will not be
denied passports if we state this festival as our
destination. The only concern of the NSA,
and other correspondents is that we do not go
as official representatives of an American stu
dent organization. The government is finally
beginning to realize that only through per
sonal contact with our present adversaries, the
Communists, can we discover assailable weak
nesses in their way of life. Senator Hubert
Humphrey, who himself made a much-publi
cized trip to Moscow last year, has started the
government’s policy on participation in such
gatherings well. In a speech delivered in the
Senate, he said;
The Vienna Youth Festival of 1959 now pro
vides us with a challenge and an opportunity
which must not be permitted to slip by—that
of mingling freely and of exchanging ideas
frankly with young people from all over the
glode. The Moscow Festival (1957) provided
Americans with the chance to make an impact
on the indigenous population; the Vienna Fes
tival, because of the freer atmosphere of the
non-Communist host countrj', offers the oppor
tunity of making significant contact with in
dividuals from the vast uncommitted areas. I
should add, on the other hand, that this op
portunity can be lost or even worse turned to
disaster unless careful thought and prepara
tion is given to the manner in which young
Americans should participate in the festival.
“First of all, such participation should be by
individuals in their personal capacity, making
face-to-face contact. Past experience has de
monstrated that participation in a representa
tive capacity by persons active in non-Com-
munist organizations, in academic institutions,
or, indeed, in respected groups of any kind,
is used for propaganda purposes by the festi
val sponsors and the worldwide Communist ap
paratus. To promote understanding, one need
not appear in Vienna as a representative; nor
is it essential to pal-ticipate in all the official
events of the festival. Real understanding
will flow from informal, unplanned, personal
conversations and contacts among those at the
festival, and such contacts in large measure
will take place in coffeehouses and safes, and
wherever else young people gather to ask
questions and to discuss the problems which
trouble them. Americans in Vienna will en
counter no difficulty in breaking the ice.
Young people from other nations feel too
deep a curiosity and concern about this Nation
for any American to escape without many op
portunities to exchange ideas and make
friends.
“Secondly, Americans at Vienna must be
well informed about the character of the festi
val and its organizers.
“This carnival-like meeting will be the
seventh in a series of mass propaganda events
sponsored since World War II by two of the
most active and formidable Communist inter
national front groups—the World Federation
of Democratic Youth and the International
Union of Students. The festivals are highly
organized and controlled events which aim to
provide a glorified picture of Soviet society
and of Russian foreign policy, and conversely
a distorted view of what Western society
stands for. These gatherings also serve as an
effective means of bolstering the prestige of
the two sponsoring Communist-front groups,
and thus strengthen their full-time program,
pursued relentlessly in all areas of the globe,
to win the allegiance of young people to the
Soviet cause.
“Third, and most important, Americans who
decide to attend the festival must be well in-
fornied about all aspects of American society,
and about our foreign and domestic policies.
Queries concerning our educational system, our
labor and social welfare programs, or our
system of free enterprise, including our co
operatives and public ownership, and indivi
dual initiative, cannot be answered satisfac-
and told her. “My dear, I’ll try.” ,
I remember saying one day to my mother, “I wish there was
war, at least we could do something. This life is too dull. And mothe
who had seen two wars, did not treat me as a fool as I
told me that she saw my point of view and understood it, but that in
stead of wishing, I should better look around me and realize amidst
what I was living—this was quite long ago and I had to go to balem
to begin to realize this—“amidst what I was living.”
USA w'as for me only a trail to vary a bit this dull life, trying to _ta e
the best out of the worst and to see this so-called “optimistic people.
Optimism is a thing you live with but try not to think about, for i you
do, like lots of students, you lose your balance, you fall in the darkness,
you want to run away, to fly away. There in the maze, you look for
the string which will lead you to a positive point of view of ykmrselt,
of Life.
I have been lucky, I have fled away in the most optimistic country
in the world! There I look around, eager to follow the string, only to
find out where it led could not d>0 for me. The optimi^sm ot a vic
torious people could not work for a “once deteated’ one. 1 his optimism
was based on security and I don’t like too much security, it is boring.
Material comfort is not an answer, a security for one whose country
saw it smashed down in one day.
And I fell down from the smooth platform of the exit door of the
maze, but instead of being drawn in the water, my feet touched the
end of a branch and it sprang me to the foot of a mountain, which i
now have to climb. The top is very narrow and it is insecure to try to
reach it, but 1 can see on my side many other people trying to getup,
and as they progress the mountain is narrowing and they join each other
—this is it;
In Salem, security, too much security, made me dubious as to considei
it as an end. The end is man, and this security is only a soponphic.
In Salem security, I found World—Insecurity, the “amidst what we
all live”. Too much security made me dubious as to consider it an end.
The end is man, and this security is only a soporiphic. We do not have
to regret our grandparents’ time, and their so-called luck—we are lucky.
We are still alive and it depends on each of us to stay alive.
We live now on a world level. We do not need to despise nations,
we do not have to throvv down the past, we build on it!
And what I was looking for in USA, I found it, I found optimism
for what is more optimistic than Insecurity, as long as man is man ?
Internationality ?
The way to reach the top of the mountain without too many avalan
ches is not passivity, some men’s ideas, or foolishness, it is our time.
It is the issue of our cold war, it is action, understanding, strength, love,
faith, intelligence, truth and shrewdness.
Come on, Salemites, let’s follow Schweitzer, Liautey, Charles de Fou
cault, Heyerdahl not admire but follow them. Come on Salemites, let’s
join and form a line of roped climbers to facilitate the way. Come on
Salemites, let’s understand each other. Come on Salemites, let’s live-
live—live OUR time—How ?—Each character, each way—but do not for
get the goal! We are living in our time. For my part I am going to
try by starting to study International Affairs.
By Catherine Recamier
By Ann Louise Bolin
While rumors flew of alleged plots to «,■
move President Ernesto de la Guardia, jj
from office, Robert Areas and his wife MatL’'
Fonteyn of Britain’s Royal Ballet were fishJ
—for arms. In an 'attempt to take possessJ
of a National Guard post at Mombre de dJ
a town on the Pacific coast, one of the latuiey
sank carrying part of the precious cargo
it. Before Areas and his seven-man ar®|
could proceed wdth their plans of invasioJ
local authorities had been alerted. By (J
time the National Guard over took the Mo|
as it came into port, of the two only
Margot was aboard. She was rushed to til
“presidential suite” of the jail, where, imjJ
questioning, she assured them that she kaol
nothing of a plot.
The Organization of American States met J
Washington, D. C. and then sent a group J
delegates to Panama to survey the situatioj
The United States immediately came to
rescue by sending two Navy vessels to tlul
isthmus. Although Cuba’s emissaries to
ama took a firm stand against the attempts!
revolution, it was reported that some
50 armed men, apparently involved in
Areas plot, had arrived from Cuba.
Areas, former Ambassador to Great Britak|
had been feuding on political issues with I
present Panamanian president for more
a year. Realizing his plot as a failure,
entered the Brazilian Embassy in Panama Cili|
for asylum while his wife hurried hornet
London.
New Report Cards For Faculty
This week the faculty will give the students an opportunity to fill out
the new faculty-evaluation sheets. As has often been repeated to the
students, this, is an opportunity to offer constructive criticism to the
faculty. Space has been added for comments after each grade, for this
purpose. However, the faculty must realize that the typical college stu
dent is convinced that once she finds herself, she can proceed to reform
the world. In her enthusiasm she can be cruel, but she is also idealistic,
The interest expressed by the students in grading the faculty should
be regarded as an indication that we are as interested in their progess,
as they are in ours. While this grading may seem to be an effort to
bring the faculty down to the student level, on the other hand, it pro
vides the students a thoughtful time to realize that actually Salem’s
faculty is well-nigh perfect.
Will'd PpdliHCf^ Wkade Jlexj?
Last week, Salem was briefly visited by Governor Flodges and his
many industrialists companions, whom we welcomed with bright stares
and washed bricks. Our governor seems to be increasingly in the news.
Tlem magazine carried a fine example of their enthusiastically slanted
writing last week, praising Hodges and North Carolina highly in extra
vagant commercial language. Asheville alone should expect a flood of
tourists and industrialists after being captioned “A Modern City in
Timeless Blue Ridge Setting”. Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem should
be prepared for an influx of the nation’s intellegensia. The Governor’s
ability to attract Time’s optimistic reporter is to be admired. He is
laying his foundations for 1960 well. There is but one question: Why
was any mention of the Henderson strike limited to a one-ince fototnote
was any mention of the Henderson strike limited to a one-inch footnote
S. L. F.
PRES3
Published every Friday of the College year
BY THE Student Body of Salem College
CdhL
OFFICES—Lower Floor Main Hall — Downtown Office—414 Bank St. SW
Printed by the Sun Printing Company
Subscription Price—$3.50 a year
torily by vague generalizations. Neither t«|
the widespread and genuine concern
racial discrimination, military pacts, disar:
ment, and nuclear testing be met const
tively without a deep understanding of hi
the fundamental principles and facts wliil
underlie our policies. Nothing constitutes
greater obstacle to improving internatioi
understanding among individuals than the
of relevant information—the failure to te
at one’s fingertips a sound and penetrati
command of the facts. International undej
standing is not promoted merely by recoup
to well-intentioned platitudes and sentiment!
ism.
“Young Americans who are thoroughly!
formed on the matters which I have mention)
—and there will be many others—can mabi
positive contribution. However, unless
take the trouble and time to acquire such
formation, it would be better if they did *
attend the gathering in Vienna. An exhibits
of good faith, love, and understanding is *
enough. I am confident that the young Am®
cans who will attend any of the meetings«
want to be prepared to engage in discussii
with anyone who may be interested. I
this address today after consultation with
number of the fine young Americans who hai
encouraged me to speak out in the Senate
that their fellow students throughout the 1®
will at least get some feeling of what is to
offered and what they will be confronted flil
at Vienna. For Americans, this festival c*
not be viewed as just another opportunity
have a good time.
“Assistance is available for those^ yoo
Americans who wish to respond realistic®.
and with determination to the challenge *
Vienna. Several days ago, I learned thati
number of young Americans experienced
international youth and students affairs. *
eluding some of those very people who
formed so admirable a service at the Mosco
Festival, have formed an organization to
known as the Independent Service for In •,
mation on the Vienna Youth Festival. LocaJ^
in Cambridge, Mass., at 1430 Massachuse®
Avenue, the Independent Service, with the
operation of large numbers of national org®*‘
EDITOR Susan Foard
BUSINESS MANAGER Betsey Guerrant
Assistant Editor — Sallie Hickok
News Editor Mary Lu Nuckols
Feature Editor ..Harriet Herring
Headlines Alta Lu Townes
Joanne Doremus
Faculty Advisor Miss Jess Byrd
Asst. Business Mgr.. .Sara Lou Richardson
Advertising Manager..... Jo Ann Wade
Circulation Manager . Becky Smith
Copy Editor __ Barbara Altman
Managing Staff .....Frances Douglas
Elizabeth Lynch, Carole King
zations, has undertaken to prepare
the
terials which are required to provide Am®
can participants in the Vienna meeting
an informed understanding of the festivals
of American policies and problems. The s
vice plans to provide those Americans ^
have an interest in the festival, and who
wish to attend the meeting in their indivi
.capacity, with a good deal of the essem
background material.”