Page Eight

The Grinnoll RIPORTEK

 

Photo by Krys Neunihn

ram MILLER. a Midwestern compo: organizer for th. Spring Mobilixa.
fion to End the Vietnam War, help: ,an Iowa Slat. Iiudent plan protest

activities for his campus.

} Vietnam

(Continued from Page I)

to join other iowans and students in
the Peace March and Rally scheduled
for 1 pm. in Des Moines. Anyone
(faculty and administration members as
well as students) interested in assisting
in the planning of the “speak-out" or
In “enlisting" for the bus should con-
laot Laurie Woods.

“Gentle Thursdays" are being plan-
ned by students in Chicago and at Iowa
State University at Ames. Miss Miller
laid that “Gentle Thursdays" actually
defy definition, but she did describe some
activities that could be planned for
them. “In Chicago~we have students
from 25 schools involved—we are going
to hand out flowers at subway stops
during the rush hours. At some schools
lorority girls will be asking beatniks
out on dates and, possibly, vice versa”
Students for a Democratic Society at
Iowa State are planning to set up
swings and will have poetry reading
along with their "SWillgrinf’

The Rev. James Bevel, a director of
King’s Southern Christian Leadership

Conference, is national director of tho
“Mobilization." Individuals sponsoring
the project indeed represent a wide
variety of views and concerns. Besides
Georgia Legislator Julian Bond (also at
the Des Moines conscription conference),
other sponsors are Dr. Benjamin Spock,
Playwright Arthur Miller, SNCC leader
Carmichael, SDS leader Paul Booth,
Yale Professor Staughton Lynd, writer
Paul Goodman, and poet Allen Ginsberg.

Dr. Martin Luther King and Mr. Bond
are scheduled speakers for the Saturday
mobilizationsi

Miss Miller stressed that the demon-
strations will be directed particularly
at the U. 5. government but that she
felt they would also renew the hope
of those who participate that something
can still be done to stop the war.
“People are discouraged now, but when
they see those thousands assembled in
similar expression it will reinforce their
commitment."

She added, though, that a continuance
of the war in months to come will
result in more militant forms of pros
test. “There is some talk of civil dis-
obedience — boycotts and mass burnings
of draft cards."

 

Student cafe opens

' Tonight Ex Loco Parentis, Grinnell’s
new coffee house, will open. Its role,
as Alan Hanawalt, one of the founders,
has stated, is to exist as an off-campus
"place to go.” Flexibility in atmosphere
and entertainment will be maintained so
that it will be whatever students want
it to be.

Poetry readings, art and photographic
exhibits, short plays and recorded mu-
sic are scheduled, as well as live music
trom various Grinnell bands. Expresso
coffee, cheese, pastries, teas and fruit
will be available, as well as a Paglia]
Order arrangement for delivery of pizza
There will be a suggested contribution
for food but no admission price.

The coffee house will be open on
Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights
from 8:30 to hours. Various types of
Intettainment have been planned for
the beginning week: on Tuesday there
will be it relatively quiet atmosphere
with poetry readings and similar hap.
penings to which members of the com-
munity might want to contribute.

STUDENTS spam many long
hours painting and decorating
an old store to create the "Ex
Loco Parentis," which will open
officially tor the first time to-

night. Photo by Susan Keener

Friday, April 7, my

Bond claims protest demonstrations
still means of influencing officials

By Krystyna Neumao

A combination of refined, cool man-
hers and militanoy, of leading partici-
pation within the us. governmental
system and protest tactics outside it
make Julian Bond a unique leader in
American peace and civil rights
struggles.

A few years back the handsome Mr.
Bond became one of the few Negroes
ever elected to public office in Georgia;l
also one of the youngest (ho is but a
few years out of college) Yet upon
election to the Georgia State Legisla-
ture he was characteristic y a sub«
ject of controversy when i tially de-
nied a seat by fellow legislators —
apparently due to his condemnation of
the U.S. position in Vietnam,

Affect Senators, Congressmen

Mr. Bond has since been seated and
today continues to be heard on basic
issues of freedom: the freedom of the
people of South Vietnam for selfrdeter-
minafion, that of Negro in America and
the freedom of Choice in military ser-
vice to one‘s country. '

Bond’s voice now resounds far out-
side the narrow confines of Georgia
politics. Last Saturday, after a confer-
ence at Bimini, The Bahamas, on a
new black political organization, Bond
spoke in Des Moines, at a conference
studying the question of compulsory
military conscription.

At the Des Moines meeting (held at
American Friends Service Committee
headquarters) this reporter asked Mr.
Bond about the upcoming “Mass Spring
Mobilization" at which he will mak-
a keynote address.

Asked about tho efficacy of another
demonstration, Bond said, “Some people
downgrade the effect of demonstrations,
but, although I don’t think we can reach
President Johnson, senators and cons
gressmen can be influenced."

Damage otiiciuls' Credibility

(Paul Booth, Students for a Democratic
Society leader, recently told war time
testers another indication of the of-
fectlveness of the antiwar movementlI
“We had damaged the credibility of
the official explanation to the point
that 40 percent of the white middle
class and working class folk of Dear-
born, Michr, when asked, said they
wanted out of the wart")

Bond also said that, regardless of
official U.S. actions, a large number
of Americans still feel the need to ex-
press their unwillingness to tolerate the
war.

Although basically a pacifist to whom
military means are repugnant, Bond's
position on ‘military conscription, Sat-
urday's conference topic, is that if this
nation must accept militarism then he
will discuss the military — but only as
a voluntary organization. Bond objects
to the present draft system because it
does not give young men freedom in
running their own lives. For this reason
he also objects to a universal system
of conscription even though it might
allow for alternative forms of national
service, including social service.

‘Not a Military Nation’

Bond’s adversary in the debate at the
conference, iowa State Director of Sea
Iective Service Colonel Glenn R. Bowles,
took the position that compulsory con-
scription is necessary because volun-
tary enlistments never fill military re-
quirements. Bond thought that if sni-
aries were raised in the armed forces
enough men would chose the military
as tlicy would any career.

Unlike Bond, there was no doubt in
Bowles‘ mind, of course, as to the
necessity of this nation using military
means. Bowles said such means are
necessary in order for the US. to

protect democracy and other, smaller
nations from aggression and communism.
Buwles added, however, that the U.S. is
definitely not a military nation -
even though it was pointed out during
discussion that the US. economy is
geared to military spending.

Not Powell‘s organization

Questioned about a conference in
Bimini, The Bahamas oi Negro leaders,
including ousted Harlem congressman
Adam Clayton Powell, which resulted
in the announcement of the birth of
a “black political power third force,"
Bond expressed regret that the press
had called it Powell’s organizationl‘
“It’s not his, it’s not anyone’s, It’s an
organization of elected Negro officials."

“The announcement didn’t come out
the way we planned — it’s also a mis-
take to assume its a third party. We
just started and no one has a clear
idea of what it will be.

Geared to State, National Levels

“it was formed for people who have
much in common, including similar
problems. We will have more influence
in the state legislatures if we are all
working together; some think — Cal-
ifornians, for instance — we can hav-
more effect on the party.

"The organization will function on
both a state and national level. In
Georgia, my state, the L3 Negroes
holding public office have already ioimd
it more effective to be working as a
unit. Then too, the 20 Negro official!
from Georgia, Texas and Tennessee have
started to meet together and found it
very beneficial."

} Fire

(Contained from Page I)
did order the installation of emergency
exit hardware on certain outside Quad
doors.

Section 1.2 of the Iowa code requires
exits to be arranged to permit unob-
structed egress from all occupied builds
ings and prohibits the installation of
locks which prevent free escape.

Fred C, Hess, director of public to-
lations, noted that Soderquist had not
been alarmed by the condition of the
college buildings, but that several fea-
tures must be installed to comply with
the law. "We have not kept pace with
the times," Hess admittedl He claimed,
however, that Grinnell's fire safety
problem is not critical, noting that the
fire marshal has given the college un—
til September 1 to comply with regula-
tions.

Besides the Gates-Rawson Tower door
and panic bars in the Quad, the fol-
lowing safety featurcs are plannedil
fireproofing of certain doors, walls and
ceilings, extended and additional fire
escapes, installation of one-hour fire«
separation doors (doors that take an
hour to burn through). and improvement
of alarm systems.

6 students die in Cornell fire

A Cornell University residence hall,
believed to be fireproof, was the scene
of tragedy last Wednesday. Eights stu.
dents and one pmlessor died there in a
blaze termed “unbelievable” by the build.
or of the structure. Timothy McKibben,
son of William McKibben (classical
languages), was among the survivors.

ADDRESS HERE!

 

