Nixon Assures First-Time Voters
Of low Cost" Domestic Program
Southern	California
Vice President
DAILY «fi TROJAN Warns Against
VOL Lll
O’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17. 1960
NO. 21
USC Students Used As COP Guinea Pigs
By BARBARA EPSTEIN
Daily Trojan Feature Editor
A teaching assistant and a group of USC students were turned into guinea pigs last Thursday night for the Nixon political machine.
The machine was personified by Earl Mazo, the syndicated New York Hearald Tribune columnist. who wrote the only authorized biography of Vice President Richard M. Nixon.
The students included junior Steve Feldman, junior Mike Gu-hin. senior Cecily Thomson, junior Chapman Cox, junior Steven Spiegel, all political science honors program participants, and myself. Charles Mayo, a teaching assistant in political science, rounded out the list.
Under the guise that he wanted to seek out student reaction to the third of the “Great Debates” Mazo lured the group to his Ambassador Hotel room.
We later realized that we were being duped.
The process was not a slipshod one; it was precise and clever and very professional.
Preliminary to the proceedings was the surprise — albeit pleasant — appearance of Roscoe Drummond, the syndicated columnist who posed questions to both Nixon and Sen. John Ken-
nedy during the Thursday debate.
Mazo and Drummond had invited us to watch the debate with thsm. Mazo had seen it once before; Drummond already had seen it twice.
As we sat in a semi-circle around the screen, Drummond took careful note of our reactions to the speeches of both candidates — where we laughed, where we were silent, where we ; snickered.
Ask Comment
After the hour-long debate we were asked for comment which — we had been led to understand ! —would provide editorial mate-I rial for Mazo.
We were obviously surprised when Mazo did not ask any of us for our names. Quite the con-i trary, he appeared quite unin-' terested in meeting us as it was.
While the USC student body | is predominantly Republican, the i group ratio seemed to favor the ! Democratic ticket. The only two strong Republicans among us were Guhin and Cox. Mrs. Thomson, a registered Democrat, intimated that she had not I yet decided for which man she would cast her ballot.
Both reporters seemed surprised at the ratio. Drummond 1 wasn’t quite sure which univer-
Professors Rap Nixon For Insulting Poii Sei
Local political scientists have sharply criticized Vice President Nixon for hammering at the value of political science.
They accused him of grossly “insulting” a well-developed, well-respected school of study.
The vice president said here Friday that any students planning a career in politics should study in the “humanities'’ rather than concentrate on the field of political science.
The remark, sa d Dr. Totton J Anderson, professor of political science, was ‘‘a gratuitous insult to a great profession which began with Aristotle and his study entitled ‘Politics.’ ’’
The professor accused Nixon of falsely drawing a myth around the field of polit cal science.
‘ Nixon set up a dichotomy between the study of politics and the study rf humanities which is pure mythology. No responsible member of the political science profession would now or ever has advocated the study of poli-
tics to the exclus'on of a liberal arts education." Dr. Anderson declared.
Dr. Carl Q. Christol, head of the political science department and chairman of the Southern California Scholars for Nixon and Lodge, explained that the ! university’s academic program allows the political science student to acqu re a wide background in any of the humanities.
“As a practicing political scientist, I don't like to have the profession either criticized or misunderstood." he said.
At USC, the pol;tical science major needs only 24 out of 124 units in his major field, Dr. Christol sa;d.
Dr. Anderson said that “Mr. Nixon has a thing or two to learn about the curriculum of a 20th century univerelty.”
Dr. Christol applauded the vice president for making “a ; very strong pitch for something Iwe all believe in—the participaron of college-trained people in practical politics.’’
sity we represented. We explained we attended USC. He thought it was a public institution.
As questions, all pointed, were thrown at us, we noticed that Mazo took notes only on comments which would favor Nixon.
Once during the evening he was interrupted by a telephone call, presumably from the vice president, who was also staying in the Ambassador. Mazo ran out of the room; he returned about 10 minutes later, intimating that it was Nixon he had seen.
The atmosphere seemed stilted.
Private Talks
Twice during the discussion Mazo and Drummond held private conferences, once toward the back of the small room, the second time in the outside hall.
We were being baited.
The vice president was speaking at USC the next morning. How would students react to points he would make, what did they want to hear, what didn’t they want to hear?
This is what we were there to tell Mazo.
Coincidental Stay
Mazo, on the other hand, didn’t have much to tell us. He “just happened” to be at the Ambassador at the same time Nixon was but he was not working for Nixon.
Drummond ran out in the middle of the interview to catch a plane for he didn’t tell us w'here.
At one point in the interview Mazo registered surprise when he was informed that 85 per cent of political scientists were inclined to be Democrats.
In a remark directed to the hopeful politician in his Friday speech, Nixon took a stab at the political science profession.
Humanity Emphasis
“If you have to choose between concentrating on political science and exposing yourself to the humanities in the broadest sense,” he said, “expose yourself to the humanities.”
We learned a few’ surprising things at Thursday's session: Mazo is a Democrat. He hasn’t voted in the last 11 years because his permanent residence is in Washington, D.C.; he supports Nixon today because he feels the vice president is a “crisis man"; if the Southern born Mazo could choose another candidate for the presidency he would tap Kennedy’s running mate. Sen. Lyndon Johnson.
The evening was a good lesson in practical politics.
YEAR OF DECISION - Vice President Richard Njxon appeals to students to "vote fcr the man, not for the party." Posing
uany irojan rnoio uy caroi»* öp**< lor
questions to the candidate was ASSC President Bill Steigerwalt. Watching proceedings is ASSC Vice President Sharon Kelly.
Troy Applauds Convocation But Dislikes Nixon Speech
Although student reaction to the First-Time Voter Convocation was enthusiastic, a Daily Trojan poll revealed that many were disappointed in the vice president's talk.
All agreed that having Vice President Nixon on campus was a stimulating treat, but many felt that the issues which he touched upon wTere “old hat” and that the Republican candidate addressed them as high school students, not as conscientious university men and women.
George Palmer, senior in history, said that he would vote for Kennedy because Nixon didn’t prove any points to him.
“I did not expect the vice president to make such a poor I showing,” he said.
Herb Weinper, who is in his ; third year in the School of Pharmacy, believed that “Nixon was very forceful in bringing out the facts of what he is go-I ing to do.”
I He did question Nixon’s business figures and added that dur-| ing this past administration bus-I iness has not picked up as much | as the vice president would lead i the students to believe.
Cecily Thomson, a Democrat, accused Nixon of not talcing advantage of the opportunity presented here.
"He had a chance to discuss basic issues but he didn't,” she \ said. “It was disappointing that | he came to a university and ! talked only in vague platitudes.” Phil Swan, a senior majoring I in business administration, was I very impressed with the speech.
'He expressed himself in a ; frank and sincere manner, presenting the policies of his Re-I publican platform,” he said.
! Sophomore Jan Norwood telt that Nixon needed to “get w'armed up,” but admitted that the vice president never really did “bring information to the audience.”
One Republican planning to
Political Fun, Hysteria Fiji Campus
By PENNY LERNOUX Daily Trojan City Editor
Shouting Trojans, waving banners. baby carriages, literature criticizing Jack Kennedy and Khrushchev and a modern-day Robin Hood descended on Alumni Memorial Park Friday to add ! color and life to Nixon's First-Time Voter Convocation speech.
Banners and placards in all shapes and colors but with one ' tiling in common—Nixon's name | —could he seen dancing over the crowd's heads.
One student got so excited j 1hat he jumped into the park's fruntain and. with pant-lcgs rolled up. led cheering Trojans in frpell-outs. His cheer-leading came to an abrupt end when he , yelled. “Now let's hear it.” for a USC jell just as the university chaplain stepped up to the microphone to give the invocation.
BjIiv eaniages and sprawling: Tsojdiis littered the outer fringes of the paik. while the area surrounding the library steps was packed closer than an ! ezz carton by straining, enthusiastic students.
One section of the crowd (conUmied on page ".)
vote for Nixon, Ned Taylor, picked up a Kennedy banner and proudly displayed it after the vice president finished speaking.
“I could no longer respect him,” said Taylor, a political science major.
“His speech should have addressed itself to issues. It didn’t," the sophomore declared.
He carried the Kennedy sign i in protest.
Russell Hicks. Republican premedical student, said that he , was “very impressed” with Nixon's speech, but admitted that | it did not touch on specific sub-\ jects.
The freshman said that the ! j undecided first-time voter would not be swayed to the Nixon ! bandwagon on the basis of this speech.
An Indian graduate student, ; j D. N. Ghosh, said he w as disappointed in Nixon’s speech be- * cause he felt Nixon was “play- ! j ing" on the emotions and sym- , pathy of his audience.
“Nixon's references to his wife’s background were uncalled i for,” he said.
An Ethiopian student majoring in public administration, Woldemanuel Woobishet. said that he admired Nixon's stand on “leaving the power with the people rather than the Federal government.”
He agreed with the vice pres-j ident that the people should not be burdened wtth more taxes for large government projects.
A'TER T:-'E SPEECH - Approximately 10,000 students, many of them first-time volers- crowded the campus mall in front of Doheny Memorial Library Friday to hear Vice President Nixcn speak. The Republican standardbearer
Daily Trojan Photo by Shigeo Kitani brought with him an entourage of more than 100 newspapermen and photographers. Among the dignitaries accompanying Nixon to the university were Congressman Jacob Javitz, R-N.Y., and Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton.
TV Camera Sees Troy
By HAL DRAKE Assistant City Editor
Through the mist of journalism professor Fred Coonradt's cigarette, CBS television broadcast the arrival of Vice President Richard Nixon to the USC campus Friday.
Professor Coonradt was one of many caught in front of the TV cameras as the Republican candidate's visit was broadcast over local station KNXT and later over the CBS network.
A running commentary by newsman Grant Holcomb provided viewers with background information on the university while TV cameras roved through (continued-on page 2)
Demo Spending
Bv NIT A BISS Daily Troian Managing Editor
Vice President Richard M. Nixon assured young American voters Friday of a domestic program which would produce more and cost less than any of his Democratic opponent’s proposals.
Speaking before a massive audience at the university’s initial First-Time Voter Convocation, the Republican nominee lashed out at what he called Senator Kennedy’s plans to spend the taxpayer’s money.
“Senator Kennedy’s programs for fanners, education and health would cost more than mine, but it isn’t his money or my money he’s spending, it's yours,” he told the crowd in Alumni Memorial Park.
When asked by ASSC President Bill Steigerwalt, what he believed to be the practical differences between today’s Democratic and Republican Parties, the vice president quipped, “You have to describe which Democratic Party you’re referring to.”
In a more serious vein, Nixon explained that the gen-| eral goal or good ends of each party are basically the | same.
“All Americans want a better life. The question is, how do we reach these goals?”
The vice president quoted Franklin Delano Roosevelt's definition of a liberal as "a man who wants to build bridges : over the chasms that separate humanity from a better j life.”
He told the audience that in this sense he was a I liberal because he desired to build such bridges.
“But I want these bridges to be sound and constructed so they will work well,” he added.
Nixon termed himself a "practical progressive”—a man who is for progress but does not want it by turning pro-! blems over to the federal government.
“The basic difference between the Democrats and the Republicans in the domestic field is that the Democrats start with the federal government and work up to the people.
“I say, start with the people and work up to the federal Government,” he declared.
Vice President Nixon maintained that he and the Republican Party believes that the federal government should not weaken individual enterprise but should strengthen it, instead.
“If we make the mistake of turning to the federal government, we will weaken the fiber essential to us if we are to survive in this world struggle,” he said.
When questioned about the Kennedy-Nixon controversy over the Chinese Nationalist islands of Quemoy and Matsu, the Republican candidate held that the disagree-I ment between the two nominees lies in what the Communist reaction will be in that area.
“The Senate and the President have been right in wanting to defend these islands against attack, for the Chinese Communists haven’t launched a massive attack on these two offshore islands or Formosa in the last five years,” he explained.
He charged that any change in present policy would encourage the Communists and lead to war.
"When you are dealing with a dictator, surrendering territory to him doesn’t lead to peace or satisfaction, it only whets his appetite and pushes him further,” he said.
The vice president was also questioned about what he believes best qualifies and equips him to be President of the United States.
“I generally prefer not to answer this question,” he
(Continued on Page 3)
TOPPING EXTENDS THANKS FOR SUCCESS OF MEETING
President Norman Topping has expressed his appreciation to all those responsible for making Friday’s convocation a success.
In an informal interview with the Daily Trojan, he commended *he behavior of the student body and said that student conduct “was absolutely beyond criticism.”
He wished to thank everybody concerned with the convocation and expressed a special thank you to ASSC President Bill Steigerwalt and his staff and the Daily Trojan for their valuable assistance.
EDITORIAL
Note to Candidates: Remember Audience
WTe congratulate President Topping and his staff for creating a successful First-Time Voter Convocation series, but we wonder if the participating candidates realize the significance of such an event. We wonder if they appreciate and understand the audience that attends a university convocation.
Vice President Richard Nixon made use of his opportunity to speak to this university audience by talking down to the student.', by treating a university-oriented audience as if it were a group of housewives or businessmen.
We are not interested in the educational and financial background of the candidate and his wife; we are interested in the basic issues—and we mean the basic facts in these isoties, not the generalizations used for mass media discussions.
We hope that when Senator Kennedy speaks here on Nov. 1, he will have profited by Vice President Nixon's futile attempt to win two audiences, the national television views and a community of students. It just doesn't work.
We, the first-time voters, want to learn about the issues and the candidates by squarely looking the facts in the face: we do not want to be cuddled, aroused cr entertained. We want to know which candidate is the best through concrete reasoning and not fancy analogies.
Thanks to President Topping’s well-planned convocations we are having the chance to learn about the candidates and the issues.
Vice President Nixon did not speak up to the university audience President Topping prepared for him. It is our sincere hope that Senator Kennedy will.
—J.K.S.