FRANK WRITING

Dr. Alexander G. Ruthven, president of the University of Michigan, has found occasion to differ with the editors of the Michigan Daily. The cause for this rift is a number of editorials which ran recently in the paper and which Dr. Ruthven characterizes as "tasteless and objectionable." The editorials themselves are not on hand but from the subjects given it is possible to deduce that they contained quite a bit of truth--truth that hurt some people's sensibilities. One of them criticizes the conduct of the American Legion members in their recent convention at Detroit, another disagreed with the dean of students for certain statements he had made in regard to student government, while a third attacks professors for slightly revising and reprinting regularly used text-books.

Any straightforward discussion of these topics will involve the making of a few honest statements that are bound to prick a few of the self-righteous and certain to upset these in authority. Dr. Ruthven hardly can be much more than a politician since he must remain in accord with the state board that forced Dr. C. C. Little to resign. It is therefore easy to see how these outspoken and iconoclastic comments might have disturbed his dignity. But he found the right method of combat. He merely withdrew the 900 subscriptions to the daily which the University purchases for its faculty members.

There is no need to defend the editorials of the paper. It may, however, be pointed out that suppression from above usually side rather than hinders a cause and that in frank self-criticism lie the germs of self-improvement. It is to be hoped that the editors of the student paper will not retreat in the face of high-handed action.