Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

Current EventsProf. William H. Russell, Ph.D.FORD BENEFACTIONIn the largest gift ever made by aprivate philanthropic agency, the Ford Foundation recently announced atotal of over $500 million in grants to privately-supportedcolleges, hospitals, and medical schools. $210 million will bedistributed among 615 private colleges and universities, asten-year endowments for the improvement ofteachers'salaries. This will help to overcome one of the greatest problems of the institutions which receive no public aid, forfaculty salaries in such colleges now average about 20 percent below 1939 levels in terms of purchasing power. Afterten years the colleges may use the money in any way theywish. Geneva College will receive $131,400 under this grant.The amount for each institution was made equal to lastyear's faculty payroll. This raises the objection that theschools which are already paying the highest salaries willreceive the most aid; but it is doubtful whether any othergenerally acceptable standard could have been found. Thehospital grants may be used for any purpose except to reduceoperating deficits, while the medical schools are to use theirgifts for the improvement of instruction.HOPEFUL DEMOCRATSSenator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee has formally announced his candidacy for the 1956 Democratic Presidentialnomination. He will enter the California Presidential primaryin June, and perhaps two or three other primaries. His leading rival, Adlai Stevenson, will enter at least five primaries.Kefauver has a considerable grass-roots following, but hasnever been very popular with the big-city bosses since hisfamous crime hearings. Governor Frank J. Lausche of Ohiohas confirmed that he will enter his own state's Presidentialprimary, but probably not those of any other states. Lauscheis now serving his fifth term as governor and is one of themost popular Democrats in Ohio history, but he lacks national support. Meanwhile the Republicans still are in uncertainty. President Eisenhower's doctors have given good reportson his health, but he is not likely to announce his politicalintentions before February. Some Republicans may announcetheir candidacy before then in order to enter the New Hampshire primary.U. N. EXPANDSAfter prolonged controversy, sixteen more countrieshave been admitted to the United Nations. The original"package deal" for admitting eighteen nations was haltedwhen Nationalist China vetoed Outer Mongolia, and Russiablocked the entry of Japan. Russia receded from her original position, however, and accepted all the sixteen remainingstates. Twelve of the new states are either neutral or inclined toward the West: Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy,Austria, Finland, Libya, Jordan, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, andCeylon. The other four Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, andRumania are Soviet satellites. Probably the greatest increase is in the neutralist Arab-Asian bloc. Some feel thatthe moral position of the U.S. in refusing to admit RedChina is weakened by our agreement on the entry of European Communist states. In general, however, the new memberswill strengthen the U. N. by making it more truly a worldorganization.December 28, 1955FOOD GIVEAWAYSecretary of Agriculture Benson will soon release substantial quantities of surplus food, now held by the government, for shipment abroad by private religious and charitable agencies. Butter, rice, and dried beans are alreadybeing distributed in' this way, and wheat and corn are nowbeing added to the list. Eighteen agencies will be givenas much as they can distribute effectively in needy countries.This certainly is preferable to destroying surplus food, aswas sometimes done during the 1930's. It will not onlyhelp the hungry nations, but reduce our $7 billion worth ofsurpluses which are a constant threat to farm prices. Effortswill be made to send the food only to countries which couldnot afford to buy it, so as not to disrupt world markets.BALLOT BOXESElections for a new parliament in the Saar gave nearlya two-thirds majority to pro-German parties. This meansthat the new premier and cabinet will be men who will workfor the reunion of this strategic industrial basin with WestGermany. The Saar could then throw off French economiccontrols and become the tenth state of the Bonn Republic.France certainly will protest, however, if this is done.Parliamentary elections in Australia resulted in a strongvictory for the present government, a coalition of the Liberaland "Country" parties headed by Prime Minister RobertMenzies. The majority for Menzies in the House of Representatives was nearly doubled. Herbert Evatt, outspoken leaderof the Australian Labor Party, has now lost three electionsin a row, and his political future is in doubt.PARENTS VS. COMICSParents in Austria have drawn up a mammoth petition,with more than a million signatures, asking that their national government outlaw comic books. The petition wassigned by nearly 70 per cent of the parents of school-agechildren, and is also endorsed by the Austrian Teachers Association. Almost no comic books are now published in Aus-(Continued on page 426)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough ita editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writer,not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D,Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Subscription rates10 cents.The Rev.British Isles.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross Latimer$2.50 per year ; Overseas, $3.00 ; Single Copies,R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theEntered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansas,under the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.419