the virtues of Communist society. Live theater is much the same, though tradi tional Chinese opera still has its stanch following. Drinking in excess is frowned on, but a quart of cheap beer can be had for the equivalent of about 15 cents, whisky of 60 percent alcohol content for 75 cents, and sorghum wine in a crockery bottle for $2. People laugh and love and have fun in China, just as they do everywhere else in the world. But no one in China is ever very far from the pressure and surveillance of a giant political machine, which not only supplies most of the individual's material needs from the cradle to the grave but also directly influences his thoughts. The goal is: China a great world power soon, and equal footing with any nation in the world now. The CHAIRMAN. Any other questions? Senator YARBOROUGH. No. The CHAIRMAN. We want to thank you and tell you we are most grateful to you. (A letter supplementing preceding remarks follows:) PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, Mr. W. T. CAVANAUGH, Engineering Manpower Commission, Engineers Joint Council, New York, N. Y. DEAR BILL: As counsel for Senator Lister Hill's committee requested, I am giving you the following additional information to include in my remarks at the point where it says "several institutions have a 5-year or modified 5-year program." "During the last few years there has not been a marked increase in the number of institutions whose first degree in engineering which is accredited by the Engineers' Council for Professional Development takes 5 years to complete. There are five such institutions: The University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, Cornell University, and Rice Institute. The two curriculums in chemical engineering and aeronautical engineering at California Institute of Technology requires 5 years to receive the accreditation by ECPD, but the students are awarded a master's degree at that point. "A rather sizable number of institutions are making a study of the entrance requirements. Many of these institutions will allow the students to enter the university but will give them remedial courses which may count for university credit but not toward the engineering degree, until the students reach a certain predetermined level. The theory is that these courses which do not count toward the engineering degree are ones the students should have covered in the secondary school but for some reason or other the student was unable to get these particular courses in the secondary school. If the student is deficient in mathematics, English, science, it may take him an additional year to receive the engineering degree. Among the universities which are known to be following a pattern like this are Purdue University, University of Florida, University of Illinois. A rather sizable number of other universities are making such studies but figures are not available at this moment." I think this should answer the question raised by the committee. I enjoyed the day in Washington and hope that we did some good. I would appreciate having copies of my testimony when they become available. Regards. Sincerely yours, RALPH A. MORGEN, Research Director. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Birkhead, the executive director of the American Veterans Committee. Mr. Birkhead, we are very pleased to have you appear before us this morning, and you may proceed in your own way. STATEMENT OF KENNETH M. BIRKHEAD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN VETERANS COMMITTEE Mr. BIRKHEAD. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate this chance to appear before the committee in behalf of the American Veterans Committee, an organization composed of veterans of World War I, World War II, and Korea. AVC, since its founding in 1943, has favored Federal assistance to education. AVC was one of the original supporters of the GI bill and laid particular stress upon the education features of that measure. We have since supported similar measures for Korean veterans and now support the principles of Senator Neuberger's measure which would provide education assistance for peacetime ex-servicemen. In addition, AVC has done what it could to aid in securing the passage of bills in recent Congresses designed to provide Federal assistance for school construction. FEAR OF UNDUE FEDERAL INFLUENCE There are many who fear any Federal assistance to education, believing that as a result of this assistance the Federal Government may have undue influence on local education and may, in fact, dominate it. AVC does not fear this possibility. Millions of dollars have been appropriated by the Federal Government for education under the GI bill and no one has seriously stated that the Federal Government has used this money to dominate schools. Additional millions have been given to local schools under other educational programs such as that which provides funds for impacted areas. Again, AVC has not heard the suggestion that these funds have been used to influence the kind of instruction given. Because of these reasons, AVC supports the principle that this Congress should take such action as it can to provide aid for schools throughout the Nation. We have studied the bills being considered by this committee. We will not go into detail on each of these bills, but it is the feeling of our organization that the measure introduced by Senator Hill, of Alabama, and others, should receive the favorable consideration of the Congress. We take this position for several reasons. S. 3187 PREFERRED AS BROADER BILL First, S. 3187 is a broader bill in providing assistance, and we feel that because of the lag in our educational program we need the broadest possible assistance to education now. Second, S. 3187 does not require a pauper's oath before assistance can be given. AVC has always opposed the principle of such oaths for receiving assistance. Third, we feel that S. 3187 also gives recognition to the fact that our present educational problems should not be dealt with wholly on a crash basis, but that these problems are likely to continue for many years and that a longer range program is necessary. This is particularly clear in the provisions of S. 3187 which provide for a permanent program of Federal support to guidance and counseling programs in the secondary schools. RESERVATIONS OF AVC AVC's general support of this measure, however, does not mean that our organization is not without certain_reservations regarding the bill and other bills of a similar nature. In the first place, AVČ believes that favorable consideration of this measure by the Congress may be used as the excuse for not dealing with other vital problems faced by education. Of course, the most pressing problem is still school construction. The Congress should deal with this problem. It should also be deeply concerned with the question of teachers' salaries, which continue to stay at a low level in face of the rapidly increasing cost of living. Secondly, this legislation is primarily related to improving the level of scientific training. This, of course, is vital. But there is other training which also deserves emphasis. Particularly, this is the case in the field of the social sciences. Our Nation has already launched its first satellite, and others will undoubtedly be in orbit this year. We can catch up in the field of science. OTHER REAL PROBLEMS But we have other real problems-juvenile delinquency, intergroup relations, labor-management relations-all of which need solution. We should be providing assistance to help train persons to deal with these problems. We may find that we have built and put into orbit the largest satellite, and built and fired the most advanced ICBM, and at the same time find that, while concentrating on the purely scientific, we have suffered irreparable injuries in our social structure. Finally, AVC urges that, in passing either S. 3187 or S. 3163 or a similar measure, the Senate include language protecting the rights of minorities under the legislation. AVC would urge that language be included in the measure indicating that scholarships and other grants under the program would be given without regard to race, creed, or color, and that no institution or school system should have the benefit of these grants that practices discrimination because of race or color. I want to thank the committee for receiving the views of AVC on this important legislation. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you for your statement, Mr. Birkhead. The committee is now in recess. (Whereupon, at 12:30 p. m., the committee recessed, subject to call.) SCIENCE AND EDUCATION FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1958 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10 a. m., pursuant to recess, in the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the Capitol, Senator Lister Hill (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Hill (presiding), Murray, Yarborough, Smith, and Allott. Committee staff members present: Stewart E. McClure, chief clerk; Roy E. James, assistant chief clerk; John S. Forsythe, general counsel; William G. Reidy and Michael J. Bernstein, professional staff members. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will kindly come to order. I am going to ask my good friend and colleague, the former distinguished chairman of this committee, Senator Murray, to present our first wit ness. Senator MURRAY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our first witness this morning will be Leonard Kenfield, president of the Montana Farmers Union, Great Falls, Mont. Mr. Kenfield, will you come forward and take a seat? Mr. Kenfield has been very prominent in Montana for many years, and is one of the leaders in the Farmers Union movement out there. He has taken a very active part in the solution of all the problems that we have with reference to our social life there, the education and other matters that are of great importance to the people. We have a great desire to hear him, because we know he is a man of sound judgment. His testimony will be very helpful to us today. Mr. Kenfield, you may proceed and make any statement you have in your own way. Mr. KENFIELD. Thank you, very much, Senator Murray. It was very kind of you to say those things. STATEMENT OF LEONARD KENFIELD, PRESIDENT, MONTANA FARMERS UNION, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL FARMERS UNION Mr. KENFIELD. It is indeed a privilege to be here to speak on behalf of the executive committee of the National Farmers Union as well as for the Montana Farmers Union on this important matter of legislation to improve a very serious situation in our educational system here in America. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the president of the Farmers Union, Jim Patton, appointed a commission on school support in rural areas in 1955. The commission, after several meetings and a long study of rural educational needs, released a report entitled "Remedies and Resources for Rural Schools." This report has had wide distribution among educators, farm leaders, and farm families. Its emphasis is on a long-range program of Federal assistance for improving educational offerings, for increasing the number of qualified teachers, for more and better physical facilities and equipment, for more and better transportation, for special programs for exceptional children, gifted and retarded, for improved and expanded technical and vocational training, including math and science, for expansion of the school-lunch and school-milk programs, and for a scholarship and scholarship loan program for needy students who want a college education. RECOMMENDATIONS OF FARMERS UNION EDUCATION COMMISSION Many of the recommendations of the Farmers Union education commission are reflected in bills introduced this year. We have made progress. The flood of bills on education are concrete evidence that the need has been recognized. These bills provide many different proposals out of which the committee must draft a bill agreeable to the majority of the committee and of the Senate if there is to be any bill on this side of the Congress. Farmers Union strongly supports the enactment of a bill this year to strengthen education. We believe that there is strong congressional sentiment for an education bill-strong enough to secure passage. In this connection, Mr. Chairman, we do not feel that full utilization of our human resources can be achieved through a program such as has been proposed by the administration. We are aware that with so many proposals to aid education in the bill form, the work of the committee is not easy. But we in Farmers Union assure you that, as we have confidence in the democratic processes under which the laws of this Nation evolve, we have confidence in the committee being able to draft an education bill which will draw support from many organizations and groups. SUPPORT FOR S. 3187 AND S. 3179 We are reluctant to endorse specific proposals. There are many bills which, either separately or in combination, would be acceptable. However, in the interest of furthering agreement on specific proposals, we support the combination of S. 3187 and S. 3179. This would combine your national defense education bill with Senator Kennedy's school-construction bill. We urge that all possible effort be made to eliminate the present inadequacies in our educational resources so that our youth will be challenged and rewarded for greater intellectual endeavors and that our Nation will be thus strengthened and the cause of peace advanced. Thank you very kindly for the opportunity to appear here. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Kenfield. Do you have any questions, Senator Allott? |