Inge Four SCARLET AND BLACK 'I'om Wenner Reiects Victory Popular Tom Wenner, a re- luctant write-in candidate for senior class president, said Wednesday, after being de- , lared the overwhelming victor . the race for senior class president, that he must decline 0 accept the post because there are “too many important noncerns I have to handle.” In a campaign conducted by an unauthorized group of anon- ymous "friends," the Wenner ticket received a landslide of support that more than doubled the total vote count of the closest contender. This year's senior class pres- ident will he Dave Evans. He placed second in total vote count in Wednesday‘s elections. .Other senior rclass officers are Bill Hicks, vice president; Mark Ferdinand, treasurer; and Ann Hart, secretary. Government Servant Rules by Crisis In Order to Create By Kathy Elliott _ "The goal of the government Iervant is the generation and gulrivat'ion of consensus,” said [Charles 0. Lerche, Jr., Profes- sor of International Relations in the School of International Service at The American Uni- ,versity. Lerche spoke on "The portance of an Informed blic in a Democratic Soci- oty” in Herrick Chapel on Fri- Ilay, November 15, as a part of . e Grinnell College Student ymposium. “What-the government wants from me as a citizen," Lerche paid, “is consensus so that‘ it Yuan workyon a day to day basis . without conferring with me. I m to trust the government and allow automation autonw my to enact the job to be Hone.” Lerche described the com- osite image of the Amer- an‘ public which the For- eign Policy Conunittee holds today. The initial image is that of an uninformed. unin- terested, irrational, highly ‘ernotional mass whose nor- mal state is “hopeless di- vision: The government sees itself strung between the mass hysteria and mass re- laxation” of a public which can only be dealt with on .an “emotional scale," said Lerche. The government sees itself as sufficiently dedicated and educated to conduct public husiness, while the masses “need not, cannot, and should not be taken into government lionfidence.” Since any government needs the backing of its constituents, lerche pointed out the masses are needed to give the govern. ment there consensus. "There- GLASSES Made and Repaired in Our Laboratory Contact Lenses CASES AND SOLUTIONS EYES EXAMINED E. J. Jensen, O.D. . Optometrist Across from Post Office Public Consensus fore, it is necessary to see that the consensus is formed the right way by steering mass at‘ titude through consensus en- gineering," Lerche said. The most effective method of obtaining “instant; consen- sus" Is by declaring a crisis, a time when the masses can always be counted on to rally *behind their leader. Thus, the government today “conducts more than one crisis simul- taneously. That way, there is always something for us to worry about," Lerche said. Lerche added that the press is also doing what it can to in- volve mass emotion by putting out news in emotional, person~ alized terms and simplifying and polarizing issues. Lerche maintained that the image of the “monster public” does exist today, not because themasses are ignorant, but because they have been “whip- lashed by crisis after crisis un- til they don't know what to believe. “The government has cried ‘wolf’ too many times. Every decision is said to be crucial. The masses have been kept in Such a high emotional State that they have become desen~ sitized. They don’t know what to believe, so they don’t be lieve anything. “The only way to re-establish public consensus is by standing foursquare with the public on government issues. We need more than consensus manage- ent. It is impossible for our country to move forward with- out agreement and understand- ing between the masses and government on the nature and content of our goals," Lerche concluded. Friday, November 22, I96! A debate between James Greenfield (second from left) and James Lerche (second from right) was a feature of lost Friday'l Symposium session. Other participants were II. to r.) levy) . C. Edwin Gilmour (poll. sci.l. Greenfield, Poul Reichs. Lerche. and Joseph Wall (his- SIA Executive Lectures By Ann Showalter Brian Eattey of the United States information A g e n c y launched the second part of the Symposium, “The Execu- tive,” speaking on “An Execu- tive Agency in Action” Tues- day night in Herrick Chapel. Sprinkling his talk with an- alogies, and anecdotes, the Special Assistant to the Dep- uty Director of USlA for policy and Plans explained how the agency uses Communications techniques to improve US pub- lic relations abroad. Battey compared the USIA to a camera lens. “The pic- ture it gives depends upon the scenery. You can‘t take a picture of a snowstorm and come out with a photograph of a beautiful summer day; likewise, we can’t make films of the burning of a church in Birmingham and create a favorable image of the United States with them.” He said that when the US tries to persuade a foreign country to accept a specific objective,'“lt is not our prop- aganda that really does the job; the people of the'coun- try must come to believe the innovation will b e n 2 fi t them.” He hypothesized that the US might want to install a satel- lite tracking station in a small foreign country. There might be opposition from “Commu- nists," local newspapers, stu- dent groups and others who would say the tracking station was a missile base in disguise. In VOGUE for THANKSGIVING 23675328 The job of the USIA In such a situation would he to use films, radio broadcasts, and magazine articles to show that similar operations had been beneficial in other coun- tries and that the proposal was in the interests of world peace. Battey continued, “Accept- ance of the innovation might start with favorable coverage in local communications media and» gradually the citizens might come to think the track- ing station would be good for meir country." Thus, the USIA works indirectly. One of the propagandist’s problems is understanding cul- tural Values outside his own society. For instance, during the Korean war leaflets show- ing an octopus Inscribed with a hammer and sickle entan- gling Korea in its tentacles were dropped on North Korea. One North Korean prisoner said he had seen one of the leaflets and interpreted the cartoon to mean Communism would guarantee the Koreans plenty of octopus to eat. In concluding his lecture, Battey stated he finds his work interesting because it deals with the intangible: the thought in another man’s mind. MEEKER'S laundry — Cleaners lAnnouncing the Following Services Wash. Dry. Fold ' a. 5 pounds 75c, then He per pound lo. Washed in Home Washers c. 24 Hour Service d. Socks melted and Neatly Folded Bundle Service 01. Shirts 28c each b. Pants 50¢ each c. 3 day service ol. Sport Shirts and Pants Returned on Hangers. Take Your Clothes In to Your ' North or South Campus Agent Soy ”Send Them to Meeker's"