1977-11-02; Central Michigan Life

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Wednesday, Nov. 2, WIT.
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Volume 59 No, 28
Actress terms accusations 'red-baiting'
Fonda
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©Ctwriffct, 1977
Cc»traJJIlt!i!_«nUFE
by KATHY JENNINGS
LIFE Ass't News Editor
Jane Fonda, an organization
of which she is a member and
their lawyers are considering
action  against  Dow  Chemical
Co., U.S.A., she said Monday.
"We (myself,  the  California
nders action against Dow
Campaign for Economic
Democracy and lawyers) are
considering action," Fonda said
in a telephone interview.
As of Tuesday, a Dow
spokesperson said he had no
personal knowledge of the
company being contacted about
possible action.
.  Fonda had no further com-
ment on what kind of action is
being considered.
Dow U.S.A. President Paul F.
Oreffice cut off direct gifts and
grants to CMU after Fonda's
speech here Oct.. 10 in which she
attacked , big business and
mentioned Dow several times.
In a letter to CMU President
Harold Abel, Oreffice said
support will not be resumed
until "we are convinced our.
dollars are not being expended
on those who would destroy us."
Referring to the letter, Fonda
said, "They accused me of being
a communist sympathizer. This
is a resurrection of McCarthy*
type red-baiting—if you don't
agree with what someone says
you call them a Communist.
"I am not against business, I
am a businesswoman. I am not
against profit, I make a profit. I
am against corporate
irresponsibility and greed," she
"They accused me of being a Communist sympathizer. This is a resurrection of McCarthy-type
red-baiting—if you don't agree with what someone
says, you calf them a Communist "—Jane Fonda,
actress and activist
said.
Fonda said once a corporation
gives money to a state school,
"they can't earmark it and can't
have political strings attached to
it."
She said Dow's action would
be like the United States offering food to Bangladesh, then
taking back the food if
Bangladesh did not profess a
certain political i stand. "That's
blackmail and it shouldn't be a
part of our way of life in
America,"
Dennis Vest,' executive
director of University
Development, said Tuesday any
donor    can    earmark  . money
donated to the University. It is
then up to the University to
decide if it wants to accept the
donation for the project for
which is it earmarked.
Dow spokespersons claim the
issue is not one of free speech,
but Fonda said freedom is the
central issue.
In her Oct. 10 speech Fonda
said big business has become a
new group of rulers and tyrants
who control Americans' lives.
Monday she said the cutoff is
an example of the issue she
discussed in her speech and
illustrates what is happening
because of corporate
domination.
"Just as we saw in Watergate
when people raise their voices far
opposition, those in power try to
repress them," she said.
"The issue I raised is not just
a liberal cause, this is Vietnam
and much more. This is the
whole problem that confronts us
in our future, and if we can't
resolve it there will be no future.
"The people in power will
strike back. One way is to take
away freedom - shut them up,
call them Communists, keep
them from being heard," Fonda
said. '
Reiterating statements made
earlier in the week, Fonda called
the Dow cutoff "corporate
blackmail."
"It is an instance of a big
corporation trying to tell
students who they can invite to
speak and what ideas can be
discussed. I think this is a real
threat to freedom."
Abel says Dow settlement
will not sacrifice free speech
Charlie Burns of Greenwald Construction Co. is shown above
working on the foundation of the Chemistry Department's new
storage shed. The shed, located near the south-west corner of
Brooks Hall, is designed to house potentially explosive chemicals
used by the department with minimum risk to surrounding
people and buildings (LIFE photo by David Fritz), i  ,
by JAMES REINDL
LIFE Editor in Chief
Settling with Dow Chemical
Co,, U.S.A. over * use of the
company's funds at CMU will
not mean sacrificing campus
freedom of expression or the
University's "intellectual in-
/ dependence," President Harold
Abel said Thursday.
In a prepared statement, Abel
said he believed a settlement
will be reached with Dow and
added CMU's relationships to
business and industry are "too
long standing and of too much
mutual value to be jeopardized
by a single incident," referring
to Dow's suspension of all grants
and   gifts   to   CMU   following
activist Jane Fonda's speech
here Oct. 10,. ,
Dow U.S.A. President Paul F.
Oreffice cut off, all direct aid to
Central after he read an account
in the Midland Daily News of
Fonda's speech in which she
attacked big business and
specifically . mentioned, . Dow
several times.
Any reinstatement of CMU
funding by Dow, Oreffice said in
a letter to Abel, was contingent
upon a meeting between the two
to discuss the issue and make
sure no Dow funds are used to
support speakers such as Fonda.
Oreffice also requested
assurance all sides of an issue
are  presented  in  the Univer-
Fonda offers return speech;
would sponsor own rebuttal
by SHARON JOHNSON
LIFE Staff Writer
Actress-activist Jane Fonda
has offered to return to CMU to
speak without charge in
response to the Dow Chemical
Co., U.S.A. reaction to her Oct.
10 speech here.
However, no plans have yet
been announced by student
organizations or the University
Administration to accept
Fonda's offer.
Dow U.S.A. President Paul F.
Oreffice cut off direct gifts and
grants to CMU after Fonda,
attacked big business in her
speech.
Fonda contacted the Office of
Student Affairs late Friday
afternoon and said she would
finance a return appearance to
speak at CMU, Charles B. House
Jr., ■ executive assistant to
President Harold Abel, said
Monday. »
House said the University
Administration    "cannot • or
would not say no" to a Fonda
reappearance, but added Fonda
may be using the University as a
stepping stone for her own
causes.
"But Miss Fonda should
remember if she does return, the
Uftiversity will still have to deal
with the situation after she
leaves," House said.
Meanwhile, one student group
which sponsored Fonda's speech
met Monday to discuss its
action regarding the Dow cutoff.
Association for Women
Students (AWS) decided to form
a committee which would give
students input into the controversy.
AWS did not discuss the
possibility of inviting Fonda to
return as the group indicated
concern another Fonda speech
would not help resolve the
problem between Dow and the
University.
The committee would have
(See "Fonda offers—" page 7)
Poll shows weekend
UHS services favored
sity's speakers series.
Abel's statement Tuesday
read in part: "I believe that the
misunderstanding with respect
to Ms. Fonda's recent speech at
CMU will be resolved, and
without the abandonment by the
University of any of its academic
principles. I recognize also the
right of others to criticize the
balance represented by our
Speakers programs. The many
productive relationships between the University and the
communities of business and
industry are of too long standing
and of too much mutual value to
be jeopardized by a single incident."
No meeting has been set yet
between Abel and Oreffice,
spokespersons for both sides
said. However, Abel said he
telephoned Oreffice's office at
the chemical giant's
headquarters in Midland
Monday to reiterate his offer to
meet with Dow's president.
Oreffice has been out of town
on business meetings, and has
been unable to establish a
meeting time, Phillip L.
Schneider, manager of Financial
Public Relations for Dow U.S.A.,
said.
"There has been a willingness
expressed by the University and
I am confident that such a
meeting will be set in the near
future," Schneider said.
Both sides have expressed
optimism a settlement will be
reached, but neither has said
how long it will take to iron out
their differences.
Abel said Tuesday he made
his statement because he
thought there had been some
"confusion" Dow did not interpret a letter he wrote to
Oreffice following the cutoff as
an invitation to meet. He also
said he wanted the University
community to be clear on his
position.
Tuesday, Abel also released
the letter, dated Oct. 21, in
which he assured Oreffice the
University was concerned a
balance of viewpoints be
presented on "controversial
issues."
"From reports-"-1 have had
about the Jane Fonda
presentation, I think I can
understand your anger and I
regret that a single incident in
the diverse cultural life of this
University was made by the
Midland paper to appear as a
major event," Abel told Oreffice.
(See "Free speech—" page 7)
Ampersand
featured
Today's CM LIFE contains
the November issue of Ampersand, a national en-
/ tertainment magazine containing features about movies,
records, performers, books and
television.
The publishers wish to note
the Lynyrd Skynyrd advertisement on" page 3 was
printed and shipped before
three members of the band died
in an airplane crash.
bySUE:BERG
and
DAVID N.BRABOY
LIFE Staff Writers
A    majority    of    Central
students    surveyed    favor    a
continuance   of   weekend   inpatient care at the University
Health Services (UHS), a just-
completed poll shows. The pt>ll
tjvas    conducted    by    CMU's
chapter of the Public Interest
Research   Group   in   Michigan
(PIRGIM).
PIRGIM Coordinator Russ
Sniegowski Monday released
results of the poll, which are
i comprised of information
gathered by randomly
telephoning 248 students from a
possible 16,000 during the past
two weeks.
The survey, the first of its
kind to be conducted since Dean
of Students James Hill
eliminated and then reinstated
< i I       ■!    .   •■■■.!       . i"   'i     lii    W    ..    .ii      .      »—     ii in     n      if    Hi    {      **"-S,
—Provost defends  right  of universities  toy
criticize industry—page 3
. t
-A-Senats reviews role in CMU planning-
pagoti ■     .    '. *
' * '
-~City Commission may reconsider business
waterchar0es-^page7
—RummelMACP/ayer-oftheWeek—page 11
UHS weekend in-patient care in
September,   was   designed   to
gauge student opinion on the
usefulness of weekend care, plus
student reaction to the UHS in
general,) Sniegowski, Ludington
junior, said.
' "Eighty-six   percent   of   the
students polled support having
things remain pretty much the>
safae,*'     Sniegowski     said.
"Students  do not see  a  difference between a weekday and'
a weekend as far as getting sick
is concerned."
Stiiegowski'likened the poll to
a "rough draft" for Hill, who is
planning a second survey
centering Oil student opinion
plus the cost-effectiveness of the
UHS.
"This preliminary poll will
hejp Hill make more detailed
questions toywa,rd student
opinions of the UHS 'arid will
1 (See "PIR(5IM poll-" page 8)
>*"-
The rubble in the foreground of this photograph is all that remains of the Keys Council Homecoming
float. It was set on fire Sunday night in the Thorpe Hatl Courtyard. The arson, under investigation by
the Department of Public Safety, caused an estimated $500 in damages (LIFE photo by Ron Nichols).
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