Problems in the news
Media
Part of The Philippine Educator
- Title
- Problems in the news
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1947
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- ' .. ~'~ k,.: ~~~'. ' ;.'/". ~ l' ·, ...................... •,.: . ' .. ,; .. · • ,_., PROBLEMS IN .' THE NEWS 1 ' l ...... ~-. ~: .. :·. ~-. ~~:.~ .. . Now- that there is no more need for -a news digest to help prepare teachers • for civil service examinations by giving '· current-events sampling, we have re. modelied this department so as to serve another purpos-e-to furnish aids for social science classes. Teachers at ·a loss for material to take up in their .!:urrent-€vents classes .may turn to these ' _ for suggestions. Teacher - discussion groups may also find fruitful material here. Ordinary citizens may be led to profitable social thinking by the challenge in the items presented here. 1. President Truman made known to, the world that the U. S. would not stand idly by whil~ communists force. their way to the help of European governments. The Truman note accused Soviet Russia of actively participating in the faH of Premier Nagy of Hungary, which led to the success of the coup d'etat of Matyas Rakosi, a brigadier general in the Russian army. The note also accused Soviet Russia of violating the Yalta agreement on the protection and development of the political independence of former enemy small nations. The note not only threat-ened to take up the question of the Communist coup d'etat in Hungary with the UN but also "strong economic and diplomatic action against communism's westward march in the interest of preserving the democratic government in France, Italy, and Austria." a. What has caused tension between the U. S. and Rus-sia? . c. Should the . UN act on the Hungarian problems if. brought before ·it? Reason, out. d. How 'would the U. S. curb- further expansion of Soviet Russia's influence? 2. How real is Jbe thr"eat of · communism? Here are some fl!-cts: The Russians have a jet plane that can travel 660 miles per hour, 40 miles faster than official world . record held iby Great · Britain, according to Jogn Foster, Jr., editor of the New York aviation trade magazine. He also said that the U. S. ·holds now a third-rate place in air power. Pr<>:-communist Lajos Dinneys, pren .. er of Hungary, said. that the communists are determined· to J;urn Hungary into_ a pro-communist state. Alcide • de Gas peri, premier of Italy, announced that an Italian government without communists will be formed under him. Now ::nswer thes-e: a. Is Communism winning against democracy in the race for world domination? b. What advantages over democracy has communism in its attempts to propagate itself? c. Is communism gaining ground in the Philippines? d. What social conditions ma'ke a country fertile ground for the s-eed of communism to grow? • e. What are the best ways of stopping the growth of communism? · f. is it wise to pass laws outlawing communism and communist o~ .b. Is the U. S. justified in taking ganizations? ~the side of Premier Nagy? 3. The UN face two major internationFOR MODERN OPTICAL' 1-fEEDS-SE~ KEEPSAKE OPTICAL-SO Escolta 41 ~~-~ :~~-~·:4 \' ~ t-.· J • • ..... :~ ..... • ~. .... ,_ -~\ - ..... ~ .. -;. f _ ...>'" .....-.~~::~. .... .... . • PHILIPPI'NE ·-EDUCATOR I ' .: • ." 1 ··~: • :-;,~ • "·.' (_· -~ ~ ... Jf."lr' · - . ,_.:-, ·. . _ · ~--~-·}l], . .P.~oblems; ~-c~n~rol · ~~ ' !l.tomi~ .~n:r~ • ::::.. and reductioiVof arlnaments. H'o;v .1s 1t [f..~ progressing ""i~ !be' solution of . these ·~ -...r ~;,·_ problems? . 4. The UN comm1ss1ons investigating 1~ the Palestine and the Balkan questions ~!;: ,; are · sta1emated. Is thP.re -no way out of • "' 1 , thl.s 'dange:ious inaction? J • • • •, . 5. The major _ Indian parttes are m f;.; favor of the ·British compromise plan ,1! · ;-. of a divided India. What does 'this plan ~ • I ,,-;;· imply? Is there a need fo:r: this com~ ·1 - ·promise? · ~ '· ... 1i . t,;:': , \'6. Jawaharlal Nehru. IS head of In~::· · dia;s interim government. Is this. f9r-~:: • tunate or~unfortunate for India? Why L d_~s India need strong leadership at "'1,• ~::. present? I~ • 7. The French Socialists introdu~ed a ~ . ·~ bill in the National Assembly tq_ put a ., .. stop to "parliamentary eloquence which f. has become excessive." Wou)d -it . be wise u; adopt this same rule in our ovin congress? Is this "gag" rule not repressive of free e-xpression? Is this law '· . democratic in implication? · 8. "Japan must pay reparations according to the Potsdam Agreement even if the Japane~e starve." Does this poli' .- cy · help promote international under. standing? Does it help promote world peace? 9. "Any citizen of the Philippines who allows his name or citizenship to be used for the purpose of' violating the law, and' any alien or foreigner profit.. ing thereby will be punished by imprisonment of not less than five or more than fifteen years ... " (Act No. 134) Will this act help eliminate dummies? · Are there no ways by which aliens may continue to use unpatriotic Filipinos for their own selfish ends? 1Q. Act No. 134 also provides that 25% of the fine imposed on the guilty be given to the informer. Is this practice· not ... }. :4 :tactics?- D~es 'it m~rit of th.e l~w? - • I • .{ .... t,,·\. 11. The Joint •Philipp_ine-America; ,, -~,.~;· F.inance Commission indirectly recom- - \ ,.;.' mended against more U .• S. loans in its .;:_~ report to President Roxas. It came · _·}~ to the co~clusion tliat the Philippine ~( government can be financially independ- ' ',f. ent iri -1948.' The Commission stressed · ·'/·~ that government expenditures be met : ~ ·· fr~m taxes or from domestic ratper : ,~-i·~a~ than international borro~ing; that the· .•. '\~'~ ' gover11ment live within its i'ncome f;om'; .. ~1:'t-~ h I . . ,-~~~' ~ ese sources. . . ·, . _-. ;;( a. What are the ~in sources 'of -~ ,j~ government income? ' .· .,~ b. How may the governtllent meet the · ' ... ~ ~:( deficit in our budget? .:;. ·· c. Can international borrowing ade- · '},sz ';b;.:~ quately so.lve 'this financial prob- ~~->1'31 lem? ,,.,~~~ • . ,. -·~ •,(. • 12. A . proposed administration meas- · ure is a tax on private schools "to help finance the supervision" of private education. V,:ill this measure help raise the standard of pfivate schools? How may . tl)is affect students? 13. Act No. 149 provides for the reapropriation of all balances 'of au•horized appropriations remaining unexpend-ed for the opening of new or additional public elementary classes. Which is better, equip old classes with much-needed equipment and materials or create new classes? Would it be better to use 'these unexpended funds for salary increases of teachers? 14. Says Randall Gould, American editor of the Shanghai Evening Post: "The Filipinos· have marry good points but when it come!! to energy in going after the retail business of their islands, they h.ave never been within hailing t)istance of the energetic Chinese, who have come, ·seen and conquered '"' 15. President Roxas is considering the re~umption of private trade with Japan. A~e Filipinos now willing to buy Japanese goods if these are cheap? Would the resumption of trade with Japan now benefit '9oth the Philippines , and Japan? 16. President Roxas has allowed the limited exportation of logs on condition that local prices of timber are maintained on a reasonable level. Will not this exportation raise prices in spite of the condition about . "reasonable level" of prices? Of what good to· the country is the exportation? 17. The U. S. department of agriculture predicted that the 1947 Philippine rice' production may approximate the pre-war output. Would this be sufficient to solve our rice shortage? 18. "Crime is fundamentally rooted in the malajustments of the economic .order so that in order to solve our crime problems, we must make soqiety more agreea~ble," said Eliseo de los Reyes of the Parole 'Board. How may you apply this principle to the solution of the Huk problj'!m? the labor problem? juvenile delinquency? 19. Sonya Rodolfo. a 14-year-old Fi~ lipino, won second place in the national spelling contest in the United States. How do we as a people benefit from this? 20. Dr. Maria Lanzar-Carpio, associate professor of politjcal science in the University of the Philippines, has been appointed to _ the United Nations secretariat. Mrs. :_Paz Policarpio-MenTHE NEWS dez~was appointed deJ.egate ·to the Asiati~ Conference held in Delhi: . ,. - "' Pan: Dr~ Encarnacion Alzona was a delegate to UNESCO and was the only woman · chairman of a subcommittee of that body. Can you explain how this leadership on the part of Filipino women has· been made possible? Is this a healthy sign? Are there other achievements of Filipino women which you can cite? 21. The Bureau of Health is preparing to eq~ip four mobile-health units "tO bring health education to the people by means of visual aids, through educational 'films, and lectures on health education ." How will this help solve our health problems? Are there other health measures which you can suggest for adoption? 22. The circulatiol) of pre-war treas~ ury certificates has been extended to August - 31, 1947, by President Roxas. This is the fourth time this extention has been made. This is only a small matter, but in what way is it a symptom of more serious shortcomings? 2·3. The coalesced minority palties in the Philippines are the Nacionalista Party, the Democratic Alliance, the Philippine Youth Party, and the Popular Front. Will this coalition be sufficient to put up effective oppositton? Why i!'. effective oppos~tion necessary? 24. Some congressmen have. written an open letteJ' proposing that Mr. Esteban R. Abada. Director of Education, be candidate for Senator. Should this · candidacy go. through, would it be wise for the PPST A to come out openly in favor of it? Would it be wise for the PPST A to remain neutra.I7. Which is the better course for th~TA to follow in matters like thi~'t-·remain politically· passive or to give all-out support of candidates who are openly for teachers' welfare? FOR MODERN OPTICAL NElWS-SEF. KEEPSAKE OPTICAL-SO Escolt:1