The Daily Texan
[article]
University Of Texas At Austin, Austin, The University Of Texas At
2022
By TOMMY TUR NER Dr. Robert A. Law, professor o f English, told the editorial as sistant of the Texan Friday that he was the "professor of Eng lish" whom Dr. Eugene C-Barker consulted for an opinion of " U.S. A ." before Dr. Barker wrote a letter to V ice-President J. Alton Burdine condem ning the book last week. Dr. Law also said that he bad made no public effo rt against the book, and bitterly criticized the "scurrilous" articles being car-i ried by The Daily Texan. "I have never, in the
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... ry of o f the University, known The Dai ly I exan to carry on such a scur rilous cam paign," said Dr. Law. "And it is doing the University a great deal of harm." In his opinion, stated the professor, most o f the news of the incident of John Dos P assos's book being dropped from the sophomore read ing list should have been sup pressed. The treatm ent being giv en it by the Texan was described by Dr. Law as being "sensational, yellow journalism ." In particular, Dr. Law expressed the opinion that the fictitiouslysigned letter on the front page o f Thursday's T exan, a satirical one addressed to Dr. Barker, was " arousing disgust all over the cam pus." W hen it was pointed out that the letter had been re ceived by The Daily Texan at the same time that Dr. Barker had received the original, and that it had been disregarded until the lat ter had given written permission for its printing, Dr. Law answered that it was still in very bad taste. " I would not be surprised if the m atter does not have repercus sions, especially because the leg islature is just m eeting," added Dr. Law. He said the letter ad dressed to Dr. Barker, whom he said, should expect and deserved, DR. R. A. LAW the best treatm ent from the U ni versity, was a "personal a ffro n t." " I shall not use profanity," Dr. Law said to the writer in a tele phone interview late Friday, "al though I have been tempted to ." He w as very surprised, he repeat ed, that the Texan's editor should print such news as he had been doing regarding the book, espe cially the letter to Dr. Barker. The book review of " U .S.A ." car ried by the Texan Friday was good, declared the English pro fessor, and the news stories car ried by the paper had been comparatively unbiased. The doctor's most vehem ent criticisms were di rected at the letter to Dr. Barker on F riday's front page. It was apparent Friday that public interest in the book was gathering momentum. Book sales on the drag almost doubled, with the two book stores reporting a total of thirty-seven sales. This brought the total number o f the dropped book sold to at least six ty-seven. A great number o f books, said one book store spokesman, were being mailed home.
doi:10.26153/tsw/26156
fatcat:ygwyprwkofgwvisx3duvubbpqi