Page 7
World Crises Discussed
Schlesinger (con't)
(Continued from page 1)
munists) "who see history as a rigid and unchanging process" and those (the democracies) "who see history as an unfinished experiment."
Communism has long since lost its idealistic appeal, Mr. Schlesinger said, citing Stalin's mass purges in the 1930's, the Soviet-German non-aggression pact of 1939 and the Russian-built wall in Berlin as some of the reasons for this change.
"Communism is a 19th century philosophy and is as obsolete as the doctrine of laissez faire capitalism preached at the same time.
"THE GREATEST APPEAL OF COMMUNISM." he said, "is that the Communists claim their system is inevitable. But nothing is more absurd than communism's claims to speak for the future.
He charged that Mr. Fomin's references in his speech to "peaceful coexistence" were "meaningless."
"What Karl Marx overlooked was the power of the liberal democratic state. He said the state could do nothing but contribute to internal conflicts with which capitalism would dig its own grave."
"This talk about peaceful competition has its charms," he said. "But in their own countries the Soviets do not permit competition of ideas even among their own people.
THE BERLIN WALL is a symbol of the meaninglessness of belief in peaceful competition. The Communists were compelled to erect this wall to keep citizens of East Germany from fleeing from the country.
"The closed society is a fantastic thing. Everyone in the world knew about the Soviet nuclear tests except the Soviet citizens themselves.
"But I suggest that the Soviet citizens will know soon enough about the tests, if only by the strontium 90 (a radioactive by-product of nuclear tests) in their milk."
Mr. Fomin, seated only a few feet away from Mr. Schlesinger, turned to the person next to him on the speaker's stand and whispered, "that's not true."
(HE REFERRED TO RUSSIA'S failure to announce stating its intention to resume nuclear testing.)
"Mr. Femin says my statement is not true," Mr. Schlesinger told the audience.
The audience laughed and applauded.
In his speech Mr. Schlesinger said communism works only in underdeveloped countries which want to "modernize in a week"—not in areas where a liberal democratic system of government has eliminated the differences between the rich and poor classes in society.
"COMMUNISM CAN PERHAPS best be understood as a disease in the stage of transition between a well-developed and under-developed countries.
"The wave of the future is not in communist domination. It is in social reform."
"Mr. Femin did not use the word that Premier Khrushchev uses in describing his goals in Berlin: 'neutralization'". Mr. Schlesinger said.
"THIS CONCEPT OF NEUTRALIZATION CARries with it the right to suppress any statement (made by a citizen of West Berlin) harmful to the Soviet Union."
He criticized Russia's fear of a re-armed West Germany as unfounded.
"The fact is that in the modern world the chances of West Germany becoming an aggressor is preposterous. The West Germans know that if nuclear war did break out, their's would be one of the first nations to be destroyed."
Mr. Schlesinger concluded by urging KU students to treat Mr. Fomin with respect as he speaks to them today and to compare Mr. Fomin's statements with Communist activities in the world today.
He received a standing ovation.
Fomin (con't)
(Continued from page 1)
that it was the Soviet government who first tried to settle the problem.
"A great number of proposals have been offered by the Soviet Union, but none has been realized due to opposition from the Western powers," he said. "At the 14th session of the United Nations, the Soviet Union put forward a proposal for general and complete disarmament. The U.N. General Assembly unanimously approved the idea of general and complete disarmament. In the talks that followed, the West has refused to work out an agreement."
HE SAID there could be no controls without disarmament.
"This would lead to the establishment of a system of international espionage. It might aid a potential aggressor in carrying out his plans."
And, he added.
"West Berlin, located in the heart of the German Democratic Republic, is used for every known kind of subversive activity against socialist countries. Our former enemies are trying to use this activity to set upon one another. This hotbed must be liquidated.
"The development of international relations and the lessening of international tension depend in a decisive way on how sincere we make the bonds between us. We Soviet people are convinced that differences in our ways should be no obstacle to fruitful cooperation between our countries.
"WE PROPOSE that West Berlin be a free demilitarized city; independent politically and without any external interference. If there be any need for troops in Berlin, let them be United Nations troops."
He expressed a hope that the United States and the USSR would improve relations between them.
"MAY THE peoples of America and the Soviet Union join their efforts in safeguarding peace."
He said that war was outdated.
"War is an absurdity to any man who has common sense. It will not bring profits, raw materials, nor new territories, but suicide. In other words, man is now at the crossroads. We believe in man, in his reason, in his ability to distinguish right from wrong. We are sure that man will come to understand the need to stop the mad race of armaments."
AFTER MR. SCHLESINGER'S speech, Mr. Fomin made several statements about comments the presidential assistant made.
In his speech, Mr. Schlesinger said that the Soviet Union is a closed society. He gave an example:
"Everyone in the world knew about the Soviet nuclear tests except the Soviet citizens themselves."
In reply to this statement, Mr. Fomin said:
"He (Schlesinger) evidently doesn't like the way we announced our tests. They were announced a good month before they took place."
ALSO IN his speech, Mr. Schlesinger made reference to the fact that the true history of Russia is not allowed to be taught in the Soviet Union. He said that the real story behind Trotsky has never been given to the Russian people, and that he should be given the position in the history of Russia that he deserves.
Mr. Fomin replied that "Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party by Lenin. He was expelled because he was a traitor to the party."
Twenty minutes after the convocation began there were three students in the main lounge of the Kansas Union. One was studying, one was reading the Kansas City "Star" and the other simply wandering about. Downstairs it was a different story.
Anyone for 'Confirmation'?
The Hawk's Nest and the adjoining Trail Room were packed. The record players were blaring.
When asked if there were usually that many people there at that hour, an employee said no. "But I think there's a confirmation today," she added. "That's why so many kids are here."
Thursday, Dec. 14, 1961 University Daily Kansan
Rafer Johnson, Olympics decathlon winner in 1960 and the first man to score more than 8,000 points in that event, is here today to observe the Crisis Day discussions and to confer with Bill Dawson, chairman of the People-to-People program.
Olympic Champ Observes Crisis Day
Johnson said Crisis Day is a "good idea, because we have the chance here to express our opinions and ideas."
Johnson added he did not think Counselor Fomin was treated unfairly in the planning of the convocation program because his speech preceded Arthur Schlesinger's.
"He knew what he was getting himself into," Johnson said.
Prof. Beth Interviwed
Elmer F. Beth, professor of journalism, was interviewed in Kansas City, Mo., today, on the "Conversation" program series of Station WDAF. The taped program will be broadcast at 10:35 p.m. today.
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