Communist Hunters Must Check Truth, Then Act
If a noted educator reads a publication which implies that he has leanings toward communism, what should be his reaction?
This question no doubt must have occurred often to J. Allen Reese, dean of the School of Pharmacy, in the past few weeks. He was listed with other American professors in a list of sponsors of a communist-front organization. The list appeared in the May 15 issue of the American Mercury magazine.
The organization cited is the Committee for Medical Freedom. J.B. Matthews, author of the article, defines such an organization thus:
“(II) . . . is just as integral a part of the whole communist conspiracy as the communist party itself, the party press, the party training schools, and the party espionage cells. All are directed by a central high command, and all are coordinated to achieve a single end—the overthrow of the United States government by force and violence.
"It is a deliberate tactic to conceal, if possible, this complete integration of the communist-front apparatus with the whole Communist conspiracy. Deceitfulness is the essence of the front organization . . .
"Anyone who supports a communistfront organization, even by limited action of lending his name as a sponsor, is supporting the Communist conspiracy whether he knows it or not."
Mr. Matthews says the uses of the communist-front apparatus include extending the influence of Red propaganda beyond the boundaries of the party itself; serving as stations for those not yet ready to join the Red cause; raising more money for the party; providing employment for party members while giving them training in organizational work and leadership, and recruiting agencies for Communist spies and espionage agencies
He asserts that hundreds of college and university professors are affiliated with the front organizations.
The article shows admirable use of specifies such as names and dates, but even those lost importance when one considers how many innocent university professors may be implicated by being mentioned.
This seems to be the case in the involvement of Dean Reese. The Daily Kansan has interviewed the dean, and also went to great lengths to question Mr. Matthews about the article.
We were able to get a full story from Dean Reese. He says he has nothing to hide, and we are inclined to believe him and sympathize with him and the bad publicity he has received.
Mr. Matthews, when questioned via long distance telephone, showed no inclination to want to back up his published charges. He was given every opportunity to elucidate further on his charges. He would not, and was even curt in his answers.
Mr. Matthews is cited by the American Mercury blurb as "the acknowledged dean in the United States on the subject of Communism." His comments on Communism and the involvement of professors are pertinent, and perhaps perform a public service on the whole.
However, at the same time, Mr. Matthews might have caused much unhappiness in many quarters by charges which could prove to be irresponsible. His reporting job—which appears complete on the surface—loses its veneer when one does a little digging for facts under the surface. This should have been done by Mr. Matthews himself before he allowed the article published.
This type of sloppy reporting is common to most newspapermen. For ex-
simple:
Joe Blow, big-story reporter on the Daily Chronicle, arrives to work one morning to find a letter on his desk. Inside is a list of noted persons who are characterized by the letter to be "communists." Joe writes a story citing these persons. The paper is sued by those cited who have no conection at all with Communism.
J. B. Matthews and the American Mercury probably don't receive many comebacks from those named as Communists. It is known that even if an accused person is really innocent, he still will suffer from the publicity involved with the trial. His name will be linked with Communism first in the minds of the readers. Less important will be the fact that the person is found innocent of the charges.
We admire Dean Reese's stand on the issue. He probably has grounds for action against the magazine. He probably could collect damages. But he realizes that his attempts to clear himself would only create damage to his name through publicity.
His dismisal of the whole article and its charges was a shrewd move.
Bob Stewart
Spring Just Ain't What It Oughta Be
Spring has hit the campus, and the sap is flowing more freely.
Spring, beautiful as it may seem, is the most agonizing season of the year, because it makes the impossible seem possible. The optimistic spring-stricken student casts books aside and tells himself he can crowd into several minutes the studying that took hours to finish during the season.
The college professor too, with the bursting of buds in spring, feels that primitive passion that breaks forth in the hearts of men. It is the desire to live up to the requirements of his particular school or department by assigning all those papers he was too tired to grade during the lazy winter.
Shirley Piatt
avoided by spring. High temperatures may have prompted leaving bills for cooler weather and cooler heads.
After all, grading papers is much more inviting than the task of joining the wife in the "soap and sorrow" of spring house cleaning.
to gain membership and dues.
Lucky is the student who is able
to pass after attending the many
award dinners held in his honor.
Spring, the season of social activities, is crowded with all the picnics and parties promised early in the year by groups whose rash statements were made in an effort
So, you see, spring is largely overrated, and the worst thing about it—it's inconducive to study and comes when it's least needed. Putt
The coed, far from mother's clutches and the same gruelling cleaning job that faces the teacher; finds time to darken her epidermis.
Spring, wishing to include everyone in its disconcerting game, invites the law student to his traditional perch on the steps of Green hall. As a result, an observer might wonder if the number of female pedestrians treading the same sidewalk hadn't mounted considerably over those making winter's lonely trek.
The new student council was not
Editor's Note: The following article, ninth in a series by foreign students, was written by Tapsi Zutshil of India. He arrived in the U.S. in 1947 and holds a bachelor's degree with a psychology major. He is now a senior in chemical engineering.
International Peace India's People Seek
To begin with, I am legally a citizen of India. However, my primary loyalty is not for India but for the whole world. My views are often different from a typical representative of India.
Indian foreign policy often is misunderstood. As Fandit Nehru said, Indian foreign policy can be understood only in the light of what has been done in India in the past thirty years or so.
So, today, when India raises her head, slowly and with dignity, she
For a long time India fought the vicious British rule by non-violent civil disobedience under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi always emphasized that while fighting British imperialism Indians should not hate Indian people.
seeks no vengeance nor harbors ill-feeling against any country. At the same time, India, which possesses tremendous strength of spirit, would not let herself be pushed around in international conferences by great military powers of the world and would pursue a course which she thinks to be the right one.
Hawaii Sits Waiting, While Congress Debates Over Fate
Statehood for Hawaii may as well be forgotten for this session of Congress, with the Senate Interior committee unexpectedly voting to include statehood for Alaska in the same bill. Hearings have been ordered on the admission of both territories to the Union.
Hawaii is traditionally Republican, while Alaska usually votes Democratic. Statehood for these territories is being battled for primarily for political reasons. Admitting one of the territories would mean greater power in the Senate for a party.
The Senate Interior committee's 8 to 7 vote was a serious setback for the Eisenhower administration, which has given statehood for Hawaii but not for Alaska top priority on its legislative program for this year.
Even if the bill for Hawaiian statehood passes committee action, it is likely to face a filibuster by southern Democrats. This would mean other bills would be forced to wait for consideration.
As far as cold war and war in Korea are concerned, Indian foreign policy, like that of America and Russia, is supposedly dedicated to prevent another world war. According to my impartial judgment, Indian foreign policy is not only shaped by a desire for world peace but also is profoundly influenced by the following factors:
Members of Congress have discussed every angle of the bill and seem to be unable to work out the difficulties or a compromise.
Too much time, debate and taxpayers' money have been spent on this issue because some Congressional leaders are too political-minded to compromise, and more important bills have been laid aside.
This issue will appear in every campaign and in every session of Congress until a compromise or a decision is made. It should have been settled the first of this session by admitting both and not upsetting the balance of Congress politically.
—Velma Gaston
Statehood for both territories should have been included in one bill and put before the committee the first of the session. Both territories should have been admitted to balance politically. This would have solved the problem and would not have hurt politically either party.
2. Indian nationalism;
1. Her own self-interest:
During the Korean war India often has sympathized with Red China largely because of this Asian sentiment. Of course any such partiality will ultimately work against the cause of world peace.
3. The rising Asian sentiment;
4. The residual anti-Western sentiment.
We are all concerned about world peace. World peace is not merely an absence of a shooting war, but also an absence of injustice being done to so many people whose only fault is that they are weak.
So tong as hundreds of millions of people are suffering under the tyranny of communist dictatorial governments, and while people in Africa and some parts of Asia are suffering under the tyranny of European imperialism, there is no world peace. They must be liberated! They must find justice.
Those who sincerely want to work to avert a great catastrophe which may befall this world of ours must realize that their very goal requires them to make a basic change in their minds and hearts. They must think in terms of the whole world and act for the good of all humanity.
Although State department officials quickly denied any sort of a "deal" in the release of William Oatis, American newsman, from a Czechoslovakian prison camp, they did admit that the U.S. now will consider removing several economic sanctions imposed on Czechoslovakia after Oatis' imprisonment in 1951.
Oatis Release Holds Hidden Czech Intents
The sanctions include cutting off virtually all trade with Czechoslovakia, including exports which at one time amounted to almost $20 million annually; U.S. refusal to grant passports to American citizens to go to Czechoslovakia except on urgent business, and denial of the use of West Germany airports to Czech civil air lines.
Political pundits say the move is not necessarily a part of the Communist "peace offensive," but more likely a propaganda move.
Czech President Antonin Zapotocky announced Mr. Oatis' release was in response to a petitioning letter from Mrs. Oatis. It seems unlikely, however, that a woman's letter could accomplish what State department attempts for many months had failed to do.
Mr. Oatis was chief of the Associated Press news bureau in Prague before his imprisonment for what the Czech government considered spying—his insistence in reporting honestly and openly about what he saw in Red-dominated Czechoslovakia.
The department said nothing would be done about the $15 million steel mill in this country which belongs to the Czechs. It was impounded by the U.S. in January 1952 after Czechoslovakia became Russian satellite. The Czechs would like to have it back.
Mary Betz
POGO