The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, June 17, 1954, Page Page 2, Image 2

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SUMMER NEBRASKAN
Thursday, June 17, T954
Editorial Page
Help For Turkey
Two University staff members left this week for Ankara,
Turkey, where they will confer with officials of the University
of Ankara and the Foreign Operations Service to investigate the
possibility of aiding that University in setting up a school of ag
riculture. Of course, the outcome of the trip and the problems involved
in the possible venture are not known, but what the two men will
have to say when they return will be instructional.
This is not the first time that the University has had a part
in similar tours which are designed to help countries like Turkey
and Greece in their programs of technical and industrial advance
ment. With all eyes on the McCarthy hearings and Tndochina
events, it is at times forgotten that many countries are in their
way struggling against conditions which might give rise to Com
munist infiltration.
Exactly what does the problem of Communism have to do with
a three-week trip of two men? Actually the connection is distant,
and yet the trip is significant.
Turkey, which is in a great part agricultural, is evidently
striving to increase the knowledge of farming methods in her
country and thus aid the economic condition of the country. If
we admit that the universities of the United States are the back
ground of our technical advancement, then the completion of the
mission of the two University men will be in part the beginning
of similar advancement in Turkey.
This time, the plan, which includes the sending of teachers to
Turkev. involves no hand-out by the United States. Even if it
did, however, the plan seems to be a good one, and an honest effort
to aid less advanced countries. " '
-At any rate, the University of Nebraska is not an isolated
island of men and women struggling to keep their heads in ivory
towers. The teachers and University administrative heads, along
with students, support one another in various branches and to
wards various goals which enable the University to be heard
across the ocean.
When the two men return, they will at least bring with them
a better understanding of the problems of another country, -which
is an important link in the defensive chain surrounding 'the Iron
Curtain. The smallest part that this University can play in any
program is to this extent justified.
if V1 J$jW: .v X' i
...... ..... s ' '
... LOST WEEKENDS? ". ;
What Do You Think?
McCarthy's Motive Questionable
By DARWIN McAFEE
' Columnist 1
One of "the great enigmas ol
the present time is that which
concerns Joseph R. McCarthy,
Republican Senator "from Wis
consin and raucous Communist
Security In Science -Conformity?
By DONALD C. MOORE
OEdHaf'l Note! Dr. Moor. luiTtralty
uisfant profexso Of physics, receatly wrote
rmta KWiitimr, asking him . to dear
too mm of atonic physic Is J. Robert
OBoeaheimcr, who hat beca declared a se
wttr rok by the Atomic Eaergr Coaiarie
doa lecarity board.) . ..
When Gordon Gray, of the
special AEC Security Review
said that according to present se-
curity regulations, Dr. Robert
Oppenheimer should be consid
ered a security risk, he also said
that a review of our whole se
curity system should be consid
ered. The idea of security began
with the Armed forces. Its need
is not hard to understand. The
invasion of France is a good
example to suggest the general
problem. There were a large
number of sites at which it was
militarily reasonable to begin an
invasion. A decision was made
by the Allied high command and
once such a decision was made,
it properly became a matter of
security. The knowledge of the
decision was unavailable to any
but the persons making the de
cision or to persons to whom
they had entrusted it. Therefore,
the enemy could get this infor
mation only by espionage or
treason.
a
Tins CONCLUSION has been
transferred to our scientific work
without at the same time
evaluating the premises on
which it was built. It is quite
true that we have scientific and
technological knowledge which
we would like to deny to poten
tial enemies of our country.
However, such denial is impos
sible, for as someone has said,
science is an open book which all
may read. We can become as
sure of avoiding security leaks as
we care to become.
In one extreme limit, we trust
no one and have no security
leaks. We also make no progress.
In the other extreme limit, we
will make 'more progress as we
have more competent people
working tor us. We will also
have more security leaks. Ob
viously, neither extreme makes
sense. We might imagine that we
start with our ultra tight secur
ity system with no leaks and no
progress.
a a a
AS IT IS loosened up, we be
gin to make gains because we
have more competent people
working for us. However as we
loosen the system still more we
will reach a place at which the
gains due to having more com
petent people working will be
equal to the loss due to leaks.
It is at this point that we ought
to stop. This degree of security
would be optimum. To get a per
spective, we should examine the
number of security leaks and
compare it Jo the gains that
have been made by having large
numbers of "dubious' people
working for us.
During the last war, in which
we united with the Communists
to defeat the Nazis and the
Fascists, it is interesting to com
pare our security program with
that of our enemies. The Nazis
and the Fascists, especially the
Germans, required party loyalty
as a condition for scientific work.
We made the decision that we
would accept Communist, Nazi,
and Fascist sympathizers as aids.
Very large numbers of refu
gees came to this country we
accepted them all, and our war
Summer Nobraskbn
Member Associate Collegiate Press'
Tha Summer Nebraska n u pubUehed by the 'atudenU of the University of
Nebraika In cooperation with Summer Belon, under tha direction of Frank
Sdrenson, aa an expression of studenta" newi and opinion only. According to
Article U of tha By-Lawa governing atudent publication and admlnlxtered by
tha Board of Publications, "It, is tha declared policy of the Board that publications
under Its Jurisdiction shall b free from editorial censorship on tha part of tha
Board, or on the part of any member of the faculty of the University, but the
members of tha staff of Tha Nebraskan (and Bummer Nebraska) are personally
.responsible for what they say or do of cause to be printed."
The Summer Nebraskan is publisher weekly for eight weeks during summer
achooi. Single copy is five cents. Entered as second class matter at the Post
Office in Lincoln. Nebraska, under act of Congress, March 3, 187S, and at special
rats of postage provided for In Section 1103, Act of Congress of Oct. 8, 1617,
authorized Sept. 10, 1922.
For any Informs lion regarding new content of the Summer Nebraskan and
tux)n8s or advertising call or go to the Nebraskan office, Ext. 4226, Basement,
Student Union, any afternoon Monday through Friday.
STAFF
Editor . Kay Nosky
Assistant Editors Barbara Clark, Darwin McAfee
Cosiness Manager ." Chet Singer
effort was materially aided by
their contribution. The German
effort was hampered very early
by their , political ..commissars.
We apparently have no Instances
of losing information to our ene
mies, arid perhaps two or three
instances, of our losing informa
tion to our Russian ally.
.
SINCE THE war, we have
changed our position. This is oc
casioned in part by the fact that
we regard the Russians as our
most likely potential enemy.
However, the reasons for our
change in position are likely
deeper than this one factj. We
have become a nation which is
unsure of some of the ideals of
its founding fathers. We are not
willing to allow radical dissent
ers to stand, as Jefferson said,
as a monument to the safety
with which our republic may be
preserved Men such -as Oppen
heimer and Condon are called
"security risks," not because of
overt actions, but simply because
of political views which they or
their associates hold.
Had "our security' program
ended there, it would have been
bad enough. However, 'we are
beginning to demand complete
agreement with the present for
eign policy euphemistically
called loyalty for a man -to
work on unclassified scientific
matter. Linus- Pauling, former
president of the Airierican
Chemical Society was denied an
opportunity to work on an un
classified project. It was stated
that this was because of his poli
tical views. David Bohm, who is
probably one of the brightest
young men to" study in this coun
try, has gone to Brazil because it
is impossible for him to obtain
work in this country. Our ideas
of security began with obvious
military . common-sense precau
tions, but they have become an
instrument to .produce conform
ity,. 0 -a
Our shortcomings are not miti
gated by the fact that the Soviet
Union is guilty' of the same
shortcoming. I abhor these sins
in the Soviet Union, .but I ex
pect much better things from my
country.
I hope that we will see fit to
re-examine our position. As Pres
ident Eisenhower has said, there
is no place for witch burners in
our country. .
eradicator who works officially
for the Congress of the United
States and personally for John Q.
Public, U.S. Citizen. .
Or does he? Those who question
his motives (his supporters would
prefer not to or would rather dis
cpunt them as a means to an end)
wonder just why Joe is carrying on
his prodigious campaign against
Communists. Is he sincerely in
terested in getting rid. of Reds?
If so, his record does not indicate
that he has actually accomplished
a great deal in that department.
Or is he interested in persona!
power? Probably only McCarthy
and maybe some of his closa co
horts knows the -answer, but the
facts seem to indicate to this
writer that power is his motive.
CHECKING INTO Joe's efforts
to get rid of Communists, we find
that McCarthy first charged at
Wheeling, W. Va., in February,
1950, that there were 205 "card
carrying Communists known to the
secretary of state." Next day he
changed the figure to 57. And two
days later he changed the figure
to 81. v
The only member of the list of
81 alleged State Department Com
munists i who has been indicated
to unauthorized persons is pro
hibited by law."
Most frenzied Communist haters
do not seem to realize that Mc
Carthy's challenge to the power of
the Executive branch of our gov
ernment and his apparent lack of
faith in the principle of the separ
ation of powers is in itself a
"threat to democracy." Whether
it is as great as the Communist
threat depends on how successful
Joe is in carrying out his chal
lenge and how unsuccessful are
present methods for coping with
Communists.
Aside from the fact that the Wis
consin senator seems U have a
flftS. column Tub (ike eiecaUve
branch which even extends' Into
the intelligence agencies f the
armed services, what other steps
has he taken t attain his desired
power? ,
For the moment, let's' consider
two aspects of power which Mc
Carthy has manipulated in one way
or another. They are financial
solvency and control of public
opinion.
Looking at the senator's finances
we find, according to a senate
investigation report, which at pre
sent is in Attorney General Brown-
nas Deen indicated Hi's filps nnavailahlo in tho rwih.
is Val Lorwin, whose indictment! r that . at nnn timo in 1Q4A Mo.
has since been dropped on grounds'
that it was falsely procured.
Undersecretary of State Walter
Bedell Smith, recently testifying
before Congress, said that no Com
munists had been found in the
State Department.
Although Joe has branded a
nnmber of persons as "fifth
amendment Communists," few, if
any have been proven to be Com
munist. In a number of eases, as
in the case of Mrs. Anna. Lee
Moss, it has been proven' that
those he accused have had no
association with Communism
whatsoever. And as for the rest
It Is still a prime principle of
law that an Individual is innocent
until proven guilty..
Nevertheless, implied guilt by as
sociation does irreparable harm
to individuals accused.
What about the Senator's lust
for power? His latest flaunting of
that power was his blatant de
fiance, during the presently tele
vised hearings with the Army,vof
the President, the Army and the
sub-committee., in refusing to dis
close the informant who gave him
secret material contained in a lft-
Lter written by J." Edgar Hoover.
THE FACT that he has violated
the espionage laws does not seem
to bother McCarthy. In fact he
went so far as to encourage all
"loyal" citizens to turn over to
him any evidence, secret or .not,
which might help him in his cru
sade against the "Red threat to
democracy." However, according
to the espionage laws, Title 18,
U.S. Constitution, Sec. 793 and
794, "the transmission or tne re
velation of the contents of anv
classified material in any manner BeN awectsj
Carthyowed the First National
Bank of Appleton, Wis. $170,029.03. '
BY NO later than 1952 this debt
had been erased. How? Well, in
four years, 1948-52, the investigat
ing committee reported, McCarthy
deposited $172,623.18 in Biggs Na
tional Bank id Washington, . D.C.
During this same period, his Sen
ate salary was only $50,000;
Now, did he come by the money
by investments or did he use funds
given to him to fight Communism?
What do you think?
How does (he senator attempt
to control or influence public op
inion? Well, it seems that he has
managed to plant two friends, John
Doerfer and Robert E. Lee (wha
seems to be shying away -from Mc
Carthy somewhat), en the Federal
Communications Commission,
of the most important agencies in
government. There the two friends
are la a position to dominate the
airways grant or deny TV and
radio licenses.
At the first of the year, one of
McCarthy's most powerful back
ers, H. L. Hunt, Texas millionaire,
was granted a coveted TV license
He now controls four radio and
TV programs Facts Forum, An
swers for Americans, Reporters
Round-Up and State of the Na
tion. These programs, which get
free time and certain tax benefits,
are supposed to be impartial and
non-partisan but they are said
to be subtilely following the Mc
Carthy line. Is McCarthy attempt
ing to control public opinion? What
do you think?
(Ta next colaaui will aeal with srvcral
Hire aspects ef power and tecaakiaes caa.
ployed, by McCarthy --la coajaactiaa with