Freedom Center trains cold-war leadership Penal reform . .
By Samuel Yette
Newsweek Feature Service
CULPEPPER, Va.-America has its Military Academy,
its Naval Academy and its Air Force Academy. But to one
band of alarmed conservatives, that's not enough in the war
against Communism. So they have founded a kind of
cold-war academy.
On 683 green and rolling acres here in the Blue Ridge
Mountain country 80 miles from Washington, D.C., stands
the handsome home of the Freedom Studies Center-an
educational establishment that aims to become a graduate
institute of "psycho-political warfare.
"YOU MUST NOT forget," warns John M. Fisher, 49,
the ex-FBI man who heads the Center, "that there are
6,000 schools behind the Iron Curtain who are teaching
political warfare." And he likes to quote an epigram from
his old boss, J. Edgar Hoover:
"We re at war with Communism, and the sooner every
red-blooded American realizes this, the safer wc will be."
To promote this safety, the Center has a variety of
activities. It produces a three-day seminar once a month, a
twice-monthly newsletter and what Fisher calls "Radio
Free America," a commentary supplied to more than 400
stations.
IT ALSO GETS out individual publications, such as a
28-page pamphlet called "Teaching About Communism:
Guidelines for Junior and Senior High School Teachers."
Founded and partially funded by the American Security
Council, a Chicago-based conservative lobby, the Center has
as one of its major goals the study of Communist strategies
and tactics and the training of cold-war leadership. To
accomplish that, says Fisher, it wants "to reach people who
have influence over others, people who have multiplier
potential.""
The man with the most multiplier potential on the
Center's staff is Elbridge Durbrow, a retired diplomat who
served as U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam during the
latter Eisenhower years. Durbrow is a director of the
Center, conducts seminars and gives lectures with titles like
"Communist Plans for Action."
OCCASION ALLY,too, he pulls in a notable guest for
one of the three-day seminars. One such was Loy W.
Henderson, the 79-year-old veteran career diplomat who
was once U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union but who
drew the line at speaking to the seminar. "I don't agree
with everything they say here, but I believe these are honest
men," he said. "Still, I don't agree that you ought to leach
hate-hating people because .they're Communists and all
that."
Fisher has two dreams for his organization. One is to
expand at into an accredited graduate school. The Center
expects to have 20 research fellows on hand later this
winter and next fall hopes to inaugurate a full-time program
with 400 students working toward graduale degrees.
His other dream is to gain recognition from the top
universities around the country and this seems difficult of
achievement from all present indications. Fisher names
some three dozen "cooperating" schools and universities,
but when pressed admits they do not recognize the Center's
courses for degree credits.
BUT THE CENTER is not without a few friends who, if
they are not in high places themselves, are at only one
remove from them.
Participants at one recent seminar, for instance, included
administrative assistants to U.S. senators John Tower of
Texas, James Buckley of New York and James Allen of
Alabama, as well as aides to at least two congressmen. And
at the Center's dedication, five years ago, among the
participants were two senators, a congressman and the U.S.
Navy band.
According to published figures, the Center spent
$335,000 last year, but it expects to spend considerably
more in the future. The money comes not only from the
parent organization, but from individual contributions
which range from SS to $100,000.
THERE IS ALSO AN occasional spectacular gift. One
has come from a Polish-born octogenarian named Sol
Feinstone who gave 560,000 toward a 5200,000 structure
to be called "The Sol Feinstone Library for the Survival of
Freedom."
Under the terms of the gift, "the Library will confine
itself to the criticism of Communism andor Bolshevism
andor Marxism-Leninism andor any other-named
movement which seeks to change our social order through
the lie, subversion or violence."
The library 's aims should be quite in keeping with those
of the Center which, by and large, has remained true to its
original prospectus: to train cold-war leadership, to study
Communist strategies and to become "a private West Point
of psycho-political warfare."
Continued from Pago 2.
cruel, and the penitentiary is so
vicious that a man should
escape if he can," Chambers
said, adding that often the
so-called "troublemaker" in
prison is really "the man who
hasn. allowed his mind to be
crushed out of him," by
wardens, guards and legislators.
Chambers spoke of a
"hypothetical" incident when
a warden is so politically
powerful his "pockets get
fatter" with prison reform
money.
He said the example raised
the question, "Who will watch
the watchers?"
"I TELL audiences that
prison walls are to keep the
public out and not the men
in," Chambers said, claiming
they hide the injustices in the
penitentiary.
"'Each man's death
diminishes you, we're told.
Isn't it possible a death is
worse if it's slow, day by day,
stripping a prisoner of
everything that makes him
human?" Chambers asked.
Houseparents . .
Continued from Page 5.
Fraternity men also learn
from the young housemothers
indirectly. Confer said. The
kind of things that bother her
will probably bother the girls
the men are dating, he said.
Most of the houseparents
have attended the University of
Nebraska previously. Jerry
Bartek, an exception, is stall an
undergraduate, though is four
years older than many of the
men in the house.
Philip Bowen of Phi Delta
Theta believes the age of the
couples can be a disadvantage.
Bowen is an alum of the house
and tehe juniors and seniors
think of him as a brother. But
his membership in the
fraternity is also an advantage
as he has access to meetings
and rooms closed to outsiders,
he said.
Mrs. Bartek mentioned a
mild lack of privacy, but feels
this is part of the obligations of
the job. Advantages make up
for inconvenience, however.
She hasn't as much work to do
as she would with her own
home. The Barteks have only
three rooms and she has no
meals to prepare.
Other fraternities that now
have houseparents are Alpha
Tau Omega, Beta Sigma Psi,
Beta Theta Pi. Delta Upsilon,
Phi Kappa Psi, and Sigma
Alpha Epsilon.
Most of the couples are
enjoying their jobs. Diane
Beecher of Phi Kappa Psi
concluded, "It's a lot of fun."
The University of Nebraska Corn Cobs
presents
THE
BOB HO
PE
SHOW
After the NU-Iotca State
Football Game
Saturday,
November 6, 1971
Univ. Coliseum
Lincoln, Nebraska
8:00 p.m.
ALL SEATS RESERVED
$7.00 & $5.00 $3.00 Students
11
"1
1 I '-j
Tickets Now on Sale
Student Union
' WEDNESDAY.; OCTOBER 27; 1971
' THE DAILY NEB Ft ASK AN