The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-10-11
STEPHEN DUCCAN
 | IN NEWS BULLETIN
Says the War Failed to Make World Safe for
 Democracy

The current issue of the News Bulletin published by The Institute of International Education, New York, contains @ number of valu- able articles on various subjects, all of which are treated with marked ability. The following, en- titled Freedom and Education, by stephen Duggan contains opin- ions on which one hears different views by able thinkers all over the United States and in the old world:
 The domain of freedom is being steadily narrowed. Freedom has
 hitherto usually found residence in democracy. The war which for democracy" failed of that pur- pose, as of so many others. More and more, nations are supplanting democracy with dictatorship in which freedom has little, if any place. These dictatorships may have
 been made necessary by social dis organization, economic depression or political chaos. Material condi- tions may have benefited by the change. But almost inevitably the life of the spirit has suffered. The belief in the unlimited value of human personality disappears and the individual counts for less and less in the affairs of men. "The most sincere advocate of democracy must admit that as a form political organization 1t has sometimes failed to meet expecta-
 tions, especially in countries with populations that have little or no | experience in self-government. Even in our own country the con-
 flict of selfish interests has put
 such @ strain upon democracy that notifications have been found | necessary. But though made under
 the pressure of necessity, they
 were at least made voluntarily and
 not as the result of army coercion,
 whether the army were official or
 unofficial.
 Every people has the right to
 live under the form of government
 1t selects for itself. It is not for
 foreigners to object because they
 do not like 1t. But 1t is reasonable
 to deplore an action anywhere that
 may be destructive of gains in human progress that have been
 made only by great sacrifice. Free
 dom of teaching is on such gain.
 Everyone familiar with the his-
 tory of international development knows the great obstacles that had i to be overcome before even the
 partial freedom that we have until
 now enjoyed was secured. Under
 dictatorships that modicum of free- I dom is lost.
 without freedom of research
 and without freedom to diffuse
 through teaching the results of re-
 search there can be no intellectual l LNtthAfff fNnadAyyS fA H.
 ulate upon human affairs some of the noblest visions that have been given to mankind would have died with their seers. No sadder spec tacle can be found than that of q
 university teacher who does not
 give expression to his real views on the subject of his lecture be-
 cause of governmental orders. His ] distress can be matched only by 1 the fear his students have to ask | the questions theX wan answered,
 fear that they will be reported as
 not good "patriots."
 "This sprawling democracy of
 ours presents aspects that are re- pulsive to 6 sensitive spirit. But in respect to freedom of teaching its record is good. Anyone can point to individual cases to the contrary, but an attack upon free. Il dom of teaching along the whole line has never been made. our situation is not without danger, however. Frequently are demands
 made by influential groups to curb
 freedom of teaching because of statements made by professors.
 Fascism of various colors and communism unquestionably have
 influenced some of the people. Both
 ideologies ore 1nimical to freedom. This is an appeal to the teachers | and students of our universities who may be impressed by the ben- efits that undoubtedly exist in the
 fascist and communist states not to forget the price that has been paid for freedom to teach and free- dom to learn"