The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-12
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

Il usual shower of flowery pretense with re-
spect to the contributions of education to civil
ization, social justice and social freedom. But
they have been accompanied by larger than
usual flock Of oppressive acts which give the lie
to this pretenSe. AS the Nation puts it:
Closing the school year has been the signal
fer a vertable wave of dismissals, suspension,
and other disciplinary measures against paci6sts
and radicals in colleges throughout the country"
A conspicuous example has been the dismissal
of Prof. Granville Hicks from the Department
of English at Rensselaer, Polytechnic Institute in
Troy, N. Y. Prof. Hicks is an honest and ad-
mitted radical, a distinguished author, literary
editor of the New Masses, and was pronounced
by the student paper at R. P. L the outstanding
man in his department as a teacher.
The acting president of the institution a
retired and conservative engineer, alleged that
Prof Hicks is being dismissed in order to curtail
expenses in harmony with the general policy
of retrenchment. Prof. Hicks has supplied facts
which undermine this contention. He shows
that the expense to the university incident to
his dismissal have cost considerably more than
it would have done to have retained him at his
former post. These expenses include the salary
of the instructor engaged to take his place and
the half years salary to be advanced to Prof.
Hicks.
THE fact that the acting president repeatedly
l. refused to accede to the courteous request
of the American Civil Liberties Union to discuss
the case with representatives Of its committee on
academic freedom would seem to lend weight to
the charge that his action is distinct violation
Of academic freedom.
There is no evidence whatever that Professor
Hicks exploited his position to proselyte for
radicalism. His students have voluntarily testi-
fed to his impartiaity in the teaching of ltera-
ture.
There are some who would say that no radical
should expect to retain his position in a conven-
tional institution of learning Any such conten-
ton is contrary to the slightest pretense to
academic freedom. The dice are certainly loaded
plenty in behalf of the vested order when there
are SO professors devoted to rugged individualism
over against one lone advanced thinker. Reac-
tionaries should not be stupid enough to imply
that scores of indvidualists are not able to
swamp the arguments of one radical.
But the action of Rensselaer, is not even
smart One reason why retrenchment is neces-
sary at the institution is the difficulty of
graduate engineers in obtaining employment
The most promising field for the engineer today
is Russia. If President Jarrett had been little
brighter, he might have seen that Prof. Hicks
could have been made invaluable to the inSttu-
ton as contact man between the oldest engi-
neering school in the country and the newest
field Of engineering development.
EvEN more stupid and illogical was the dis
faculty and student body of the College of Ply
sicianS and Surgeons of Columbia University for
their words and acts in opposing war.
The president of Columbia University has
proudly paraded his position as one of the most
prominent of American particularly in
those periods when pacifism enjoyed popu-
larity and social prestige. He has received the
Nobel peace prize. He is head of the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace.
When Mr.. Carnegie gave his millions for this
endowment, he himself said that he did so in
order to hasten the abolition of international
war, the foulest blot on our civilization"
If there is man in the United States who
should logically lead every important anti-war
parade. it is Nicholas Murray Butler. If Mr..
Carnegie were alive, we wonder what his senti-
ments would be when compelled to witness the
head Of his endowment acquiescing in the dis
missal of instructors and students for following
out quite literally Mr.. Carnegie's ideals.
The most absurd aspect of the whole situa-
ton is that the international attitude Of medical
students should have been regarded as Of any
import even by the most obtuse reactionary. A
doctors capacity to remove an appendix is hard
~ related to his views on militarism as opposed
to pacihsm. And doctors, who will be compelled
most directly to observe the horrors of war have
the best of all right to advocate policies which
will prevent these horrors from recurring.