Evening star., 1950-02-18
DR.. Fuchs Behavior
typical Of All Other
Communist Traitors
Sohizophrenio Claim
Doubted; Lack of Faith
Called Busis of Acts
By Dorothy Thompson

There is nothing unique. ex-
traordinary. or even accurate, ir
DR.. Klaus Fuchs description o1
himself as man with a con
trolled schizophrenia." Schizo-
phrenia is pathological term tc
describe form of insanity. DR.
Fuchs was not in the least in
sane. He was Just a Communists
and a spy, behaving like every
other Communist and spy in 9
top position.
People continue to be startled
and incredulous whenever it is
suspected or revealed that a per-
son of high mental caliber, or one
holding a distinguished social OF
professional position, is a Com
munist or a perjurer. That is
because We have convinced our
selveS--accepting a Communist
line-that the roots of COM
munism are economic: that COM
munism is a disease of materia
poverty. 1t is not It is a dis
ease of the spiritually frustrated:
of spiritual poverty; of the minC
that. having abandoned cor never
found) strong religious faith to
support moral convictions, cannot
endure the resultant bleakness OF
soul. Into that spiritual waste
land moves the great erSatZ re-
ligion of the century: Com
muniSm.
If people would understand that
communism is secular church
they would better understand its
power, and the personalities at
tracted to it.
Organized Like Church.
1t is organized like church
with an immutable body of faith,
a strict and continuous theological
discipline (the dialectic) repeated
spiritual exercises-confession and
atonement-and it has its saints
and martyrs.
1t has its educational, mission
ary. disciplinary, and propaganda
sections, and its militant arm. It
assigns tasks to its members suit
able to their tested devotion and
intellectual capacities, or men,
bers assume them for themselves.
In the minds of Communists
they are the upholders of the only
true faith in world of infidels.
They alone are the saved on the
way to terrestrial heaven, carry
ing weaker humanity with them,
while their opponents are on the
way to the bottomless pit.
Once this assumption takes hold
of a convert. he has no further
struggle with right or wrong. He
has found peace. Henceforward
he is a humble "toiler in the
vineyard of the Lord" Outwardly
he will render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesars
"the time is not yet come" He
sees himself, in the secret COM
munity of the saved, like an early
Christian in a hostile pagan So
ciety. which can be redeemed only
through the small circle of those
called" To hasten the demise of
that society is to hasten redemp-
ton. Until then he must protect
the sacred community. Since it
is prosecuted. perjury, he thinks,
is legitimate weapon of de-
fense. Since it is fighting-at
war with the decadent society
it will supplant-all means of
war, including espionage, are
legitimate.
Lives Dual Life.
Every spy, in whatever service,
lives a dual life. He appears in
the world upon which he is spying
as a member and upholder of that
world. He is trained and trains
himself to recognize areas of dan
ger. He disciplines himself
against backsliding to the seduc-
tions of the world, the flesh, and
the devil He is a dedicated man
undertaking what he considers
heroic risks.
But sometimes the Communist
fails in. his faith. Sometimes a
memory of an older and nobler
faith stirs his soul and opens il
to the realization that his new re-
ligion is a form of black magic
Sometimes his mind awakens to
see the great dialectic as theol-
ogy of unsupported superstitions
Sometimes he comes to doubt the
apocalyptic visions of a world re-
deemed, as he sees the realities in
its redeemed parts.
These are the ex-Communists
who include highly distinguished
and subtle intellects. whom we
stupidity shun and distrust. Fol
no one would even begin to under
stand the Communist mind except
for them. No one who had never
belonged to the faith could write
such a book as Arthur Koestler'
Darkness at Noon" which re-
veals deeper horrors than any
anti-Communist speech-the hor-
ror of idealism in the service oi
evil.
Yet We hear it said of Whitaker
Chambers, who can believe 6
self-confessed perjurer?" The re.
mark is pointless. Mr.. Chambers
"a man of high intellectual ca
pacities-is a self confessed ex.
Communist and by logic has
therefore, been a trained perjurel
and can understand a perjurel
who, in his own mind, is serving
not evil but Righteousness. L
Alger Hiss is. as Mr.. Chamber
declares, a member of the Com.
munist church-and we do no
know-dissimulation in his mint
is not wrong, but a sacred duty
espionage is not treason. but {
noble task, and a contribution
like DR.. Fuchs, to human redemp
ton.
released by the Bell Syndicate, Inc)