Evening star., 1951-08-15
Wasted Opportunity

Mr. Truman had a chance to strike an eff
fective blow against McCarthysm in his speech
to the American Legion. But he muffed it,
The techniques which the Wisconsin Sen
ator has employed, and which have been aped by
few others, are repugnant to our American
concepts. His methods have certainly worked
great injustice to some individuals but they are
hardly real threat to our freedoms. The danger
OF McCarthyism should not be exaggerated
This country has been through similar expert
ences before and our freedoms are as secure
as ever In all probability we will still be able
to think as we please and speak as we please
and worship as we please long after McCarthyism
has become merely an unsavory chapter in the
history books. To suggest otherwise as the
President has done, is to make the mistake of
raising Senator Mccarthy and the things he
stands for far above their true Importance
Mr.. Truman made a second mistake In fail
ing to recognize that those whom he calls hate
mongers, or many of them, are quite sincere
i'll their beliefs Each of us is entitled to his
own opinion of Senator Mccarthy but it would
be mistake to ignore the possibility that he
may really believe much that he says And
certainly many of the people who are more or
less identified with him firmly believe that
there is a Communist menace in this country
That is due in part to such things as Mr.. Tru-
mans red herring" attitude toward the charges
against Alger Hiss, and it is condition that is
not going to be rectified by presidential name
calling. 1t is condition that needs to be seen
for what it is. and treated accordingly.
Mr. Truman's third mistake lay in the ex-.
travagance of his language At times he sounded
more hysterical than those whom he accused of
fostering hySteria.
For instance, he said that the scare
mongers and the hate-mongerS" are trying to
create in this country an atmosphere comparable
to that which prevails in Russia. Then he added
Character assassination is their stock in trade
Guilt by association is their motto. They have
created such wave of fear and uncertainty that
their attacks upon our liberties go almost un-
challenged. Many people are growing frightened
and frightened people don't protest"
That is strong language. But it is also ex-
travagant language-so extravagant that it de-
feats its own purpose.
1t is hard to think of anything Senator
Mccarthy has said that has gone unchalienged.
He has been repeatedly denounced by his victims
and challenged to repeat his charges where he
could be sued for slander-which incidentally he
has not seen fit to do Who are the frightened
people who don't protest? Far from being too
frightened to protest, most of them, in all prob
ability, have wearied of the chore of answering.
Or perhaps, and not without reason, they may
have concluded that the best way to combat
McCarthyism is simply to let it wear itself out
There was more of the same in the speech.
The President asked how many of his audience
were afraid to come right out in public and say
what you think about a controversial issue" But
the record hardly indicates that the Legion mem
bers are afraid to speak out on controversial
issues. When even one American who has done
no wrong is forced by fear to shut his mind and
close his mouth, said the President then all
Americans are in peril A pretty broad state
ment, but, assuming it to be correct, who is the
one American whose mind has been shut and
whose mouth has been closed by fear?
There ought to be an end to this business of
building up Senator Mccarthy into a kind Of
super bogeyman. He is having his inning and he
is doing harm. But the Bill of Rights is not going
to be supplanted by McCarthyism, and Mr..
Truman knows it. He ought to resist the urge to
go overheard in his public statements for all
that does is to help Senator Mccarthy make
bigger splash.