The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-11-27
PhoOey, Professor!

In recent issue of the Nei0 York Times Magazine
an article, entirely amazing carried written by
Henry Steele Commager, professor of History at
Columbia University.
The Professor is decrying the present witch
Hunts referring to the present Investigations into
the Communistic affiliations of number of Amer
lean citizens. He makes loud clamor about guilt
by association and sounds for all the world like
some one who either recently was or is about to
be summoned before such committee himself.
His main thesis is that no one should be held
suspect or condemned because he belongs TO- or
lends his in support of, organization that
is known to be Communistic. We say his main thesis
because he artfully states that no one should be
condemned because he once belonged TO or gave
support by such organization Since we all could
agree pretty much with that, il looks like the Pro-
fessor would have agree in the breath
with his other statement.
That is precisely what makes the Professors ar
guments dangerous Some of the things he states
truths with which all would agree. Mixed in with
them, saladfashion, many that We could not
To cite just one. Guilt by association is wrong
says Mr.. Commager and in proof of this he trots
forth number of reasons one of which is the
following:
He says this doctrine is wrong because it is neither
possible or desirable that engage in check
of the membership, past we'll as present of all
organizations TO which we belong or which We are
asked to join"
That is pernicous conclusion. For sake of ar
gument Why shouldn't il be possible or at least
desirable TO check the membership OF the organiZa
ton we Join or to which we lend our name in sup
port?
And even granting this assertion, il seems to us
that the Professor is confusing something and pur
posely Whether not we can check the member
ship, past and present of the organization in no
way means that we cannot check the aims and mo-
hves the organization itself And this IS both
possible and desirable.
To confuse the membership of the organization
with its avowed purpose is to confuse two utterly
different things. IL is not primarily because some
undesirable characters belong to organization
that makes it bad II is the motives of the organiza-
tion itself that color The members
One other thing. among the many This boy says
that If the membership Of "subversives in or
ganizaton is enough 10 persuade us 10 drop our
membership" then "all that the Communists need
to do to destroy any society is to join it,"
This is one OF the finest examples of a truism
that we have ever read That is endctig what the
Communists doing They are nfitrating the gov
ernment our schools and every possible place where
they can make inr0adS with the sole intention of
destroying what they have joined Their expulsion
from our midst is the very reason for the investi-
cations.
The lending of ones good name to an organiza-
tion about which nothing little is known is to live
dangerous lie, II leads the unwary TO think that
the organization itself is upright and honest as
the person seems who supports it, This is not and
Is utterly ridiculous
No guilt by association? Let's all run out and
Join the Chinese Bandits let the American Society
for the Advancement Of Brothel-keeping put our
names on its letter-heads.
Phooey, Professors