Evening star., 1953-01-27
Communists in Universities

DR.. James Bryant Conant's final report as
president of Harvard University deals with but
does not answer one Of the most important
questions OF our time
The retiring Harvard president, who has
been named as United States High Commis-
sioner for Germany, says that American scholars
are confronted with the problem of how they
may reconcile tthe essential tradition of dissent
with the need for national unity in the face Of
danger" DR.. Conant, while stating that he has
no answer, undertook to spell out some Of the
considerations which should be kept in mind.
If there are any members of the staff of
any university who are "in fact engaged in sub
versive activities" he said, 81 hope the Govern
ment will ferret them out and prosecute them.
But in so doing, I trust they will not create an
atmosphere in which professors would be afraid
to speak freely on public issues"
This is statement which exposes in few
words some of the dificulties inherent in this
problem. Almost every one will agree that the
Government should ferret out and prosecute
any one in university who is actually engaged
in subversive activities, for such person is
criminal and certainly not entitled to any i'm
munity in the name Of academic freedom. There
is an implication here, however, that the Gov
ernment should not concern itself with Commu-
nistS on university faculties who are not "in
fact engaged in subverSive activities" DR.. Co
nant went on to say: Certainly if the trustees
or administrative officers of university were
to engage in any investigation of professors
activities as a private citizen, the life Of the
university would be destroyed This seems to
say that university officials should not concern
themselves with noncriminal activity by Com
munist professors outside the classroom, and
this impression is strengthened by DR.. Conants
further remark that even if there were Commu-
niStS on the Harvard staff, which he doubts,
"the damage that would be done to the spirit Of
this academic community by an investigation
by the university aimed at finding cryptic
Communist would be far greater than any con-
ceivable harm such person might do"
These observations seem to come down to
the proposition that neither an agency Of gov
ernment nor the universities themselves should
concern themselves with the activities Of Com
munist faculty members, provided only that
they do not violate the law and that they do
not function as Communists in the classroom.
Whatever the merit in terms OF the tradi-
ton of academic freedom Of this point Of view
assuming it to be correct estimate-it is
suggestive of a state of mind which, II generally
accepted, would tend to bring on the very thing
which the universities are most anxious to
avoid.
DR.. Conant is perfectly right In saying that
ait would be sad day for the United States IL
the tradition Of dissent were driven out Of the
universities the ferreting out Of actual sub
versiveS were to create an atmosphere in which
professors would be afraid to speak freely on
public issues"
There is a vital difference; however, be-
tween the tradition Of dissent and free speaking
on public issues on the one hand and the prac-
tice of communism on the other. The former
implies an intellectual integrity which is lack
ing in the latter, and this is difference Of
great Importance.
1t is exceedingly unlikely that public opin-
ion will concur in the view that the private ac-
tivity Of Communists in our universities il not
proper concern either Of government or Of the
universities. On the contrary, the adoption Of
such a view by the universities would serve to
encourage the launching Of the headline-seek-
ing, witch-hunting type Of investigation which
all educators would rightly regard with dismay.
The problem of cleaning Communists out OF
our universities can best be handled by the uni
versities themselves. II they are unwilling or
unable to do the job, however, some one will
attempt to do it for them. And 1t Is at that
juncture that the real threat to academic
freedom will arise.
In Enirnnee ia Ynunnnr n<{:~n,.