Evening star., 1953-03-02
CareyScoIds
Educators for
CI0 Leader Urges
Fierce Opposition tc
Academic Probes

James B. Carey, secretary.
treasurer of the CIO. today said
that education is facing its
greatest menace in American his
tory and teachers are not COM
ing out Of their ivory towers tc
defend themselves.
MIR. Carey strongly criticized
the current congressional inVesti-
cations of colleges and univer-
sites. He spoke at Howard
University at a ceremony mark
ing its 86th anniversary.
II am afraid of education's
ability to defend itself effectively
against q concerted campaign
animated by ignorance, reaction
and bigotry," Mr.. Carey said,
adding:
II have missed strong, wrath
ful voices rising from the aca-
demic world to join with the
protests of religious, labor and
political leaders"
"I am angry about it and it is
time for the colleges and uni
versities to get angry about it.
The colleges and universities
have been one of the chief-if
not the chief-bulwark Of
American democracy, and yet
they are now Smeared with
suspicion of being menace to
democracy.
Towers" Should Be Vacated.
Eyes, it's time for educators
to get angry. And if there are
any educational ivory towers
, left. it's best that they be aban-
doned before McC Carthyisrn pulls
them down on our heads"
Mr.. Carey said:
IF we have a future much Of
that future is in the hands OF
the teachers we produce, the
schools and universities we pro-
duce.
IT would rather-and say
this carefully and deliberately
see a college full of young
anarchists. all of them pickering
and quarreling and thinking
among themselves than a col
lege full Of driven young sheep
as we saw Hitlerism and Fascism
produce by thought control"
Mr.. Carey said the crux of the
fight against academic probes
and Investigations lies primarily
in the character of the men
who conduct them and their
motives.
He said the members of Con-
gress pushing the investigations
are not simply anti Communist
but anti-liberal, anti labor and
pro-reaction. He said they are
using the anti-C Communist move
as stepping stones to prestige
and they "straitjacket the Amer
lean mind in a fashion not far
different from the way totali-
tarianism StraitjacketS the think
ing of It's victims.
Sees Mental RegimentatiOn.
while imagining they are
fighting RECOMMENDATION Of the
left, they are actually seeking a
mental regimentation of the
right" he declared.
Congressional Investigations
of our schools and teachers by
committees that are stacked with
reactionarieS are only one aspect
of our present plight" Mr.. Carey
continued. But they are dam
gerous because they give incite-
ment to other and more extreme
attacks on liberalism and aca-
demic freedom"
Mr.. Carey singled out the
American Legion as an example
of "Self-appointed" cenSorS that
have grown up because Of the
current atmosphere.
He pointed out the American
Legion has picketed movie the
aters in Washington when a film
is shown with an actor, actress
or director who may have been
q member of a Communist front.
He declared:
"Okay, that Is the American
Legion's idea of AmericanisIn.
But I want to ask where was
the American Legion when we
picketed the National Theater a
few years ago because 1t operat-
ed a Jim Grow house? Is 1t
Americanism to picket one the
ater because it shows fllm with
q former member of a Com
munist front but not American
ism to picket another theater
because it refuses to admit all
Americans In the Nations Capt.
tal?" :
Alumni Awards Made.
The Founders Day ceremony
also saw the presentation Of
alumni awards for outstanding
achievement to three graduates
Of Howard University.
The awards went to Lawrence
Winters, baritone; Bishop Edgar
A. Lowe, Bishop of the Methodist
Church for the Baltimore area
of the Central Jurisdiction Con-
ference. and Lewis K. Downing,
dean of the school of engineer
ing and architecture at Howard.