Evening star., 1961-12-31

lean Historical Association an
nual meeting here yesterday.
Mr.. Rusk reaffirmed President
Kennedy'S statement that our
vital interests and commit
ments in West Berlin" will be
defended "at whatever cost"
This remains "the basis on
which we intend to explore the
possibilities of a peaceful reso-
luton of the Berlin crisis" he
said.
Mr.. Rusk said that from
Berlin to Laos, from the ques-
ton of arms control and dis
armament to the exchange of
persons, we are prepared to
look at each proposal and pos
Sibility on its merits and to
look Systematically towards a |
world which would permit us
all to live easier on a planet
overshadowed by nuclear weap-
ons."
Referring to AHA President |
Samuel Flagg Bemis, who said
Friday night that Americans
are afflicted with lazy social
dalliance and grooming soft
ness" that affects their ability
to compete with the stern dis
cipline and tyrannical compul-
sion of subject peoples" Mr..
Rusk said:
My view of our condition
is somewhat less somber than |
your presidents"
'Democracies have always
given an appearance of some
disarray and Self-indulgence,"
he said. He recalled the head
shaking of many Americans
about our youth in the Twen-
ties and Thirties."
Yet, these we're the gener-
ations which fought our great
est war. fashioned a remark
able achievement in our own
society and took up a world
wide responsibility we have |
never known before" he added.
Mr.. BemiS, professor Of Yale
University, author of several
well-known works on American
foreign policy, said the histor-
ian of the future will have to
decide whether the American
people had "the social diSci-
pline, the spirit of sacrifice, the
nerve and the courage to guard
for themselves and their pos
terity the blessings of Liberty"
He expressed confidence that
1--WE still have the will and the
dedication required for the
great tasks ahead"
President Kennedy sent a
telegram to the AHA from Palm
Beach which was read yester-
day. 1t expressed regrets that
he could not join his "fellow |
members" Che is a member of
the organization). He congrat-
ulated the association "for al
lowing Republican from Yale
prof. Bemis) to make good on
the New Frontier" He referred
to the professors address which
he praised.
More than 5000 teachers,
students and citizens interested
in history registered for the
meeting, the largest the AHA
has held here, a spokesman
said.
Also meeting in conjunction
with the AHA were % special
historical groups.
. One of these, the Society of
Italian Historical Studies yes
terday gave its annual $500
prize award for an unpub-
lished essay of monograph on
Italian history to Prof. Carroll
Quigley of Georgetown Uni
versity. His monograph was
titled, "The Napoleonic Occu-
patton of Rome, 1808-1809."
Another speaker yesterday |
afternoon, Prof. Gordon w.
Orange Of the University of
Maryland, presented evidence
to explode the myth" that the
plans for the attack on Pearl
Harbor were known only to a |
few Japanese officers. Hun
dreds of officers and enlisted |
men knew about the daring
plans, he said. It was a true
miracle" that the japanese
were able to keep them top
secret, he said.
Next years AHA meeting will
be held in Chicago. The theme /
of this years meeting was
Liberty and Learning"