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To the Editors of the CRIMSON:
Mr. Goodman's defense of his Berlin exploits and subsequent magazine article, as published in the CRIMSON on Dec. S. leaves several points unanswered.
He moves rapidly over the main points in the letter by Messrs. Fisher et al, preferring to concentrate on personalities, whether or not some of his attackers have been expelled from the Student Council, the NSA, the YRC, etc., and have been caught planting dictaphones (or even, for that matter, cutting their own grandmother's throat) is of course completely irrelevant to the main issue, as Mr. Goodman must surely realize.
I would like him to give a straight answer to the following questions:
1. Although "Frau X" defended Communism for several hours, she did not report Mr. Goodman's anti-Communist views to her superiors, as her duty clearly indicated. Had she done so, Mr. Goodman's adventures might have ended on a far more serious note By her action, "Fran X" clearly indicated that the did not approve of Communist police methods, which she herself may by now have sampled as a result of Mr. Goodman's accurate description of her. Anyone so obviously concerned with human freedom and decency as Mr. Goodman could have at least left her description too vague for identification. Why wasn't this done?
2. Mr. Goodman states that he is "not concerned" about the futures of the Russian soldiers photographed with him. No one with any intelligence would hold two ordinary conscripts responsible for Communist policies or actions. Mr. Goodman has repaid their friendship, even if gained by deceit, by rendering them liable to disciplinary action. Surely it was not necessary to publish this photograph, unless Mr. Goodman just likes to see his picture in the papers. But this very idea is, of course, too farfetched to be seriously considered...
I contend that Mr. Goodman in his article and his defense thereof, has shown a shocking disregard for elementary human decency, as exemplified by his attitude towards Mrs. X and the two Russian soldiers.
It is to be hoped that Mr. Goodman, when he grows up, will show his devotion to the ideals of a free world by actions more positive and useful, though possibly not quite as hair-raising. Kurt Gingold 20
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