More Reducation

Mr. Zoll has done it again. The noted protagonist of academic enslavement has brought out a new dossier, "Reducators in Leading Women's Colleges." Of course, it is no worse than "Reducators at Harvard," for the amount by which a principle is violated cannot be measured--in this case, freedom from guilt by association. But Allen Zoll has shown himself more deadly than before. He has extended his original limitations, "officially designated subversive organizations" and now in his lists also includes members of groups which he himself classes as anti-American.

In his past efforts Zoll has restricted himself to publishing the names of professors who were in some way connected with organizations adjudged subversive by governmental investigating committees. These agencies' findings are open to the public. Zoll's group, the National Council for American Education ("I want to emphasize the word American," he says) dug up this information and went around grubbing for educators who had been members of these groups in order to fill up his mimeographed publications. There is still a grave doubt in many Americans' minds whether or not these investigations, by making such judgments without court sanction, overstepped constitutional lines. Certainly by publishing the names of members of the "subversive" groups in a "Reducator list," Zoll shattered the basic right of every individual to stand innocent until a court proves him guilty.

In this new pamphlet where he attacks 100 leading educators in women's colleges. Zoll has taken it upon himself to act as his own congressional investigating committee and include groups "which have not been officially designated...or are so new that no official agency has had a chance to report on them as yet. They, however, follow the usual Communist line, have been enthusiastically promoted by the Daily Worker, and have had the chronic fellow travellers as members."

By giving himself a little more rope, Zoll is free to attack many more people, like President Benjamin F. Wright of Smith. Wright has never had any connection with an "officially designated subversive organization," but he has opposed the recent Mundt bill, requiring registration of all Communist party members. Therefore Zoll feels free to call him a "reducator." The government-sponsored Federal Theatre of the '30's evidently sounded like a fine subversive title to Zoll, so he found a teacher at Sarah Lawrence who had belonged to it and tacked her on to the list. One of the "reducators" is a 90-year-old woman professor-emeritus who is too weak to speak over the telephone. Zoll fits her out with a jacket of 43 "subversive" affiliations.

Zoll is no mere crackpot. He has a large and powerful organization and ties with other similar groups throughout the country. His literature is being widely circulated, and subscriptions to his periodicals are growing. Among other successful ventures, he helped drive out superintendent of schools Willard Goslin, from Pasadena, California, and encouraged John D. Lynch to propose a Communist Control bill in the Cambridge City Council.

Academic Freedom and freedom from guilt by association are two of our most cherished possessions. Allen A. Zoll has violated both of these beyond all limits of reason.