THE CLOUDED PATH

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

We are partly in agreement with the letter of HYR President Roger A. Moore, which appeared in Saturday's CRIMSON, concerning the forum: "Should Universities Be Investigated?" Aside from some dubious value as "entertainment," little beside noise and heat was generated in the forum itself. A sampling of extreme views (which is a necessary part of our education on this matter) can easily be obtained by selective reading of newspapers and periodicals. Sponsorship on university premises of type of "education" does not in our opinion seem appropriate. It would seem that the committee of the Graduate Student Council which planned this forum was guilty of that peculiar type of "rationalist" naivete which holds that truth is in some way advanced through encouraging the clash of extremes.

On the other hand, Mr. Moore, particularly in his last paragraph, has grossly over-simplified a very complicated picture. Undoubtedly the current issue is not simply a clash between academic innocents and villainous politicians. Yet, it is more than merely "the result of the misdirection of the efforts of sincere men." Even assuming that Dorgan et al. are sincere, there are few less open to reason than "righteous" fanatics whatever their locus on the political spectrum. We are not at all convinced that Messrs. Dorgan and Robertson are unrepresentative of the unintelligent approach of at least some of the importantly placed leaders in the investigatory parade. In this sense, the forum of the other evening may have served well in pointing up the serious danger portended when and if this type of unthinking, and fanatical individual gets control of the investigatory process on the State or Fedoral level. Furthermore, men of this type are not uninfluential in the realm of public opinions and attitudes.

It is indeed time, if it is not already too late, for individuals of more moderate persuasion to intelligently discuss both the moral strategic requirements of the situation. But here is just as little to be gained from Mr. Moore's assumption that the McCarthyites will respond to sweetness and light, as there is in Professor Struik's assumption that a Communist is merely a persecuted non-conformist. It is unfortunate that last Wednesday evening it was left up to a young Yale law student to seek to give this problem the thinking it deserves. Mr. Lowenstein was alone in attempting to weigh the social good against the social ill that is likely to flow from a particular type of investigation. Professor Struik is not the sufficient reason, as Mr. Robertson in his simple mind conceives, for investigating colleges, Mr. Roberison and his kind are not, as Professor Struik in his confused mind conceives, the sole enemies in the world today of "the open mind." Charles Stastny SG   Stanley Rothman SG