BOOK-BURNERS INJURE U.S. PRESTIGE ABROAD

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27089, 11 July 1953, Page 6

BOOK-BURNERS INJURE U.S. PRESTIGE ABROAD

McCarthy in the libraries

[By

JOSEPH and STEWART ALSOP

in the “New York Herald

(Reprinted by Arrangement)

Washington.—The burning of the books is now progressing merrily in all diplomatic missions abroad for all the world to see. The State Department’s book-burning programme, undertaken in craven fear of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, even has certain amusing aspects—if one disregards the fact that it is making the United States an object of derision all over the world. . Consider, for example, the boons banned from the United States Information Service's libraries m two sensitive Far Eastern posts, Calcutta and B The a Bombay list of books consigned to the flames is headed bv "Washington Witchhunt,” by Bert Andrews the able chief Washington correspondent of the “New York Herald Tribune. Andrews is a bitterly anti-Communist and distinctly conservative man. But what makes the banning of his book particularly piquant is the fact tnai Andrews was. in very tan?® PtiJX sponsible for bringing to light the facts which led to the conviction of Alger H Andrews worked closely with Richard Nixon, now Vice-President, throughout the Hiss case—and although he had nothing to do with it. McCarthy's rise may be traced to tne conviction of Hiss. Yet Andrews s book is banned for “bias’’—and it cannot be denied that the book does reveal a certain heretical bias against the persecution of innocent people. Other Banned Books Some books on the Calcutta or Bombav index expurgatorius—like “Mission to Moscow,” by former Ambassador Joseph E. Davies, “Union Now ” by Clarence Streit, or The Stilwell Papers." by the late General Joseph Stilwell—might properly be criticised for fatuity or tediousness. But it is difficult to see how they might sully the minds of the Englishspeaking residents of Calcutta or Bombay. , ... Other purged books include the admirable "The Loyalty of Free Men, by Alan Barth, an able editor of the “Washington Post’’: the Lynds classic “Middletown" and "Middletown in Transition”: and “Rising Wind, by Walter White, the strongly anti-Com-munist president of the National Association for. the Advancement or Coloured People. Presumably, recognition of the existence of a race problem in the United States is evidence of the harbouring of dangerous thoughts. The selected works of Thomas Paine were banned because Paines works were edited by the boring Left-wing novelist, Howard Fast. Thus Thomas Jefferson’s old friend stands convicted of guilt by association. Then there is

Isaac Deutcher’s remarkable bfcwrfek of Stalin (the late Russian name is no doubt consideS’ 81 ’ mentionable); “As We See the members of the Overse&jVj Club, ordinarily considered table fellows; a number of bcxfct the Nobel Prize winner, PearlSj? and so on and on. Nor are books only suspect m. Calcutta Mission has virtnJr reported to the State Departments two magazines. “The New Renuijj and “The Nation,” have been for removed from the library shelves a other magazine. “The Reporter* was promised, would be “subjected to close Protests from Diplomats At least two American have had the courage to prnt£tE vicious nonsense. One is Jama 5 Conant, former president of and now American High sioner in Western Germany, Conant received the original faS State Deparunent directive taSE the use of material by “controwS figures. Communists, fellow travd£ etcetera.” he cabled a brief appropriate request to the State 2. partment. “Please define etcefau Conant’s cablegram read in mJ, phrase. A longer and more passionate in. test was cabled to the State Dam. ment by Ellis O. Briggg, formal Ambassador to Czechoslovakia* ni now Ambassador to South Kom Those in the State Department have read Brigg's cablegram deatfib it as a classic of its kind, eloquent genuinely moving, a personal & affirmation of faith in the Amsita tradition of free thought 'M inquiry. ‘ Briggs recalled his own fInWM, knowledge of the slave state, m warned that the State Department book-burning was an outright betnn> of everything for which AiMg stands. The Briggs cable will, no itati henceforth gather dust in Lhe SWi Department’s classified files. Bn surely it is time for other Amettan who also cherish the American M. tions and who can speak more Italy, to get at least a little. angry, mi make their voices heard. For the standard of - employed by the State' Depntemfi book-burners is clear. No publMa containing views or facts which might conceivably irritate Senator MgEM or his admirers is to be peritaM abroad in any circumstance.; A Ml more of this cowardly ItaMM under to the political yahoo*. same standard will no be applied in the United State n wen. ~