Letters
"Creeping Orthodoxy"
To THE EDITOR:
It is heartening to read (in "The Undergraduate Chair"—April issue) that the Dartmouth faculty contained members who gave prompt and vigorous objection to the Hart proposal.
The problem in New Hampshire appears not to vary much from the problem in Washington, D. C., or in the State of Washington: the problem of preventing legislators from establishing a legal orthodoxy.
The formula seems to me so simple that it amazes me it is so widely missed: Democracy is people, functioning to the best of their joint ability.
Their ability to function is controlled by their ability to understand.
Their ability to understand is controlled by the availability of information, and by the availability of dispassionate analysis and interpretation.
If we who believe in Democracy are right, the system will grow and expand and improve as the people become wiser and more understanding.
The sources of information for the people are the schools, the press and radio, and discussion with others, either organized or informal.
Of these three basic sources, only the schools, at present approach dispassion—objectivity. The press has exactly the same objectivity as Dartmouth would have if it were supported by Cudahy, General Motors, the local retailers and the local power and light companies—and if the faculty prospered or failed to prosper as these controlling forces were satisfied with their work. Discussion, either organized or informal, is somewhere in between, depending upon what facilities for checking the background of the participants is available.
Communism is a delusion? Then there must be facts to prove it. What are the facts? Who urges them? Why?
Facism is an evil? How? Why? Democracy is a hope? How? Why? It would seem to me that the Dartmouth faculty members, having already proved their courage, in the face of a creeping orthodoxy, might further buck the tiger.
There are more people, organizations, organs, institutions in this country actively battling Communism than there are dues paying Communists, in all probability. It might even be established that only the furore keeps the movement alive.
What, then, are the motives of those who urge a nation already convinced to deepen the conviction? If the United States is in danger of no revolution, no blood in the streets, no coup d'etat, what then motivates those who persistently urge us to fear this discredited ideology?
Perhaps the faculty might increase our understanding of how Democracy works, and how its workings can be subverted, if they would assess this latter day Yellow Peril which goes by another hue.
Under the cry of Communism, legislators have amended the labor laws, the wages and hours laws, the social security laws, the antitrust laws, the price control regulations, the tax laws, the regulations affecting the shipping subsidies, and a host of other matters affecting our economic position. And under this cry, other legislation has been killed—notably housing, health, and even a law to repeal the oleo margarine tax.
In the current political atmosphere, there seems to be little or no room for a middle opinion.
Whom do we hear, today, declaring that, Communism is all right if you can't get any. thing better—and here's something better?
I draw my wages from a trade union. I've had about five years of intensive experience in keeping Communists out of control of the unions with which I've been connected.
I've fought Communists in unions on one simple basis: I'm heading one way, and they're heading another. My way is, as far as I am able to understand it, the Democratic way—which provides, among other things, for the Democratic elimination of me. The Communists are headed another, which takes the absolute position that they are right, everyone else is wrong, and their way will be followed by whatever means comes to hand. I'm against that, and so I have fought (quite successfully) those who espouse it.
But because I have consistently fought Communists in trade unions as an inefficiency unions can't afford—and not as a holy menace—l'll give odds my FBI file is as long as this letter.
West Chester, Pa.
Modern Double Talk
To THE EDITOR:
The article on academic freedom in the April issue of the "ALUMNI MAGAZINE" calls to mind a conversation with an acquaintance some months ago. Although he was not a communist nor in sympathy with the communist cause, he had, somehow, been suaded that to ask him if he were or ever had been a member of the communist party vas an abrogation of the right of free speech, 0f academic freedom, etc., etc. (see the daily papers for all the other pat answers).
I suggested that we paraphrase the ques. tion; to wit, are you or have you ever been a traitor or a potential traitor to your country? Do you teach or approve of the teaching 0f treason?
My acquaintance thought that made a great difference and could not (nor did he wish to) find reasons for not answering promptly (oh so very) and truthfully.
Would it be amiss to suggest that Dart- mouth College lead the way out of the forest of prostituted words by preparing a glossary of modern political double-talk? A few choice examples would be— Post IV.W. II Pre-W.W. I Communist, American = traitor Democracy = slave state Free Man slave Freedom of the Press = thought control
New York, N. Y.
Wrong Mr. White
To THE EDITOR:
Doubtless someone has already called your attention to an understandable error in the Wah Hoo Wah! column on page 12 of the March, 1949, issue of the MAGAZINE. If not, the following will perhaps not be unwelcome. I refer to the recognition given Linn L. White, as President of the Nickel Plate Railroad.
I have known Mr. Lynne L. White, now President of the Nickel Plate Railroad, for a long period of years and had never understood that he had any connection with Dartmouth College in his younger days. This "Lynne" White was born in Kenwood Park, lowa, on July 2, 1889. The Dartmouth "Linn" was born, I notice, according to the 1940 General Catalogue, on April 22, 1887.
It is certainly a coincidence that both of these gentlemen were at one time connected with the Frisco Railroad. "Lynne" White left later for service with the Rock Island, thence the Erie, the Chicago and Northwestern, and now the Nickel Plate. The "Linn" White who is registered with the Dartmouth Class of 1909 is now, I understand, an official of the Illinois Central, located at Memphis, Tenn.
While not of importance to you, but for the record, Mr. Lynne L. White was in Business College in Cedar Rapids, lowa, in 1905-06, the period when, as I understand, Mr. Linn 1.-White was in Dartmouth. It seems quite in order for me to add that Lynne L. White is in every sense worthy of a lusty Wah Hoo Wall from Dartmouth men, but he is not a person who would wish, or permit, an unearned honor to fall in his lap.
I understand that Mr. Lynne L. White had a son in a recent class at Dartmouth, possibly 1948, though I am not sure.
Washington, D. C.
DARTMOUTH RINGER? Prominent in this publicity picture of the new Princeton library is an unidentified "D" wearer who, although our Tiger friends won't admit it, adds tone to the room.
EDITOR'S NOTE—We regret that the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, along with our alumnus informant, got so mixed up on the Messrs. White of the railroad world. We are glad to extend congratulations to Mr. Lynne L. White, who 2s father of Lynne L. White Jr. '49 is a mefflber of the Dartmouth family after all.
