THE PEOPLE'S FORUM

...The French have been saying, "No sooner do we leave a place than the Americans come in...

...Disarmament alone would not replace internaHJsfM anarchy...

...This would permit the people of a country to solve their own problems In their own way —"rfthout having dissatisfaction fanned up Pwithout or a revolution turned into a , and maybe general, war...

...It is time the people of this country woke up to the great danger involved in this policy of suppression...

...Blackout of News Dear Sirs: The action of our State Department in revoking the passports of the three American journalists who entered Communist China in recent months Is one of the most brazen and contemptible steps taken by Mr...

...Such a movement would have to be free from religious or political affiliation, and international in scope, and have no membership qualifications save the willingness to serve the good (which most of us know better than we do) without pay...

...Various writers report that plans are fully made for revolt in East Germany and weapons are being supplied from West Germany, which would seem scarcely possible without the knowledge and connivance of American officers and officials...

...I believe a large proportion of The Progressive's readers are thinking Americans who will have to concede the truth of Mayer's contention that there are no important differences between our two major parties...

...Yet many thinking Americans have the gall to brand as foolish those supporters of the Socialist Party who vote for peace when they want peace, who vote for industrial democracy when they want it, who vote for honesty and integrity when they want honesty and integrity...

...Carl Schwartz Utica, N. Y. Remarkable Hammarslcjold Dear Sirs: Thanks for giving us so warm and human a portrait of Dag Hammarskjold by Joseph P. Lash in the January issue of The Progressive...

...Apparently he does not know that Israeli Intelligence learned of the instructions given the Fedayeen to proceed without delay to destroy Israel...

...He echoed some of my own thoughts and yearnings, and, I am sure, those of many people, when he spoke of the feeling of impotence he has in the face of the cataclysmic possibilities which face the human race at the present time...

...The goal is the prevention of war and the maintenance of national security...

...Some sort of a movement, like Alcoholics Anonymous, which would deal with local problems on a personal level, and yet be strong enough to influence national and international thought and action...

...I realize that we live in an organization-ridden world, but I am wondering if it might not be possible to start some sort of a movement which would bring the widespread individual virtue into a better collective focus...

...The only consolation for America may be that the Russian policy also lost its mask...

...Both sides would have to withdraw their subverters and military establishments and adhere to a convention banning the movement of arms across national frontiers...

...should like to suggest one serious omissional —Walter Lippmann, whose regular com mentaries on foreign affairs are the most thoughtful to be found in our daily press His voice, like yours, is often raised in beg half of more and more genuine negotiatioi between East and West...

...And what does the writer of this article mean by saying "Israel had shown trucu-lence of her own in refusing to negotiate some of the issues in conflict between herself and the Arab world around her...

...But world opinion, especially in middle Europe, is chiseling out another commandment, too: "Thou shalt not subvert...

...Mason Rose Hollywood, Calif...

...It helps to explain how this re' markable man can do so remarkable a job in the face of what seem to be forbidding obstacles...

...I would like to suggest that the thoughtful readers of The Progressive write their Senators and Congressmen strongly protesting this attempt to enforce a total blackout of news comparable to the kind that prevails in the worst of the totalitarian nations...

...In 1951 I encountered well-informed middle Europeans who advocated a zone of neutral, unarmed nations across Europe...

...Recently the National Committee for an Effective Congress characterized them as a collection of individuals "with no clear objectives and no machinery to hold them together," and then went on to report that "the group of 'liberal' Senators which used to confer twice a month did not hold a single meeting during the last session...

...Constitution, and that due process should not be denied by order of the Cath...

...Symbol of Weakness Dear Sirs: It is perhaps symbolic of the weakness of American independent thought that there were no comments in the People's Forum of the January Progressive on Milton Mayer's December issue article, "Did You Throw Your Vote Away...

...We know, too, that thinking Americans who are honestly appraising our political and economic affairs admit that both major parties are shot through with corruption, and whatever their campaign promises may be, they are committed in practice to the maintenance of a war economy, hoping to keep dancing indefinitely on the brink...

...This was confirmed by the Egyptian officers who surrendered to the Israeli Army...

...1 of this is diametrically opposed to our Mt policies, but the possibility of free-captive countries presents us with an importunity that permits us to make a Weeded change with good grace...

...I suggest your writer climb down from his ivory tower and learn the well known facts —that Israel has repeatedly asked the Arab leaders to sit down and negotiate the problems involved...

...Dulles' weirdly run bureaucracy...

...The writer of this article deplores that "Israel threw away much of her stature as a lonely, besieged republic" when she invaded Gaza to remove the attacking Egyptian Fedayeen...

...Far from the scene of fire, the Western nations are continuously stirring up others by radio and propaganda in the name of freedom and Christianity, but when a little country stands up and sheds its blood, the big American disappears...

...If the kind of people who read The Progressive do not push, then the plan will be still-born...

...A movement with no government money behind it...

...Alas, those who vote for what they don't want, are unhappy when they get it...

...Alice Franklin Bryant Seattle, Wash...

...Raymond Clarke Falls Church, Va...

...This neutral status has possibilities outside Europe, too, but there would have to be reciprocal action by East and West before it could become a reality anywhere...

...Hsl Present U.S...

...The plan of the eleven Congressmen, or some development of it, is badly needed...

...A Political A.A...

...The results were obvious immediately...

...Serious Omission Dear Sirs: Congratulations to the Editors of The Progressive for their excellent selection of individuals and organizations singled out for holiday greetings in the January issue...

...just the desire of ordinary folk to try to iron out some of the difficulties which beset us...

...E. Whealdon Salmon Arm British Columbia, Canada Start Where We Are Dear Sirs: Your recent reviews of books on disarmament prompt me to write in disagreement with those who seem to argue for partial disarmament primarily because they consider it immediately attainable...

...We all know that self-preservation is the strongest human instinct...

...The liberals in Congress seem leaderless and apathetic...

...Armaments are with us because to date the nations have in their search for security refused the practical alternative: supranational organization to protect them from each other...

...We know that in practice their economic theory is based on the propositions that if the rich are sufficiently taken care of, enough will trickle down to the rest of the populace...

...Hungarian refugees all told me that Hungary is completely disappointed about America...

...Furthermore, our President has asked Congress for authority to send troops to the Middle East...

...J9 Those who would settle for partial <IM armament consider themselves realists jSh take people as they are...

...Frank Cannon Haverford, Pa...

...What about national security...

...There is no end so good that it justifies an evil means...

...Regardless of how much I oppose those who would maintain segregation, I contend they should have the right to the due process of law granted by the U.S...

...Further they know that because of restrictive election laws and the compounding of technicalities it is impossible for any minor party and any independent candidates to get on the ballot, let alone campaign effectively, in the majority of our states...

...A case in point is to be found in your editorial in the December Issue entitled "Both Your Houses...

...But it will get nowhere unless public opinion fairly pushes our policy-making officials into it...

...Is the idea too nebulous to be useful...

...Dear Sirs: I was reading recently some parts of a public utterance by Roger Bannister...

...Here may be another instance for them...

...What right, does a Catholic official have to put the law of the Catholic Church above the law of the United States...

...Now that they are disgusted with Russia and disillusioned about the United States and probably thinking, "A plague on both your houses!," this neutral, unarmed, internationally guaranteed status must have increased appeal...

...and U.S.S.R...

...But would It not be more realistic to start where we are and educate those leaders to the require* ments for peace, than to play a numbers game of partial disarmament and get nowhere...

...And now at this juncture when war and subversion are or should be ruled out, come eleven Democratic Congressmen with an alternative: a peaceful plan for freeing the Soviet satellites in Europe which calls for a broad demilitarized area between the Rhine and Soviet Russia...

...proposals7«| not being made seriously as steps towral universal, enforceable disarmament...

...Clearly the time has come when liberals must give prayerful thought to their political homelessness and begin to build a movement which will give them an opportunity to work and fight for their principles...

...J. D. Rice Cambridge, Mass...

...Israel's Case Dear Sirs: It is beginning to be clear to me why so-called liberals lose not only In elections but in evaluating the real issues...

...An Austrian friend who has been using his free time to work with the Red Cross for the Hungarian refugees writes me: "Pub-He opinion is much more anti-American and anti-Western than you can imagine as the result of the Hungarian affair...

...After eight years of restraint during which Arab raids have become bolder, thousands of innocent men, women, and children have been murdered, much needed water installations bombed and all attempts at negotiations met with threats of complete destruction, Israel took a step to show the world who is creating the problems...

...They forget that disarmament is not the goal itself...

...The attempt to prevent filibustering was rejected by a shocking majority of the Senate, which means there is no chance for progress in the legislative field of civil rights...

...It was Churchill who summed the idea up the best, as usual, when he said "Rarely has widespread individual virtue found so dim a collective focus...

...Louis," praises Archbishop Ritter of St Louis for threatening members of his diocese with excommunication if they went to court to challenge his order on the desegregation of parochial schools...

...Therefore, though I heartily admire Archbishop Ritter's liberalism and courage re* garding desegregation, I believe his action exemplifies a basic Catholic attitude which should be recognized and fought...

...The se|3 arate nations may sink their battleshi)S| scrap their bombers, and take all their acsfl forces out of uniform, and we'll still have^jB assurance of world peace until the UnQn Nations is given authority to prevent uflj one from preparing or committing an acrfljl international aggression...

...Catholics and Due Process Dear Sirs: Robert Lasch in his article, "Surprise in St...

...Paul Hoskins New York, N. Y...

...Is the possibility of such a proposition completely impractical...

...Since total disarmament requires enforceable world laws, this school of thought dismisses it as impossible because mankind is not at this moment ready for "world government...

...olic or any other church...

...Military plans found on Egyptian commanders verify all the above if your writer is sufficiently interested to substitute fact for fancy...

...Ethel Cohen Oakland, Calif...

...Bennet Skewes-Cox Ross, Calif...

...Continued censorship by the State Department deprives this nation of the opportunity of developing an informed, intelligent public opinion on conditions in the largest nation in the world and the greatest power in Asia...

...We know that a few thousand dedicated men trying to change either or both major parties from within will perhaps get a lot of back slapping and hand shaking, to say nothing of volumes of platitudes—but no legislation...

...The only reply made by the Arabs is that they refuse to discuss the matter because their intention is to destroy the State of Israel...

...I have equally supported the cause of civil liberties...

...But now the remainder of faith in Western political slogans is destroyed...

...Agreed, we mfl accept the present seeming inability of Tt$ tional leaders to understand the need diminishing national sovereignty in order t£* procure international security...

...Leaderless Liberals Dear Sirs: Control of Congress is securely in the hands of Southern Bourbons—in alliance with the Knowland Republicans...

...For many years I have supported with my energy, time, and money the right of the Negro to first class citizenship...