Dr. Corliss Lamont .
In our issues of April 5 and June 28, 1963, we published in the course of contributions by Mr. Robert Conquest references to Dr. Corliss Lamont in which be was described as 'Communist-Line,' and in which it was stated that the main theme of his book Freedom is as Freedom Does was an attack on the American Socialist leader Norman Thomas.
There was no foundation for any suggestion that Dr. Corliss Lamont's political thinking and writing consist merely of an automatic and habitual obedience to and concurrence with the Communist Party line, or for any reflection upon his indepen- dence of mind or personal integrity as a thinker or writer. Dr. Lamont has indeed frequently explained the wide disparity and • contradictions between his philosophy and that of the Communist Party, par- ticularly in his pamphlet Why I am not a Communist. Moreover the description of his book was unfor- tunately inaccurate in that the book was an account of the civil liberties position in the United States and the few references to Norman Thomas appear with one exception in the chapter on the American Civil Liberties Union.
Mr. Conquest has stated that he never intended any slur upon Dr. Lamont's integrity as a thinker or writer.
We wish to express our sincere apologies to Dr. Lamont for the distress caused to him.
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