SIR,—Mr. Alan Thompson in his article, The New Inquisitors, rightly
defends academic freedom, but he appears to be ignorant of some of the facts relating to the University of Washington incident where three (not six) members of the faculty were dismissed. Dr. Allen, President of the University of Washington, said in a broadcast debate that a member of the Communist Party is not free and as such he is not competent to be a teacher, that by assertinea freedom he does not possess he is intellectually dishonest. Dr. Allen concluded: "Because he has failed to be a free agent, because he is intolerant of the beliefs of others, and because educa- tion cannot tolerate organised intolerance, I hold that he is in neglect of his most essential duty as a teacher." Dr. Allen had previously quoted the condition of Communist Party membership which calls for a pledge to remain at all times a vigilant and firm defender of the Leninist line of the party.
Is it not clear that Communism intends to destroy academic freedom, and accordingly are not our American friends and allies right to safeguard their students from the organised intolerance of Communism ?—I am,
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