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THE INVESTIGATORS

(The following was sent as an open letter to the president of the Harvard Liberal Union.)

By Ellot BERNAT .

I was very interested in the article appearing in the CRIMSON about the HLU and the Veritas Foundation. I think I can perhaps save you a little time by giving you the rationale of the Veritas Foundation and other right-wing groups.

First, I have never seen one shred of evidence, be it on Bunche, Oppenheimer, or Castro, that could stand up in a court of law as evidence that these men either are or were Communists. As well as I can determine, the evidence of the Veritas Foundation on Dr. Bunche is exclusively guilt by innuendo and association.

But does this mean that they are therefore automatically innocent and can be trusted with responsibility? I do not think so. "Anti-Semites" break no laws so long as they just write and teach their doctrines of hate. But because they cannot be convicted in a court of law would you therefore allow them to teach in the universities? No, you know as well as I that private institutions can exercise their own judgment regarding whom they desire as teachers or other employees. Might I suggest that in using this "innocent until proven guilty" standard on Communists but not on Fascists you are employing a double standard? Or do you feel that somehow there is more respectability, more rationally to Communism than there was to Fascism?

In conclusion I would say by all means carry out your investigation. In spite of your open opposition to the Veritas Foundation I think you will find them most co-operative. I should be surprised if they took the Fifth Amendment even once.

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