Bertrand Russell and the U.S. [1952]

Sir,—The interesting letter which you published in your issue of February 26 from Professor Eugene H. Bird of the University of Oregon demands some reply. He has three accusations against me of (1) cultural snobbery, (2) over-simplification, (3) publishing criticism of America in English rather than American newspapers. His letter contains not one single fact concerning America except that he lives on the Pacific coast, and even that one fact does not seem to have registered since he has apparently never heard of the University of California. I have noticed in all those Americans who take the same line as Professor Bird a considerable shyness about facts. Those who champion the victims of oppression are 30 quickly inundated with facts, and one is led to the conclusion that the orthodox succeed in not knowing the facts. I must repeat what I have said before, that I do not for a moment suggest that the reign of terror in present-day America is anything like as bad as the reign of terror in Nazi Germany or in Soviet Russia. But where I do perceive a very disquieting parallel is in the ignorance of the general public as to what is occurring. Most Americans professed indignant incredulity when Germans said that 538they had not known what went on in Nazi concentration camps. Their own ignorance of what goes on in America should show that such Germans may have been quite sincere. Most of the cases of oppression that occur in America cannot be publicized since any victim who did so would be even more severely victimized. It is only those who have private incomes who can let the world know what they have suffered. Take, for example, a letter which appeared in the Saturday Review of Literature on February 23 from Dr. Burnham P. Beckwith, an economist who, after giving up a Federal position bringing him in $10,000 a year in order to 10 write a book on price theory, was unable after writing the book to obtain re-employment because in the opinion of the authorities there is a reasonable doubt as to whether there is a reasonable doubt of his loyalty. Although he has never been a communist or a fellow-traveller he is henceforth barred not only from government employment but from an academic post in the great majority of universities. He has not been informed of the ground on which he is suspect of being suspect and he has no method of redress. He is one of many thousands who are in this position, but most of them dare not mention their predicament.