Politics anno III - n. 10 novembre 1946

366 polities yougiveyoureditorialsupport,butdidyounotfeelalittle strangeatbeinga)theonlymemberofthecommiteewho favoredcaryingoutthedemonstration,asoriginallyplanned; h)theonlymemberofthecommiteewhocouldnotspare thetimetoparticipate?Nodoubtthiswasanunconsciousin- consistencywhichresultedfromsevereeditorialpressure,but itisaninconsistencyagainstwhichallofushavetoguard, becauserevolutionswillneverbemadebywordswithout deeds. NEWARK,N. J. D A V E DELLINGER —(1) I wrotenotthattheCNVRsponsoredthegroup butratherthatsomemembersoftheCNVRwereprominent inthegroup;sincethey—Delingerincludedagreedtothe shift,theybearso-meresponsibilityforit. Itisnewstome,by theway,thatourtinyhandfulwasoficiallytitledTheCom- miteetoAvoidWorldWarIII.(Moreaccurate,thoughless dramatic,wouldhavebeen:TheCommiteetoAvoidOffend- ingtheCIO.)Butseriously:isitnottimewegaveupsuch childishmagniloquence,whichtheCNVRhasgoneinforbe- foreI'msorrytosay,andbehavedmoremodestlyandsensibly? ItremindsmeunpleasantlyofthepalmydaysofTrotskyism: vastphrasestoconcealthepovertyofcontent. (2)Yes, Ididfeelstrangeaboutit.Butitseemedtome Isimplycouldnotatthetimetakeaweek,perhapsmore,off mymainjob,whichistoputoutPOLITICS(andwhich,in- cidentaly,appearstomeasalsoa"deed").PerhapsIwas wrong,Icertainlydidfeelstrange,thoughIshouldalsohave feltstrangehadIdecidedtogo.ED. PHYSICISTWANTSIN Sir I : couldnotletMiltonSubotsky'sletterconcerning"The RootisMan"passwithoutsomekindofcomment.Asan engineer-physicistIconfessthat Imustblushattheflattery hebestowsuponmyprofession,but I thinkmostofuscan sayquiteasquickly"Nothanks."Neitherwenoranyother singlegroupofmenarefittobetheelite. Ibelievethat Iunderstandinavaguewaywhatisour methodofapproachtoproblemsinnaturalsciencefirst,one mustdevelopatheorytoexplainobservablephenomena,and thenconductexperimentstoverifythistheory,withinthe limitsofhumanabilitytointerpretresults.Ibelievethatone canapplythisphilosophytohumanrelationswithoutdis- coveringthatScienceiseitherGodortheDevil. Doyouknowwhyinteligentscientistsdonotbotherto speculateastowhatkindoflifeexistsonVenus?Becausewe havenotyetdevelopedanexperimentalmeansofchecking whatevertheorywemighthaveonthesubject.Anduntil thescientistcandevelopadirectexperimentalcheckofhis theoriesofhumanrelations,heisno morefit torulethana cannibalistorunaresearchlaboratory(althoughsomedo). Themostsuccessfulscientistisonewhocandevelopanintuitionforevolvingtheoriesthatwillwork,forlifeistooshort totryouteveryideathatpopsintohishead.Likewiseonewho developsamoralintuition(call itconscienceifyouwill) towardssocialproblemsseemstomakeoutjustaboutaswel asonewhoappliestheslideruleandthequantumtheorytoa complexproblemlikewar. IdonotthinkthatSubotskywill findmuchofafolowingamongscientistsandengineersfor his"managerialcolectivism,"unlessitbefromthatminority whichhasbecomeenthraledwithpowerfromassociationwith themilitaristsinandoutofuniform.Thelatterarenotin goodstandingatthepresenttime. Myownconfusionhasbeenclearedconsiderablybythe NewRoads series,forIamyetyoungenoughnottobecynical sahoutthisne.w.sociaLnhilosoohywhichisevenolderthanLaoBiumotecauinottanco TPHAENWEALLSLFSOORF H E A V E N b ?TT s codesforabetterworld four-fifty BERNPORTER2303DURANT,BERKELEY,CALIF. ASpecializedBookshop OferingaSelectedStockofNew&UsedBooks THEATRE—DANCE—FILM—LITTLEMAGS LawrenceR.Maxwel 45ChristopherSt.,NewYorkCity14 Open2to10Daily.Phone:Wa-9-3494. (Booksandmagazinespurchased) Tse.I thinkyoushouldknowthatthereareaboutasmany naturalscientistswhohavenotbowedthekneetoBaalasyou wilfindinanyprofessionalgroup.Yourchampioningofthe causeofthe"bad"CO'shasconvertedmetothesortofmovementwhichisunderdevelopment.Countmein. PHILADELPHIA,PA. J . KENNETHRICHMOND "HOWBIGCANTHEFAMILYGET?" SirY: ourSeptemberissueprintsaletterfromPiersonOstrow takingyoutotaskforyourlackoffaithintheSocialistParty. AmongthemanyradicalthingsgoingonintheSPfamily, Ostrowsuggeststhatitsgoverningbodyrecentlyfatheredthe CommiteeforNon-ViolentRevolution.Perhapsyouwould liketosettherecordstraightonthispoint. CNVRwasanoutgrowthoftheFebruaryConference, whichitselfresultedfromaCallsignedbythirteenc.o's.The SocialistPartyhadnorelationshiptothiscorespondence(ex- ceptasasomewhatnegativereferentinmuchofthecritical discussion),ortothesubsequentCalandConference. Quiteanumberofitsleft-wingmembersdidbecomein- terestedontheirowninitiative,andIunderstandthatjust beforetheConference,itsNECpassedaresolutionstating thatwhiletheSPinnosensesponsoredtheConference,it wouldnotbringproceedingsagainstmemberswhoatended. AmessageofgreetingsarrivedattheConferencefromthe YPSL,butPartyheadquartersremainedsilent.Notwithstand- ingOstrow,thePartyhasneverfoundoccasiontodeclare itselfonpost-Conferencedevelopments. Ostrow'sletterraisesaninterestingquestionwhetherthe presentNECofthePartydoesinfactapprovewhatitsees inCNVR,andrejoicesintheparticipationofsomeparty members.Thetentativestatementofprinciplesunderlying CNVRtriesforafreshstartbutcloselyresemblesananarcho- syndicalistmanifesto,withnon-violencewovenin.Doesthe NECrealyfeelasOstrowwouldhaveitthatthisisallinthe family?Ifso,howbigcanthefamilygetinitsestimation beforesomeonehastomoveout? SANFRANCISCO L E W I S HILL InNorman'shousetherearemanymansions—D.M. I

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