Wisconsin's Republican Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's charges about Communists in the State Department were labelled as "Irresponsible slander and abuse" last night by Michael Straight, editor of new Republic and national chairman. Straight spoke before an audience of about 70 persons at a University AVC meeting at Littauer.
The AVC chairman said that McCarthy's accusations of innocent people will lead to the stifling of diversities of opinions. At this time, Straight declared, it is important that "our minds be unfettered by fear," and that we give vent to a "clash of ideas." Straight added that we must have "courage to be unafraid of this (McCarthy's) kind of smear."
Condemns McCarthy's Motives
McCarthy has consistently "distorted and suppressed evidence at his own convenience," Straight charged.
The AVC chairman condemned not only "the substance, but also the methods and the motives," of Senator McCarthy's accusations. Straight claimed that McCarthy used FBI records which were filed "without reference to the truth" as source material for the charges. Much of the material, Straight stressed, was based on "malicious gossip" and "wild rumor."
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