When the Student Council, after long, painful labors, gives life to a statement presumably reflecting student body views, it is usually reported in the morning CRIMSON and promptly forgotten with the rest of the day's news.

A different fate met the Council's recent stand on academic freedom and Congressional investigations. The wire services carried its statement to newspapers, large and small, across the nation. Letters reflecting a spectrum of political beliefs soon swelled the Council mailbox.

Sen. William E. Jenner (R-Ind), and Rep. Harold H. Velde (R-III) both saw fit to comment. There were the usual complement of crank letters too. Many colleges expressed interest. At last report the student newspaper at Bonn University in Germany printed an account.

The National Students Association currently to distributing the policy statement to its 300 member schools. At this summer's annual conference the NSA will consider adopting the Council statement which would, in effect, virtually make it the official view of the American college student.

Communism, as a political philosophy, should be taught in colleges, objectively, the Student Council said, like any other academic subject. In their statement, they urged investigators to tread carefully lest they "stifle free thought through the pressures engendered by widespread fear."

College education today is not a process of indoctrination but evaluation. "Communism is no exception," the statement continued. "To evaluate communism we must have thorough knowledge of the particular issue and confidence in our method of inquiry." The student need not be shielded from any idea, for he is mature enough to recognize indoctrination and will "protest vigorously against it."

Limit Free Expression

The danger of current Congressional investigations, according to the Council, is that they tend to limit free expression through fear. "Such limitation," the Council contends, "denies the student the opportunity to explore any subject and thereby undermines the basic principles of the educational process."

The complete statement was printed in a letter to the New York Times signed by President Paul D. Sheats '54.

Commented Edwin G. Boring, professor of Psychology, "What a splendid idea for the students themselves to tell the world that they have a right to achieve maturity by resolving contradictions among not-infallible professors! No professor or dean can speak so surely on this matter."

"I am glad to be advised of your views," Representative Velde, Chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee, replied tersely, after having received a copy of the stand.

Senator Jenner, Chairman of the Internal Security Sub-committee forwarded his own group's policy statement as recorded in the Congressional Record.

Reveal Conspiracy

The purpose of his committee's investigations, he wrote, is "to reveal the elements of the Communist conspiracy against the educational process so that the thousands of loyal teachers and administrators may be on guard."

Jenner told of evidence that a "small but dangerous group" of Moscow-directed teachers is "attempting constantly to corrupt other teachers, students, and teaching materials for the weakening and ultimate destruction of our country."