Senator Joseph R. McCarthy this week picked out John K. Fairbank '29, professor of History, for special mention as one of the many authors of "pro-communist" books in the State Department's overseas libraries.

In his annual report of the Senate Permanent subcommittee on Investigations, released on Monday, McCarthy named Fairbank, along with novelist Howard Fast and mystery writer Dashiell Hammett, as typical authors of "well over 30,000 books written by known Communists or Communist sympathizers, or containing obvious pro-Soviet or Communist propaganda."

Fairbank, when contacted by the CRIMSON last night, said he had not yet seen McCarthy's report, and declined to make any comment.

McCarthy stated that his investigations had revealed that some 12 of these authors "had been identified as Soviet spies," that "another 15 could be classified as 'hard core' seasoned Communist members," that 21 had invoked the Fifth Amendment when questioned about Communist Party membership, and that "well over 300 had varying Communist Party front records"--all this in addition to the presence of many books by "known Soviet Government officials and veteran detractors of America."

He added that he had been unable to find out exactly how all the "pro-Communist books . . .had mysteriously found their way into these libraries apparently without benefit of human intercession."

This is not the first time that Fairbank has been in the center of controversy. His name has cropped up several times in testimony at Washington investigational hearings, and he was for a long time denied a visa to leave the country.