POISONOUS NONSENSE

Yale University's distinguished President Angell vilified measures directed against free thought in teaching last Saturday. Speaking before an Alumni Day gathering on the Harvard campus, Dr. Angell remarked, "Consider the utterly ridiculous condition which compels President Conant of Harvard to take such an oath, while it allows a recently naturalized foreign priest to pour out over the radio the most poisonous and inflammatory economic and social nonsense." In addition, Dr. Angell was indignant over the "outrageous implication" that teachers are less loyal than other community groups.

The "people's champions" in the Massachusetts legislature, when they placed the rule of compulsory loyalty oaths upon the faculties of innumerable educational institutions in their own state, were undoubtedly acting with the rightcous feeling that they were protecting the people against a huge impending danger. From now on teachers in Massachusetts must swear allegiance to the prevailing character of the American government and hush their thoughts on the values or the facts of all other types. Compulsory oaths of this sort are the result of an unnatural, brooding resentment among the masses against the intellectuals, who are supposedly toying with dangerous ideals.

It is definitely encouraging to read that other universities understand and sympathize with Harvard and her faculty, who find their realm of discussion now limited. Yale would promote stiff opposition to the imposition of such an oath on her intellectual freedom. And so would we here at Pennsylvania. But we feel that we have little to fear. We can make no comparison between the intelligence of a New England legislature and our own, but we would hesitate to believe that Pennsylvania's assembly would act in such a stupid fashion. Daily Pennsylvanian, Wed.