Suicide by Slander

The punishment by publicity technique has paid another dividend. This time it is awarded to the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, which, in reviving discredited accusations against Canada's Ambassador to Egypt, E. Herbert Norman, not only recklessly abused his reputation, but virtually drove him to suicide.

This makes the second death for which the committee is responsible. Earlier, its equally unfounded charges caused the suicide of Abraham H. Feller, personal counsel of then U.N. Secretary-General Trygve Lie. For a subcommittee, this is a pretty impressive record.

It would seem, moreover, that the gentlemen of the subcommittee are proud of it. They see their "duty," they say, and they are bound to do it. They ignore the fact that their techniques are completely antagonistic to any high moral purpose, and they refuse to acknowledge the gravity of their mistake. Their recent activities have caused a substantial rise of anti-Americanism in Canada, our closest ally, and in the rest of the world. We have grudgingly tolerated investigative irresponsibility on a national level, but we cannot allow it to affect foreign relations.