An Exchange on the ADA Convention

David C. Williams

Director of Research & Education, Americans for Democratic Action

We read with interest Mr. Irving Howe’s article, “ADA: Vision and Myopia” in your spring issue. We believe that the standard for judgment of ADA which he sets forth, in refraining from “berating liberals for not being socialists,” is a just one. With some of his opinions on issues and personalities we do not agree, but he is as entitled to his opinions as we are to ours. We do, however, ask the hospitality of your columns to present corrections or clarifications on some matters of fact:

1) When the ADA Convention on March 19 amended the sentence in its platform, “We oppose limiting the right to advocate unpopular proposals, including Communist ideas,” by striking out the last three words, it did not retract ADA’s opposition to limiting the right to advocate Communist ideas, although the action was widely so interpreted by the press. It was precisely to dispel this confusion that, in his acceptance speech as our newly elected Chairman, Mr. Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., the next day specifically stated that Communist ideas—as well as fascist, Trotskyist, and other such ideas—are included in the category “unpopular political proposals,” and that ADA in the future, as in the past, will oppose all efforts to limit their advocacy.

2) The convention delegates listened with respect to Mr. Telford Taylor’s arguments in support of wire-tapping, although they had earlier the same day declared: “We oppose as an intolerable violation of civil liberties the use of wire-tapping, whether practiced by the Federal Government, by the states, or by individuals.” This is the majority view, but there are many members of ADA who, like Mr. Taylor, differ with it. Liberals will never be in full agreement on all questions, and we have not, nor would we wish to have, any system of “democratic centralism” to enforce conformity.

3) ADA’s concern for civil liberties did not begin with the Eisenhower Administration; on the contrary, this field received as much attention in ADA conventions during the Truman Administration as now. Our new chairman, Mr. Rauh, has as an attorney fought civil liberties cases under both Administrations, and he has publicly and explicitly stated on many occasions that Government violations of civil liberties long antedate January 20, 1953.

4) ADA states in its platform that “the aggressive, imperialist policies of the Soviet bloc, led by the Soviet Union and Red China, are the over-riding threat to world peace today,” and in this basic assumption it agrees with both the Truman and the Eisenhower Administrations. But it has on occasion criticized vigorously the measures both Administrations have taken to meet this threat.

Some other matters which Mr. Howe discusses are deal...