TESTIMONY OF DR. LINUS PAULING

INFO

OCT 1960

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY

ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

UNITED STATES SENATE

EIGHTY-SIXTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

JUNE 21, 1960

Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

JAMES O. EASTLAND, Mississippi, Chairman

SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS

TESTIMONY OF DR. LINUS PAULING

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 1960

U.S. SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS, OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:15 o'clock a.m. in room 1114, New Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., Senator Thomas J. Dodd presiding.

Present: Senators Dodd, Johnston, Keating, and Cotton.

Also present: J. C. Sourwine, chief counsel; Benjamin Mandel, director of research; and Frank Schroeder, chief investigator. Senator DODD. The hearing will come to order.

I will say for the record that we met very briefly in executive session and that this open session is an adjourned session, really, of the meeting that was already opened a few minutes ago.

We are in open session at the request of Dr. Linus Pauling, who asked that the hearing be open to the public.

I explained to Dr. Pauling in the executive session that the reason for the executive session is that the rules of the subcommittee require that before a witness is heard in public, he should be heard in what we call an executive or private session.

The reason for that rule is simple. It is an effort to protect witnesses and give the committee an opportunity to ascertain the truth or falsity of information, so the executive session at which Dr. Pauling was asked to appear was as much for protection of the witness as for anything else, indeed more for the witness than for anything else. The committee is sitting this morning, as always, with its full authority as outlined in its authorizing resolutions, which are set forth in full in the Handbook for Witnesses, copies of which have been given to Mr. Pauling and to his attorney, Mr. Wirin.

Thus, while the particular objective of the session today is to learn what we can from this witness respecting Communist activity in connection with protests against nuclear testing, we shall also seek other information respecting Communist activity if it appears that such information might be available from this witness.

I draw to the attention of the witness and his counsel the fact that propaganda activities are specifically within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee under its authorizing resolution. There has been a very substantial amount of propaganda in connection with protests against nuclear testing, and the committee has established in previous hearings that some of the activity in this regard has been Communist-inspired or Communist-directed.

1

The committee does not sit to make charges or to prove charges. We are here to ask questions with a view to securing information which will help us in determining whether additional legislation may be needed for the protection of the internal security of the United States and, if so, what form such legislation might take in order to be effective.

Let me add that we are not concerned here with the merits of the controversy over banning nuclear tests. We are interested in uncovering subversive activity, in determining whether there has been Communist participation in propaganda disseminated to the American people, and Communist activity through front organizations. The scientific aspects of the question of nuclear testing will not be touched upon here this morning.

Now, Dr. Pauling, let me say to you that we are pleased to have you this morning. We regard you as an eminent scientist, a man who has made very great contributions for the betterment of humankind and our interest in you I expressed in what I tried to say here in my statement a few minutes ago. We think perhaps you can help us so that we can better understand what we can do if we need to do anything in order to protect the security of the United States of America, and I hope you will feel, as we want you to feel, and as you should feel, that there is nothing hostile about our presence here, nothing hostile to you at all.

I have personally no ill toward you, and I can assure you that no member of the committee has.

We recognize you, as I said, as a great scholar and scientist-know about your very great interest and fears which we all share to some extent. So I hope you will not take this hearing in any sense as any attempt to torment you or harass you or trouble you.

I think you will remember that I asked you if you would be in town a few days and that I was perfectly willing to fix a time to hold this hearing to accommodate you. I might say I think the reason you were requested to come at this time was that you were in this vicinity and it would save you travel, and difficulty. So, that is the background for this hearing this morning and we will try to make it as brief as we can and not detain you very long.

I do not think it need be very long.

Mr. Sourwine, are you prepared to ask some questions?
Mr. SOURWINE. Yes, Mr. Chairman.

It might be advisable to offer for the record at this time the two telegrams referred to in the executive record, being the telegram of Dr. Pauling requesting an open hearing and the chairman's telegram advising him that it would not be granted, but if he repeated the request in executive session, that it would be; and Dr. Pauling's telegram this morning reciting the desire

Senator DODD. That may go in.

By the way, Dr. Pauling, the telegram to which you referred in our executive session has been located and it will be put in the record at this point, without objection.

(The three telegrams were marked "Exhibit No. 1," "No. 1-A," and "No. 1-B" and read as follows:)

(EXHIBIT NO. 1)

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 1960.

J. G. SOURWINE,

Counsel,

Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.:

The subpena commanding me to appear before your subcommittee to testify about the campaign against nuclear testing did not say that the session would be a closed session. When I appeared this morning as commanded I was surprised to learn for the first time that the session, postponed by you until 8 a.m., tomorrow, is to be an executive hearing closed to the public and the press. I do not like secrecy and I wish to present my testimony in public. I have nothing to say that needs to be kept secret and I neither require nor desire the protection of an executive hearing. Moreover, the rules for procedures of your subcommittee state that all testimony taken in executive session shall be kept secret but permit the subcommittee to release for public information such portions of my testimony as the subcommittee may select; this could lead to manifest injustice to me in that selected portions of my testimony might not fairly present the import of my entire testimony. Also under your rules I am not entitled to a copy of my testimony unless it is given in public session or made part of the record in a public session, and I wish to have a copy of my testimony. For these reasons I respectfully request that the session at which I testify be a public session and not an executive session.

(EXHIBIT NO. 1-A)

LINUS PAULING.

U.S. SENATE,

Washington, D.O., June 20, 1960.

Cannot waive rule requiring executive session but if you will repeat in executive session tomorrow 10 a.m. your request for public session and your desire to waive protection of this rule, the committee will go into public session immediately for remainder of your testimony.

Senator THOMAS J. DODD,

THOMAS J. DODD, Vice Chairman.

(EXHIBIT No. 1-B)

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 1960.

Vice Chairman, Internal Security Subcommittee,
New Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.:

Referring to your telegram of this date stating that, upon my requesting public session at the executive session tomorrow, my request will be granted, this is to advise you that I intend to make this request for public session immediately upon the convening of the executive session and to waive any protection that might be accorded to me from an executive session.

LINUS PAULING.

Senator KEATING. Mr. Chairman, may I say a word before we start?

Senator DODD. Of course.

Senator KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I think we should also make it clear to Dr. Pauling that this committee, as a committee, is in no way interested in his views with regard to nuclear testing. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the views which Dr. Pauling has expressed, this is not an appropriate forum to discuss the merits or demerits of any controversy which has arisen over this subject, and the witness has a perfect right, as has any other American, to express any views which he may have and sincerely feel on this subject, and whether or not they agree with the views of any of the members of this committee is entirely immaterial.