Mike's Exorcism

Michael A. Sullivan is father of nine, a truck drivers' boss, a member of the Cambridge (Mass.) City Council and a fighting Irishman. Mr. Sullivan mortally hates & fears Communism. A year ago, in his zeal to stamp it out, he fist-brawled with Harvard undergraduates. Last week reckless Mr. Sullivan introduced, and his Council unanimously passed, a resolution directing that the words Lenin and Leningrad be expunged from every piece of printed matter in Cambridge, but failed to say what would happen if they were not. Stalin was not mentioned, nor Stalingrad, nor Communism, nor U. S. S. R. Mr. Sullivan was satisfied if he could exorcise just Lenin.

Librarians of Harvard, M. I. T. and Radcliffe shuddered in unison as they thought of the thousands of books and maps they might have to mutilate. Libertarians shuddered for the newspapers they might not be permitted to read. In Chicago, the conventioning American Library Association cried: "The Cambridge action is a blow to democracy and an infringe ment on the freedom of the press."

Cambridge's Mayor John W. Lyons deliberated, announced: "I appreciate the council's attempts to act in a fine-spirited manner, but I think it best that their efforts die a quiet death in the pocket of my old blue serge suit. . . . Everyone in Cambridge knows that Mike's heart is in the right place. ..." Retorted Councilman Sullivan, threatening to override the veto : "I'm not kidding about this thing. ... It may step on freedom of speech and the press a little bit, but it should be done."

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