Dissenter Eliminated

As America's oldest liberal weekly, the 87-year-old Nation (circ. 33,329) once spoke in a commanding voice for left-wing intellectuals in the U.S. But recently the Nation has been under attack by some of its old friends and contributors, as an apologist, in many ways, for the Soviet Union (TIME, April 2, 1951 et seq.).

Last week Editor Freda Kirchwey fired the last top editor who opposed the Nation's pink-eyed views. In announcing a plan to shave about $40,000 a year off her money-losing budget, she let it be known that Literary Editor Margaret Marshall, who has been on the Nation for 24 years, would be dropped for "economy" reasons. Although Editor Kirchwey insisted that there were no political motives in the firing, Editor Marshall said: "I have been eliminated . . . My department was out of line with the rest of the magazine ... I have not believed the policies of the Nation for the past few years are the policies America's oldest liberal weekly should have."

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