A poe story by Helen Sobell, carried in a recent issue of the “N. ational
WES describes a pilgrimage she and her son M ark, 14, made to the
edical Centre at Springfield, Missouri, to visit Morton Sobell.

Mit e
Daigned

Par
don on the grounds of innocence.

eed 1s serving his 1 ‘4th year in prison on charges of conspiring to com-

ee after conviction in 1951 with Ethe! and Julius Rosenberg.
Pee to Secure Justice for Morton Sobell, which has cam-
ecause of Past to win freedom for Sobell on humanitarian grounds or
loubts raised, has now begun circulating petitions urging a full

A ies : :
his Bee mae. reader wishing to contribute to Sobell’s cause is urged to mail
lon to the Aid Morton Sobell Committee, 138 E. Cordova Street,

mucouver, B.C.

V. ;
{aed hours at the Prison
: Weal Center in Springfield,
ae. are from 8:30 to 10:30
a from 1 to 3 p.m, The
ae a three miles from town
as, € is no public transpor-
eS Bee who have no cars,
ite, € available for $1.25
tiela a to and from Spring-
fs memes visitors sit in
ne ite room for the 2%
td etween visiting periods.
Roa, aed room itself is
Plata: an wide where the
Bout 20 i at their table, and
at “ the part farthest from
fi ee Seats are arranged
ae ety case a low coffee
es - peels the single seat,
Visitors he prisoner from his
at the oe 1s permitted to kiss
visit, on Sinning and end of the
» She may hold hands across

he ¢
Og ee? but it is forbidden
it side by side,

Th * * *
ieee ors themselves were
5 es Morton introduced us
objecto amily of a conscientious
ce BL OTe we left that morn-
Saw the mink-

Youn ; mink-coated

B wife of a notorious rack-

eteey
Me
came in et her husband as he

——_1" his wheelchair.

Another wife with two small
girls came to see her labor-
organizer husband who had re-
fused to turn on his chief. Abject
poverty and posh elegance were
represented.

My 14-year-old son Mark pa-
tiently waited through the first
two-hour visit while Morton and
I talked about the family, the
committee, Mark’s school, Mor-
ton’s health, and the various
greetings that had been sent.

For the afternoon, however,
Mark came armed with his
‘¢Amateur’s Radio Handbook.’’
He and Morty had been corres-
ponding for weeks about their
plan of doing some studying to-
gether.

* * *

When Mark handed the book
to the guard to get it okayed, he
was shocked to learn that it
could not be taken into the visit-
ing room.

The next day Mark had agreed
that most of the morning should
be devoted to discussion between
Morty and me. He brought a
book along to read—‘‘ Microbe
Hunters.”’ :

When he asked the guard if
he could take it in to use for

himself, the guard misunder- -

stood, and, after checking with
his superior, said it was all

right for Mark to show the book
to his father.

Mark didn’t say a word, but
as soon as this visit was over
we dashed back to the motel
to get the Amateur Radio Hand-
book. This time there was no
question. The book went in.

This time we had 20 hours
of visiting, since the usual eight
per month had an extra added
because of Christmas, and we
were permitted to take the Jan-
uary time a little early.

For all the previous years we
had only been permitted two hours
each month. This was a whole
year’s visiting for us, in six
days.

* * *

Afterward Morty wrote in his
first letter, ‘‘It may be silly of
me, but somehow I feel that this
visit will alter our relationship.

‘No, dearest, not in any overt
fashion, but the fact that we
could talk at length in such al-
most formal fashion will, I feel,
make itself felt some way.

‘*But of course, more than my
relation with thee, I believe that
my relation with Mark will take
on new meaning. We never had
the advantage, he and I, of a
relationship prior to my
imprisonment. Thus all he knew
of me, and I of him, was what
took place between us during
those few hours spent together
during the visits.

‘‘What impression did | get
this time? I can’t really say.
After all, one must evaluate in
terms of other 14 year olds, and
I don’t know what other 14 year
olds are like. Of course I like
him, and I'd give- my
right arm to be out there with

Helen and Mark Sobell

him. He means as_ much to me
as you do, my love.

‘st am overjoyed that the case
is being fought on the only legi-
timate issue — innocence. Per-

haps we will lose some support, -

but at least for me it will be
honest. (Not that the other was
dishonest, but it lacked the pur-
ity which I value over all.— I
hope others will see it in this
light.’’

Again and again, at the start
of each visiting period, and as
we went on to each different
subject, Morty would come back
to the need for the fight to be
on the basis of his innocence,

‘‘We must not be worn down
by the long years. We must not
be pushed into a defensive role.

_If we are to survive the next.

period the strength must come
from dignity ,and integrity.

‘Remember, there is a dead-
line for us of life, not of death.
Unlike Sacco and Vanzetti, unlike
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, there
will come a time when the gate
will unlock, and I will be free.

**I do no more than any ord-
inary man should do when I
protect my name and honor.
Every man does as much when

.he takes his stand against in-

justice.

“Who can take from anyone
that living pride which is a re-
membrance of the vigils, the
petitions, the meetings for
Mooney and Billings, for Sacco
and Vanzetti, forthe Rosenbergs,
yes, and even for me?’

Kennedy wished he

eu

John Pow 8 In May,” directed by
Rod Ste,, wnhenhei mer Written by
her K od from the novel by Flet
e’ and Charles W. Bailey

u, F urt Lancaster, Kirk
Gardne » “rederic March, Ava
_**aramount Release.

Cea ‘ tory of
as was this story

4 plot p
Militar Y a pro-war clique in the

Fovemmers Overthrow the U.S.
aS the ae More chilling still
“The hand comment made
thoy, Army Times’? in its
shfu review,

te an “The Army Times:”’
but |; ee it can’t happen here,
be Pret} does it probably will
Baijey . Much as Knebel and

vos : 3
Count.» ay in this gripping ac-

That
One of our leading mili-

authority ications should lend its
enticis to vouch for the au-
lifts : E Of such a possibility
ne Mm the realm of fantasy.
Woulg’ ist daydreaming, it
Milita €M, is not unknown in
diq y Circles; or, at least, it
eae these observers,
Minde : eral ofthe non-military
eS Bopvers treated the
aes, ittle more than movie
but of no a, ©xciting melodrama,
ve Ee Politiacal importance.
- Winston, in the “N.Y,

: pee ance, dismissed the
horse , Ne that “heat a dead
au “there can’t be many
Stitution Would reject the Con-
Cesg 1, and the democratic pro-

Suess
MNothe, ,. CM€ man’s reality is’

s an’s fantasy,
i What :
* Lahtastios happens if reality
It * *
Yo
fang ve Tead the bo

You) eee haven't why haven't
Chairman he story concerns a
of the Joint Chiefs of

LG

Fora
eS ae Scott, who together
Tle of Rightist prop-

Ok you know

agandists, a pro-military Sen-
ator, and an array of top brass,
plot to take over the U.S. govern-
ment.

General Scott plans to estab-
lish a military dictatorship and
set a collision course with the
Soviet Union.

All this takes place in the
future—but not the too far distant
future—when the U.S. and USSR
have concluded anuclear disarm-
ament pact. The military is

‘up in arms, this time against

our own government.

Unlike the book, which is some-
what vague on the subject, the
movie makes this military-
Rightist tie-up a major theme.

Rod Serling’s script goes
further than the book in pro-
jecting a Rightist political rally,
with all its pseudo-patriotic
trimmings, to demonstrate how a
fascistic movement hides beneath
the bunting of flag-waving in
order to defile the country’s
heritage, its spirit, and ultimate-
ly its flag.

In fact General Scott is said
to be, in the movie, @ direct
descendant of the Senator Mc-
Carthy-General Walker gene-
ology.

Lest anyone think this far-
fetched, on the day I saw the
movie, just after this last point
was made and General Scott elo-
quently outlined why he believes
we need a pro-war policy, sev-
eral people in the audience ap-
plauded.

* * *

Democracy, in the movie, as
in the book, is defended: by the
President and six of his **trusted
friends.”’

The idea that the President of
the United States, in so grave 4
crisis, could not muster more
adherents than this pathetic band
was to me the real element of
fantasy.

And not so curiously, both

had —‘a General like that’

in the movie and the book, , establishment was allowed to get

this weakens the story politically,
and dramatically.

Here is where melodrama en-
ters and drama exists. The poker
table group of cronies does bat-
tle with the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
but this limited concept of poli-

- tical reality results in who-dun-it

high jinks, stagey confrontations,
and eventually the whole thing
puffs along to its climatic anti-
climax like a potboiler.

Too bad too, for with so much
built-in action there was no cine-
matic reason for the movie to
become so talky and tacky.
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I don’t wish to nag. ‘Seven
Days To May’ is a startling and
truly patriotic movie. Yet...

One more nagging question
then; Why was General Rutkow-
ski’s speech cut out of the film-
script? Rutkowski is the loyal
officer, the commander of the
Strategic Air Command, who is
asked by the President (in the
book) how so many of his fellow
Generals could join such a plot;
and Rutkowski replies that the
military became too powerful
during the Cold War, the military

out of hand, and these military
men were permitted to have too
much to say in political decisions.

This indictment has been cut
from the movie. Instead we are
given the distrust and fear of
the Soviet Union as the reason
for the General’s plotting, apar-
tial explanation at best, and more
the effect than the cause of the
political paranoia that leads to
fascistic thinking.

oe eee ies
Rutkowski’s statement is es-
pecially significant | because

President Kennedy is said to have

~ singled out the characterization

of his iconclast General,

Kirk Douglas recalls that when
he told the late President he
had bought the movie rights to
the book Kennedy discussed it
in some detail and seemed to
know the story better than the
actor did.

Of General Rutkowski the late
President reportedly said; ‘*I

wish I had a General like that.’’
Rather than end on this omi-
nous note I will end with one
more ominous still.
The fictional President of the
story is named Lyman Jordan;
but in the paperback book now

‘on the newsstands there is an

odd misprint that changes Pres-
ident Lyman Jordan’s name to
President Lyman Johnson!

Postscript: As for the actors,
You have to say something about -
the actors, don’t you? Frederic
March looks and talks like a
President, Burt Lancaster looks
like a General, but talks like
Burt Lancaster, and Kirk Douglas
looks like too nice a guy to
be the director of the Joint Chiefs.

For the rest: the cast looks like
the real thing, though they, like
the movie, have that glossy, slick
magazine pretence with which
Hollywood views high politics.

It’s the story that makes the
movie what it is,

— Mike Newberry.

Sie Benjamin Britten
and” cellist Mstislav Rost-
ropovich held clasped hands
high to acknowledge a joy-
ous ovation from 1,500 music
lovers in Moscow recently.

The gala occasion in the
Grand Hall of the Chaikovsky
Conservatoire was the first
performance, conducted by the
composer, of Britten’s Sym-
phony for Cello and Orchestra,
dedicated to the great Soviet
cellist.

So enthusiastic was the
‘audience with its applause that
the last 10 minutes of the
final movement. were played
as an encore. ‘‘I love it and
I’m deeply happy—this is one
of my happiest days,’’ Rost-
ropovich said afterwards.

New work unveiled

**A great work has been
born, which will live for
centuries. I know that in afew
years’ time new, wonderful
cellists will laugh at how bad-
ly I played it. But I know
it will be much loved and will
live for very, very long.”

Benjamin Britten

¢

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