THE WEEK

• Having long since sewed up the support of New York’s Modern Republicans for his gubernatorial ambitions, Nelson Rockefeller has now donned false whiskers and is going after conservatives. Incredibly, he seems to be making headway. One would think that conservatives who look into the suitability of Mr. Rockefeller to serve their interests would ponder the four recent Rockefeller Reports, which call for statist solutions to all the nation’s ills. Asked recently by a New York Post reporter why he was running as a Republican rather than a Democrat, Mr. Rockefeller was visibly distressed, and muttered something about the superior “efficiency” of the Republicans. As for us, we’d a whole lot rather have inefficient than efficient statists run our life. Just possibly they’d lose our file, and let us alone.

• The President has asked Congress to enact legislation which would permit the Department of State to withhold passports from citizens whose presence abroad would, in the opinion of the government, damage the national interest. The President asked Congress, in effect, to overrule a recent Supreme Court ruling. (Due to the majesty of his office, he is not likely to be met with the abuse heaped upon Senators Butler and Jenner who have been attempting to do much the same thing via the Butler Bill.) As a general rule, we disapprove of the government’s having the power to limit the travel of American citizens. But in a period when, due to a cold war, we think nothing of conscripting young men, putting an embargo on American merchandise, and spending 45 billions on armament, it is not inconsistent that our Paul Robesons be prevented from sowing their poison around the globe. We hope Congress will pass the law, and compliment the President for asking it to do so.

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• Having long since sewed up the support of New York’s Modern Republicans for his gubernatorial ambitions, Nelson Rockefeller has now donned false whiskers and is going after conservatives. Incredibly, he seems to be making headway. One would think that conservatives who look into the suitability of Mr. Rockefeller to serve their interests would ponder the four recent Rockefeller Reports, which call for statist solutions to all the nation’s ills. Asked recently by a New York Post reporter why he was running as a Republican rather than a Democrat, Mr. Rockefeller was visibly distressed, and muttered something about the superior “efficiency” of the Republicans. As for us, we’d a whole lot rather have inefficient than efficient statists run our life. Just possibly they’d lose our file, and let us alone.

• The President has asked Congress to enact legislation which would permit the Department of State to withhold passports from citizens whose presence abroad would, in the opinion of the government, damage the national interest. The President asked Congress, in effect, to overrule a recent Supreme Court ruling. (Due to the majesty of his office, he is not likely to be met with the abuse heaped upon Senators Butler and Jenner who have been attempting to do much the same thing via the Butler Bill.) As a general rule, we disapprove of the government’s having the power to limit the travel of American citizens. But in a period when, due to a cold war, we think nothing of conscripting young men, putting an embargo on American merchandise, and spending 45 billions on armament, it is not inconsistent that our Paul Robesons be prevented from sowing their poison around the globe. We hope Congress will pass the law, and compliment the President for asking it to do so.