寒假英語(yǔ)文章

寒假英語(yǔ)文章寒假英語(yǔ)文章

寒假英語(yǔ)文章

ArnoldBeichman,1913-201*

Anoralhistoryandremembranceofagreatadventurerandfriend.

IDON"TKNOWHOWIFIRSTMETArnoldBeichman,butIdoknowI"llneverforgethim.Thenewsofhisdeathcameasashock,eventhoughhewasnotfaroffhis97thbirthday.Athispeakhewasabustlingtornadoofenergyandenthusiasm.AsCommentary"sJohnPodhoretzputit,ifwecouldbottleandtakewhateverhehad,"wewouldimmediatelyleadlivesofenergyandpurpose,highgoodhumorandgreatgoodfeeling,andasensethat,thoughtherewereverydarkforcesatworkintheworld,theworlditselfwasawonderfulplace."

WhenIlastsawArnold,attheHooverInstitutionpartyinWashington,hewas95andinawheelchairbutstillbrimmingoverwithlife.Ilastheardfromhimafewmonthsago.Ihade-mailedhimaboutMaxAscoli,aNewYorkeditorwhopublishedtheReporterinthe1950s.Arnoldrepliedandconcluded,"Anymorequestions?Askaway."Now,asIwritethis,IhaveadozenmorequestionsbutIguessthey"llhavetowait.

Theobitssaidhewasa"legendaryanti-Communist."Hewasthatbutitmakeshimseemfarlessinterestingthanhereallywas.IfyouaskedhimaboutCommunistsheknewinNewYorkinthe1930sand1940s,hecouldbespellbinding-itwashisinstantrecall,wealthofdetail,andtheunexpectedsidealleysofhismemorythatwouldholdyou-buthehadsomuchmoretooffer.

Heneverwroteanautobiography.Iaskedhimmorethanonceifheplannedtoandhealwayssaidno.Actually,threevolumeswouldhavebarelyscratchedthesurface.Hehaddecadesofdetailinhisheadandhelikedtoshareitwithyou,butheknewthatorganizinghisadventuresandputtingthemdownonpaperwouldbeaboreandanevengreaterchore.

AtonepointIembarkedonmyownoralhistoryandhedidsitdownforaseriesoftapedinterviews.Thatwasin1991.Hismemorywasalmostphotographic.Hewouldsurprisehimselfbyhisabilitytorecallnamesanddetails60yearsaftertheeventwithhardlyaseniormoment.Butifhewasn"tgoingtowritehismemoirs,Iknewitwouldbeabsurdformetotry.

Sometimeshegavetheimpressionthathewasn"tmuchinterestedinthebooksthathehadwritten.Hisbest(maybe)wasNineLiesaboutAmerica,withanintroductionbyTomWolfe.ArnoldhadalsobeenalifelongfriendofthenovelistHermanWoukandhewroteashortbookabouthim,too.HenevermentioneditinmyhoursofinterviewingandIonlyfoundoutaboutittheotherday.Ihaveneverseenacopy.IwaswithhimattheHooverInstitutionwhenhisbookonSoviettreatydiplomacycameout(1990).Hehadacopyinhisofficebutheseemednotmuchinterested.Hethrewitacrossthedeskinmydirection."Here,youwannit?"

Hewrotethousandsofnewspaperarticles,orcolumns,butattimestheyfeltperfunctory,too.Hewasanearlyadopterofthenewputertechnologyandhewrotewhateverhewroteasquicklyaspossible,using"macros"andhigh-techshortcutsthathisastronomersonCharles(aprofessoratCaItech)hadtaughthim.Agonizingoverablankpagewasnothisstyle.

HEgrewUPonNewYork"sLowerEastSide.HisfatherarrivedinNewYorkin1906andthefamily-Arnold,theoldest,hadtwosisters-livedonEldridgeStreet.Itwasafourth-floorwalk-upwithnobathroom.HisparentswereorthodoxJewsandtheirworldhadaradiusofalittlemorethan100yards.Yiddishwasspokenathome.

TheylivedinNewYorkCityjustastheylivedinKoIk.inaprovinceofUkraine.InNewYork,thehousewashere.Ablockawaywasthestore,ablockawaywasthesynagogue,ablockawaythekosherbutcher.Sowhydoyouhavetolearnallthesesillylanguages,likeEnglish?AlthoughmyfatherdidpickupItalian.

ArnoldlearnedtheTorah"forwardandbackwards,"andtheProphets.HewasgratefulforhiseducationintheBible.Thenhestartedto"playgames"withhisfather,forexampleaskinghim,"CanGodmitsuicide?"SidneyHooktoldArnoldthatheusedtotryoutthesametrickswithhisfather.

EventuallyArnoldrebelled,refusingtowearaphylacteryandviolatingtheSabbath."IlostinterestinbeinganobservantJew."Nogreatguiltfeelings.SolomonBeichmanwasunhappy,becausehewantedArnoldtobearabbi.ButeventuallyheacceptedthatArnoldwas"livinginanothercountry."

Buthewasamajorinfluenceonhisson.In1933,ArnoldsuggestedthathisfathermightwanttosupportNormanThomasformayorofNewYork.ButSolomonwiselywonderedwhatwouldbeeofhiscottongoodsstore.If

ArnoldBeichmanPage1ofsocialistscouldawaytakeyourpropertyintheUkraine,whynotheretoo?

Arnoldwasshortofstature-everyoneinhisclasswastaller.Napoleonovercamethat,buthowwouldBeichman"conquertheworld"?Hewenttoworkfortheschoolnewspaperandfoundthatreporterswerethecenterofattention.Especiallysportsreporters.Andthegirlstookasuddeninterest.Sothatwouldbehiscareer.HesethissightsonColumbiaUniversity,whichhadajournalismschool.(Nowit"sagraduateschool,butthenitwasforundergraduates.)IwantedtobreakoutoftheEastSidemold.Ididn"twanttobeeadoctor.Iwantedtobeanewspaperman.IgotintoalongcorrespondencewithH.L.Mencken,whoselettersIhavesomewhere.I"dwritehimforadvice.IwrotetoHeywoodBroun,acolumnistontheNewYorkWorld.IneverthoughtI"dgetintoColumbiabecausetheyhadanumerusclausus,aquota.It"saphrasefrommedievaltimes.SomanyJewscouldlivehere.AtColumbiaitwas10percent.

Intenselypetitive,Arnoldwasadmitted(in1930)mainlyonthebasisofoneinterview.Hewasreadingthenewspaperscovertocoverandwasreadyforallthequestions.Heknewdetailsofthe1922WashingtonDisarmamentConferenceandwhochairedtheSenateForeignRelationsCommittee

HebecametheeditoroftheColumbiaSpectatorandcameawaywithafewlifelonglessons,evenifhestillhadn"tgraduated(becausehehadn"treallystudied).HereturnedtoColumbiain1963andnotonlygraduatedbutstayedonandendedupwithaPhDattheageof60.

OnelessonfromColumbia:Don"tsuppressthetruthforsomehighercause.WhenfraternityboysthrewswastikasdownfromabalconyontoaJewishdancein1933,rabbistoldhim:don"tprintit."Itwastheoldbusinessofkeepitquiet."Later,whenhewasworkingforaNewYorknewspaper,PM,IrishCatholicsphysicallyattackedJewsinDorchester,inBoston.Publicitywouldonlyleadtopogroms,Arnoldwastold,butheignoredtheadviceanditbecameanationalstory."ButnotalinecameoutaboutitinanyBostonpaper,becauseCardinalO"Connellwasthepower."WiththeriseofHitlerandStalin,"politicsbecameaduty."AndherecameArnold"sfirstrun-inwiththeCommunists.TheCommunistsatColumbiawentbythenameoftheSocialProblemsClub.In1933theNaziambassador,HansLuther,wasslatedtospeak.Theyaskedmetowriteaneditorialopposingthat.ButIsupportedhisappearanceonthegroundsofacademicfreedom.ThenewSovietambassador,Litvinov,hadbeengivenaplatform.Theysaid,well,Lutherrepresentsagangstergovernment.SoIsaid,"Well,whomdoesLitvinovrepresent,ifnotagangstergovernment?"Theywerehorrified.HowcouldIsuggestthattheSovietUnionwasagangstergovernment?

ThenextdayhiseditorialattackedtheSocialProblemsClubandadvocatedequaltreatmentfortheambassadors.(Arnoldadded,inoneofhisinstantasides,thatwhenFDRestablisheddiplomaticrelationswiththeSovietUnion,theU.S.ChamberofCommercethrewabigcelebratorypartyattheWaldorfAstoria.)

ThatwasthefirstofmanyskirmisheswiththeCommunists.WhatArnoldsoonlearnedwasthatifyousharedpowerwiththeminanyenterpriseorforum,theywouldinevitablytakeoverthewholeshow.Ratherthanpartner,youwouldbeetheirfundraiser.

Howe?Howtoaccountfortheirpassionateintensityandabilitytodominate?"Organization,"hetoldme,butitwasoneoftheraretimeswhenhisanswerdisappointed.WhittakerChambersaddressestheissueofCommunistzealinWitness.(ChamberswenttoColumbia,earlier,butheandArnoldnevermet.)

IngreatdetailArnolddescribedmanyofhisencounterswiththeCommunistsinthe1930sand"40s.Hegavemetheimpressionthathewasabletoopposetheirintensitywithaparablelevelofdriveandenergy.Hegoton"verybadly"withI.F.StoneattheNewYorkPost,andforPMhewitnessedtheexecutionofLouis"Lepke"BuchalteratSingSing("horrifying").

IBECAMEGOODFRIENDSWITHARNOLDin1986,whenwewentonatwo-weektouroftheSovietUnionorganizedbytheRev.SunMyungMoon"sUnificationChurch.AllthehardworkoftravelwasdoneforusbyRev.Moon"sveryhelpfulassistants,andwehadawonderfultime.

Theyorganizedseveralsuchtrips.Theironywasthattheirgoalwastogetjournalists-rightlysuspectedofbeing"softonCommunism"-toseeitfirsthand.Ofcourse,mainstreamjournalistsrefusedallsuchinvitations,sothechurchwasreducedtobringingalongpeoplealreadyanti-Communist,amongthemBeichman,whoknewthestoryofCommunistperfidymaybebetterthananyoneintheUnitedStates.Infact,hisanti-CommunismwassowellknownthattheSovietshadneverallowedhimintothecountry.Itwasagoodopportunitytoobservehimcloseup.

ArnoldBeichmanPage2ofInLeningrad-todayitisonceagainSt.Petersburg-someofusdecidedtogobyMetrotothecenterofthecity."Ijustrealized,"Beichmansaidonthetrain,"allthesepeopleareCommunists."Welookedarounduswithrenewedcuriosity."I"vespentallthistimecriticizingtheSovietUnionandI"mbeginningtoworrythatnothinginiquitousishappening."Thepeoplewerelaw-abiding,nogunstotheirheads,goinghometowivesandchildren,somewithpackagesandbooksintheirlaps.

BeichmansaidthathisreactionwasobviouslysharedbymanytravelerstotheSovietUnion.Seeinglittletofeartheydecidethatanti-Communistsareparanoidandperhapsgoonpeacemarcheswhentheyreturnhome."IthinkGorbachevknewwhathewasdoingwhenheletusin,"Beichmansaid.

OnNevskyProspektayoungmansawthatwewereAmerican,cameup,andwantedtoexchangemoneyatthemarketrate(illegal).HewasopenlyscornfulofCommunismandsaidthatfewofhisfriendsbelievedinit.ButhefearedbeingdraftedtoAfghanistan.

Washeconcernedaboutbeingfollowed?Beichmanasked.No,theauthoritieswouldonlybekeepinganeyeonusifwewereWhiteHousebigshotsor,let"ssay,notoriousanti-Communists.Ididn"thavethehearttotellhimthatBeichmanwasoneofthemostnotoriousintheUnitedStates.Arnoldslippedhimafewdollarsandhewasgoneinasecond.

Afewmonthslater,onanotherMoonietrip,thistimetoKorea,Japan,China,andthePhilippines,Arnoldwaswithusagain.InBeijing,wehadfiercedisputesaboutthefutureofChina."Chinaisabignothing!"Arnoldsaid.HewastheleaderoftheonceLeninist,alwaysLeninistfaction-resolutelyresistinganyoptimismaboutChina"sprospects.WhenAlvinRabushkaoftheHooverInstitutionexpressedacautiousdissent,weheardfromArnoldrightaway."Womensquattingontheirhaunchessellingscrewsandjunk.Junk!Junkofjunk,that"ssubjunk.Shmattas.Theytakebigshmattasandtheymakelittleshmattas.Fromthatyou"regoingtogetaconsumereconomy?C"mon,Alvin!"

"Theydidn"tevensellscrewsandragsfiveyearsago,"Alvinreplied.

"You"redreaming!Leninismisatheoryofpower.Theycannotgiveuppower."Later,asArnoldwasgettingintothebus,hesaid,almosttohimself,"Thetroubleis,noonereadsLenin.Theyjusthearaboutit."

Rabushkaturnedouttobeclosertothetruth,surely.Amazingly,China"srulingclassretainedpowerevenwhileallowingcapitalismtoflourish,afeatparabletodrivingthroughheavytrafficandchangingclothesatthesametime.ButArnold"supdatedthoughtsonChinaisonethingIwouldlovetoaskhimaboutnow.

LITTLEHASBEENSAIDORWRITTENaboutwhatmaybethemostinterestingperiodofArnold"slife.Fromabout1950to1970hewentoffonwhatcanonlybedescribedasfreelanceadventures."Ifoundawaytohaveallthepleasuresofbeingaforeigncorrespondentwithoutanyonetellingmewhattocover,"hetoldme.Heneverwanted"anexecutivejob,"butwenttoworkfirstfortheMusiciansUnion,thenfortheInternationalConfederationofFreeTradeUnions(ICFTU).Theypaidhisexpensesandastipend.Hewouldwritearticlesand"Communistanalysis"withforeigndatelinesforvariouspublications,especiallytheChristianScienceMonitor.

"IgotveryinterestedininternationaltradeunionismandtheinroadstheCommunistsweremakingintoAfricaandothercountriesastheywereliberatedfromcolonialrule."Arnoldtoldme.Somehow,thatbecamehisentreandpassport.WithGenevaashisstopoverhewouldbeintroducedtopeoplewithconnections.Whocanfollowwhatisreallyinvolvedwith"internationaltradeunionism"?Inevercould.

Hesaid,withoutmyaskinghim:"Ihavenevertaken,thatIcanthinkof,adimefromtheU.S.government."Ibelievethat.ButdoesitnotseempossiblethattheICFTU(foundedin1946)receivesatleastsomegovernmentfunds?GeorgeMeanywasafriendandallyofArnold"s.

BeichmanwasinEastBerlinin1952,Stockholmin1953,Algeriain1957,SouthVietnamin1959,theCongoin1960,andGhanain1971.Healsobecame"theworld"sexpertonArabtradeunions."(Whocandisputethat!)TheChristianScienceMonitorpublishedasapamphlethisseriesofarticlesonunionsinEgypt,Syria,Iraq,andelsewhere.ArnoldwasalsoinYemen(whenIdon"tknow).HeknewTomMboya,assassinated(probably)byalliesofJomoKenyattainNairobiin1969.(PresidentObamahasreferredtoMboyaas"mygodfather.")SirRoyWelenskyofNorthernRhodesiawasanotherofArnold"sallies,andamanafterhisownheart.

"Stalinhadjustdied,"ArnoldsaidofhistriptoStockholm,"andthat"swhereImetBillColby-hewasCIAalthoughI

ArnoldBeichmanPage3ofdidn"tknowit-andIhelpedhimoutofaverybadscrape.It"salongstoryandI"llsaveitforanotheroccasion."Thatoccasionneverarosemyfault,nothisreluctancetotalk.

HewasinTunisiain1957andfromtherewenttoAlgeria,having"arrangedthatinNewYork."TheAlgerianwarwasjustbeginningandArnoldwasitsfirstwarcorrespondent."That"sastoryinitself."Again,Ineverpursuedit.HetookalonganexcellentcameraandhispictureswerepublishedinNewsweek.AtthattimehebecamegoodfriendswithArnauddeBorchgrave.

Vietnam?Whatwashedoingthere?He"becamefriendswithDiemandflewaroundthecountrywithhim"-anotheruntoldstory.

WhattookhimtotheCongo?Hedidtellalongstoryaboutthat."IpredictedthearrestandexecutionofPatriceLumumbatwomonthsbeforeithappened,"Arnoldtoldme.ThenhetoldfriendsattheAmericanembassywhathehadheardandtheysaid,"Gee,wheredidyougetthat?"

"Myboysinthetradeunions,"Arnoldconfidedtome."Atthattimethetradeunionswerethebestinformedpeople,outsidetherealholdersofthesecrets."

InGhana?HewenttheretowritesomethingafterNkrumah"soverthrow,stoppingoffinGenevatohearthetrade-unionangle.ArnoldwasgivenavillainAccravacatedbytheEastGermans.Ghanaatthatstage"mightjustaswellhavebeenaSovietprovince,"hesaid.TheSovietambassadorwasknownasthevicepresident.

"IloathedNkrumah,"Arnoldsaid.ButhethrewhimasidelongglanceofsympathybecauseNkrumahwasnaiveenoughtobelieveallthebattythingsliberalsweresaying."That"sastoryinitself-thegreatdiscoveryofAfricabyAmericanintellectuals."Iwaslookingforwardtohistirade,butthenhedistractedme:"TherearethingsIcannottalkabouttothisday,abouthowNkrumahwasousted.""Howwashe?"

"Can"ttalkaboutit.1amhonorboundnotto.AndIsimplywillnot."Nordidhe.

Anewdealerinthe1930s,ArnoldwasaKennedyDemocratby1960.AlongwithMeany,ArnoldshowsupwithJFKinBerlin,andisofferedthejobofassistantsecretaryoflabor.Butheturneditdown."Ingovernmentyouhavetokeepyourmouthshutandbowyourhead."DanielP.Moynihanacceptedthejob.

Later,ArnoldbecameanhonorarymemberoftheReactionariesLuncheonClubinLondon,alongwithKingsleyAmis,ColinWelch,AnthonyPowell,RobertConquest,andothers.TheymetweeklyatBertorelli"snearWhitehall.ArnoldwasdoingresearchforhisPhD-somethingtodowithTorypolitics.HelivedinChelsea.Hissurroundingswerealwaysstylish.

Meanwhiletherehadbeena"messy"firstmarriagetoapianist,"troubleinsplitsville,"andamysteriouswalk-onroleforWalterWinchell,theinfluentialgossipcolumnistwhoknewsomethingimportantaboutthedivorcethatArnoldrefusedtodiscuss.

Arnoldregretsmissing"theadventure"ofWorldWarII.HehadlearnedtoflyandhadbeeagoodfriendofHerbertDargue,themanderofMitchelFieldonLongIsland.Arnold,then28,wantedtojointheArmyAirForceandDarguewassmoothingovertheageproblemwhenhewaskilledinaplanecrash.ThenArnoldwasturneddownasaMarinebatcorrespondent.Onthedayhewasdrafted,anewregulationexemptedmenwithtwochildren,whichbythenhehad.

Laterheco-pilotedaCessna310acrosstheAtlantic,NewYorktoBrussels-a"terrificadventureforhim,"saidCarrollBeichman,hissecondwife.ShewasmarriedtoArnoldforalmost60yearsandtheylivedmostlyinBritishColumbia."Flyingsmallaircraftwasamajorpassionforhimandhediditwheneverhecould,"shesaid.

Arnoldmeantitaboutmissingthe"adventure"ofwar.Whathereallywantedwasanadventurouslifeandhehadone.HewasshotatinYemen,Algeria,andVietnam.Iregrethisunwrittenmemoirs,whichcouldhavebeentoldaspureadventuresratherthanasanti-Communistparryandthrust.Butofcourselivingthemwasenough,andmakingthemasenjoyabletoreadastheyweretolistentowouldhavebeen