WHY BE A CONGRESSMAN?

In Massachusetts' First Congressional District Raymond Leslie Buell, 46, scholar, foreign-affairs expert, has entered the Republican primary for Congress against Allen Towner Treadway, 74, conservative Congressman for 29 years (TIME, July 20). Quiet, bespectacled Raymond Buell is running on a one-plank platform: How can Congress be improved? Unless Congress stops playing politics and buckles down to its job, he thinks, the war may be longer, the peace might be botched. One night last week friends of Mr. Buell's came to his house in Richmond in a hayrack, carried him down to the Town Hall. There, in the intermission of a barn dance, Mr. Buell made a pre-campaign speech--a speech which, because it touched not on local issues but on the whole meaning of Congress today, had implications far beyond Massachusetts' First District. In a tone reminiscent of the feeling of Our Town, Candidate Buell said:

"We meet together tonight in an old-fashioned political rally. As we do these square dances it is hard to believe that there is much wrong with the world outside. As we look down the Richmond Valley toward Maple Hill and the Dome on the south and see nature in its quiet and self-contained beauty, we must force ourselves to believe that America today is fighting the most terrible war in its history.

"Yet, we the citizens of Richmond, realize that we cannot escape from this war or the outside world. There are only about 600 people in our town, yet already 23 of our boys have left for the armed services, some having reached points as far away as Panama and Australia. The young men of Richmond are risking their lives for their country.

"We citizens of Richmond want this war won as quickly as is humanly possible. We want a decent peace afterward. We want America after victory to play a great role in promoting world brotherhood, welfare and freedom.

"We know that America must endure great suffering during the next few years, but after this war I can see a better future for us all: a great American civilization where young people will have opportunity not only to work but to create, where old people will find contentment and security, where the Arts, Science and Religion will flourish as never before. But I fear that America will miss this opportunity. This is because our political system is not working well. We have made great progress in everything in this country except politics. Today America's greatest business is government. But it is a business, particularly as far as Congress is concerned, where outworn methods still prevail. I say to you frankly that the future of America depends upon improving our democratic institutions. If we keep on playing politics in Washington, America will not bring forth a great civilization but I fear will go down to destruction. I believe in Congress as an institution, because I believe in democracy and the people. But Congress must be improved. If we do not like the situation in Washington, you and I have an individual responsibility to see it changed.

"For 20 years, as many of you know, my business has been to seek solutions for our great national and international problems. But I have never run for office before. I have decided to do so this summer because the next few years will be the most important in our whole history. If I have anything to offer the people of this District, I should do so now.

"In this campaign I shall not say a single word disrespectful to Mr. Treadway as citizen or as a man, although I shall necessarily examine the record. Mr. Treadway has given long and honorable service to hundreds of people in this District. Yet, in visiting town after town in our five counties, I find many of his oldest friends who say, 'Yes, I feel under obligations for personal kindnesses in the past; but today these things are not important. The lives of ourselves and our children now depend upon great national and world issues. We must send to Congress new men who can help solve these terrible problems--men with trained knowledge and convictions. We must help build up a new Republican Party, taking a middle ground between the extremists of the New Deal on the Left and the conservatism of the Old Republicans.'

"I do not claim to be any superman. I realize no single individual can do very much. Yet if we all do what we can, we will move mountains. That is what democracy means. The citizens of the First District of Massachusetts may set an example in this primary which the whole country will later follow. That is why this primary is so important, both to Richmond and the nation.

"I am going to fight hard in this primary, but I cannot win it by myself. Everything depends upon friends, seen and unseen, who believe as I do that America needs a revitalized Republican Party and a stronger rather than a weaker Congress in Washington. If you and I work hard together, we can win this fight."

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