HEIGHTENING CHAOS

Abetted by a vicious press, this elite will go to appalling lengths to prevent recreational lakes when hydroelectric power is involved and even when it isn't. American Electric Power Co., the utility with a spine, has published an outstanding advertisement on what happened to the Blue Ridge project, and if you missed it, it is well worth writing for (AEPCo, 2 Broadway, New York, NY 10004).

Now as the crazies get crazier and the press more depressing, the bewildered onlookers often turn to conspiracy theories. Some of our readers, we note from our editorial mail, simply put it all down to a Communist conspiracy.

While we respect their opinions, it is only fair to point out that we do not share them. The idea that Ralph Nader is a Soviet agent strikes us as absurd; the conspiracy concept is, in fact, very dear to the Communists themselves, who look for spies and saboteurs under every bed.

On the other hand, we were not at all surprised when on February 8 a former Czech intelligence agent testified before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee that the Soviet-directed spies of the Czechoslovak embassy in Washington (who make up more than half of the total staff) are under instructions to "heighten chaos" in America by any means, and that one of the spy agency's targets is Ralph Nader.

The story itself is, of course, plausible enough (it was mostly omitted by the media who were busy adulating Sen. Church for butchering the US intelligence system). But it does not follow that Nader could be recruited, and we can see no earthly reason why he should let himself be hooked.

The testimony does, however, once again throw light on the crude stupidity of the Soviet establishment. Suppose, indeed, that they were somehow to succeed in recruiting Nader as an agent; what, for crying out loud, would they expect him to do that the man is not doing already?