Reserch On Owen Lattimore Case

Owen Lattimore is the prestigious sinologist,geographer and the expert in Asian issues in the 40s of 20 century.From 1950 to 1955,through the means of hearing and other ways,American legislation and administrative organizations conducted a series of investigations about his loyalty and influence,which is called Owen Lattimore Case.The case not only directly aimed at Owen Lattimore and its influence spread to many people in the two fields of American politics and academics,which triggered the who lost China debate.Hence,it had produced tremendous repercussions in America.The outbreak of Owen Lattimore case has its historical necessities.Through the long investigation on Sino-American relation,Chinese frontier issues and Asian nationalism,Owen Lattimore publicized many political points of view different from the common opinions at that time,he thought after the war,America should oppose western colonialism’ s resurgence,support Asian national liberation movement and cooperate with the Soviet Union to rebuild Asian new order.However,the foundation of new China,the deterioration of Sino-American relation,the outburst of the Korean War and the form of Asian cold war structure improved that America greatly changed its Asian politics,and even changed the former looser speech environment.Lattimore’ s different opinions about the post war’ s Asian problems became the ideological move of triggering Owen Lattimore case.Lattimore’ s political activities and political influences during the war became the realistic motivation of the case.Starting from the motivations of political speculations,the McCarthyite’s political charges to Lattimore is the blasting fuse of the case.The Tydings Committee,which was responsible for the investigation of the case,totally denied all Lattimore’s sins,but his motivations were mainly relying on the advantages of its party,the credibility is deficient.The Tydings Committee totally confirmed the Joe McCarthy’s charges to Lattimore,advised American Justice Department to sue false testimony to Lattimore.There was inference basis behind it which corresponded to laws,evidence and reasons.The implication could not be negated totally.As the important case during the cold war in America,Owen Lattimore case was totally turned down by local circuit court of appeal because it violated constitution amendments.The reasons are not just purely because it is influenced by presiding judge’ s personal insistence,but also because it has close relationships with the specific tendency of cold war’ s pattern and American constitution structure of checks and balances.The ending of sue reflected the debugging function to the political mechanism,which was gradually out of American constitutional system ’ s control.This has the reference value on considering the deep reason that America could peacefully spend hysterical social state during the early stage of the cold war without forming large-scale social turmoil.