Editor's Notes

– FOUNDATION REPORT. The Reason Foundation will host a research seminar in political philosophy this summer. Part of the Liberty Fund's program, the seminar will bring 17 resident fellows to Santa Barbara for 10 weeks of scholarly research and seminars with visiting senior scholars from the University of Southern California and the University of California at Los Angeles, at Santa Barbara, and at Berkeley. The project will be directed by Tibor Machan, the Foundation's educational programs director.

The Foundation has selected three significant essays as the first to be reprinted in its REASON ESSAYS series: Professor Antony Flew's "Libertarians vs. Egalitarians," Professor Bruce Goldberg's "Natural Law: Some Considerations," and Professor Edward A. Hacker's "Rationality vs. Dehumanization." These works were previously published, respectively, in Encounter, Modern Age, and Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. Suggestions for other significant but not widely known essays for inclusion in this series are welcome.

As soon as funds permit, the Foundation will launch a companion project'"REASON MONOGRAPHS'"consisting of important original essays on topics concerning the philosophical foundations of a free society. Contributions to support this project would be welcomed.

– PUBLICITY. Editor Robert Poole's recent newspaper column on privatization of building codes has been inserted into the Congressional Record by Rep. Ron Paul. And his column on privatizing fire departments and other city services was quoted from by Richard Lesher, president of the US Chamber of Commerce, in his recent "Voice of Business" newsletter. Poole's column, "Fiscal Watchdog," covers new ways of saving money for local taxpayers. It is available at no charge to any newspaper requesting it. Information and a sample copy are available from the Local Government Center, 221 West Carrillo St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

– CORRECTION. An error crept into Theresa Hale De Soubiese's article, "Surviving the Blackboard Jungle," in our May issue. On page 32, line 26 read: "Don't stand up in front of the classroom to lecture. Ask questions, conduct a discussion, or teach." This passage should have read, "Don't stand up in front of the classroom to lecture, ask questions, conduct a discussion, or teach"'"a completely different meaning. Our apologies to Ms. De Soubiese and to our readers who may have been misled by this error.

– MEDIA. The New Republic continues to amaze. The April 21 issue leads off with a brilliant presentation of the case against Amtrak, entitled "A Subsidy for Sentiment." It is solidly factual, drawing on a number of studies, including work by the National Taxpayers Union. Coming on the heels of other recent free-market articles in TNR, it makes one wonder what American liberalism is coming to.

– NEW JOURNAL. We note with interest the debut of Lincoln Review, a quarterly journal aimed at the black middle class. Its first issue includes articles by Prof. Walter Williams ("Racism and Organized Labor") and Roy Innis ("How to Save Inner-City Schools"), among others. In his introduction of the journal, editor J.A. Parker notes that "blacks are now having to break with the coalitions of the past" and to take stands on issues such as energy and the environment "which, traditionally, were not considered to be 'black issues.'" Lincoln Review's editorial advisory board includes John A. Davenport, Edith Efron, Georgie Anne Guyer, William H. Peterson, and Prof. Walter Williams, among others. Further information is available from the Lincoln Institute for Research and Education, 1735 De Sales St., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036.

– UPDATE ON OTRAG. A New York Times story from Bonn, dated April 27, states that the government of Zaire has renounced part of its agreement with OTRAG, the private firm testing low-cost rocket launchers from its territory (see "African Deception," REASON, July 1978). The Zairean embassy stated that the firm was directed to halt its experimental and rocket-launching activities. The action came after heavy pressure from the West German government, itself under pressure from the Soviet Union and several African states. An OTRAG spokesman, who had not yet received official word of the action, acknowledged that "the political climate has become difficult recently and we have looked to other solutions outside Zaire."