Protests at the use of animals in research have taken a new and fearful character in Britain with attempted murder of two British scientists by the terrorist technique of the pre-planted car bomb.
    The research community will rightly be alarmed at these developments, which have two aims:to draw public attention and to frighten people working in research with animals. The scientists insist that everything should be done to identify those responsible for the crimes and to put them on trial. The Defense Research Society has taken the practical step ofoffering a reward of $10,000 for information leading to those responsible, but past experience is not encouraging. People are unlikely to be tempted by such offers. The professional police will similarly be confronted by the usual problem of finding a needle in a haystack.
    That is why the intellectual community in Britain and elsewhere must act more actively in its own defense. There are several steps that can be taken, of which the chief one is to demand of all the organizations that exist with the declared aims of.safeguarding the interests of animals that they should declare clearly where they stand on violence towards people. And it will not be enough for the chairman and chairwoman of these organizations to make placatory statements on behalf of all their members. These people should also undertake that it will be a test of continuing membership in their organizations that members and would-be members should declare that they will take no part in acts of violence against human beings. Even such undertakings would be fully effective: people, after all, can lie. But at least they would distinguish the organizations entitled to a continuing voice in the dialogue with the research community about the rights of animals in research from the organizations that deserve no say.