Neutrality Union an Anachronism.

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

While President Wilson and Congress are deliberating as to the best means and methods for avoiding a war with Germany and retaining some traces of national honor, there appears in the CRIMSON a superbly irrelevant discussion on roast pigs.

The President said to Congress on February 3d that he had severed diplomatic relations with Germany because Germany had broken her agreement with the United States, and that such a course was the only one possible to the maintenance of American honor. Now, the Harvard Union for American Neutrality is in itself a repudiation of the President's brave words, for the United States is not now neutral, even officially, and this Union, hearing that the President takes an important step to preserve honor, has the supreme effrontery to say that "honor is not at stake".

The "neutrality" league also claims that it and the R. O. T. C. should work together. It does not take into account that oil and water will not mix, and that the spirit prompting the Union is the direct antithesis of that prompting the R. O. T. C.

The spirit which is exemplified in the Harvard Union for American Neutrality and in the speeches of Mr. Bryan is the same which extenuates robbery in order to avoid any unfortunate danger to the persons of the municipal police force. It is the same spirit which came very close to crushing England at the beginning of the war.

We cannot believe that Harvard men would not flock to the standard the moment any definite action was taken. We cannot believe that Mr. Cecil H. Smith and his disciples are ardent pro-Germans. But for the good of the University, the country and the world, let us try to avoid such a hindering spirit, and to put in its place an honest desire to help the country up on its feet, eventually to enforce a lasting peace. PAUL W. INGRAHAM '17.