DISARMAMENT AND THE COLLEGES

When the Student Council meets on Wednesday its first business will be to decide what part Harvard is to take in the national movement for student action in regard to the Disarmament Conference. Before then it is fitting that this movement should be understood and should be discussed as widely as possible.

Two college have already broached plans to unify and direct student opinion on the subject of limitation of armaments Prince on whose efforts have had a wide publicity, proposes a convention of delegates from sixty colleges in the east which will convene at Princeton on October 26. These delegates, two to be sent from each college, will diet a resolution to be transmitted to the government and incidentally they will it is hoped, return to their college better able to stimulate the interest of tie students in the whole question of limitation of reduction of armaments.

The plan offered by Penn State differs from that of Princeton but cannot be said to compete or conflict with it. It suggests that on December 2 mass meetings he held separately in all the colleges and that resolutions passed there be wired to delegates in Washington to be presented by them at the Conference.

Finally the newly established intercollegiate Liberal League is planning to devote its now extensive organization to supplying speakers to the colleges throughout the nation, possibly working in cooperation with Penn State or Princeton.

We do intend to discuss here the advisability of Harvard's' adopting any one or all or these proposals. As intimated above the purpose of this editorial is rather to present the subject as briefly and comprehensively as possible for discussion. There are, however, certain general considerations which should be borne in mind in reaching a decision.

What is the purpose of all these movements? To stimulate interest in the colleges. Agreed. But why do we desire such interest? Is it in order that collegmen may better understand the problems which face the conference? Yes, but that is not the final purpose. It is Fardly to be expected that resolutions can greatly aid the experts at Washington in mastering the tremendously involved problems which the question of the limitation of armaments presents. Professor will have their part to play in that, not undergraduates.

The conference, however, need the realization that the public will not tolerate repetition of the consul of Paris. If it knows that millions and millions of people are watching its efforts with undistracted attentions, those of its members who are not sincerely desirous of accomplishing the purpose of the conference will hesitate before reverting to the kind of diplomacy which was so disastrous in 1919. In strengthening the rapidly growing sentiment which is expressed in the slogan "There must be an end of war" the college find their opportunity for service.

The first step is to promote among the students better understanding of the problems: then they, by resolutions and referendums can express to the government what results they believe the conference should achieve. Their opinion may or may not be representative; it will certainly be of value to many who are vitally interested in the success of the conference by lack the power of expression to make their will adequately understood.

Insofar as the three proposals we outlined above further this aim, they are to be desired. To repeat, the colleges cannot advise the conference how limit armaments it can tell them what the youth of America expect and have a right to demand of the men who have in their bands the future of the world.

The CRIMSON invites communications in the subject.