Mr. Holcombe Repiles

(Ed. Note--The Crimson does not necessarily endorse opinions expressed in printed communications. No attention will be paid to anonymous letters and only under special conditions, at the request of the writer, will names be withheld.)

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To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

My attention has been called to an editorial entitled "Protecting Agitators," which appears in your issue of Wednesday and in which you condemn certain views alleged to have been expressed by me in a recent issue of the Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors in the course of a discussion of "The Right to Agitate."

You express the opinion that it is impracticable and undesirable for university "authorities" to "stand by" students who collide with the police while exercising their right of free speech and public assembly, and you imply that I hold a contrary opinion. It is evident you did not read my remarks, as published, with your usual discernment. I did not say that university "authorities" should intervene in public trials of student agitators, accused of disorderly conduct, rioting, etc. On the contrary, I argued against such intervention by the "authorities." What I did advocate was, that liberal-minded professors, such as the members of the American Association of University Professors, should exert themselves as citizens to help wrongfully accused students secure a fair trial by the competent public authorities.

You seem to fear that such action by university professors may be excessively "difficult" and "dangerous." I can assure you from my own experience that such fears are exaggerated. I refer you to the case of the Charlestown rioters, so-called, recently before the courts of this state. Commenting on that case in an editorial which you published on May 18th last, you said: "Any nation espousing a belief in freedom of speech will not submit to a subjugation of it under the tattoo of horses' hoofs. The brutality and officiousness demonstrated yesterday are to be deplored."

I happened to hold the same opinion which you expressed so vigorously at that time. The kind of action which I think university professors may properly take under such circumstances is illustrated by the "Introduction" signed by Professors Hocking and Perry of the Department of Philosophy, and by myself, to the "Official Report of the Committee of Investigation of Police Tactics in Charlestown on May 17, 1934," published in June by the Harvard Liberal Club. I commend to you the reading of that report in full, together with the accompanying documents. Arthur N. Holcombe.