Two Charge Spanish Ambulance Money Was Collected "Under False Pretenses"

Hurling sensational charges last night, Merwin K. Hart, Jr. '40, and Sidney Q. Curtiss '40, in a letter to the editor of the CRIMSON, published on today's editorial page, claimed that the money contributed by Harvard students and faculty last year for an ambulance to be sent to the Loyalists in Spain, was never used for that purpose, but "was collected under false pretenses."

Demand Investigation

Hart and Curtiss, frequent letter writers on political subjects, asked the Student Council to make a "prompt and complete probe" of the matter and render an official report. They base their claim that the money was "collected under false pretenses" upon a news dispatch printed in the New York "Herald-Tribune" of August which reported a parade and demonstration of trade unionists and radicals thru New York's Yorktown and Harlem districts, in which Governor Elmer A. Benson, Farm Laborite of Minnesota, made a speech favoring Mayor La Guardia's re-election.

In that parade and demonstration, according to the "Herald-Tribune" dispatch was an ambulance with the inscription on its side to the effect that it had been donated by the faculty, employees and students of Harvard University.

Drive Headed by Cannon

On May 17 the drive to collect funds for the ambulance was first announced with Walter B. Cannon '96, George Higginson Professor of Physiology in the Medical Schools as head of the Harvard Committee of students and faculty for Medical Aid to Spanish Democracy. He was also head of a similar national group. W. Tucker Dean '37 and Hume Dow '38 were the student heads of the drive.

On June 1 it was announced that $2700, or $1200 more than was necessary had been subscribed, and that the ambulance would be "shipped that week," and the additional money would be sent to the Medical Bureau headquarters for sundry medical equipment.

Telegraphs New York Committee

Informed last night of the charges, Professor Cannon said he would send a night letter to the New York office of the committee, and that he would have no statement to make until later.

Francis Keppel '88, President of the Student Council, on being appraised of the demand for a Council at its first meeting. His complete statement follows:

"On the basis of Article 5, Sec. 2 of the Student Council Constitution, which says: "It shall be the duty of the Council to give consideration to any proposal that undergraduates may lay before it--" the charge of Merwin K. Hart, '40 and Sidney Q. Curtiss, '40 against the Harvard Committee of the National Committee of Medical Bureau to aid Spanish Democracy, will be presented to the Student Council at its first meeting, which will probably be on Thursday, October 7th. If at that time the majority of the Council, a quorum being present, vote that the charges are worthy of investigation, a committee shall be appointed to report as soon as possible.