Lane Elected New National Chairman As 500 Attend A.S.U. Vassar Meeting

With Robert E. Lane '39 holding the national chairmanship for 1938, B. Warner Shippee 1G on the executive council, and the Harvard-sponsored compromise peace pledge adopted by the American Student Union, 20 delegates of the local chapter returned from the national A.S.U. convention at Vassar last week with the feeling of a job well done.

Employing high-pressure parliamentary tactics, the Harvard contingent dominated the 500 college students from all parts of the country gathered for four days at Poughkeepsie, New York, to discuss current problems. Rumblings of discontent with the National Organization heard last fall were stilled as the Harvard chapter assured itself of some measure of control over the A.S.U.'s policies during 1938.

Lane, who succeeded Louis L. Sutro '38 as president of the Harvard chapter in December, headed the Resolutions Committee before his unanimous election as national chairman.

Harvard Men Active

Other Harvard men filling important positions were A. Jerome Himelhoch '38, who served on the Nominating Committee and as co-chairman of the labor discussion round table, and H. Van Buren Cleveland '38, chairman of the opening session of the convention. Reizo Nishikawa '40 was secretary of the convention, and Harold L. Stubbs '39 official recorder.

A compromise between complete neutrality as expressed in the Oxford Pledge, and collective security, the Harvard resolution as adopted appeased isolationists with provisions for supporting constitutional amendments calling for a national referendum to declare war, and an anti-conscription amendment. A provision for endorsing economic sanctions drew votes from the collective security adherents.

Delegates Team Up

Himelhoch, chairman of the Harvard delegation, explained last night that by scattering the contingent throughout the hall and having it rise as a body at a given signal, one member could generally be recognized, and then yield the floor to any other member who had a speech to make. Opposition to such tactics was short-lived, he said, since it was shown that parliamentary procedure sanctioned them.

High points on the varied program which lasted from December 28 through December 31, were the opening address by President MacCracken of Vassar, and a discussion of the peace problem by Norman Thomas, perennial Socialist presidential candidate, Frederick L. Schuman, professor of political science at Williams, and Frank Olmstead of New York University.

Delegations ranged in number up to 32 from C.C. N.Y., with Harvard's 20 representatives in fourth place. The local chapter was given a bound copy of the Student Advocate as one of the organization's most successful units.