PRACTICAL FAITH

If faith in the fundamental goodness of human nature is destroyed by the bestial persecutions of the Nazi regime, then it is restored again by the spontaneous upsurge of sympathy for the persecuted in other parts of the world. Harvard has been a part of this humanitarian wave, and here the sympathy seeks to express itself not only in protests but in active efforts to alleviate the conditions of the sufferers.

These efforts have taken form in the Committee for Refugees, which hopes to bring to Harvard persecuted German students. Its aims and its plans present a picture of mutual benefits for all concerned. On the one hand a score of lives will be saved, a score of students will receive a higher education otherwise denied them. On the other hand Harvard will gain, in addition to the satisfaction of having tangibly asserted her belief in human values, a score of brilliant minds, qualified to carry her standards to higher levels.

The "Plan to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany," which will be laid before the Corporation today, is not recommended alone by its lofty aims. It also has the merit of practicality, showing every indication of being established on a sound financial basis. And finally it has the whole-hearted backing of almost every element in Harvard, whose collective sympathy it represents. For these reasons, the Corporation is strongly urged to approve the Plan.