PACIFISTS LEAGUE STILL CARRIES ON WORK IN FACE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE

Amid the plethora of defense organizations that now are flooding the college, a small earnest group of pacifists still continue to practice the doctrines of conciliation and peace. Claiming over fifty active members, the Harvard Pacifist League hold weekly discusses of pacifist technique, teaches English to German refugees, and carries on work projects throughout Cambridge.

Attempting to avoid taking a stand on war issues, members of the organization discuss the legalities involved in conscientious objection or the possible bases of future world peace.

Their essential idea remains that peace may be achieved only through peaceful methods, and their main objective is to show these methods in practice. Hence a major part of their work is the building of playgrounds and the participating in projects aimed at social reconstruction.

Discussion groups, however, are the most consistently active part of the League's program. Under the direction of members of the Faculty, groups of from eight to twelve gather once a week to investigate the major problems, that face them. One of the most thorough probing conducted was into the workings of the Ghandi passive resistance method; another, a discussion of Clarence Streit's "Union Now".

Towards organizations with similar motives, such as the Student Union, the Pacifists maintain a friendly attitude. They deplore the advertising of the Student Union, however, holding that it only serves to get them in people's bad graces and thus hurts the work toward peace.

Although pacifists were opposed to the draft, only a few refused to register. A week before registration day John Swomley, of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, talked to the group on what was involved in not registering and advised that they all should sign up. A mock trial of a conscientious objector was also held in order to acquaint members of the League with the answers they should make.