Dartmouth Beats Debate Council on Federalism Issue

Two debaters came down from the wilds of Hanover last night to defeat a Crimson due before a small audience in the Lowell House Junior Common Room.

Speaking for the University Debate Council were Charles A. Buckley '47 and Jere Gottschalk '50, who defended the negative of the topic: "Resolved, That a federal world government be established."

The Dartmouth debaters, who upheld the affirmative, based their case on the contention that "current world troubles" arise largely from "national sovereignty," and that until nations are willing to surrender a part of this sovereignty to a strong world governing body, there can be no real hope for a lasting peace.

Ask Police Force

Among the requisites which they listed for "a strong world governing body" was an international "police force" which could maintain order in a world where national armies would be reduced to levels sufficient only to maintain domestic order and not strong enough to represent an international threat.

In reply, the Crimson debaters attacked world government as a panacea which could only take people's minds off the "serious" problems confronting the world today. They also pointed out the "danger" that a strong federal world government might well become an instrument of international oppression, as there would be no force which could contain it within "reasonable" bounds.

Last night's defeat was the first of the year for the Council.