Tocsin Blue Arm Band March Seeks To Inform Students on Disarmament

Virtually everybody at Harvard--students, graduate students, and faculty members--witnessed Tocsin's day-long walk yesterday. Carrying signs and distributing mimeographed literature, seven small groups of Tocsin members--each covering a fixed portion of the Harvard community--asked students to confront the challenge of the arms race, to take considered action, and to support the policy of "unilateral initiative."

To those in sympathy with the march, Tocsin members distributed blue arm bands. At 9 a.m., when the march began, there were 400 arm bands in circulation; at 4 p.m., when it ended, at least 600 more had been requested.

There was widespread opposition to the march, although the opposition seemed to decrease as the day went on. Different groups exhibited their objections in different ways--some were content to stand and talk, some pinned on red arm hands or miniature American flags. One large group in Quincy House tacked signs to its windows, gathered on a balcony yelling slogans like "Peace in our time--appeasement in our time," and walked around the House displaying American flags.

Throughout the day, many people appeared unsure of what Tocsin stood for. The term "unilateral initiative"--where the United States would take considered and controlled steps to reduce tensions that might lead to nuclear war--was confused with "unilateral disarmament"--where the United States would immediately give up all its nuclear weapons.

As a result, the rhetoric of debate often appeared hazy, mutual misunderstanding often causing sympathizers with both sides--but rarely Tocsin walkers--to adopt extreme positions.

There were frequent policy debates between people who maintained the same general position. For example, one Tocsin member spent a good deal of time trying to persuade a Tocsin sympathizer to abandon his belief in unilateral disarmament.

This was the first time in at least 15 years that undergraduates bad planned and organized a wide-scale demonstration which would cover the entire University, according to Dean Watson.

Thousands of pieces of literature were distributed during the day, and as the walk ended the group found almost none lying on the ground.