Armistice Explanation

(Ed. Note--The Crimson does not necessarily endorse opinions expressed in printed communications. No attention will be paid to anonymous letters and only under special conditions, at the request of the writer, will names be withheld.)

To the Editor of the Harvard CRIMSON:

We are confronted by two CRIMSON editorials, the first entitled "War and Peace," the second, "The Liberal Club." The first contains certain misrepresentations which should be corrected, and the second bases upon these misrepresentations certain inferences that we cannot consider either tolerant or tolerable. The National Student League did not intend to "heckle and harry" the West Point Cadets; it did not intend to send a "jibbering crew" of "febrile souls" to "dog the heels" of the Cadet paraders. Our protest against Militarism and Imperialist War was to take the form of an Armistice Day demonstration which was to precede the parade of the Cadets by more than fifteen minutes. In fact, we feel that the cadets should be in sympathy with our anti-war ideology, as should every sane human being.

There was intended no insult to the guests of Harvard College. We are sure that our activities could be construed as conveying insult only by such intolerable inferences and misguided perversions of fact as you have seen fit to print. One obtains the impression from your editorial tone that liberalism is synonymous with passive indifference to the menaces of war which are being brought home to every liberal minded student in every national development. We need only point to Fascist Germany, Imperialist Japan, and the armament competitions in the face of disarmament conferences. To us Armistice Day is significant time to render a protest against such indifference as we find to these dangers. As members of Harvard University we feel that our protest should be conducted on the grounds of the University. And the presence of guests of the College at that time should not militate against this feeling on our part, especially if there is intended no insult to them nor any interference with their activities... Edward M. David 1G.   National Student League.