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THE MAROON TIGER Page 3
FORUM ON DISARMAMENT I
HOW CAN STUDENTS HELP ACHIEVE
WORLD DISARMAMENT?
World Disarmament is a plan which would necessarily
involve an agreement between nations for the purpose of
securing world peace, and at the same time rid them of
the bloody monster “war.” It would involve the aboli
tion of war, whether offensive or defensive, for if each
individual regarded the personality of every other in
dividual, no nation would wage offensive war, and of
course, there would be no necessity for defensive war
fare.
What a theme we have for contemplation—nations
grounded and routed in war; man by some barbarous
instinct exulting in bloodshed, in gory battlefields, in
false honor and empty titles. However, we cannot blame
the masses that continue to uphold the ridiculous cus
tom. It has always been the policy of nationalists to
laud the glory of war, to those who are not aware of
the facts. They have terribly misrepresented even the
half-truths which were so cleverly instilled in us from
childhood.
There is an old saying, “truth crushed to earth shall
rise again”, and now that students have become interested
to a large extent in international affairs, the weights
have been removed from truth, permitting it to rise.
Certainly, students, having realized the folly of the ex
penditures of huge sums of money to perpetuate an evil
custom, should be willing to impart this vital truth to
those that have not received the benefits of college or
even finished high school.
In case of another war, students would have to bear
a heavy part of the actual fighting. Students, there
fore should advocate a reorganization of life to prevent
such a contingency.
The student, you may say, is in no position to at
tempt to keep the nationalist from spreading his “false
doctrines.” Would a nationalist listen to a student view,
and accept it when he knew that his “patriotic hoax”
was at stake? No, he profits by the wholesale mass
acres of the masses, and must, therefore, advocate his
cause. The masses, on the other hand will listen eagerly
to the student observation, and results spring from that
direction
The student is preparing to fill positions of influence
in life and is unfair to himself if he does not attempt
to discourage armament. Student propaganda is needed
to cause psychological and economic disarmament. Thus
does student propaganda prove itself to be the great
est force that could be used to influence public senti
ment.
From the foregoing facts, we may reasonably assert
that the principal way in which to help achieve disarm
ament lies in universal student propaganda.
Students are in a position to uncover this system of
national suicide and if "his is done in each of the coun
tries under the sun, stressing the fundamental principle
given to us by Jesus Christ, “Thou shalt love thy neigh
bor as thyself”, their propaganda shall have accom
plished a worthy purpose as contrasted to "he “diaboli
cal patriotic propaganda.
HOW STUDENTS CAN HELP ACHIEVE
WORLD DISARMAMENT
Cne of the most important questions, today, is that
of World Disarmament. Students can help achieve
world disarmament by creating well informed groups on
their respective campuses. An adequate amount of lit
erature should be available. It is desirable that cer
tain key individuals make contacts with those students
with whom they have some influence, and to whom such
a vital question as world disarmament would have some
appeal. Groups of students might meet with each other
in a quiet spot away from their campuses and discuss
the pro’s and con’s of disarmament. What can students
do to supplement such an approach on their campuses?
Students of each college might get their dramatic
club to write and produce a play dramatizing some
phase of world peace. A model Disarmament Confer
ence would provide a dramatic presentation of the po
sitions of the major powers to be represented at the
General Disarmament Conference in 1932. A disarm
ament bulletin board might be placed in a conspicuous
place on each campus. Clippings might be posted there
on, revealing the developments leading up to the Dis
armament Conference. We are, therefore, led to ask
this question, How may students effectively express them
selves on world disarmament?
In answering this question, I may say that the press,
the radio, and the United States senators and represen
tatives stand out as the more important agencies for
the dissemination of ideas. Let us treat these in their
order. Since its creation, the press has been one of the
most powerful organs of group expression. Use of the
press by students would be a definite contribution toward
world disarmament. In collaboration with the press,
the radio has brought into close relation widely sepa
rated peoples, and has made them better acquainted.
Students might use the radio to drive home their opinions
on disarmament. By the use of the press and the radio,
students of the world would unify themselves in the propa
gation of their common principles. Student opinions
might be expressed either through small delegations or
personal letters, petitions, and telegrams to United States
senators and representatives and to the President of
the United States. Is there not another way by which
students can more assuredly work toward the achieve
ment of world disarmament?
The answer to this question is, yes! International co
operation among students is that reply. Narrowness of
approach will avail us nothing. There might be world
unity among students in achieving world disarmament.
The students of Germany, the United States, and all
other nations of the world might unite on this big task.
Thus we see that there are at least three ways by
which students might help achieve world disarmament,
namely: by creating well informed student groups, by
dissemination of their opinions on disarmament through
the press, the radio, and the United States senators and
representatives, and by international cooperation. A
nation without vision will perish. Will the nations of
the world fail to see the vision of thousands of students,
and perish in the midst of this dire prophecy?
William H. Shell, ’33.
Arthur L. Sanders, ’32.