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Editorial, April 12, 1934, Page 1


Join Tomorrow's Demonstration Against War!

An Editorial

          Tomorrow morning, the students of Brooklyn College will walk out of their eleven o'clock classes in militant protest against war.

          Tomorrow, climaxing a week of demonstration against war, tens of thousands of students from colleges throughout the country will demonstrate that they will use every means in their power to fight against war conceived solely from a desire to make profits from a needless sacrifice of human lives.

          Seventeen years ago, the United States entered a war which, before twenty months had ended, was to cost this country twenty billion dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives. During those twenty months. the American people thrived on catch words–we were to "make the world safe for democracy," we were fighting the "war to end war."

          Seventeen years have shown us our mistake. Today, the world is further away from democracy than it was in 1917. Today, as we consider the 1917-1934 period, Asiatic, European, and South American wars are in the foreground. And as we look forward we can see war-clouds much more easily than we can see text-books. The World War did no more than to cause the death of 7,450,000 young men, and an expenditure of $186,000,000,000. The only ones who derived any benefit from the war were munition manufacturers and profiteers.

          It is to avoid a recurrence of another futile war that we urge every student in the College to participate in the demonstration tomorrow. Armies have always been recruited from university and college students. If we show that we do not propose to let ourselves be swept headlong into another war, that our patriotism lies in wanting to show that we can serve our country best by fostering its culture through peace time activities rather than by bloody warfare, we will have demonstrated sincere student feeling.

          Tomorrow's protest has the support of Student Council, the Anti-War Committee, the Interdivisional Committee, and a great many College clubs. Show that College students are alive to the vital problems of the day! Show that you will protect your rights as students, citizens, and future voters' A majority participation in the protest will prove that you will not shed the scholarly cap and gown for a martial uniform.


 

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May 20, 2004