4,000 BROOKLYN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS JOIN
PEACE MOBILIZATION IN BOROUGH HALL PARK:
HALF MILLION THROUGHOUT U.S. DEMONSTRATE

Assemblage Adopts Resolution
      Expressing Opposition To
            All Imperialistic War

MR. F. KILCOYNE SPEAKS

Precedent Broken As President
      Of Association Announces
            Faculty Approval

            Four thousand students and faculty members proclaimed their opposition to war at Borough Hall last Friday in the first peace mobilization in Brooklyn College ever to receive the sanction of President William A. Boylan. All classes were called off from 11 to 12 o'clock while the mobilization, sponsored by the broadest united front ever established in the College, took place.

            The following resolution was unanimously adopted at the demonstration:

            "We mobilized in the cause of peace, to hereby resolve that we are unalterably opposed to imperialist war and that we will devote our energies and united strength to prevent war."

            Led by a radio police car and a fifteen foot banner declaring "Scholarships, not battleships," the 4,000 students left the college buildings at the end of the second hour and marched to Borough Hall, carrying placards and chanting slogans. In the park the bugle call of taps was sounded in memory of those who died in the World War while the assembly bowed their heads.

            From a speaker's stand, which had been erected on the steps of the Municipal building, Eli Jaffe, editor of Pioneer and chairman of the Peace Mobilization spoke to the assemblage on the necessity of uniting every sincere friend of peace in the anti-war movement.

            Al Ehrlich, president of Men's Student Council, reviewed some of the horrors of

the last war. Herbert Aptheker, representative of the Student Council of Seth Low, cautioned students against believing various sham explanations for war, saying that "the fundamental cause of war is economic, and everything else is but a superficial result of the profit system"

            Mr. Francis P. Kilcoyne, representative of the Association of Instructors, Tutors and Fellows, stated that he was present to attend "what the President of the College has approved, a demonstration in 'a becoming manner in favor of world peace.'"

            "If justice and charity are more than inert words," said Mr. Kilcoyne, "we may say that justice demands that a state promote peace for the sake of its own constituents, and charity obliges it to work for the same end for the welfare both of itself and of other nations."

            Mr. Kilcoyne stated that he did not countenance the controversial. issues of the mobilization, the submission of the assemblage to the Oxford Pledge, or the furtherance of any of the "isms." Rather he hoped that the cause of peace would be furthered by education and restrained patriotism.

            "If the majority of people are educated to overcome the lazy assumption that peace can not be established and secured; and will act on that belief, peace will be established and secured."

            Cooperation with President Roosevelt in his neutrality legislation was urged by Mr. Kilcoyne. "Let its work intelligently and calmly to the end that neither we nor other peoples be plunged into slaughter, ruin and extermination," he concluded.

Dr. Robinson Officiates At City
     College Assembly; Students
          Cheer Oxford Pledge

20,000 MOBILIZE IN CITY

500 Boston University R.O.T.C.
     Members join in Nation-
          Wide Mobilization

          Approximately 500,000 college and high school students throughout the country joined in the nationwide mobilization for Peace on November 8. This peace demonstration was the first to gain official recognition as well as actual faculty support.

          With classes suspended for one hour, 20,000 college students in New York City assembled to hear prominent student and faculty .speakers voice their sentiments against war. With one exception occurring at City College where students, contrary to the order of President Frederick B. Robinson, cheered in support of the Oxford Oath, the meetings in the city were thoroughly controlled..

          When Dr. Robinson, acting as chairman of the City College meeting, attended by 3,500 students, called the Oxford Pledge "unconstitutional and illegal," he was greeted by a concert of boos and hisses.

          Robert Brown.. student president, disregarded Dr. Robinson's warning that his time was up and introduced the Oxford Pledge by saying, "While we are not at the present time offering a resolution (on the pledge) I believe it should be pondered in the hearts of all the students here." He then read the pledge: "We will refuse to support the government of the United !States in any war it may undertake." The statement was followed by five minutes of cheering by the students.

          Because the speakers, among whom were Charles H. Tuttle of the Board of Higher Education, and Dean Paul Mapper, had not completed their addresses, Dr. Robinson extended the time set for the mobiliza

n.           On the South Field of Columbia University, more than 2,000 students massed to hear Dean Herbert E. Hawker of Columbia College and Professor Harry J Carmer, head of the History department.

          Both urged that the anti-war gospel be spread and that each individual of social, personal, or political influence should try to stem the tide toward war.

          An earlier meeting at Columbia took place at Teachers' College where Dean William F. Russell declared before an audience of 700 students, "I see no conflict between red hot patriotism for our own country and the program for international peace. What I do address you as opposing is international war for the sake of munitions makers and politicians."

          At Hunter College President Eugene A Colligan opened a meeting attended by about 1,500 students by asking them to approach the maintenance of peace with tolerance and a determination to find the, truth.

          The speech of Chancellor Harry Woodburn Chase, who was unable to address the group, was read to about 4,200 students at the Washington Square branch of New York University. In it Dr. Chase declared that "peace is not effective when it attempts to bind youth not to support their Country in war."

          About 500 Boston University students in R O.T.C. uniforms joined the 2,000 students who participated in the mobilization there, Lieut. Col. William A. Ganoe, head of the department of Military Science an Tactics, took responsibility for the appearance of the battalion which carried a placard stating: "The soldier, the outstanding pacifist of Untied States history."

          Chapel Hlls, North Carolina, Dana College, New Jersey, and Ohio State University were among the schools that took part in the nation-wide mobilization for peace.

N.S.L. Delegate Speaks

            Leo Rifkin, executive secretary of the National Student League of Brooklyn College, hailed the mobilization because "the National Student League realizes that the united front is the most potent force in the struggle for peace." Although the N.S.L. does not favor neutrality, believing that Italy is definitely the aggressor in Ethiopia, and does favor the Oxford Pledge, they have not allowed these to be splitting issues in the mobilization," the speaker said. Calling official recognition of the demonstration an evidence of the strength of united action;. Mr. Rifken urged the students to continue to work with the united front committee for the establishment of a National Student Congress Against War.

Jonassen Speaks for S.C.A.

            Christian Jonassen, former president of the Student Christian Association, declared that no Christian can condone the violence of war. "Let those who would lead us to war remember the 52,000 Americans who died in vain in the World War. Let the cry of ‘No war!' pound in the ears of our people," concluded Mr. Jonassen.

            Alex Retzkin, member of the New York City Executive committee of the Student League for Industrial Democracy, declared that since the united States is a capitalist country, all wars that she may participate in would be imperialistic ones. "I am not opposed to war as such," concluded Mr. Retzkin, "but to the furtherance of imperialistic interests at the expense of the lives of millions of workers."

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May 20, 2004