A document bearing the signatures of 460 professors of the University, Technology, Andover Theological Seminary and Episcopal Theological School, protesting against the deportation of the Belgians, has been sent to President Wilson by a committee of four University professors, G. H. Palmer '64, F. Aydelotte, W. E. Hocking '01 and H. W. Tyler.
The document was prepared before the official announcement of the government that a protest had been made to Germany was published. The committee, however, decided to send it just the same with a note of explanation concerning the priority of the petition.
The document follows:
"We, the undersigned, members of the staffs of Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Andover Theological Seminay and the Episcopal Theological School; wish to express to you our gratification on account of the steps reported to have been taken by this government in presenting to the Imperial Government of German the attitude of the American people toward the deportation of Belgian citizens.
"We beg, further, to offer our urgent petition that the representations of the United States shall be defined in terms of an official protest; that our government make very effort to secure the cooperation of other neutrals in making the protest.
"We make this petition in the belief that the principles here involved are so fundamental to civilization that neutral nations cannot with either honor or safety fail to make their position immediately and unmistakably known."
Government Protest Not Known.
The document was accompanied by the following note to the President:
"In transmitting this letter, we wish to call your attention to the fact that the letter was prepared before it was publicly known that our government had protested to Germany. Now that such action has been taken, the force of the document will lie: first, in the evidence of the extraordinary unanimity of demand for, and approval of, this action in the bodies here represented; and second, in the urgent proposal that the action of our government be extended in the direction of consolidating as far as possible the opinion of all neutral nations in common and emphatic representations.
"We venture to express our belief, as a committee, that the United States owes it to its position among neutral nations to take the initiative in this matter, and that such action would create a precedent and an organ of the highest international importance."
President Lowell Signed Protest.
A few prominent members of the Faculty who signed the petition are: President Lowell, G. P. Baker '87, H. C. Bierwirth '84, Dean Briggs, T. N. Carver, A. C. Coolidge '87, C. T. Copeland '82, E. Emerton '71, A. P. Fitch '00, J. D. M. Ford '94, C. H. Grandgent '83, C. N. Greenough '98, A. B. Hart '80, W. E. Hocking '01, Dean Hurhut, R. M. Johnston, G. L. Kittredge '82, W. C. Lane '81, C. H. Moore '89, E. C. Moore, W. B. Munro '99, W. A. Neilson '96, G. H. Paimer '64, Bliss Perry, W. Z. Ripley, J. H. Ropes '89, E. Wambaugh '76, John Warren '96, K. G. T. Webster '93, Barrett Wendell '77, G. C. Whipple, Leo Weiner, I. L. Winter '86, R. N. Yerkee '98, and Dean Yeomans.
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