To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

May I beg the use of a few inches of your space to express my humble belief that this country at this time does not want war? I do not think there is anything in the present situation to justify our rushing hot-headedly to arms? If we had declared war on Germany at the time the Lusitania was sunk, we might have claimed at least a man's-size pretext. From the standpoint of a neutral American, I cannot see that Germany's conduct during the entire war differs from that of England, except in one point: that Germany, in sinking British contraband, has sunk Americans who were in close proximity thereto. I did not uphold Germany's action at the time, but as an American I saw no good reason why my country should assume the responsibilities of war on the strength of that occurence. Having allowed that crisis to pass, what reasonable excuse have we now? Germany has done nothing. She has merely declared a blockade which is at least as defensible as England's, and no more likely to injure our so-suddenly, resuscitated national honor.

The South does not want war. The West does not want war. And even in New England, saturated as it is with British influence, I have not yet been jostled by a young American rushing to the colors to defend other people's interests. If only our older compatriots, weak of loins but mighty of mouth and pen, could be induced to go to the front and put their noble words into action, I think the rest of us would get along, quite well, and be content to mind our own American business. Nobody seems to know exactly what the flags in front of University Hall mean, but if they mean that the young men of Harvard are thirsting for anyone's blood, they ought not to be there. WALTER SILZ '17.