"Fear of the death penalty is what keeps criminals of this country from running riot," was the belief expressed by Morrison Sharp '29 last night at a debate conducted by the Harvard Debating Union. "Life imprisonment in the state of New York means on the average six and a half years. Time works for the criminal. Time brings on a corrupt court, and starts the sob sister stuff."

Sharp and Victor Quong '29, were upholding the negative in the question: "Resolved, That this House believes that capital punishment should be abolished," were given the decision of the audience. The speakers representing the affirmative were R. G. West '29 and W. M. Sheehan '29.

Sharp in summing up the convictions of the negative went on to explain that "if capital punishment is a way of protecting society, and is successful, then it is by all means just."

Considerable discussion was raised over the arguments propounded by Sheehan. He stated that when one compares the number of criminals executed with the striking number of murders it would seem that the death penaly is not successful as a deterrent to murderers, Quong resorted to several comparisons of the United States with other countries to show that when a country like England has the death penalty and quick judicial action there are surprisingly few murders every year. West, who moved the question, showed how the execution of the death penalty is spasmodic and uncertain, with damaging results for society.