Of 1681 votes polled at the University of Chicago, 548 students pledged themselves to refuse to participate in any war of whatever origin or nature. 746 students pledged themselves not to participate in any war, except in the mainland of the United States, and 346 indicated that they would fight in any war in which the United States was engaged.

Although Professor Gideonse, in commenting on the poll, was inclined to discount the importance of the pacifistic inclinations of a large body of students, on the ground that the actual question of war is an emotional, and not a rational problem, the continued interest of college men and women in crystallizing opinion against militarism is of great importance. No class of people is more aware of the obvious absurdity of military force, as an instrument of national policy, than students who are studying the effects of the last war. If they can train their emotional reactions sufficiently well to resist the "martial spirit" of some future date, they will do a tremendous service to mankind. Continuous pledges against war may not always be effectual, but they help.

An interesting sidelight to the poll, which has been carried out in hundreds of colleges, is the statement of the Socialistic Club and the National Student League, in giving its own interpretation of "war", "that the term 'war' in the pledge refers to the familiar type of capitalist war, and not to a possible class war which may be forced upon us by the defenders of capitalism". -- Polity.