To the Editor of the Crimson:

For those of us who know a little of the progress of militarism at Harvard in 1914, yesterday's editorial evokes a disturbing reminder. The interventionists in those days worked so successfully that in two years they transformed a neutral, peace-loving undergraduate body into a flock of wild militarists. The techniques they used show a sickening similarity to the methods of our contemporaries.

The first step then as now was to emphasize America's potential danger, the next to discredit the forces that were working for peace. Pacifists, Socialists, even those who merely opposed increased defense appropriations, were vilified and persecuted. After a year of persistent pressure and indoctrination the boys were packed off to the Plattsburg military camp to learn how to be heroes. The next year the pacifists, who were "worse than slackers," weren't permitted to speak; the year after that Harvard went off to fight for "the utmost of just causes."

The Parallel between 1914 and 1940 should not, however, make pessimists of us. In 1914 the ideals of the military scientists won out simply because undergraduates were not strong enough or unified enough to make their ideals prevail. It seems to me that we have much more militant peace organizations, and that we have learned something from the failure of 1914-17. Nevertheless, it is obvious that if we are going to put our lessons into practice we will have to work quickly. We will have to meet the militarists and the interventionists with a flood of facts and a solid and determined peace movement. G. Robert Stange '41.