To the Editor of the Crimson:

The leading editorial in the Crimson of Thursday, May 8, was a great disappointment to me at least, for it showed that the attitude of the Crimson staff of 1941-42 must, for all practical purposes, lead to war. I must say that it was most considerate of the editorial writer to say that under certain methods of aiding Great Britain "not an American citizen is asked to serve abroad for Britain." If the chain of actions such as requisitioning ships of nations with which we are still at peace for the benefit of their enemy continues--and it seems most likely to do so--just how long do people of the Crimson attitude think the United States will remain at peace? Or do they really care? At the present rate, it will not be long before the men won't be asked but ordered to serve abroad for Britain in defence of the United States.

The editorial expressed the very vague fear that because of depredations on British commerce "our costly lend-lease supplies are going to the bottom of the Atlantic." This is obviously based on a rumor quite common now--one neither confirmed nor denied by the administration--which states that 40 per cent of American aid has been sunk. This was the basis for the interventionist placard carried before the peace meeting of a few weeks ago stating that "Convoys Mean Victory." What the bearer of this placard meant was that convoys mean war and war means some kind of victory--maybe?

A very interesting item appeared in the papers which does not a little to explode the crying need for convoys to protect our aid. (I am aware that the attitude expressed in the editorial had not yet arrived at accepting convoys.) Rear Admiral Emery S. Land, chairman of the United-States Maritime Commission, stated the following in a letter to Senator Vandenberg: of all the vessels sunk between January 1 and April 30 only 12 of 66,782 gross tons cleared from United States ports; of these 12 only eight cleared for United Kingdom ports. I might say slightly below 40 per cent. He based his information "according to our composite records, which we believe to be complete." Now what happens to the convoy excuse of those who are willing to hang on to and exploit any rumor, no matter how vague and tenuous, in order to lead the people of the United States until they are checkmated into active belligerency? Jordan Whitelaw '42.