A turbulent throng of close to one thousand students jammed Memorial Hall triangle yesterday noon to applaud, jeer, or merely contemplate a "Save the Peace" rally.
No serious incident or "Springtime riot" marred the first outdoor political rally in two years.
Four student speakers, a minister, and a former Civil Liberties Union head blasted University Military Training, the draft, and the "current war hysteria," interrupted by a highly vocal opposition group and short circuits in the public address system.
After an hour of speech-making, the convention adopted, by show of hands, a resolution which stated. "We are opposed to the war hysteria in the press and the attempt to orientate American foreign policy in purely anti-Russian term."
Conflicting Placards
Ceremonies commenced with the appearance, soon after 12 o'clock bells, of placards stating such conflicting views as, "Keep My Dad in College," "Neville Wanted Peace, Too," and "I Didn't Raise My Mom To be a WAC."
The Rev. Kenneth Hughes opened the rally with an invocation and with an address declaring, "Sane men denounce war as an instrument of national policy."
While Mendy Weisgal '45 2G was decrying United States policy in Palestine, a rubber-masked hockler tried unsuccessfully to storm the platform.
"We Want War"
Cheers of "We Want War" from a small section of the audience followed a warning by Harry F. Ward, former chairman of the Civil Liberties Union, that a "shooting war" would be the result of "flighting the way we we are in the cold war." "We can never solve the basic conflict between capitalism, and, Communism by dropping atomic bombs," Ward continued.
An opposition spokesman asked that jeerers "Give em a chance" before Emmanuel Margolis 1G took the stand to demand, "We have got to show the, world that our system works."
Three minutes were alloted to Fred L. True 1L, who criticized the "Save the Peace" speakers for their "policy of appeasement," and urged America, "Speak softly, but carry a big stick . . . As for me give me liberty or give me death."
Read more in News
Democrat War-Cry . . .