af y THE COLLEGE NEWS -Page Three | PUBLIC OPINION February 20, 19389. To the Editor of the College News. More than three-fourths ‘of the American people, according te the Gallup Poll, hope for a Loyalist vic- tory in Spain. Yet they are not ex- erting their full pressure in the cam- paign for lifting the embargo, a meas- ure which would insure that. victory. Qne cause for their inertia is the at- titude of defeatism in the Democra- cies which has existed throughout the war, but has inereased since the loss of Barcelona. What has given rise to the belief that the Spanish Republic is doomed, that our help would come too late? Surely the facts point to no such:con- clusiofi. The strength of Spain is by no. means broken. “We are deter- mined to fight on. We still have ten provinces, five hundred miles. of coast, ten million anhabitants and a good fleet-—why should we ask for peace?” said a spokesman for the Spanish Embassy in London. General Moles- worth, British military observer and , member of the Non-Intervention Com- mittee, estimates’ that - the Central Front, around Madrid and Valencia, can. hold out for three or four years. The: Spanish people, their government and their army, welded into closer unity than ever before, are preparing” to make any sacrifice rather “than surrender. If the Loyalists are given their legal right to buy arms, they will not only hold the Central Front, but will drive the invaders out of all Spain. Such a defeat for fascism would mean new strength for de- moeracy throughout the world’: the: re- lease of France from imminent dan- ger of attack, the stimulation of pro- gressive forces in France and Great Britain, the retardation of fascist ac- tivities in the Americas, and the threat of collapse to the tottering) economies of Italy and Germany. A Loyalist victory in Spain would do But if the people of the United States are misled into. thinking the Eoyalist cause hopeless, they will ‘| make “no move te aid the Republic. This is. exactly what the spreaders of defeatism want; for they represent powerful sections of American finance capital, allied with German and Italian fascism,. Such men,as the Du- in the aggressions of, Hitler and Mus- golini; and Morgah is closely con- nected with British banking, which is linked with Rome and Berlin. In order to promote these interests, they make every attempt. to prevent the NMRmerican people from using their power to stop fascism. Through their ‘spokesmen—Herhert Hoover, Senators Vandenberg, Nye,. Johnson and others —the reactionaries. try to block every move of the Roosevelt. administration toward a, foreign policy of concerted self-defense by the democracies. They use pacifism, isolation and appease- ment as a blind. for granting unlimited concessions to .the aggressors. De- featism, which leads to complete pas- sivity of the democrati¢-forces, finds a logical place among these weapons of reaction. The influence of the press in foster- ing defeatism has shown itself un- =, during the past few weeks, when collapse of the Republic and surrender to France: were anticipated: daily im the headlines. Reports slurred over the unshaken resistance of the Central Front while they mag- nified groundless rumors of the defeat and disunity of the Loyalist forces. Now, when ~évents have disproved these rumors, it is -clear that the Daily Worker is the only paper which has given a consistently truthful ac- count of the situation in Spain. By accurately reporting the war, by ex- posing and analyzing the causes of defeatism, and by its campaign to lift the embargo, the Daily Worker is serving democracy in Spain and in America., more than any other single event to} safeguard our ewn democracy; and|' victory is: still possible. Ponts have an immémse economic stake The Loyalist army will fight till]. Committee. to Aid ‘Refugees is Formed| Continued trom —_— One portation costs and otKer items. The committe realizes that it has a “con- tinuing responsibility to the students |}. it brings over until they are reha- bilitated in this country. A National Fund is essential in meeting this re- |, sponsibility,” - The committee’s sponsors, in addi- tion to Henry Noble McCracken who is Honorary Treasurer, includes many prominent men. The committee has employed a full-time publicity director and it has urged all colleges ‘to keep her fully informed of their activi- ties and to make full use of her serv- ices. its last bullet is fired. But no army can continue without arms, without food. Spain must have both. We in the United States must redouble our efforts to lift the embargo and send material aid. At Bryn Mawr, bers the faculty mem- circulated and signed a pe- tition to President Roosevelt to lift the embargo deserve hearty congrat- ulations. The A. S. U. has also done excellent work in circulating petitions and collecting money... The.. Peace Chest, although it has worked on the principle of non-partisan relief, has made large contributions to Loyalist Spain. We hope that this good work will continue. Finally, we urge that every organi- zation, every faculty member and every student write or wire President Roosevelt and their Senators and Con- gressmen, urging that the embargo be immediately lifted. Only the strong- est and most persistent pressure on our government will force the ré- moval of the embargo on the Spanish Republic and defeat the pro-fascist bloc within the United States. Signed, EMILY DOAK, Secretary, Young Communist League of Bryn Mawr College. MEA MY. TAKE OF CONCENTRATION _—THAT OFTEN WORK S PLENTY. NS NERVE ELS SMOKERS. FIND— NEVER JANGLE THE NERVES Pn | Elizabeth Pope Proves Lying to be Justifiable Socrates” Contention Before Philosophy .Club Common Room, February 15.—At a meeting of the Philosophy Club, Elizabeth Pope, ’40, read a paper called The Philosophy of -Lying, writ- teri in the form. ofa dialogue between two students, with a Philosopher as arbitrator. Miss Pope proved Soc- rates’ contention, stated in the Repub- lic, that lying is justifiable under cer- tain circumstances, but only whert the lie is “the closest attainable copy of the truth.” Miss Pape’s first student, who is eventually worsted, maintains that lie is told to avoid unpleasantness. wire idealistically that the para- graph in which Socrates justifies some lies should. have been omitted from the Republic because it “expressed opin- ions unworthy of Socrates . .. and because it was irrelevant. to the aim of all philosophical discussion,, which is to identify and value not lies, but truth.” The second student proves that lying has a close relationship to truth as we know it, which, according to the Phaedo, is only an‘ approximation of absolute truth. Therefore, all truth is to some degree a lie, and if we wish to form a standard, we must select that which conforms best. to our notion of absolute truth. - It is permissible to lic when the lie comes closer. to this notion than the truth would. The second student shows that lying to one’s enemies. may be - righteous, by refuting the first studerit’s conten- tion that such a lie is told to avoid unpleasantness sto oneself. A man may permissibly lie to save himself, ror it is his duty to preserve his body, if the lie “does not involve the nega- ion of an absolute truth.” The philosopher concludes by saying that the principle of lying is not sup- portable but “only. the abrogation of Defended |. ‘... Mass Meeting on Religion On February 23, there will be a Youth Mass Meeting at eS Mitten Hall, at Broad “tnd Berks, Streets, as a preparatory for the World Day? of Prayer |: on February 24. Since all neigh- boring colleges will be repre- sented, the Bryn ‘Mawr League hopes that. some of the under- graduates will go in to the meeting. The meeting wil) be undenominational. - we S / r — factual truth to obtain a closer ap- proximation of absolute truth.” Both students agree and admit that Soc- rates was “entirely right.” : SPOTLESS FLEET CR Uv . SES BERMUDA on the popular : Volendam 6 Days $60 up Sailing from New York MARCH 11 and MARCH 18 MARCH 25 and APRIL 1 e Easter Crutse + APRILS - 6 DAYS + $65 up 2 PULL DAYS IN BERMUDA 5 Days $50 up ¢ APRIL 15 - 22 - 29 « | FULL DAY IN BERMUDA Complete entertainment program ...out- door swimming pool. . . famous Holland- America Line cuisine and service. SHIP YOUR HOTEL THROUGHOUT at no extra expense CONSULT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT, or HOLLAND - AMERICA LINE N. E. Cor. 17th & Walnut Sts., Phila. Offices and Agents in Principal Cities -