The Washington times., 1932-04-09
An Ancient Case

weeks ago outside the Lndbergh home
An Ancient Case
To understand his Importance you have to read down
to the essentials of the of Reed Harris and at
what point the athlete with his apple occurred The
itself is not 1t is several thousand years DID, and
in its special manifestation of undergraduate criticism
visible at Harvard in 1912 when it admirably
handled by the authorities, and again few years ago.
when it horribly bunged, to the lasting disgrace
OF once noble college, It up regularly at other
colleges.
In the present case Reed Harris editor of an under
graduate publication has for many months been printing
criticisms of Columbia One point that athletics
were not as honestly conceived there they might be-
Much later Harris reprinted charge of commerciasm
against one Of the dining halls He expelled.
The Issue
The phases of the case, they developed in the
papers, made it typical instance of the struggle be-
tween liberalism and authority. At first everything
the side of the LIBERAL he had criticized and he
punished. The next day Dean Hawkes. announced that
he had repeatedly asked Harris to give him proof of
his accusation and that Harris had failed to do So This
shifted the balance little One could say, Why should
Columbia allow itself to be sandered and then give
honor to its slanderer? Back of this lies the ancient
problem of reconcing the right of the Individual and
the right of the institution
Fact and Fanatcism
Next enters question of fact between the student
and the dean. Mr.. Harris says he did give facts in
regard to the football players, and the dean "did
L.,
cases. realizing that he intended do absolutely nothing
about the situation bad it was' Here you have the
arrogance of the radical certain of his facts that
the conservative had other facts certain that he is
right and his opponent is wrong
In the meantime the students met in the open and
denounced the expulsion While of them was speak
ing an athlete threw apple at him-possiby he was
football player baseball player might have hit the
speaker but the apple went wide and splattered on
statue.
''When Blood Is Their Argument
In of the historical plays of Shakespeare there
the moving cry of great prince who asks how he
deal fairly with his enemies when blood is their argu
ment" In modern successor to Shakespeare in
Shaw there is the noble speech of Caesar crying out
against assassination, asking the immortal gods when
that form of redressng injustice and of conquerng
power will pass from the earth If the ancient kings
of England and the ancient Caesar thought of
these things they might have hoped that in hundred
five hundred the resort to violence might pass
from the minds of human beings We think of ourselves
beyond that point. Murder and assassination and
force still occur in the world; but think not among
us. In South American republics, in Balkan princpa-
ties, perhaps.
Balkan Souls
Part of every man is still Balkan. The athlete with
his apple is the Balkan man, tired of the inelectuas
tired of their arguments annoyed because in these dis
putes he can take part His work is the athletic
field not in the schooroom not in the discussion of
right and wrong. He is the strong physical man. the
freedom.