The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-03
STUDENTS ADOPT
ANTI-WAR STAND
E n d ors e Pledge of
Amsterdam Congress


student delegates representing eighty
nine universities and schools attended
the sessions of the Students Congress
which adjourned Thursday night after
two days of deliberations. The del
egates hitch-hiked or came by buses
from thirty states and were a typical
cross section of the American student
body.
The speakers at the opening session
were Earl Browder, secretary of the
Communist Party and Upton Close,
bourgeois newspaper man and "ex-
pert" on Far Eastern affairs. Speak
ing on the burning question of war
and imperialism, Browder gave a pen
etrating feminist analysis of the
causes of modern conflicts, differen-
tiating between wars of imperialist
aggression and revolutionary wars.
Imperialist Agent Talks
+ Upton Close, notorious agent of
U. S. imperialism, attributed wars to
psychological factors and character
lied them as inevitable under any Sys-
tenn, thus attempting to obscure the
real causes of imperialst wars in the
fight for markets and new colonies
and for a redivision of the world.
Closes arguments gave objective sup
port to Japan's robber war against
China as well as to the undeclared
wars in South America which were in
stigated by U. S. imperialists in their
bitter rivalry with British Imperialism
for control of the markets and natural
resources of the semi colonial coun-
tries.
At the second session, Scott Nearing
spoke, as did Jane Adams and J. B.
Matthews of the Society of Reconcile
alton on types of opposition to war.
Matthews stated that although he
considered himself a pacifist he was
opposed to violence in opposing war,
thus clearly showing that he opposed
to violence except when 1t is used by
the exploiting class. Jane Adams
came out even more openly in an at
tempt to throttle the growing anti
war sentiments of the students, declar-
ing that it was useless to talk of op-
posing imperialist war since there
were no longer any, this, despite the
fact that Japan is pushing its robber
war against China and threatening
armed intervention against the Soviet
Union, and that the two undeclared
wars raging in South America are
threatening to plunge that entire con-
tinent into bloody slaughter as a
prelude for the new world war for
which all the imperialist bandit
powers are frantically arming.
Workers Power Can End Wars
Scott Nearing pointed to the pre-
sent wars in the Orient and South
America in sharp refutation against
the deliberately misleading statement
by Jane Adams. He declared that
wars have been going on necessarily
in various parts of the capitalist world
since 1910, that imperialist war is the
chief business of the capitalist gov
ernments, that 1t is continuation of
their class policies "by other means"
He declared that only the seizure of
power by the working class can end
war by abolishing the capitalist sys-
tenn which breeds war.
Nearing was followed by student
delegate from Colombia, whose gov
eminent is now engaged in the un-
declared war with Peru. The Colom-
bian delegate told of the heroic strug-
giles of the illegal Communist Party
end revolutionary workers against this
war. He pointed out that the socialist
deputies there, as elsewhere, had voted
war credits along with the bourgeois
deputies.
Adopt United Front Program
The evening session was devoted to
study groups where the delegates had
an opportunity for individual discus
sions under capable leaders. The del
egates ranged from pacifists to Com
munists Considerable discussion and
Qualification was therefore necessary
for the adoption of united front
program. Accordingly, the entire Sec
ond day was set aside for this purpose.
Finally a minimum program was I'M
ai1inously adopted against imperialist
war. This program correctly analyses
the causes of war, calls for the unity
Of students with the workers and en-
dorses the pledge of the Amsterdam
Congress to vigorously fight against
imperialist war.
Resolutions were adopted demand
ing the recognition OF the Soviet Un-
ion, and supporting the liberation
struggle Of the colonial peoples. The
resolutions expose the war making
role Of the League Of Nations behind