Evening star., 1941-11-28
Washington AIumnae
Told Discussion Units
Are Vital Part Of u. ).
DR.. .Storer Addresses
Three-Doy Forum
OF College Women

Discussion groups are a vital part
of the working of democracy and
should be encouraged among all cit
liens. DR.. Morris B. Storer Of the
Division of Program Study and Dis
cussion of the Agricultural Depart
ment declared today at forum
discussion sponsored By Washington
alumnae of 10 women's colleges.
Addressing the group in Pierce
Hall, the speaker opened the second
day of a three-day conference to
awaken interest in public discussion.
DR.. William Y. Elliott, Harvard Uni
versity professor and o. P. M. con-
sultant, addressed the opening ses-
sion last night in the Commerce De-
partment auditorium.
Group discussions "nourish' de-
mocracy in that they give minorities
an opportunity to be heard and at
the same time stimulate the search
for facts. DR.. Storer pointed out.
WOmens Abilities Praised.
Women, he asserted, have gone
farther in developing skill in dis
cussion groups than men. The
former likewise possess "a genius for
building concrete reality in mems
thinking" he added.
At the close of DR.. Storer's address,
the woman formed into informal
round table groups under discussion
leaders. Later in the day they were
to hear additional speakers, includ-
ing Senator Ball, Republican, of
Minnesota, discuss How Can the
United States Protect Its Free
domS?"
. DR.. Elliott. in last nights panel
discussion, declared that America
must prepare for a long war and
continue to meet Hitler wherever
he has to be met"
Mrs, Roosevelt PresideS.
The panel, presided over by Mrs
Franklin D. Roosevelt, included
Senator Pepper. Democrat, of Flor
ida: Representatives Summers. DEM
ocrat, of Texas and Vorys, Repub-
Hcan, of Ohio, and Eloise Davidson
of the Office of Civilian Defense.
A victory in this war will place
Nazi Germany in control OF raw
materials vital to this country's
welfare, DR.. Elliott stated. He enum-
Grated a number of these materials,
including chromite, manganese,
graphite and mica.
Regarding the Far Eastern crisis,
DR.. Elliott declared that the United
States is trying to do everything
we can to avoid an embarrassing
situation in the Pacific" but this
country is mot prepared to seek
peace at the fatal price of appease-
ment."
Pepper Sees No. A. E. F.
Senator Pepper, declaring that
"our present aim is utterly to crush
Hitler" said that the country S
present method of achieving that
end does not include an expedi-
| tionary force
Representative Vorys had asked
the question: Are we going to de-
clare war and send an expeditionary
force to meet and defeat Hitler?"
He said he did not think America
would organize another expedi-
tionary force because to me the
primary thing is to preserve our own
democracy at all costs. and this can
not be accomplished if we stretch
out too far from our base"
Representative Summers declared
that the United States is not doing
"a bang-up job" he said. "If we were
we wouldn't be having strikes and
all of this seeking after profit
Outcome "Up to People"
Mr.. Summers said 1t Is up to the
people of America to win or lose the
war, mot the President or the Con-
gress."
Praising the spirit of such panel
discussions, Mrs. Roosevelt said the