Pacifists Refuse French Support, Are Sympathetic

At a meeting which attracted only four members, the Peace Council last night resolved to keep clear of the Edward A. French trial for "ideological reasons."

J. Malcolm Forbes '54, spokesman for the group, said, "We respect the stand of a sincere pacifist, but all of us are not pacifists and we don't all see his action as the sole reaction to war."

French, a junior, will go to trial as a draft dodger under the Selective Service Act. Forbes added that "As a group our action towards peace is more concerned with national and international relations in the social, political, and economic spheres."

The Peace Council was founded last February with the help of Henry J. Cadbury, Hollis Professor of Divinity and head of the American Friends Service Committee. The new group split shortly afterwards into the original Peace Council and the Students For Non-Violent Action, who are solely pacifists and stress an individual approach towards peace.

When asked if they would serve under the draft, three of the four members present replied affirmatively. One of the four, Louis F. Sharpe '54, stated that the most effective means towards peace is through a comprehensive study of situations and an attempt to reach the minds of all peoples.

The Peace Council and Students For Non-Violent Action are sponsoring a speech by French on October 15, the day of his trial.