World Pacifist Group Will Seek Backers Here

Moral Rearmament, a world-wide movement which emphasizes permanent peace through absolute purity and honesty, has made its first attempt to organize a unit within the University.

The members of the organization plan to have members of the Phillips Brooks House Association cabinet serve as a nucleus for the group. Cabinet feeling as of yesterday, however, was strongly against the idea.

George C. Shattuck, Clinical Professor of Tropical Medicine, Emeritus, and a strong superior of Moral Rearmament last night invited the whole PBH carnet to a special meeting as his home to give them "some idea" of MRA as "a positive ideology capable of uniting men of all races, creeds, and nations."

The meeting followed a previous discussion between MRA leaders and Dougles W. Hunt '55, PBHA president, also at Shattauck's Brookline home. After three hours of discussion, however, Hunt remained unconvinced. "I think it fine that everybody learn about Moral Rearmament, just as they learn about any other controversial ideology," he said.

"But neither PBH, nor I personally, intend to have anything to do with it," he added.

Cabinet Against Movement

Cabinet feeling formed against the movement, after Graduate Secretary Cornelius DeW. Hastle '52 disparaged the movement. Hunt and Hastle both warned the PBH leaders to be very careful about their relations with the group. While MRA has in certain fields established positive good, it tends to be "overly subjective and compulsive and often claims as supporters people who are merely interested in their cause," Hastle said.

The Graduate Secretary made his comments in reference to last night's meeting. The meeting, held in a theatre built into Shattuck's home, was attended by students from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and several full time workers for Moral Rearmament from Washington, D.C.

Shattuck claimed that the meeting had been called to convince the students of the values of MRA. Shattnek's wife, who sharen with her husband strong feeling for the ideology, had previously discussed with Hunt the possibility of starting a unit whithin the University.

Organized In '30's

A leader in the movement, who refused to be named, said last night that the unit "would be more an organism than an organization." The group, he said, "would try to teach people a way of living which we feel will save the world from its current sad state."

Moral Rearmament was organized by Frank Buchman in the late 30's. Its strongest support is found in South America and Europe, and it has secured the backing of numerous ex-communists.

Its general aim is to bring about world peace through increasing the individual's understanding of God and himself.

While lacking in strict dogma, and refusing to compete with established religious, Moral Rearmament requests its followers to observe a daily "quiet hour." During such a period the individual concentrates on an attitude of mind, which according to believers in moral rearmament, brings the guidance of god.