Act Now

Nixon's doomsday machine churned onward toward possible destruction yesterday as the most intense air and naval strikes in years hit North Vietnamese targets and for the first time mines were sowed off seven ports. As Nixon draws his hard line and dares the other nuclear powers to cross it, the Vietnamese people must endure the effect of an increased aerial and naval bombardment which has already made much of their country uninhabitable. People around the world continue to hold their breath in anticipation of the Russian and Chinese responses to Nixon's provocation: they know their lives are subject to the whims of an international gambler and his desperate advisors.

It is difficult to act in the face of such a situation. Yet as the shock of initial horror passes, we realize that somehow, some way, we must throw ourselves in the path of Nixon's plan for world destruction. Attending a rally this morning in the Yard and then marching to downtown Boston is a first step. Sending telegrams and letters to key Senators and representatives is another. Signing and circulating petitions is a third. Plans are coalescing for a mass action later this week in Washington: we should count on going to confront the monster in his lair. All the alternatives may seem fruitless, yet they must still be attempted. The survival of the world--astonishing as it seems--may depend on our actions over the next several days.