WAR PREVENTION SUBJECT OF DEBATING UNION TALK

"War Prevention versus War Preparedness" will be the subject on which Frederick J. Libby, Executive Secretary of the National Council for the Prevention of War, will address the first meeting of the Debating Union this year, which is to be held in the Faculty Room of the Union on Tuesday evening at 7.10 o'clock.

Mr. Libby has for 14 years been a keen student of the European situation. Upon graduation from Andover Theological Seminary he received a two year traveling fellowship and went to Europe where he studied for a year at Oxford and then at one of the German universities, where he came to know intimately the militaristic regime of pre-war Germany.

In 1918, after teaching for seven years at Phillips-Exeter Academy, he went to Europe with the Quaker Relief Committee, returning again after the war as their European Commissioner for reconstruction. In this capacity he worked in Germany, Poland, Austria, France and Serbia.

"My war experiences convinced me," he declared in a recent interview, "that the abolition of war is essential not only to progress in any field of social endeavor, but to the maintenance of present civilization. I returned to this country determined to unite the constructive forces of America for world peace."

That he carried out his purpose is evi-lenced by his work in the last few years. In 1921 he was instrumental in bringing together seventeen national organizations, which were in favor of the plan for limitation of armaments, into a National Council for the Limitation of Armaments. Since that time the organization has changed its name to the National Council for the Prevention of War, due to the accomplishments of the Washington conference.

Mr. Libby became prominent when he wrote a letter to President, Coolidge last summer, protesting against making September 12 National Defense Day. This letter called forth the reply from President Coolidge which brought the question of National Defense Day so prominently to the attention and comment of the nation.

The Debating Union is inaugurating a new policy opening its meeting with an address. It is a practice, which although strange to Harvard, has been employed for many years at the Oxford Union.

Mr. Libby will speak for approximately 45 minutes. The meeting will then be opened to discussion from the floor. Philip Walker '25, the President of the Debating Union, will preside. All members of the University may attend.