DILEMMA AT PRINCETON

Fuming because Nassau Hall has been caught in the quandary of whether or not to accept a gift of five hundred dollars proffered by Mr. David Dubinsky from the International Ladies Garment Union, the Daily Princetonian has compared their University's predicament with Harvard's Hanfstaengl case. The facts appear to be that Mr. Dubinsky offered the money to replace an award of Mr. Martin W. Littleton, which the latter decided to revoke for reasons of political prejudice. But, because of the value of a conservative reputation at a time when it is conducting an endowment drive, Princeton is loth to accept money from so dangerous a sources as the International Union. Yet the principle of turning down ready cash seems altogether ridiculous. From this simple beginning the University has built itself a mountain of a problem.

Actually the case in New Jersey offers no points of comparison with the Hanfstaengl situation. While Princeton's gift is from a private American source, Harvard's was from an official of a foreign government, and a government that has done everything in its power to destroy the ideals of education for which Harvard has battled so long. Furthermore, Hanfstaengl's award was a travelling fellowship for study in Germany, while Mr. Dubinsky's gift comes free of all strings, for general college funds. Thus no taint of subscribing to ideals contrary to the free educational system can attach to Princeton if it accepts the gift.

The question for Nassau Hall to decide is whether it makes a practice of accepting gifts from sources not connected with the University. If it does receive outside donations, there can be no shred of excuse for not taking Mr. Dubinsky's. The intolerance displayed by Mr. Littleton's withdrawal cannot be regarded as the typical attitude of the average donor to the endowment fund. For Princeton to try to collect more capitalistic dollars by turning down the contribution of a workers' union would be a rank violation of the liberal tradition for which men like Woodrow Wilson made the College famous in time past.