John Reed Society Will Inaugurate Petition Campaign for Browder Talk

In a move to rally student opinion rather than to formally protest to the University, the John Reed Society will start a petition campaign to support its stand against the University for not having allowed Earl Browder to speak at Harvard, Robert Seidman '41, president of the Society, announced last night.

"We believe that the student body will endorse our stand in the matter; what our plans will finally be depends upon the amount of support we get by circulating a petition to have Browder speak," the Executive Committee of the Society said.

The Society has not decided whether it should continue to ask the University for a hall in which Browder could speak, whether it should sponsor a lecture outside the University, or whether it should get some other speaker; any of these plans may be adopted, according to the Society.

"The Society however, feels that there is an adequate precedent to make the University reverse its decision that it would be in bad taste to have Browder speak, or to discuss the question at Harvard. We know of an analogous situation in October, 1920," the Society said.

At that time the Liberal Club sponsored a series of talks by leaders of the four parties in the 1920 presidential campaign. Norman Thomas was invited to speak for Eugene Debts, Socialist candidate, who was then in jail for draft evasion, and permission was granted by the University.

Four days before the scheduled talk in the Union. Thomas was arrested for violating a city ordinance involving the question of free speech in Mt. Vernon, N. Y. The University did not withdraw its permission allowing Thomas to speak and he spoke in the Union on the night of October 18, after his trial at Mt. Vernon.

Thomas Dorgan, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and vociferous critic of Communists, said last night that he supported the University's action and promised he would get "brother Browder a good passport to take him to the University of Moscow where he belongs."