Gottlieb Initiates ASU Referendum

In an effort to "clear the name of the American Student Union in regard to Communism," Alan Gottlieb '41, President of the Harvard chapter, issued a call last night to the national membership asking for a referendum taking a stand on the Russian invasion of Finland.

Feeling that a liberal majority has been "steam-rollered" by a few into rejecting a motion condemning Russia's "aggressive" action on the theory that the motion would destroy the unity of the Union as a whole, the referendum seeks to reestablish the reputation of the Student Union on all campuses.

National Referendum

Gottlieb has taken on the job of the referendum, which is to be sent to all of the chapters throughout the country, as President of the recently formed Liberal Caucus of the American Student Union. Ten per cent of the membership of 7000 or ten per cent of their 100 chapters must back the petition for the referendum to be held.

In the appeal Gottlieb stated: "It is our duty to disprove or to prove that idea--that we are tied to the Soviet apron strings. The present situation is intolerable on the Harvard campus where despite the former sympathetic reaction we received it is now a question of condemnation of the Soviet Union, disaffiliation with the American Student Union, or a rapid death. This situation is the same in innumerable American Student Union chapters throughout the country."

"Little Hope"

"Once this referendum is passed upon our action will be very clear," Gottlieb said. "If we lose, there seems to be little future hope for the ASU, but our stand should be determined by what the Caucus members feel. If we win, the fight has only begun since those of us who were at the convention realize that the liberals must have an organizational framework if they are to exert their strength."

"One panel at the convention reported a three page document of condemnations of the Roosevelt administration without any mention of the gains the New Deal has brought the American people. If not shelved by the Resolution committee, this would have been a complete indictment of the present administration and would have put appropriate newspaper subheads to our refusal to brand Russia an aggressor--'ASU too radical for Roosevelt.'"