FACULTY DEFENSE GROUP BUSY WITH WAR WORK

Although one of the central purposes for its original formation in the summer of 1940, to acquaint the public with the menace of the Axis powers and the need for adequate national defense, has ceased to exist, American Defense, Harvard Group, is still carrying on a wide variety of activities with as much zeal as ever.

Located on the top floor of Widener Library under the direction of Ralph Barton Perry, Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, chairman, and the Steering Committee, consisting of the heads of the various committees, this group is now performing many tasks to further the war effort.

Confidential Work

In the past months the national government at Washington has frequently had reason to call on the Defense Group to perform confidential work for its agencies. The group has also directed civilian lectures in the "Army Orientation Course" in the camps of the First Corps Area and prepared a handbook on Nazi Germany for use in Government offices.

Besides taking care of routine business and committee reports the Steering Committee meets once a week to discuss matters of policy and to vote action on current issues such as the problems of India, China and North Africa, the Dies Committee, and the manpower problem. Their decisions on these matters have frequently been acknowledged by the department of government involed. They have also sponsored public meetings with noted guest speakers in attendance.

Student Relations

The group also strives to promote student relations under a committee formed for this purpose with Gerald, F. Else, faculty instructor in Greek and Latin as chairman. A number of informal conferences have been held with leaders of student opinion and aid was given to the Student Council in starting a forum which would be open to all undergraduates and would bring in speakers of national importance to deal with timely issues. It was largely due to the efforts of this committee that Jan Masaryk, Foreign Minister of the Czech government in exile, was brought here to address the student body. Student representatives have also been invited to sit in on the weekly meetings of the Steering Committee.

Cooperating with the Universities Committee on Post War International Problems with headquarters at the World Peace Foundation, the Committee on Post War Settlement under Payson S, Wild, associate professor of Government, has devoted a great deal of time and discussion to this important matter. The Universities Committee has been set up to coordinate similar committees throughout the country.

Press Committee

Another division which forms an integral part of the group is the Press Committee under the chairmanship of Warren A. Seavey, Bussey Professor of Law. Members of the Committee have contributed features and letters to the newspapers and in addition last year ran a series of some fifteen special articles by experts devoted to a discussion of problems of world prominence. These articles appeared in newspapers all over the country.

The Women's Committee of this organization, headed by Mrs. Arthur Schlesinger, has furnished 16 day rooms and two hostess house living rooms at Fort Devens and Camp Edwards, a service which has been the object of much praise on the part of the camp officials. All the furniture used in this project was secured wholly through the efforts of the committee itself.

Blood donation for the Cambridge Red Cross unit has been promoted by the group through all members of the University staff. Other agencies that have been aided by the group include the Massachusetts Committee of Public Safety and the Office of Civilian Defense.

An information desk has been kept up in the group's office which is at the disposal of the University and the community. Much of the work in the office has been carried on by volunteer workers.