Bugling from the Far Right

After attacking the Harvard Political Forum for producing "incipient unification" (Nov.10), and for committing its members to a single view (Nov.17), the Harvard Young Republicans have a new idea. "The proposed Forum of Political Clubs is simply a device to give Harvard's noisy minority of left-wing student politicians the propaganda benefit of a permanent majority in a purportedly bi-partisan or non-partisan organization," says club President John R. Thomson '57. These people, he claims, attempt "to make their median opinion look like a representative view of the Harvard student body."

The statement is remarkable for its misconceptions. The HYRC makes two assumptions: that the Forum can act as a propagandizing organization, and that its median view is left-wing. The first shows an amazing, indeed unique, interpretation of the Forum agreement. Simply stated, the Forum is an informal committee where Harvard's political clubs can cooperate in discussing common problems and sponsoring joint programs, if they wish. Since its decisions primarily concern organization--not policy--the Forum can produce no propaganda. Any policy decisions that are made in the name of the Forum require consent of all club representatives.

To call the political Forum a left-wing group is equally ludicrous. Of the nine present club representatives, five can scarcely be called partisans of a political left wing. These are the Debate Council, the U.N. Council, the Society for Minority Rights, the World Federalists, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. If the Young Republicans really fear "left-wing" domination--which hardly seems justified--the most effective action open to them would be to join, and put more weight behind the conservative viewpoint.

The HYRC's persistent objections have finally made its real position clear: by their own definition, the only vacant space is to their left. Not only the Crimson, but even the New Conservative Club, and that last bastion of radicalism, the Harvard Alumni Bulletin, are united in "the energetic bugling from the left." While the HYRC asked (December 1) for "ad hoc agreements" between political clubs, this is exactly what the Forum's constitution provides. Their opposition to the Forum has been conspicuous so far only for its malleability. Perhaps the group's members are interested in the aims of the new Forum. But its present spokesman, like Cicero--if in this respect alone--"will never follow anything that other men begin."