AMERICAN STUDENT UNION

A significant development at Hanover during the past month was the establishment of a local chapter of the new American Student Union, born at a national student convention in Columbus, Ohio, during the last days of December. This convention was attended by several Dartmouth undergraduates, who, immediately after Christmas vacation, got a small group together here and formed the local chapter. The plan for the new Union started with the ultra-radical National Student League and Student League for Industrial Democracy, both of these organizations having the foresight to dissolve and make way for the much broader, more liberal Union, which has the possibility of assimilating a large proportion of American undergraduates.

The ASU program is divided into five general sections dealing with the right to education and security, the defense of academic freedom, the student and peace, the student and society, and racial discrimination. Although the Oxford pledge committing it "against the support of any war conducted by the United States" is embodied in the ASU platform, acceptance of this pledge will not be a condition of membership in the organization. In fact, membership will be open even to those interested in but a single phase of the Union activities, and considerable flexibility of purpose is to be permitted to the local chapters.