SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1935. Volume 6. Number 18.
"You Will Be Shot First!" — Dr. Beeby on the Peace Ballot
"You Will Be Shot First!"
Dr. Beeby on the Peace Ballot.
Dr. Beeby made a vigorous and entertaining speech on Friday, 13th. He clarified the purposes of the Peace Ballot and emphasised their importance. He showed that students had every right to express their opinion. He deplored diffidence and urged them to face courageously the difficult task of coming to a decision.
The Government, said Dr. Beeby, had not got its finger on the public pulse. Unlike the citizens of Athens it is not easy for us to make our voices heard. M.Ps. are elected for their views on mortgages and wool, etc., and do not necessarily know our opinions on peace or war.
Wisdom?
Students need not be diffident about expressing their views. They are the people immediately concerned and will be shot before the M.Ps. Dr. Beeby said he was far from being one of those who hold that wisdom is not wisdom till it has been filtered thtrough false teeth and a crop of white whiskers. Students are at least as likely to make wise decisions on peace or war as more mature and prudent persons who own armament shares.
Student opinion would not be representative of the country as a whole. If it were many expensive educations would have been wasted We are all fed on slogans and emotional sop. A rational attitude is the contribution of the student type to the worlds' welfare. The ballot all the same could not be answered in cold logic. If it did no more than force us to make absolutist statements it would be good. If a thing has once been thought out clearly there is more chance for reason to prevail in a crisis.
The Scientific View.
Dr. Beeby was specially interested in the ballot from the scientific point of view. It would throw some light upon the workings of the group and show the effects of education upon attitudes. It would be interesting, too, to note the relation between the answers given and the faculty to which the voter belonged.
Filling in the peace ballot must be an occasion for great sincerity. "You must put one hand on your head and the other on your heart and sign it, I suppose, with your teeth."
Finally Dr. Beeby showed that upon the way in which the ballot was collected depended its usefulness. If the administration were at all slipshod the results would be vitiated as answers would be obtained from selected groups—militarists or pacifists. Trouble must be taken to see that all students answered the [ unclear: b]
Miss Hursthouse the pointed out how much the N.Z.U.S.A. owed to Dr. Beeby's help. As he had also promised to help in dealing statistically with the results they were assured of sound scientific treatment.
The meeting decided upon 30th September as closing day for the return of ballot papers and elected Miss Hursthouse and Mr. Scotney to form a peace ballot committee for V.U.C. Mr. Birks was later co-opted.