Student Relief

Dr. Coleman began by descriping the physical conditions of students in the world today. Universities in all countries which were involved in the war are all affected to some extent, but it is the countries of Europe and Asia where conditions are desperate. The work of World Student Relief and its constituent organizations is well known here, but support for it has decreased considerably in the last two years. There is no justification for this. The need for relief is as great now as it ever was. Forty per cent. of Greek students are showing active tuberculosis, and the incidence is alarmingly high in most European countries. The shortage of books makes it seem incredible to us that studies can continue at all. Hungarian students, because of WSR. are able to cyclostyle textbooks.

A recent addition to the World Student Relief Committee is the much discussed International Union of Students. It is, of course, concerned with many questions other than relief, and in its early stages it was obvious that the main impetus came from the countries of Eastern Europe. Dr. Coleman was able to tell us of some new developments in the International Union. At the time of the crisis in Czechoslovakia, where IUS has its headquarters a commission was set up to investigate the demonstration at Prague, where students were fired on by the police. The commission reported in terms which directed no criticism at the Czech Government, but the two Americans on the IUS Executive objected to this report and have left Prague. American students, through their National Students' Association, were proposing to affiliate with IUS, but it looks as if this will not be carried through. IUS is the only one of the constituents of World Student Relief to which N.Z. students are affiliated through N.Z.U.S.A. but, of course, the N.Z.S.C.M. is a member of the World Student Christian Federation.