Students Fight Fascism

The part that students can play in an anti-fascist war was shown by the students of Spain, and is still being shown by the students of China. Our Universities have been "given a fine example by these two countries, and they themselves have a long tradition of anti-fascist thought and activity, which augurs well for the future. In Moscow the students are working harder. We here must do the same. But we have a bigger task than the Soviet students, for there the "students' contribution to the war effort is fully acknowledged by everybody. We have here to convince the rest of the population by our actions that the British students are equally important and second to none in their desire to play a full part in the national effort. We have to justify our claim that the Universities are a vital part of the national life of a democracy, and that in vivid contrast to Fascism the preservation of culture is compatible with fighting a war, but together with this we have to show in what ways the Universities can be useful, not only to the students, but to the rest of the population.

Fascism is not a European monopoly. This is clear from news from Argentina, which reports that the Argentine Youth Congress which was called by 300 Youth organisations, representing 80,000 young Argentinians, has suffered severe attacks from the Minister of the Interior and the Police. 1,200 young delegates were jailed and the members of the organising committee were condemned to thirty days in prison. All this happened in Way, but the Argentine Youth were not to be intimidated, and the First Argentine Youth Congress was planned for July, and has the support of almost all the youth of the country.

The enormous importance of maintaining internationalism has always been realised by students. In the past they have had better opportunities than most people to visit other countries and study other languages. To-day, in wartime, they have opportunities which are not fully appreciated. There are many refugee students at our Universities, and there are a number of colonial and Dominion students, who have never been fully drawn into the life of our Universities. Contact with other countries is difficult, but it is still possible to hold meetings to discuss international problems, and in the spirit of the great Albert Hall Rally for victory, to learn to appreciate the attitude of other countries, for it is only in this way that we will be able to [unclear: achieve] a lasting solution to the present conflict.

—From "University Forward."