University of Virginia Library

SDS Divided On Demonstration

Students for a Democratic
Society leaders at the recent
Ann Arbor convention are
divided over the value of a
public demonstration. The one
in question would occur in
Washington on January 20th
when Richard Nixon is inaugurated.
Those in favor claim it
would gain national attention
for the organization and point
up the continuing illegitimacy
of American leadership. Those
opposed believe it is senseless
and, even worse, antagonistic to
the class of people SDS uses
to attract to its cause.

Which brings the argument
around to a question of direction.
SDS wants to extend its
activism to the working classes,
the poor, high school students
and the U.S. Army. Programs
for such an undertaking have
not yet been formulated, although
members indicated they
would employ methods involving
direct contact. This
means SDS would drop its opposition
to the draft and, once
its members were in uniform,
would undermine the military
structure from within. The suggestion
was not warmly received
at the convention, perhaps because
the penalties meted out in
the military for this kind of
activism would be too severe.

High school students and
poor people might respond
favorably to SDS, since the
former are experiencing growing
dissatisfaction with the system;
also, the schools themselves are
ripe for revolution. SDS already
has a foothold in some New
York City and California high
schools Poverty groups, discouraged
with chaotic and in- adequate welfare programs, have
already been organizing and
demonstrating for several years.

The working class, an integral
part of SDS slogans, could
prove a hard nut to crack. Except
for marginal workers in
agriculture and other poor-paying
light industries, organized
American labor is married
to the Establishment.

Underlying the idea of moving
off campus is the feeling
among SDS people that the organization's
growth was slowed
down by President Johnson's
peace moves. With the war in
Vietnam apparently headed
toward some kind of solution,
SDS wants to insure its future
by attaching itself to a class in
order to take root as a permanent
political and social
movement. This is an implied
acceptance of revolutionary belief
that students are transients
within the class structure who
can provide leadership for the
oppressed.

Does this mean the task of
changing the university will fall
into the hands of lesser radicals?

*********

Two Young Americans for
Freedom chairmen, Jim Farley
of New York and Dana
Rohrabacher of California, just
returned from Czechoslovakia
where they met with students
who were both anti-communist
and anti-collectivist. The purpose
of the trip was to make
contact with anti-Soviet student
activists there and establish an
outlet in the USA for information
on conditions under
Russian occupation.

Rohrabacher revealed his organization
will attempt to keep
the press and the Nixon administration
abreast of Czechoslovakian
student activism in order
to maintain the current level of
American concern for the Czech
people. He did not disclose the
name of the Czech student organization.

*********

Harvard Student Agencies is
being victimized by its success.
The student business cooperative
has branched out in so
many profit-making areas that it
is in danger of being taken over
by adult corporation executives.

The 11-year old exclusive
franchise for sales and services to
the Harvard student community
began as an opportunity for
earning money in job areas
equal to student talents rather
than cleaning tables and mapping
up dormitory rooms. Areas
for business experience range
from sales of advertising for
blotters and calenders to
laundry service, newspaper delivery
and food concessions at
football games.

One of the HSA's more fascinating
endeavors is the information
Gathering Service which
has turned into a monster market
research outfit consisting of
hundreds of students from the
college and graduate schools.
Money is rolling in so fast that
outside professional help has become
a necessity. The student
entrepreneurs were just too
good.

*********

It has been announced that
James Glendinning, former director
of U.S. National Student Travel
Association is working for Intergrad,
a new division of the British
Universities North American Club.
Intergrad was formed to provide
travel services for British graduate
students - special discount rates, a
travel center to maintain overseas
contacts and travel related to employment
and profession. Intergrad
will publish a hospitality directory
listing members who will act as
hosts for visiting foreign students.

*********

A new magazine is in preparation.
Change Magazine is to be
a bi-monthly due to appear within a
week. Advance literature says that
Change will deal with problems
related to all phases of higher education.
It will be a commercial
publication put out by Science and
University Affairs for Educational
Change, Inc., a non-profit corporation
with a grant from the Esso
Education fund.