University of Minnesota - Gopher Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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A step toward some sort of international understanding was made when University students started what they were to call the Student Project for Amity among Nations. Last year these students put their program into operation, and 40 of them studied their own projects in four European countries, England. France, Sweden and Spain. In this picture, on their way to the Continent, Jeanne Odcncrantz, proffers a cookie to Elaine Oberg. while two other SPAN lasses wait their turn. First, according to our present Secretary of State, loss in manpower, announted to the staggering figure of 15,000,000 men killed or missing in military service. This does not in- clude the millions of civilians and non-combatants who lost their lives. Page 9

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Editorial 1948 — Mankind is faced with another war — a war that will blot out what social structure we have — a war that means death for millions of people — death through bacteria, through gas and through atomic bombing. Another war! Does it mean what it says? Think of it! Death, famine, pestilence, loss of all family rela- tionships, love destroyed, loved ones destroyed — destroyed in ways repugnant to mankind. More Dachaus, Buchenwalds, Lidices, more, many more. More Bataan death marches, rapes of whole cities, cannibalism and savagery. Another war. This is what another war means. Can any intelligent human being contemplate these things without shuddering in fear? This is what responsible men of science have pre- dicted for mankind in the event of another war. It is inevitable, they say, and they should know. They have developed the means to wage such a war. These statements sound greatly like exaggera- tions, but actually if we are to take what the scien- tists and thinkers of today say as fact, then at least we should look at the cards they are laying on the table. Still, many refuse to do this, holding that be- cause we did not extensively use gas in the last war, we will not use atomic weapons or bacterio- logical warfare in another war. For those, a glance at the price of the last war may serve to make them realize the cost of a future war.

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For those interested In the cost of World War II in a monetary sense, the bill for strictly military expendi- tures amounts to one trillion, one hundred and sixteen billion, nine hun- dred and ninety one and one half mil- lion dollars. That ' s $1.1 16.991,500,000 in digits. These figures do not take into consideration the loss from wounds, the destruction of property or of human personality. With such a loss as this suffered by the nations of the world in one war it becomes questionable as to whether any nation in the world is now physically capable of waging another war like the last one. This leaves us with three alterna- tives. Either an all destructive war in which atomic weapons would be used, a long drawn-out war of attri- tion, which would exhaust the nations of the world economically, politic- ally and ethically, or no war at all. There is only one logical answer to make. We must not have war. SPAN ' S English group settled down in London, but nevertheless made their way all over the British Isles. Headed by Jack Wiersma, the members o( the group studied many aspects of British culture. Emphasis was placed upon study of the effect of British Socialism. Above. Helen Mataya and a friend stroll along as the hands of Big Ben approach 4 o ' clocl. while below, two SPAN students chat with two of their Oiford friends. Page 10