Current Illustrated Reflects University's Present Attitude

The current number of the Illustrated is thoroughly representative of the present state of mind of Harvard. The dominant note throughout, from the very excellent cover design to the end of Dr. Sargent's article, hidden away among the advertisements, is preparation for war. The few normal activities of College life worth recording, such as the taking of the Senior picture and the election of the hockey captain, are relegated to inconspicuous back pages, just as they are kept far in the back of the undergraduate mind. It is unfortunate, however, that such irrelevant pictures of those of the Yale crew in its tank and water polo at Yale should be placed in a more conspicuous position than that or our newly-elected hockey captain. We may welcome pictures, even to the extent of two and a half pages, showing how other colleges are preparing for the war, but Yale water polo is a little out of place. Another unfortunate error, marring an otherwise excellent number, is the failure to give Dr. Sargent his proper title. It would be serious enough to refer to him merely as Mr. Sargent in any case, but to do so on the cover is inexcusable.

Dr. Sargent's article itself is a particularly timely reminder that not the whole of preparedness lies in teaching men to present arms and form fours, or even to dig trenches and shoot accurately. As Dr. Sargent points out, if men are to serve and not handicap the army, they must be physically fit to stand up under the strain of first-line service; and participation in athletics is the best way to keep fit. The case of those physically unfit to serve--75 percent. of the student body, says Dr. Sargent--is even more serious. However, it is not too late to mend, and Harvard may well take Dr. Sargent's message to heart.

Mr. Lippitt in his article treats us to one of those mathematical demonstrations of our country's state of "despicable weakness" by land and sea, with which we became so well acquainted during the preparedness agitation of last year. We look from force of habit for a description of the bombardment of New York and details of the atrocities of spike-helmeted invaders. However, the article shows us the impossibility of ever reaching an end of an armament race when no nation is content to rank less than first or a close second. We can only hope that when the present war eventually ends, the nations fighting "to crush militarism" will be in a position to strike at the root of it by limiting the armament race through some form of world organization.

The article on the Wireless Club is most interesting: telling as it does of the excellent work of this organization which has been almost unheard of by the College at large. The editorials are up to the usual standard, even though the discussion as to whether professor and student should speak to each other on meeting in the Yard seems a little out of place at this time. This is more than atoned for by the common sense and particular timeliness of the words on "Business as Usual" and on athletics.