THE SUCCESS OF COMPULSORY ATHLETICS.

Mother Advocate has opened her columns to an ill-informed Freshman contributor, who rants passionately against the new Department of Physical Training and its head, Mr. Geer. "Low Gear" he calls his article.

Compulsory athletics for Freshmen is in its infancy here. One should hardly expect the organization to be perfect so soon. Mr. Geer would probably be the last to say that his department had thus far completely satisfied his expectations and those of the college. There has undoubtedly been at times a lack of facilities and instruction.

But if the training is only fairly successful this year, it will still justify its continuance in 1920-21, when the mistakes of its first year can be righted. In an athletic system which embraces some six hundred undergraduates there are bound to be a few laggards and malcontents; there are bound to be times when the individual student will have to learn to play his own game of squash without an instructor on hand to teach him and see that he does not loaf.

Mr. Geer is doing a fine work. We believe that the surprising revival and increased interest in all forms of sport at Harvard among Freshmen and upperclassmen in due in a large measure to him and his helpers. Never before has there been at the University such an awakened interest in athletics, and such an especial interest shown by the individual in "getting out" and taking exercise "on his own hook." There were never so many embryo track men "running around the bridges" as last fall. And a record number of candidates for crew reported this winter. Since the snow came squash courts in the gymnasiums and at the clubs have been jammed.

Mr. Geer heads a new institution which has already proved its value to the Freshmen, and has given the University a by-product in making the phrase "athletics for all" nearer true than ever before.