TOO LIBATORY

Although the University Glee Club has "washed its hands" of the double quartet whose rendition of "Johnny Harvard" called forth Mr. Delcevare King's criticism, it scarcely seems necessary for the college to disown these men. At the time when this and many other old Harvard songs were written Prohibition had not yet made the convivial board a rare and clandestine affair. A ban now on all such jolly old songs would be much like the absurd ban on the teaching of German in this country during the war.

If, perhaps, Mr. King would not have all such songs put out of everybody's reach, when would he have them sung? For the songs were written to be sung, not read, I pently if, by his interpretation of the American Bar Association's warning, singing "Johnny Harvard" after the debate was scoffing at the Prohibition Law, singing it anywhere would likewise be scoffing at the Law.

The song itself was written as a toast to Harvard, not "to glorify the joys of drinking". It happens, so ingrown are the bad habits of Americans, that at many a banquet toasts are still made and drunk, albeit necessarily in water or lemonade. It is quite likely that "Johnny Harvard" was sung with glasses in hand. Take away the wine from the banquet and the glasses from the song and the two cases are practically parellel-except that singing a toast in public is more attractive to the ear than speaking a toast in public.