THE CONFERENCE HABIT

Since the establishment of the Williamstown Conference, a great number of short-term "Schools" of specialized summer study have sprung up. Each School devotes as much time to advertising the beauties of its location and "the opportunities for contact with forward-looking students from other colleges" as it does to the intellectual menu served. No School this summer will fail to settle all the problems of the world in three, two, or one weeks of "absolutely free discussion."

The School of International Relations to be established at Geneva this summer does not look on youthful discussion of problems as the best way to an understanding of them, and perhaps for that reason will prove to be more valuable. The purpose of the School is distinctly stated to be an objective study of international affairs, through lectures by experts, and first-hand investigation of the workings of the League of Nations. Naturally such a School will appeal primarily to students who intend to go into some branch of the diplomatic service, but it should also prove interesting to students who are interested in the less professional side of international relations.

This conference stands out among the many offered to students this summer because it gets capable men, instead of just one or two attractive "headliners," to lead it, and because it avoids unlimited student discussion as the best method of conveying information. Schools which are merely genteel opportunities for practice in debating should label themselves as such, instead of making rash promises to "Solve Modern Problems of Education."