Around World Number Triumph--Zenith Reached in Lampoon Humor

For lo these many years there has been a feeling of rivalry between the Harvard Lampoon and the CRIMSON. The origin of friendly ill feeling lies in the shadows of the past but the legend mentions a bright red fire engine which wrecked havoc with the CRIMSON at one time. There have been other manifestations extending to the realm of sports which have led the CRIMSON even to unfortunate falsifications within its columns of baseball scores to the ridiculous figures of twenty-three to two. The CRIMSON's position in these affairs it must be admitted has been unfortunate. Within its limited resources it has done what it could, but quite realizes the lack of humor it has displayed in changing, and making delition of, the favorable portions of the reviews of the various issues which it has printed in its pages. The CRIMSON can only regret its misguided efforts, and when one is confronted with twenty pages of such finished and wholesome good humor, he can only express the hope that the CRIMSON will heed the words spoken to the Woman Taken in Adultery and "go and sin no more."

To one whose eyes are so used to the "make up" of front pages, the cover of the Lampoon presents a splendid contrast to the drab and uninspired grayness of the CRIMSON. Fitting the subject to the contents of the issue, the cover represents an ocean liner (quaintly enough) setting out for Europe from its dock at the Weld boathouse on the Charles. The business school and the stadium are dwarfed by the ship's bulk as it puts to sea with Lampy sitting on the bow.

The title of an issue and the contents within often show a wide divergence. For instance, a Vaudeville Number may deal with various forms of the theatrical and in nine cases out of ten there are violations of the general tone of the issue. It is pleasing to see that those responsible for the current Lampoon have from the very first picture (a realistic one to the Haveler who knows the American Express in Paris) set a tone which is maintained throughout. The clever page ornaments, the drawings of various climes (in which every part of the world is represented), the naturalistic rendering of the jokes, and in fact all the drawings show care and an insistence on finest execution by the artists.

Worthy of special note is the bur lesque Third Cabin advertisement which is illustrated by a page of photographs of "life at sea". Much trouble was evidently taken and the photographs and their grouping are wholly in the bur lesque spirit from the shuffle board game with pie pans to the representation of Lady Montbatten ascending the grand stairway of the New Amsterdam third class port holes in the background.

The reading matter of the issue is also remarkable for its maintaining a high quality in the treatment of a set subject. A member of the CRIMSON board said recently that the vent in his life which he enjoyed most was his interview with Jane Cowl I think the article that most amused me was the one called "Africa a Tale of the Rhinoceros" or perhaps it was a toss up between it and a burlesque of the Burton Holmes Lectures that so thrilled the CRIMSON playgoer not long age. I am going to have the drawing "After You, Magellan framed and hung in my office. We will not go into more detail, but the reader turning from page to page will be delighted with the excellence of the material as well as the care that has been shown in the cypos raphy. I who understand those things say it. In spite of our resolution we are persuaded to refer the reader especially to pages 48, 44, 48, 49, 52, 55.

Long may the Lampoon prosper in amity with the CRIMSON.