EDUCATING LEADERS

Last week's announcement by President Conant, in an address to the New York Economic Club, that Harvard is undertaking a three-year program of graduate work in social science problems for the purpose of training men interested in public service will be music to the oars of many who have felt concern over the University's seeming lack of interest in affairs political. "The Department of Government," President Conant said, "in cooperation with the departments of History, Economics and Sociology and the Law School, is inaugurating a three-year program of graduate study for a small group of carefully selected men. The second year of this work will be in the nature of public service internship. Through a cooperating committee it is hoped that the student may be placed in a position in governmental work or in certain types of private enterprise where he will get practical experience." He will return to the University for the final year, "which will knit together his study and experience." The plan is of interest to the undergraduate in that it hopes to "develop special orientation seminars in government, economics and allied subjects for men as mature as our graduates."

No one can deny that any constructive plan focussing attention on the old problem of the University in relation to society is admirable in itself. The great merit of the scheme in question is the opportunity it offers the student to obtain first-hand experience of the vicissitudes of American government, whether Federal, State, or Municipal. It has the added advantage of presenting a possible entree to public work other than that offered by politics or the Civil Service. If the committee which will be responsible for placing students in their second year of internship could expand its function in an endeavor to assure them employment on completion of their study, the plan will assume a significance impossible to determine at so early a date.

One obstacle should be pointed out, however--a difficulty which may render the plan inoperative in these uncertain times. Any provision for graduate study presupposes the ability of each member of the group to support himself during the three years. It is certain that unless at least one or two scholarships are available, the group will be pitifully small in proportion to its potential value. If the pay in government service were such as to compare favorably with that in private enterprise, more men would doubtless be willing to sacrifice three year's salary for higher education and more specialized training, but under existing conditions, no man can be blamed for preferring first a means of livelihood.

Inasmuch as President Conant made no reference to the Lowenstein Fund in connection with the newly-formed plan, it must be assumed the two are independent. That they should be is unfortunate, for both are motivated by the same desire to enable promising students to make a career in government. Worthy as is the desire, the plan to put it into effect must be weakened by separation into two units at so embryonic a stage.