VERY SMALL

The petition which a few Freshmen are organizing in protest to the new plan for athletics is a fine example of student activity and interest in current problems, of a practical plan to influence public opinion and the authorities, and should be supported by no one.

The idea is that there should be a general levy on all students to support the minor sports affected by the new plan. The petitioners feel that there is quite as much justification for this as there is for the ton dollar levy to support Still-man Infirmary.

Perhaps the organizers can learn something from the great example of the American Legion, which also is a minority attempting to get benefits paid to it by a majority for bad reasons. At least the American Legion claims that it partly did, and partly would have, protected us in the World War. The minority of Miner Sports have no such benefits to hold out as a fair trade.

Unfortunately for the petitioners, the President of Harvard is not the President of the United States. A lobby could not work on the former as it has on the latter. Moreover, it seems that the majority of the minority in the Minor Sports affected are against asking for subsidization. For the Minor Sports teams affected have indicated that they will support the new plan. That leaves us with a minority of a minority of a minority trying to get something for nothing from all the rest.