"AUTRES TEMPS..."

To the extent that college undergraduates can be consider representative of the entire country, the recent Student Opinion Surveys indicate that the American political scene of the future will be altered. These polls imply that at least two of the foremost standard political arguments of the nation--the Communist bogey and isolation--will not be very effective ammunition for the politician of tomorrow.

Probably the most interesting question the Survey has thus far put to students is the "ism" problem. On this issue fifty-six per cent voted a preference for Communism over Fascism. The result of this poll may have tremendous repercussions. For, if the new generation maintains its bias toward the extreme. Left, red-baiting will rapidly lose its place as the premier American political sport. Instead of trying to locate the root of all evil in Moscow, the Dies Committees of the future will have to orient their accusing fingers to Berlin or Rome. The "red menace" will become a mere afterthought, thrown in as a sop to a forty-three per cent minority.

Red-baiters, however, are not the only ones whose prospects look dark. The future appears exceedingly glum for all hide-bound isolationists. Although a majority of the students are averse to wars, particularly foreign conflicts; they seem quite willing to aid in stopping Hitler. In a word, youth seems ready to take another stabat saving Democracy despite the warnings of Senators Nye and Borah. The shop-worn argument of "splendid isolation" will have to be put on the shelf for some years to come.

Whether or not these opinions will immediately produce new leaders is hard to predict. It is even harder to foretell is hard to predict. It is even harder to foretell when these new sentiments will make themselves felt. But, if these surveys can be regarded in any way as prophetic, one thing seems sure: the new generation of voters will cause a profound change in the ideas and principles that compose the American body politic.