LET 'EM READ BOOKS

Until now the Harvard Student Defense League has done little but talk and sport buttons rivalling those of Mr. Willkie. In contrast is a concrete proposal for undergraduate training, which they will test on Monday by a poll of the student body.

Unless the poll shows that a large number, even approaching a majority, of Harvard men want extracurricular military training, the Defense League should go no further. Nothing could be more futile than the formation of a broomstick brigade among a small group of interventionist fanatics. There is, moreover, reason to believe that the Army could ill spare the officers and material necessary for the proper training of a specially previleged group of Harvard students. In the regular Military Science staff this year are two young men up from the R.O.T.C., instead of the usual experienced West Pointers.

It is true that the Harvard faculty includes some 129 reserve officers. Many of them would doubtless be willing to give of their time to the training of students if they thought it would be worthwhile. But in the last war the work of faculty reserve officers in training students proved so unsatisfactory that ten weeks before the United States declared war on Germany, President Lowell asked the French to send over some of their regular officers to take charge. And in 1940, Congress has voted conscription for the very purpose of avoiding the "green officers training green men" technique of 1917.

President Conant said in his address in the opening Chapel of the year that "only a few will be called up to give their entire time and energy to our vast program of rearmament. To the student the country says, continue with your studies until you are called for special duty..." Harvard should follow its President's advice, steering clear of as much emotionalism and uncalled-for "preparedness" as possible. If the boys have extra steam to let off--as the Defense League suggests--then let's try a big rally before the Army game!