Al Timely Warning To Wartime America r a special cable to the New York Post, dated in London, February 3, Correspon- dent Stoneham reported England's serious difficulties arising out of the break-up of the normal living of families and communities, Delinquency in particular has risen to serious proportions. The social leaders of England apparently agree, Stoneham reports, that the United States can avoid mistakes by heeding four “‘don’ts,” two of which are of primary interest to the students, faculty, and alumni of Springfield and to the young men who contemplate professional training for careers in youth leadership. 1. “Don’t close schools anywhere if you can help it.” They suggest that school teachers should be kept in the schools and that if possible educational opportunities should be increased. 2. “Don’t close any clubs or recreation centers. Increase activities of such organi- zations as Knights of Columbus, Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A., and of all settlements and playgrounds. A good Boy Scout or Y.M.C.A. leader or a good playground superin- tendent can do more for his country by sticking to his job than by trying to learn to fire a rifle.” 3. The third recommendation concerns the necessity of keeping families intact, especially in relation to the mothers employed in industry. 4. The fourth recommendation concerns the need for an orderly way of inducting youth into industry and the ways in which they are allowed to spend the new money which they earn. Another warning which Stoneham makes is that clubs, schools, and organizations must not be largely staffed by physically misfit people. Even though many of them are very competent, they should not dominate the program. It is his last idea in which we are particularly interested. What a shame if in the process of winning the war front we would lose the home front! This is not to say that all persons employed in the recreational and social centers should be automatically deferred from military service or refused the privilege of enlistment. It does mean that there should be an intelligent public policy regarding service so that there will be reasonable balance maintained in the leadership in civilian centers of concentrated population and in the military services. Students who are about to begin their college careers may find that by the time they have spent three years on the accelerated plan, that the actual military situation may be so clarified that they will not be needed as soldiers. If this is true they should not feel that they have been disloyal for not contributing to immediate national defense. In the next decade there will be such tremendous reconstruction problems brought on by the war that these young men who are now just beginning college will find a gigantic task before them beginning on the day of their graduation. This war will not end with the armistice. Winning the peace will be a major battle in which social leaders and educators must be front-line combatants. Commencement Dates Our Number One Resource “Children and young people who are healthy, self-reliant, well-trained, and aggressively loyal are vital to the secur- ity of our country. Especially during war-time we must maintain adequate standards of health, welfare, and educa- tion, to develop and protect our Number One National Resource.” From letter of “Emergency Co-operating Committee for Children and Youth.” February 4, 1942. May 22, Friday Alumni Reunions Baccalaureate Service, in the evening May 23, Saturday Alumni Breakfast and Annual Meet- ing Commencement dinner May 24, Sunday Memorial service, in the morning Commencement exercises, in the after- noon President Explains Duty Of College Students N the Summer of 1940, President Roosevelt issued the following statement. Recently he asserted in reply to direct questioning that the viewpoint still holds. The statement was addressed to Mr. Paul McNutt, Director of the Federal Security Agency. “Reports have reached me that some young people who had planned to enter college this fall, as well as a number of those who attended college last year, are intending to interrupt their education at this time because they feel that it is more patriotic to work in a shipyard, or to enlist in the Army or Navy, than it is to attend college. Such a decision would be un- fortunate. “We must have well-educated and intelli- gent citizens who have sound judgment in _ dealing with the difficult problems of today. We must also have scientists, engineers, economists, and other people with specialized knowledge, to plan and to build for national defense as well as for social and economic progress. Young people should be advised that it is their patriotic duty to continue the normal course of their education, unless and until they are called, so that they will be well prepared for greatest usefulness to their country. They will be promptly notified if they are needed for other patriotic services.” Wartime Summer Term (Continued from Page 2) earnings for paying for their education that any summer plan would be hard on them. Nevertheless, the advantages of being able to complete their education before being called for service are so great that they and their families are willing to make sacrifices. How- ever, because of these personal differences in financial status, the acceleration plan must be optional. Under the accelerated plan, present juniors can finish their course by mid-March, 1943, instead of mid-June. Present sophomores can finish their course by late December, 1943, by attending summer terms of 1942 and 1943. Present freshmen can finish their course by the end of the summer of 1944, instead of in the spring of 1945, if they attend three summer terms. The plan for freshmen who will enter this year is described in another section of this issue. The regular summer session of five weeks which has been held for several decades will The dates are June 29 to The courses in this session are be continued. August 1. chiefly for upper level and graduate students. A special bulletin is available from Dr. Ray- mond Drewry, director.