DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE ON THE ISSUES OF THE WAR

If there is nothing new under the sun, there surely is something new in the curriculum of Dartmouth College, and that is the so-called "Course on the Issues of the War." Why is such a course being given? No better answer to the question can be made than that which is found in the bulletin of instructions issued by the Committee on Education and Special Training of the War Department to the colleges.

"The Committee on Education and Special Training of the War Department has decided to include as an integral part of the work of all members of the Students' Army Training Corps a course on the remote and immediate causes of the war and on the underlying conflict of points of view as expressed in the governments, philosophies and literature of the various States on both sides of the struggle. The purpose of this course is to enhance the morale of the members of the Corps by giving them an understanding of what the war is about and of the supreme importance to civilization of the cause for which we are fighting."

Provided this fundamental purpose be kept in mind, the colleges have wisely been left a large degree of latitude in organizing the course and planning for its work.

At Dartmouth, it has been decided to take up in the first term, a study of (1) Germany and (2) England, comparing these countries from the points of view of History, Government, Economics, Philosophy and Literature, and relating this comparative study at all points to the Issues of the War; and the work of the term began and will conclude with exercises intended to make clear the reasons for America's participation, and the conditions for a satisfactory peace. A similar plan, taking up other contrasting countries, will be followed in the other terms. Much use is made of the speeches and messages of President Wilson as part of the required readings for the men.

The course is being taken by 700 men and is conducted by about twenty instructors drafted from ten different departments. It is given on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, and the men are divided into twenty-five sections, except on lecture days (averaging about once a week), when they meet in two sections in A Dartmouth.

A special library has been installed in Tuck Hall for the use of the instruction staff and frequent staff conferences are held.

It is plain that the course is still an experiment; but the enthusiastic cooperation with which the drafted members of the faculty are taking up this new and largely unfamiliar work, at least gives promise of some measure of success and of approaching the ideal of the War Department, which is (to quote again from its bulletin), "to make the issues of the war a living reality to each man."

The committee having general supervision of the course consists of Profs. H. D. Foster (Chairman), F. H. Dixon and J. P. Richardson.

THE FIRST VOCATIONAL GROUP IN INSPECTION

THE LEDYARD BRIDGE RECEIVES A NEW FLOOR Vocational Military Training atDartmouth College.