GRADUS AD PARMASSUM
IN THIS ANNUAL "Undergraduate Issue" the editors present several contributions of a varied nature but all have in common the objective of giving alumni a sampling of undergraduate writing and comment. It is a custom of some years standing to devote several pages of one issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE every year to student work in writing, photography, art, or related activities. There have been published in past years, as we feel there are in this issue, some significant and entirely commendable efforts of undergraduates. Robert T. Keeler '36, who was awarded one of the coveted senior fellowships last spring and who later received the first award of the Class of 1926 Fellowship allowing him to spend a large part of the college year in Washington, contributes an article that is bound to give impetus to the very interesting movement of "Dartmouth in Politics" which has been gaining momentum in Hanover for the past two or three years. The statement is therein made by Mr. Keeler that Dartmouth is weak in public affairs, at least as compared to some of the great colleges and universities of the country whose distinction in the field of public service is quite marked.
IT SEEMS TO BE true, although this statement must be accepted as a generality, that great prominence in public life among the graduates of one college or another runs in cycles. For a period of years one hears much praise given to someone college for the fine record of achievement of its alumni in public life. In the days of Daniel Webster, Rufus Choate, Thaddeus Stevens, Salmon P. Chase, Amos Tuck, John Went- worth, and many others, it must have seemed during that period of several decades that Dartmouth was the major educational influence of the time, for the stimulation of interest in her alumni for careers in government service of one type or another was universally recognized.
For some years now there has been a growing and more articulate expression of interest among undergraduates and younger alumni for the provision of definite ways and means for making easier and more attractive the entrance of Dartmouth men into public life. Professors J. P. Richardson '99 and H. J. Tobin '17, among others, have taken the lead in sponsoring a well planned movement in this direction. Mr. Keeler's contribution in this issue gives the impressions of a member of the senior class on the situation in Washington in respect to the practical difficulties and opportunities which face the college man who wishes to make his career in this field of activity. As in many other projects of the College which have depended on alumni help and support for real achievement, in this case also the counsel and help of Dartmouth men will be essential if real progress toward the goal of greater prominence in public life is to be achieved by the college through the activity of its graduates.
PROFESSOR WEST has solicited opinions of undergraduates this month in presenting his section of book reviews. "Hanover Browsing" carries this month the recommendations of a number of students whose reading is recognized to be discriminating and a major factor in their college interests.
Several comments have come to the editors in connection with the list of recommended reading presented by various departments of the faculty in the March issue of the MAGAZINE. One reader, Mr. Leslie C. Dunn '15, feels that the policy of "a few books, recommended with enthusiasm by someone who really knew and liked them, would stand some chance of being read" is preferable to presenting a considerable number of titles, as was done last month. Mr. West and his collaborators on the faculty will be glad to follow the wishes of readers in presenting annually a compilation of the best reading in a variety of fields as viewed by members of the faculty. To THE DARTMOUTH PLAYERS must be given real commendation for their restraint in the statement of the handicaps and difficulties under which the organization is working. The review of dramatic activity for the year which is published in this issue does not dwell unduly on the inadequate facilities and equipment with which the Players and their audiences have to contend. It will be a happy day when a well equipped stage, a comfortable auditorium, adequate rehearsal rooms and scenery construction shops, are available for the Players.
As A SAMPLE of the exceptionally able photographic work of an undergraduate several "candid camera" pictures of members of the faculty and administration are published in this issue. The photographer, Philip Jacob '38, has become expert in the use of Leica camera equipment. Photographs snapped indoors and outdoors throughout the year are gradually building a collection of Dartmouth views and people that stand as an achievement to Mr. Jacob and that form a valuable addition to the College records.
A contributor of undergraduate verse in this issue is Samuel F. Morse '36 who holds a Senior Fellowship this year. Although he has spent much of his time in the preparation of a novel, he has kept up his interest in poetry and has contributed poems to several publications. His faculty tutors are Professors Stearns Morse, Sidney Cox, and Ramon Guthrie.
THE RETIRING EDITOR of the monthly section, "The Undergraduate Chair," W. J. Minsch Jr., presents this month his summary of undergraduate opinion and achievement during the past year. The account shows every evidence of original thinking and careful preparation. It is the culmination of a series of nine monthly papers that have seemed truly to reflect undergraduate attitudes. And yet the author has imparted his own flavor of independent appraisal to the direction taken by the currents of student life. Mr. Minsch is the son of W. J. Minsch '07 of New York City who is well known among alumni from his chairmanship of the Alumni Fund Committe some years ago and for the two terms which he served as
president of the Alumni Council. In announcing the incoming editor of the "Chair" we look forward to the monthly notes of Robert P. Fuller '37. "Whitey" Fuller has made a reputation for his sports and outing club columns in The Dartmouth. It will be a new venture for him to report to the alumni the activities of undergraduates in more academic pursuits. It will be pleasant to make his agreeable writing available for alumni reading.
IT WAS A PRIVILEGE to reprint in these pages a year ago the widely read article by Edward Tuck '62 on the subject of ' Stabilization by Specie Payments," a subject on which he is a world authority. This article had originally appeared in ScribnersMagazine and it was through the joint permission of the editors of Scribners and Mr. Tuck that the complete article was published in the magazine. It was his second description of the international monetary situation to appear in Scribners.
Mr. Tuck's advocacy of bimetallism has been no less ardent during the past year. His views on this much debated question have always commanded the attention o£ statesmen and financiers throughout the world. Once again he has appeared publicly as the champion of a bimetallic standard in a letter published in the February issue of "The British Bimetallist." This letter had originally been sent to Senator Thomas.
Mr. Tuck has never "pulled his punches" in stating his position on any matter of importance, and in pointing out, in this case, the fallacies of arguments supporting the single gold standard. It will be of interest to those who have followed the debates on this question to read one of the paragraphs of his letter which is concerned, at this point, with England's position on silver:
"The reason of this hostile official intervention and boycotting of Silver discussionby England is a supremely selfish one. During late years the Indian Government underEnglish control, has withdrawn from circulation to a great extent silver rupees, substituting for them its own notes, payable inrupees on demand. There have been inconsequence large accumulations of silverin the Indian Treasury, which the Government, instead of holding as a reserve for itsnotes, and against the strong and repeatedprotests of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has largelysold in the market for what the silver wouldbring, thus helping to depreciate the priceof the metal. This was the deliberate pur-pose of the English Government, for dirtcheap silver means dirt cheap wages for In-dian labour, as also for the Chinese, thusensuring fat dividends to the English fac-tories established on gold capital of lateyears in both countries, but at the sametime inflicting starvation and misery on theworking classes by the decreased purchas-ing power of their depreciated money forfood and raiment. These facts are wellestablished and commonly known, and theyexplain the hostility of the English to everypolicy that could raise the price of Silverand diminish or destroy their ill-gottengains. For this reason they have done allpossible to prejudice public opinion inAmerica as well as in England by claimingthat the recovery in the price of Silver wascausing the ruin of business in India andChina, when it is in reality only the defeatof their own monetary trickery and tyranny.It is absurd and idle to assert that an individual or a nation can be injured by thedoubling of the purchasing power of theirmoney. It is something else that is wrong."
IT is A SOURCE of gratification to Dartmouth men to see their much respected and admired Mr. Tuck continuing to take a prominent position in international affairs. The most recent reports from friends in France are that his health continues to be remarkably good. Although it has become more difficult for him to get around, there is no apparent difficulty in the impressive way in which his mental faculties operate. Mr. Tuck is indeed Dartmouth's
"Grand Old Man." He is the College's greatest benefactor, but the affection in which he is held by alumni springs from more intangible things than the great generosity which he has shown to Dartmouth. Years ago he became a great and inspiring living tradition of the College. He stands now, as for many years past, a tower of strength to Dartmouth.
THE DEATH OF LORD DARTMOUTH last month marks the passing of one of the College's most distinguished alumni. For, as some readers may not know, he did hold a degree from the College, having been awarded the honorary LL. D. at the time he laid the Dartmouth Hall cornerstone in 1904. The sixth Earl of Dartmouth maintained a closer connection with his namesake College in America than any of his family except perhaps the Second Earl, who gave his material support and spiritual blessing to Dr. Wheelock's School and for whom the School was subsequently named. President Hopkins has enjoyed several visits with the venerable head of the House of Legge and his correspondence with Lord Dartmouth has been rather constant throughout the years. Quite recently Lord Dartmouth sent a note to the President accompanying a newspaper interview which the local paper in Wolverhampton had featured in its pages. In addition to giving some idea of the rare charm of this'delightful English gentleman, the interviewer reported some of the homemade verses in the composition of which Lord Dartmouth had amused himself. Here are one or two:
"Folks laugh at the unnecessary troublepeople take,For fortune is not regulated by the fuss wemake;I don't advise indifference, but this Imean to say,That it's just as well to take things in aquiet sort of way.""We cannot all be Graces, that's clear toevery eye;We cannot reach the mater's skill, no matter how we try;Our wicket falls, as wickets will, howeverwell we play.So we leave our fallen wickets in a graceful sort of way."
Cricket, as may be seen from the second of the stanzas quoted above, was one of Lord Dartmouth's best loved hobbies. He lived a remarkably full life and up to the very last of his 84 years his home was always open to visitors with a Dartmouth affiliation. In paying the respect and homage to his memory which we do in behalf of Dartmouth men, we extend our compliments to his son, the Seventh Earl of Dartmouth, in his succession to the title and express the hope that his ties with Dartmouth in America may be as close and cordial as were his father's.
ALUMNI WILL SHORTLY receive the final L and complete report of the 1935 Alumni Fund campaign. This will be the immediate forerunner of the opening announcement of the drive for this year.
It was an excellent record which the Fund made last spring when nearly 7,000 Dartmouth men sent contributions to the College through the channels of the Alumni Fund Committee which is charged with the operation of the annual campaign in behalf of the Alumni Council. The greater participation of members of the younger classes in the Fund campaign last year leads to the hope that this will be continued in the weeks ahead and that by June go old records will be broken and the total number of contributors will be well in excess of last year. It has been emphasized over and over again by that capable and hardworking group of class officers— the class agents—that all gifts to the Fund are welcome, no matter how small they may seem to the donors to be. It is to the credit of the Fund Committee that there has never been any general emphasis on the amount of the individual gift as compared to the emphasis which is attached to the number of gifts.
Once again this great enterprise for the College gets under way, only waiting for greater achievements on the response of those who will shorflv railed to its SUp" port.
Liiea to i -THE EDITOR.
