Letters

Liberty Veterans

To THE EDITOR: Permit me to offer my congratulations to you and the ALUMNI MAGAZINE staff for the herculean task of compiling a Dartmouth War Directory of the many thousands of alumni that are serving in the armed forces and otherwise engaged in government war work. I am sure you will not be surprised, and should certainly not be aggrieved, to learn that you have overlooked a few famous Dartmouth men.

Inasmuch as many of these eminent gentlemen are now engaged in their second and possibly third campaigns in behalf of their country's welfare, I believe it is only proper to call this oversight to your attention. I only regret that my list in itself is not complete but is based on records compiled early this year. No doubt there have been additions since then.

I refer in particular to those Dartmouth men who are now plying the seven seas in the reincarnated form of Liberty Ships. Included in this heroic work are Eleazar Wheelock, Samson Occom, Levi Woodbury, 1809, Daniel Webster, 1801, Richard Hovey, 1885, William Eaton, 1790, Salmon P. Chase, 1826, and Redfield Proctor, 1851.

Although it cannot yet be told, I know that some of these "old campaigners" have recently participated in some daring exploits, and when their praises can be sung we will have further proof that the granite of New Hampshire was made part of them even after death called them from this mortal coil.

Hanover, N. H.

We are indebted to Mr. Marx for the above information about the naming of several Liberty Ships for famous Dartmouth men. Mr. Marx has returned to Hanover, teaching in the Department of Economics, after a leave of absence during which he served with the War Shipping Administration in Washington. The "S.S. Samson Occom" was launched at Wilmington, Cal., last month, most recent newcomer to the line Of stalwart ships carrying noted Dartmouth names—ED.

In Tribute

To THE EDITOR Today the June issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE reached me, and I can't possibly say how much I enjoyed it. Since I left the States several months ago, I haven't seen a single Dartmouth man although I hear that Corporal Sid Bull '41 and Corporal Bud Johnson '43 are here in the E.T.O. Perhaps some day a few of the sons of Dartmouth can have a reunion in London.

The point I wish to stress is that even though I've never met any of the fellows mentioned in the various articles, I received great pleasure in reading about them. I suppose that is what is meant when men speak of the feeling of "brotherhood." Dartmouth is doing its duty in this war and doing it beautifully. I'm sure that no one is more proud of it than I—insignificant as I am.

Words fail me—the ALUMNI MAGAZINE is magnificent.

Somewhere in Britain

One Man Revolution

To THE EDITOR: The clock between the great numerals seventeen and eighty-four stands at seventeen minutes past one in the picture of Dartmouth Hall, clipped from an ALUMNI MAGAZINE cover, that is hung in my office at Fort Knox. It is spring in the picture, for two of the men on the Dartmouth steps carry Senior canes. They have just heard the change rung on the Baker bells and in a few minutes more they will saunter upstairs to get to their seats just as the college bell goes bong-bong in its memorable "You are late to class, young man," tone.

I suppose that nowadays they call afternoon classes thirteen-fifteens instead of one-fifteens, and I suppose that's all right. The clock still stands at seventeen minutes past one. The May sun still gleams from bare branches, and Dartmouth Hall is still the most beautiful building I have ever seen.

It is reassuring to get reports from Hanover that the college is not going completely off the deep end, not forgetting that even in time of war Dartmouth's job is to give boys the chance to become men, Dartmouth Men, men fit to fight not only for survival but to make their lives worth surviving for. Robert Frost's coming to Dartmouth at this time indicates that we, and our President, are aware that the foremost contemporary man of letters may be able to contribute at least as much to the College's job as can the expositors of Tactics and Gunnery, which is no small awareness.

Dartmouth faces the task that she has faced, more often than not, with courage and comprehension for 174 years. It is the task that America faces today, perhaps in clearer perspective than ordinarily for the jolt that war has given our vision of America, the task of realizing the dream of an American citizenship of competent men. We know that the realization can be achieved only through each individual's determination to stand for what he stands, to learn himself, and to express that self in every action, every desire, every word.

Robert Frost says, "I bid you to the One Man Reyolulion, the only revolution that is coming." I am glad that he is now bringing his revolution to Hanover. I am glad that Dartmouth values him highly enough so that he is permitted freedom to arrange his materials and his relationships with students by himself. I envy the boys who will know Frost while they are going through the stage of becoming men. I knew men at Dartmouth who meant more to me, in my separate job of shaping my one man revolution, than any amount or kind of book-learning or of the process of bumping around through events that we call "experience" can ever mean. Now Dartmouth men can know, too, another man, One as wise as any alive.

Fort Knox, Ky.

Tribute to Poet

To THE EDITOR: The best news I've heard about the College since returning, outside of the fact that it's still up there, is that Robert Frost has joined. He honors us by coming. And it's good to see the College , hiring a poet in the middle of the war.

Efficiency is not enough, even in wartime— especially in wartime; and the best living American poet will have something to say about man and the world that even the best courses in logistics or naval tradition probably don't include. Mr. Frost may never mention the fighting in his seminars, but I envy the sailors their chance to sit down occasionally with him and find out something, indirectly and ironically suggested most likely, about the why of the war. One who has written so truly of America and human beings can tell them—although he probably wouldn't admit to knowing much about it. The man will not be stampeded, on the war or on anything else; nor will he sell the human race short.

The rest of us, away from Hanover, can hope that he will write, some day, some of the things he hears and says and thinks. That will be a good history of the war.

Lieutenant, late 60th Rifles.

New York, N. Y

"Freedom From Want"

To THE EDITOR: We wish to lodge a strong and lusty protest against your editorial, entitled, "That Fourth Freedom," in the May issue of the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE. In the first place, the editorial seems to have been written without even so much as a cursory glance at the four freedoms as expressed by President Roosevelt in his address proclaiming a national emergency, May 27, 1941. For your information, the four freedoms are, "freedom of speech and expression, freedom of every person to worship God in his own way, freedom from want, freedom from fear." Your interpretation of the fourth freedom as freedom from fear of want is obviously redundant and evidence of your confusion. We had been under the impression that freedom from fear meant freedom from fear of terrorism, militarism, dictatorship, and war; the freedom of small peoples everywhere from fear for their personal and national independence.

It was your interpretation and attitude regarding freedom from want, however, rather than your lack of academic acquaintance with the four freedoms, which surprised and shocked us. We had felt and we shall continue to feel that we are fighting for a brighter world, a more civilized world. But your editorial would have us believe that we are to return by choice to a world of unemployment, bread lines and dog-eat-dog human relations. We cannot conceive of want as being a good or a blessing. It is, to our way of thinking, an unmitigated evil and a burden to our economy, ft is a recognized economic principle that destitute people or destitute sections of the country are a drag on the standard of living of the entire country and on every individual in it.

Regarding your thesis that want is a blessing in disguise in that it acts as a powerful stimulus to those who might otherwise be indolent and lazy, we submit the following questions, the answers of which should be self-evident. How much of a hindrance to one's ambition and incentive is the assurance that, in case of unemployment, usually involuntary, a sum barely enough to feed an average family will be forthcoming for a short period ? Must we assume that the average Dartmouth man, who has never known want or the fear of starvation and whose personal allowance often exceeds the maximum payment under any proposed social security plan, is necessarily lacking in ambition or incentive? Would anyone claim that the period 1929-1933 was a stimulating period in our national history, when want and privation were mounting at a rapid rate ?

The pages of history will confirm our conviction that this country was built by more than the desire of individuals for security and a suitable bank account. We believe that the presence of want is a debilitating, enervating force, especially when uncontrolled, rather than "the inexorable spur to thrift and endeavor, without which mankind might easily become indifferent and lazy," as you believe. We hold that this country was not built upon fear or want or a search for security, but rather on confidence and faith in the future. In fact, history will verify that the great thinkers, the great doers of our country have been those who have been relatively secure from want or 'fear in their personal lives. We believe that the future of our country will depend upon the faith and confidence of its citizens, not fear.

Your discussion of the pros and cons of social security and the place of want in our national psychology, however, appears to _be relatively unimportant at this time when there are so many larger, more vital issues to be settled, issues which if settled will make social security relatively unimportant. We must go farther and deeper than the problem of how much is to be paid to the destitute to prevent their starvation. Your editorial gave a superficial, unconstructive emphasis to the evidences of our economic ills rather than pointing out the basic problems which face our country now and in the future.

The problem as we see it is how to strengthen and vitalize our economic system so that mass unemployment and periodic financial debacles do not occur. This is the challenge which must be met by the planners of the business world or by the planners of the government or, more logically, by both, working in harmony. If we fail, new and far-reaching changes will be made in our economic and political systems. This is as inevitable as the rise and fall of the sun. The appreciation and recognition of the dynamics of a changing world might be "the inexorable spur" to initiative and ambition for which you are seeking.

You are looking back to the days of unequalled opportunities, unbounded resources, and an advancing frontier. We are looking ahead to a world just as full of opportunity, but it will be a different world from that of a hundred years ago. We cannot look back at the past three hundred years and say of any one period, "That's the way we want things to be." We must learn to change or die. This is not scatter-brained idealism, but cold, practical realism. For regardless of how you or we feel about social security and the advantage or disadvantage of, "freedom from want," the people of this country or any country will not' countenance, will not stand for, widespread want and unemployment, nor will they endure unreasonable economic oppression.

We regret that this editorial has been included in a magazine which means so much to all of us, a magazine which should bear words of encouragement and confidence to those who are sacrificing so much for our future, a magaine read by thousands of fighting men all over the world. We do not wish to fool ourselves or look at the post-war world through rose-colored glasses, but we can face squarely the basic issues which will confront us with a modicum of hope and confidence. May God protect our world if the hope and confidence of our generation is broken.

Washington, D. C.

Bravo, Corey!

DEAR MR. FORD:

During the past year I have become reconciled with some difficulty to being known as a member of the class of 1946 at Mount Holyoke College. I gave up for lost my efforts and my hopes that my name might be linked eternally with Dartmouth College. I had written to the classes (ranging from '82 to '24) of each of my eight Dartmouth relatives, and had received from each a woefully discouraging reply. Even my uncle, Dean Strong who, I am told, decides with the stroke of a pen the future of every would-be Dartmouther, deemed my case unworthy of his influence.

Picture, then, my delight at opening the June issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE and discovering that you had organized the class of 19—. Even more encouraging was the precedent-shattering election of Freshman Briggs to membership. I read eagerly the account of his induction, and demanded that all back numbers of the MAGAZINE which I had missed be produced so that I might learn the earlier history of the class. I was informed that they repose on the shelves of other Newtonville Dartmouth-rooters, and was forced to content myself with the notes in the late issue. I should like to present myself as a prospective member of the class. Should my sex be considered a drawback, I submit that my admission might demonstrate the cooperation and good-will which exists here as it does between the various branches of the armed forces. As for class dues, I can't say how much of an asset I would be on that score, and I trust that no enrollment fee is required. I will gladly supply any further information that is needed.

I hope, Mr. Ford, that the Nominating Committee will present my name to the assembly. I can't promise to be present at all the class meetings. Buggsie Ford may be able to fare forth at intervals from the alcoholic ward, but the Village of South Hadley isn't as liberal in granting paroles. However, since it would seem highly advisable that elections and decisions be unanimous, perhaps it could be arranged. With deepest hope that my application will be considered, I am

Newtonville, Mass.

DEAR MISS LOUNSBERRY: Your letter of application has been received and duly considered by a nominating committee of the class of , and I regret to tell you that the blackball was unanimous. Our class has confessed to such sins as larceny, arson, and acute alcoholism, but at least we have never been guilty of co-education.

I am afraid my only solution is to suggest that you found a class of your own.

New York City

Our Debt

To THE EDITOR: May I express my disapproval of one of the arguments of the author of the recent Alumni Fund pamphlet entitled, "A Part in Something that Shall Endure"?

The reasoning that Dartmouth alumni should contribute to the College in a time of crisis because of a "deeply buried instinct for immortality" that might be satisfied through the medium of the College seems selfish and trivial compared to a far stronger argument we are all acquainted with.

As Dartmouth alumni we should support the College because of our debt to it as individuals and as members of society, for what it has given to us in the past and for what it must continue to give to others like us in the future.

Philadelphia, Pa.