Nashville Delegation Reduced

Word has been received at Phillips Brooks House that the response to the invitation to all the colleges and universities of the United States and Canada to send representatives to the international convention of the Student Volunteer Movement at Nashville has been so much beyond expectation that the number who wish to go is greatly in excess of the number who can be accommodated in the convention auditorium, or entertained at Nashville. On February 14, the last day for receiving applications, it was found that over 600 institutions had responded, and more than 1500 students had applied to go, in excess of the 3000 who can be admitted to the sessions and housed at Nashville. Accordingly, the managers of the convention have been forced to cut down by one-third the number of delegates from all colleges before entitled to more than two, so that Harvard will now be allowed to send only 32, instead of 48 men.

In consequence of this action, the committee of the Harvard Mission which has the trip in charge has selected from the men who had applied or been asked to attend the convention, and had been granted leave of absence by the Office, 32 regular delegates; and designated the remaining men as alternates, numbered from 1 upward. The selection was made on the basis of the following considerations; all student volunteers, that is men who have offered to go out as foreign missionaries, were included; and among the remaining men preference was given, first to men who have been active in the undertakings of the Harvard Mission, second to underclassmen, whose longer term of residence will give them greater chance of usefulness to future undertakings of this sort in the University.

All delegates, both principals and alternates, were notified of their exact status by mail yesterday.

The delegation will start for Neshville at 3 o'clock next Saturday afternoon.