REGISTRATION FIGURES.

The registration figures of the University published in this morning's CRIMSON furnish interesting reading for those who have been speculating as to the number of Harvard men engaged in the war. It is not surprising that the graduate schools have suffered the greatest decrease in attendance, since this group of students is composed entirely of men in the draft age, but a total decrease of 36 per cent. in the College is real proof of how the undergraduate is answering his country's call. The Senior, Junior, and Sophomore classes with their respective losses of 50, 44, and 30 per cent. reflects nothing but credit on the spirit of willingness to serve which was manifested in the University last year.

While in one sense we regret this general loss in attendance, we cannot help feeling proud in its deep significance. Out of all the statistics published there is only one item which we truly wish were different. That is the number of Freshmen entering College this year. The class of 1921 is smaller than last year's Freshman class by 145. With such men as President Wilson and Major-General Wood urging young men to return to their studies we had hoped that the class of 1921 would be the largest ever. We did not hope this so that the University merely might have greater numbers but rather that the University might have a greater number to instruct in serving the nation well.

Since 1921 is smaller and its responsibilities are greater than any other Freshman class, each member has a correspondingly larger personal responsibility. What it misses in numbers, it surely must have in collective capacity. There is always more potentiality in Freshmen than in the other groups of undergraduates. We not only expect but we are sure that 1921 will not disappoint the hope of all Harvard men--a hope that it may shed more honor on its guide than all preceding classes.