COMMENT

The undergraduate conference on armament limitation which has opened at Princeton with delegates from many different universities and colleges may if its delegations are truly representative, go far toward arousing intelligent discussion of the Washington conference in the universities.

It was unfortunately true before the war that the percentage of students interested in public affairs was low in nearly all colleges and that more often than not the element that talked loudest and therefore got control of college political or international clubs was the least representative.

The war did much to change this: but with the passing of the last wartime students there has been a deplorable reaction, especially noticeable among the elements most prominent in athletic and other undergraduate leadership of the colleges. The war is over. Politics grows less interesting as it departs from class and college issues, and by the time it has reached world affairs it is anathema. The sporting page of the newspapers has ten readers for every one of the first page. A murder case is much more discussed than even the pictures ue gyrations of General Dawes.

In view of this reaction it is particularly interesting to see that one college, Harvard, has sent to the Princeton conference the presidents of the CRIMSON, the University daily newspaper, and of "The Advocate," the leading monthly magazine. As a rule the men who attain these positions are leaders in their class and are representative of the best elements in the college. But perhaps as interesting as this is the fact that this delegation goes with a program that is at the same time sane and optimistic.

The following are Harvard's five points:

"(1) That there be an agreement between the parties to the conference that no new naval construction of any kind will be undertaken during a period of five years.

"(2) That at the end of that five years the navies of all nations will be reduced to at least half their present size.

"(3) That at the end of five years a conference of all nations shall be called to consider a further limiation of armaments.

"(4) That the American delegation will use its influence to effect an agreement for the territorial integrity and political independence of China.

"(5) That the delegation will use its influence to effect an agreement for the maintenance of the policy of the open door."

As a basis of discussion this program, as much as any other, seems worthy of consideration. --New York Tribune.   October 27, 1921.