Photographers' Admission to Sever Quadrangle Intensifies F.D.R. Rumor

When the smoke clears from the Commencement Day ceremonies in Sever Quadrangle on June 19, history may have been made, President Roosevelt and Lord Halifax may both have attended the ceremonies and reaffirmed perhaps in a more active form, the unity of Britain and the United States in the present war.

In any case history will have been made for the University on that day, because for the first time in the course of 290 Commencement Days, photographers will be admitted to the hallowed precincts of Sever Quadrangle. On the surface there seems little connection, but certainly the fact that photographers will be admitted to the quadrangle implies that there will be something worth photographing, and also adds a little more weight to the rumor that President Roosevelt will be present at the exercises.

The rumor was first breached by the Christian Science Monitor when they ran a story which implied that Roosevelt's presence at the ceremonies was a certainty. As usual the University authorities and those who might be in the know were mum or retreated behind the stone wall of the phrase, "The University has no comment to make."

Release Is Special Announcement

Actually, precedent or no precedent, the announcement that photographers will be permitted to be present would be trivial enough under ordinary circumstances, and it would probably have been included in some general release about Commencement Day, but the release was issued separately, and must have followed on the heels of some information received by the University which made it obligatory that they admit photographers to the Quadrangle.

However, beyond this University announcement, there are accumulated indications which point to the fact that Roosevelt will be present.