"WATCHFUL WAITING."

In the week since the opening of the Spring Recess, the Mexican policy of "watchful waiting" has been abandoned by the administration at Washington, and today the United States is to all intents and purposes at war.

The people of the country do not want Mexico, which would mean years of guerilla fighting and worry. Neither do they want war. In the present imperfect state of civilization, however, war is at times a necessity; the progress of universal peace has been and will be infinitely slow. And when the United States is responsible not only for its own interests, but, through the Monroe Doctrine, for the interests of other nations among a people, disorganized and semi-barbarous, as the Mexicans, war may become inevitable. The Administration can afford a certain amount of ridicule from foreign state departments, if it can avoid war honorably; but it cannot neglect its obligations. If it is forced by these obligations to a war, however unwelcome, however wasteful from a Utopian viewpoint; and requires volunteers to carry on this war, the universities--peace advocates, disbelievers in the Administration and all--should answer the call. That fine phrase of old-school patriotism: "Right or wrong, my country", is as true now as always.

But the present trouble with Mexico has not yet assumed sufficient proportions to require forces in excess of the regular army and navy. With the whole country decrying war, with Huerta none too anxious for it, and with three Latin-American republics mediating for peace, there is every possibility that it will not assume such proportions. Members of a number of colleges have turned out in demonstrations which are after all but the trappings of loyalty. To be swept by the whirlwind of excitement and eagerness into action, is not necessarily the highest patriotism, if the action is to be so much wasted effort. To keep to the field of study which is the undergraduate's in the present distribution of labor, and let the regular army do the work in its field--that of fighting--until the field becomes too large for it, is a far saner and none the less patriotic attitude. "Watchful Waiting" has not proved too successful in Washington but it is a catchword that may well be adopted at Harvard. The course should be: for the present keep cool; for the future, watch the situation; and when there is need, serve.