"POOR PRINCETON"?

The "Princetonian" is, to put it mildly, a bit wrought up over an editorial, in the Philadelphia "Public Ledger", based upon a misconstruing of President Hibben's letter to parents in regard to students in college having automobiles. This letter was recently published in some of the daily papers. The interpretation put upon it by the "Ledger's" editorial writer is somewhat amusing. Among other things Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler's recent statement that "the youth of America have come to regard a college term as a period of luxurious idleness and case in an exclusive country club" is brought in to an article dealing with Princeton. Naturally, Princeton resents the implication.

The editorial goes on to say that President Hibben is losing patience with the undergraduate "whose costly and conspicuous machines are one of the sights of Princeton". "It is reminiscent," continues the "Ledger", "of the war waged over the dining clubs in Woodrow Wilson's day a war that was won by the advocates of privilege, leisure, and exclusiveness. . . ." The fault--if fault there is in an undergraduate's possessing a car at college--is justly put at the feet of the parents; but then the whole effect is weakened by an admission that the author of the "Ledger" "ed" takes that premiere of American Literature, F. S. Fitzgerald, as a true interpreter of what collegiate automobile driving incurs. This leads the Princeton daily to call "This Side of Paradise" a "dubious masterpiece" and, affectionately calling its author "Scotty", gently to insinuate that it holds not true interpretation of college life in general, much less of Princeton in particular.

For the innocent bystander this controversy has its amusing aspect. And yet we cannot help feeling that misinterpretation is the possible fate of any information given to the press. President Hibben might have expected this as a result of the publication of the letter which was sent to all parents of Princeton men. Perhaps the fact that the papers got hold of it during his absence from Princeton indicates that its publication was the act of a minor official.