HARVARD PUBLICITY

The opening of the first two House Plan units, which marks the most radical change of structure that Harvard College has undergone in recent years, appropriately coincides with what may be an equally radical change of attitude in the Administration. For the first time in twenty-one years President Lowell has granted a public interview to newspaper men. Whether this much desired departure from tradition is to be only an Isolated exception, or whether it indicaton a definite change of policy, remains yet to be seen.

The various difficulties and misunderstandings that Harvard, in the past, has had with the public press have largely been traceable to the lack of adequately intelligent handling of college news. This policy of aloof secretiveness was formed long ago the purpose of avoiding cheap publicity and misrepresentation, but the general public has long since spilt into two groups, those desiring sensational journalism, and those intelligently interested in the news. Publicity with the former class is hardly to be desired, but the latter is too valuable an ally to be continuously offended and ignored.

It is to be hoped that President Lowell's interview with representatives of the Boston and New York papers shows that this fact has been at last realized. The results have been, not the much dreaded "publicity" and "sensationalism", but, rather, accurate and sympathetic accounts of the organization and aims of the House Plan in all the better New York and Boston papers. This would seem to show that the newspapers are more than willing to meet Harvard halfway in getting its news before the public in a dignified and adequate fashion, if only given half a chance.