THE R. O. T. C.

The question on the lips of everyone at the beginning of the second half-year will be, "What can I do to help my country in this crisis?" The last week must have impressed undergraduates with the seriousness of the problems confronting the Government and the immediate necessity of an adequate military power to enforce whatever policy this nation may pursue in the future. Now is not the time for indecision or the adoption of half-way measures. The University, with the aid of Captain Cordier, presents to Harvard men in the unit of the R. O. T. C. the best and most comprehensive method of answering this question. As the Regiment of last year trained raw recruits to be privates, so Military Science 1, which comprises the instruction of the unit will teach men to become officers. The work of the unit will mean serious attention to all requirements and it is not designed to give men a pleasant form of afternoon exercise. The course is intended to enable Harvard undergraduates to meet the responsibilities of citizenship at a time of national crisis in an intelligent and honorable manner.

The young men of the country are fast realizing the task before them. Princeton is forming a volunteer battalion, Yale has a unit of the R. O. T. C., and Cornell has already enrolled 2,000 students in its military department. Harvard men have never been slow in the past to see their duty, and they have never sidestepped The desire of every student to become an officer rests on the well-known fact that the first call for volunteers will create a need for many more commissioned men than exist at present. The quickest and most thorough way for anyone to obtain a reserve officer's commission is to enroll in the unit imediately and thereby realize his wish by September first or before. Many are questioning the advisability of obligating themselves for the summer camp. The practical drill that will be given in this manner must be had before any man could think of accepting the lowest commission. Should the present imminence of war disappear by June, no one who enrolls in the course now will be held to the obligation of attending any camps.

On investigation one course and only one course is open to all patriotic undergraduates. Military Science 1 should appear on every course card for the second half year.