Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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HALCYON first, from being obliged to lower their standards of scholarship and character, and sec- ond, from sudden discontinuance of income upon demobilization. President Swain has drawn our attention to the absence of the former condition at Swarthmore; and these ele- ments being interdependent, the latter detriment was evidently negligible. Finally, as for those persons who decried the establishment of the military unit at Swarthmore, let us refer to our opening words, with this much in addition, — that while the Stars and Stripes, float- ing over Parrish Hall during that period of three months, designated Swarthmore College as a military post, those colors still may wave emblematic of the service rendered, while beneath that flag there exists a College mind no less loyal to traditional origin, and cer- tainly invigorated and refreshed by this serviceable deviation from patriarchal precedent. I z D Z D 24

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A- A- THE S. A. T. G. I z D A RAISON D ' ETRE 4 HOUGH to turn aside from the course dictated by the convictions of con- M I science be to jeopardize the stronghold in which those beHefs have been cher- y ished, yet the unselfishness, the freedom from bias or narrow sectarianism which such action reveals, recommend those who commit themselves to the change as wholly commendable and praiseworthy before the world, — m truth more to be respected than those v ' ho, unswerving, resist every departure from the exercise of their time-honored doctrines. Swarthmore College came to feel that the exigency of the military situation in which the United States was involved called upon her for an emergency measure. It was no longer time for the ordinary pursuit of a peace program. The time was ripe for sacrifice, for departure from principle, even, in order better to ser ve. Such was her state of mind when approached by the Government with a proposal to establish a unit of the Students Army Training Corps at Swarthmore. And in such a state of mind, supported by a con- cert of alumni and undergraduate opinion, the College opened her doors to Uncle Sam and set about assisting the military representatives in the establishment of the new order. Now that the emergency is past, we are competent to look back upon the military regime with an unclouded vision, and estimate the extent of its success. The life of a sol- dier — on this side of the firing line, at least — is everywhere hailed as a healthy and robust existence, affording excellent opportunity for physical betterment. So it was found at Swarthmore. The prescribed exercise, the regular hours of eating and sleeping, and the disciphnary training of the army, livened many a step, broadened many a pair of shoul- ders, and made many a sluggard a true, trim soldier. But apart from the value of the S. A. T. C. to the men in its ranks, the organization made a considerable contribution toward the potential fighting power of the country. None of the members of the Swarthmore unit were sent overseas ; only a few were ordered to officers training camps; but many, at the time orders for demobiliziation came through, had been recommended for such transfer. In a short time, probably by the end of January, the original membership of the Swarthmore unit would have been exhausted by departure of the candidate-officers to training camps of the various branches of the service. In this respect, then, the S. A. T. C. at Swarthmore made an essential contribution to the War Department ' s officers training program. The remaining consideration has to do with the material effect of the S. A. T. C. upon the College. Many institutions which supported units of the S. A. T. C. suffered 1 I Z D

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-A-- I z The Halcyon Photoplay Company in rii st Fresentation of Bb t5.:3V.O.(L.a5lt:aea-lr Jl as Genesis : In the beginning. Uncle Sam created the S. A. T. C, £« ancJ some neutral non-combatants. out of men from all parts of the country, even including a few gobs I z D 25