Western Reserve has announced a decision which may point the way to a precedent in American academic life far broader than any the university had in mind in passing its present resolve. As the order stands it is only designed to exclude from the university's college of arts and sciences all aliens of military age who claim exemption from military service on account of their alien status, and who have not applied for naturalization. As such, the faculty's action is purely a war measure, and even so is a matter of merit.

As an enunciation of the general principle that those who refuse to share in America's responsibilities should be denied the receipt of America's privileges, this declaration by Western Reserve is fraught, however, with a still more important suggestiveness for the future. Why should it not become a fixed custom among all America's colleges to refuse admission to aliens who have not put themselves in the way of becoming American citizens? Cordial exceptions would certainly have to be established for foreign students coming to this country only to study and not for permanent residence. But in the case of all those, born outside of the United States, who have attained the age and qualifications entitling them to undertake work in our higher institutions of learning, and who have yet given no sign of intending to become American citizens, the colleges might well raise bars of exclusion.

This would be of at least appreciable help in the campaign to Americanize America, which we have so long neglected, but which we see now is most urgent. In the fact that a man is an American college graduate is not to be taken as incontestable evidence that he is also an American citizen, then we have little upon which we can come to sure anchor. --Boston Transcript.