(The Crimson invites all men in the University to submit signed communications of timely interest. It assumes no responsibility, however, for sentiments expressed under this head and reserves the right to exclude any whose publication would be palpably inappropriate.)

To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

There are probably many students who will support the contentions made by Mr. La Farge in his article in the current "Advocate", but if one were to proclaim the failure of the modern language requirements the chorus would be unanimous. With probably more men on probation this year than ever before, merely through failure to fulfil these requirements, there is ample food for reflection and trepidation among those who must satisfy these rules by June. And this is especially so since the experience of the Junior class has shown that fair scholarship seems to furnish no immunity from failure in this respect.

That it is not wholly the fault of the student is obvious since this is the one requirement for a degree which seems to present difficulties to the student. Moreover, it is quite safe to say that comparatively few men have found the trouble to be with the French requirement. The problem then resolves itself into this: there is some trouble with the German language or with the German Department and the theory that the language is at fault is quite untenable. The blame can then be laid at the door of the German Department, and, more definitely, some of its errors are quite evident to most undergraduates.

In the first place, it does not assume the right attitude towards the student. Proverbially one can catch more flies, with honey than with molasses and the secret of getting results from the student certainly does not lie in antagonizing him. Even the placard announcing the first meeting of German A fairly breathed forth animosity, proclaiming as it did that students not attending this meeting "must be prepared to be assigned to sections less convenient to them." Moreover there are two glaring faults in the manner of conducting the course. It is reasonably poor psychology to reassign sections on the beginning of the second term according to the grades men have received in the mid-year examination. And, secondly, what possible benefit can accrue to the student from rushing through a very dull grammer "allegra furioso" and then repeating the performance at a still madder pace? Any student who has "flunked" German A will assure you that the undergraduate would learn far more if the grammar were gone through only once but more slowly and thoroughly. If more drilling in grammar is then needed it can be obtained by study of the texts used or by further competition.

And last, as to the examinations for Elementary and Reading Knowledge of German; they are of almost equal difficulty and men who have creditably passed such courses as German 1a have frequently failed in the examination of Reading Knowledge. The secret of the trouble with Modern Language Requirements lies with the German Department. ADRINN GAMBRT '25 November 1, 1922.