Reports that the Dartmouth Winter Carnival, now in progress at Hanover, N. H., will be a dry affair this year were confirmed last night when it was learned that the Dartmouth Outing Club which runs the annual affair had lost its permit to serve liquor.

The permit, which, according to New Hampshire law must be "conspicuously displayed" in order to make the serving of alcoholic beverages legal, disappeared from the Club's quarters and its absence was not noticed until last night.

Approximately three quarters of the students will be affected by the loss since that is the percentage belonging to the organization.

Freshmen Search for Permit

The entire Freshman class was pressed into service last night to search for the missing document, according to a spokesman for the Outing Club. He did not say what steps would be taken to legalize drinking if it could not be found.

The Club was founded in 1911 to provide a mid-winter relaxation period for Dartmouth students, and almost its sole function is the running of the celebrated Winter Carnival. J. Wilcox Brown, its General Manager, could not be reached last night for comment.

No halt was called to the merry-making on account of the legal drought, however, and the fraternity dances went on as scheduled.

The Hanover police department appeared disposed to be lenient in their interpretation of the law. Police Chief Dennis J. Halissey said that as far as he knew "there are no special drinking regulations. I am leaving it to the Dean of the College to enforce student restrictions."

The Outing Club, however, transferred its activities to an "outdoor evening" on Hilton Field which was attended by more than a thousand people, with skating and skiing on the program.

A spectacular touch was added to yesterday's fun-making when one thousand students donned skis and acted as extras in a mass skiing scene which was filmed by Hollywood cameramen as a background for a movie about the carnival which Walter Wanger (Dartmouth '11) is making. The scenario was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Bud Schulburg, both graduates.