With almost two months of Varsity swimming practice behind him, Coach Harold M. Ulen peered ponsively yesterday through one of the glass panels of his pool office, apparently seeing beyond not only the eager Thanksgiving morning turnouts but the outcome of "the toughest schedule we've ever had."

Remarked Ulen, pointing toward the pool. "We've got a lot of good follows out, but the catch is that they're mostly all pretty young and inexperienced," he said he could promise a top notch squad, but only at the end of the season.

So time, as well as such formidable aquatic units as Army, Navy, Yale, and Dartmouth, seems to be lining up against Ulen. His last formal campaign was in 1941, and consisted of one meet against M.I.T. Last year no distinctions were drawn between a Varsity team composed of Freshman class members, who were collectively booked against both Exeter and Andover. "Big time competition," as the coach put it, is new to most of his aspirants.

The G.I. Bill has been kind to Ulen, but even kinder to Dartmouth, who can almost certainly boast in Erstock an Ivy League breast stroke champ, and to Yale in supplying Edward Heuber, and Intercollegiate pace-setter, who in October stopped the watch at 51.7 seconds for the hundred freestyle.

Jerry Gorman, 220 and hundred yard man for one meet against Brown before his departure for the stormier waters of Great Lakes, is one outstanding returnee from last year on whom Ulen leans heavily. Forbes Norris looms as the leading contender for the distance pulls, with National competition in the 1500 meter event under his belt. Paired with Gorman, and keeping him company all the way, Ulen hopes, will probably be John Watkins, an ex-trooper of the 82nd Airborne. Bob Snow, who took over Gorman's chores last year, will probably supply depth in the 220.

Key factor in the case of the backstroking staff is whether Dave Murray, outstanding member, will graduate in February. "To lose him," the coach considers, "would be like starting football without Gannon." A versatile fellow with landlubber abilities, Murray holds the national record in the Javelin throw with 210 feet. In the meantime Bob Barnard is sure to see backstroking duties.

Breast stroker Chuck Hoelzer will be able to give any opposition a battle and makes up a formidable event, paired as he is with Walt Lagarenne. Other promising freestylers are Milt Buzby, Bob Goodspeed, who was here in 1943, Norman Watkins, and Steven Wise.

Bernie Kelly, the mentor of the diving division, is highly pleased with the way Tom Drohan is working out on both the high and low boards. Another February mystery, this time on the positive side of the ledge, appears in the case of Pete Steffens. The son of the famous journalist is now in Greece, but expects to get back to the Indoor Athletic Building in time for some aquatic action.

The stopwatch has not been brought into use yet, but daily Individual progress is apparent. Whenever things start looking overly bright, however, Coach Ulen, pulls himself up with sobering thoughts of Athletic Director Bop Kiphuth's powerhouse down in New Haven. By a combination of committee rulings on old unofficial records and some fast driving, Al Stack, Paul Girdes, and Heuber of Yale now possess the Olympic championship record in the medley relay.

"Michigan is certainly going to do something about that when they hear of it," Ulen smiled. But the question really bothering him is whether Harvard can do anything about it.