The latest flower to blossom in Harvard's literary hothouse is more closely related to the political pamphlet than to the literary magazine. Harvard should have at least one frankly political publication. There is talent to spare to put it out, and there is an open field for such a magazine. But in order to satisfy the need of the College community, the magazine should analyze, marshall, and present the arguments for various political beliefs before it reaches its conclusions. It may and should be partisan; but it should explain the reasons for its stand if it expects to carry any weight. The first issue of the "New Student" is not such a magazine.

Designed as an organ of AYD, the "New Student" offers a heterogeneous collection of poems, articles, and a story. The poems leave much to be desired artistically; the articles tend to exaggerate the influence of AYD in the episodes that are described; and the story is evidently intended to carry some message of social significance. Just what the message may be is a matter for speculation.

The most outstanding feature of the magazine is its makeup-clean and bold. Its simplicity provides an attractive setting within which to display the contents. The tone of the articles is openly crusading. One side is right, the other wrong. Everything is made very simple. Roosevelt, Wallace, and the AYD are the heroes; anyone who is on the other side is a villain.

Such an approach may be soul-satisfying to the magazine's sponsors; but it is doubtful if it will attract any readers who do not already agree with the premises assumed by the AYD. Geoff White and Bill Labov in their misleading account of the Club 100 incident of last year go out of their way to take a slap at clubmen: "The club men form a very definite class of dwindling importance at Harvard, who only occasionally come out of their isolated routine to demonstrate their vicious and decayed mentalities." This same article demonstrates the authors' impatience and scorn for any methods of reform which do not embody publicity, action, and conflict. Their abhorrence of "evil" is admirable; but the emphasis on "direct action" leads to the suspicion that AYDers are not such masters of practical politics as is implied by the editorial in the "New Student."

NSA and IUS are given a considerable amount of attention. Little is added to what has already appeared in various other college publications, save for the revelation of the activity of Michigan industrialists who were "observers" at the Madison convention of NSA.

The most objective, timely, and well considered article in the magazine is a discussion of academic freedom by Lyman Bradley, one-time head of the German department at NYU until his work on the Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee resulted in a contempt citation by the Un-American Activities Committee. W.P.