Why should the personnel be so weak? Harvard has as large a student body to draw from as most of its rivals. Its academic standards are substantially the same as those of Yale and Princeton. Its financial standing and academic position should rebound to Harvard's advantage.

Yet a glance at future schedules and future squads makes it look as though this season's fiasco will be the pattern for several years to come. Someone is to blame, and it isn't the law of averages. It is the alumni.

The Paunch and Flash Experts

These distinguished members of the company of educated men feel that their Harvard diplomas qualify them as expert football critics. Consequently they come with a flask on Saturday afternoons and spend two hours impressing their wives by second-guessing the quarterback. Then they go to a cocktail party and slander the coach. Then they go home and sleep it off. And that's all.

Yet they expect Harvard to go out and beat Dartmouth, Yale, and Princeton, all of whom have vigorous alumni who do more than talk.

A simple perusal of squad lists will reveal some significant facts about Harvard in relation to its three biggest rivals. In the first place, the sons of the old grads aren't staffing Crimson football teams any more. On this year's squad seven men on the first three teams are prep school graduates, although 40 percent of the college is still composed of private school students.

You can't assail any individual or group for not choosing to play football, but nevertheless this points up the fact that the College's already seant supply of material is further reduced by the progeny of those who do the most complaining.

Where Do They Come From?

A more significant reflection on the alumni may be found by comparing the geographical statistics of Harvard's squad with those of its closest rivals. This year the Crimson's varsity roster contains men from 11 states, a fair average until you break it down further.

Of the 11 states represented, only four place more than one player on the squad. Of these four, Connecticut and Ohio each send two, New York sends five. Massachusetts has 29 representatives.

Now look at Yale. With a squad of approximately the same size, 21 states are represented. More important, with the exception of Connecticut no single state has more than five representatives, while nine send more than one apiece.

The Princeton and Dartmouth teams show similar diversity, each drawing their players from 14 states, with no local preponderance such as Harvard's. Dartmouth has as many football players from Hawaii as Harvard does from Connecticut.

Other Alumni Do Some Work

It should be perfectly obvious what this means. It means that Yale men, and Princeton men, and alumni of almost every other college in the country, are getting boys interested in going to their school.

If Harvard is going to get back on an equal basis with the above-named schools, it is clear that our alumni are going to have to do something a little more concrete than complaining.