The Harvard swimming team, so talented and deep that it had to work hard not to roll up an embarrassing score in a merciful 69-44 rout of Navy, faces a similar task this afternoon when it meets an equally mediocre Army squad at West Point.

About the only thing in the Cadet's favor is a string of home victories over the Crimson running all the way back to 1962, but given Harvard's overwhelming superiority Army may need a minor miracle to avoid a crushing defeat this year. Harvard priming for an important two-week training session in the Canary Islands and an Eastern League showdown with an extremely powerful Dartmouth team in early January, will probably look past today's meet.

As in its victory over Navy, many Crimson swimmers may be looking primarily for wins, not record-setting times. "It doesn't look like Army is too strong, although it is better than Navy," head coach Don Gambrill said Thursday. "It will be an off-event meet if possible."

The Cadets, who fell to Harvard 77-36 last winter, are weakest in the sprint freestyles, and the individual medley, two areas of Crimson strength. They may, like Navy, fail to win a single swimming event. The Harvard freestyle strength was on display against the Midshipman, as Captain Fred Mitchell, Tim Nevillie, Hess Yatems, and Rich Baughman all won at least one race. Mitchell had a particularly fine showing, recording a 47.8 100-yd, freestyle, a career best.

In the specialty events, the Cadets offer slightly more competition for the Crimson, but even here Harvard's strength is overwhelming. Dave Brumwell, who appears to be in the best shape of his career, is an easy bet in his two specialities, the 200-yd, Breast stroke and the 200-yd individual medley. Freshmen Tom Wolf, who set a University record in the 200-yd, back stroke in his first varsity leads it straight back contingent, but John Craig and Roy Geronomous may have to work slightly harder for a sweep in the butterfly.

More important than today's meet which may reveal very little in terms of records or excellent times, is the two-week excursion to the Canary Islands, the first such trip ever taken by a Harvard swimming team. "We are much further along in training than anybody except perhaps Dartmouth." Gambril said Thursday. "If we don't have any illness problems we could make a month's progress over Chriatmas."

Gambril. Like most of the team, is thinking more of Dartmough and a chance to knock off the top team in the league, than today's unimportant meet with Army. The Canary trip, and the training it will afford, may put the Crimson in a more favorable position for January than it has ever enjoyed.

January, is the past, has proved to be the worst month for Crimson swimmers. Not only does it mean an increased work load and exam but it is a particularly bad month for illness. Hopefully, the team will return from the sun of the Canaries in much better shape and healthy enough to cope with the flu bugs is Cambridge.

Gambril has often contended that Christmas training trip was vital to the team's chances of beating Dartmough. Princeton. Yale, and Penn, the four traditional powers of the league.

The meet with the Big Green, which upset Princeton two weeks to take on inside track in the league nice, will probably be the make-or-break point of the season. "If we can get by Dartmouth without shaving, we'll be in a good position for Princeton a month later," Gambell said. "But we still have to take meets one at a time. If we lose to Dartmouth, we may have trouble equaling last year's 6-3 record."