The Inevitable

In college after crowded college last week, professors began to notice empty seats in the lecture rooms. Hundreds of men students, facing the same uncertainties, were choosing the same solution. They were putting down their books and heading for the recruiting stations.

Some of the new recruits gave unexpected reasons for what they had done. "It was patriotism," said a new marine from Modesto (Calif.) Junior College, "plus the fact that I couldn't get along with my wife." Others, like Harvard Senior Robert H. Young Jr., 24, who wanted to be an Army paratrooper, were merely "bored with college." But the great majority of them simply saw the inevitable draft coming and wanted to choose their branch of service before it was too late to choose.

In one two-day period, the University of Texas had lost 130 students. By last week the University of Wisconsin had lost more than 200, the University of Maryland more than 130. Many had become apathetic about studies they doubted they would ever complete. The University of Oklahoma reported that 60% of its students had ended the fall semester with unsatisfactory grades. Other schools found interest flagging in everything but R.O.T.C.

Until Congress made up its mind on a new draft law (see NATIONAL AFFAIRS), the colleges hardly knew what advice to give their students, so the rush to enlist was likely to continue. Meanwhile, with varying degrees of alarm, educators were trying to guess what enrollments they may have when Congress finally does write a new law. Director Guy Snavely of the Association of American Colleges predicted that the number of men students might drop 80%. Other educators, though still gloomy, thought the figure exaggerated. Most expected a drop of about 35%. The American Council on Education in Washington said 15%. The National Education Association's guess: 25%.

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