April 7, 1917

Chancellor Avery when asked this morning as to the immediate effect the war would have on University work and activities replied in part as follows: "I can at the present time only outline some things that will be presented to the Regents faculty and students for their consideration. Among these are the following: In order to aid the government in supplying medical officers it may be decided to graduate this year's medical class soon and to continue the Medical College work through the summer in order to graduate as early as possible next year the class that would normally complete its work a year from next June. To meet the demand for engineers and agricultural experts as well as to permit enlistment the suggestion has been made that any student in good standing who drops out of school between now and the end of the year to enter the service of the country should be given full semestral credit for the work in which he is registered. The suggestion has also been made that the summer work particularly in engineer ing and agriculture should be strengthened so that if the war continues through another year more students can be trained to render efficient service to the country. I do not think that the war will materially reduce the number of students. We should however speed up as a factory does in order to increase the output when the demand is great. Suggestions have been made that during the war period social affair should be very greatly restricted. I do not mean by this that there is to be an effort to force students unwillingly to cancel events long scheduled and to disturb unfairly existing business arrangements. Nevertheless social life intercollegiate events and student activities should immediately undergo reasonable curtailment. This suggestion is made with the thought that the students will cheerfully cooperate along these lines. Plans are being made for the organization among the young women of bandage circles training for Red Cross work and the like. In its work throughout the state the University can be of great general influence. There will naturally be a speeding up of practical extension work including greater effort to reach the people in a helpful way through material sent to the news papers of the state in a word the faculty both in the College of Agriculture and other parts of the institution will employ their brains and pens in any way in which they think a service to the country can be rendered. I feel further that it is the duty of the faculty to urge upon the young people of the University that war demands sacrifice. Patriotism should show itself not in abuse of the enemies abroad or even their supposed representatives at home but in a willingness to endure privation to suffer hardship to out out expensive frivolities to eat fewer luxuries to wear plainer and cheaper clothing to work longer hours and to render thoroughly useful service whether it be agreeable or not. In our suggestions to the young men in regard to enlisting the University authorities will be guided by advice from Washington but I feel sure that the advice will be that anyone who is in a position to render a distinct service by increasing food products such as the extension worker the county agent the owner or manager of the large farm can render a greater service during the coming summer by staying at the job for which he is well fitted rather than by entering on acourse of training for future military work. All of these things are purely tentative my office will welcome suggestions from any of the people of Nebraska who have the interests of the country at heart and who sympathize with the University's ideal of supporting to the utmost the President and Congress in the present emergency.