The item published in an Omaha paper as a dispatch from Lincoln to the effect that Professor Fling had defiled an attempt at "muzzling" by the University authorities and would continue to talk about the war was a great surprise both to the professor and the "authorities". Coming as it did between the invitation extended to him to deliver the mid-winter Commencement address and the excusing of students to hear his special lecture in the Temple last Wednesday the re port was at once recognized by those familiar with the facts not only as not true but a reversal of the truth. Not long ago at a club meeting a citizen of Lincoln maintained that in the discussion of the European War the University professors were the only people of standing in the community who enjoyed perfect freedom of speech challenging his fellow members to dispute the statement. The banker present admitted that he had a certain line of depositors whom he would not care to have any of his employees offend. The teacher in the public schools admitted that his usefulness might be weakened if he were to speak freely. The jobber said that he cherished certain opinions that would injure his trade. in certain sections of the state if he were to speak his mind freely while the retailer casually remarked that in these days of keep competition he couldn't afford to let anyone who was good pay get peeved at him if he could help it. Only the professor protected by the broad principle of academic freedom, seemed to be in a position where he could be entirely free and fearless. It is evident that the attitude of the University authorities in refusing to act on complaints about the expressions of professors in regard to public matters has been a wise one and has resulted in the avoidance of much trouble. In other state universities where the "authorities" have tried to use their good offices in preventing expressions offensive to large groups of the University's supporters far greater embarrassment has come to the authorities that would have resulted if they had rigidly kept their hands off. In the long run the professors usually divide sufficiently on matters of public interest to relieve the institution of the charge that it is officially backing any specific agitation while the views of the scholars even though not always prudently and discreetly made help to clarify the opinions of the public and to bring about in the end a sane public attitude.