New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-07
FRENCH AND GERH4Y IN COLLEGES.

A LETTER FROM PRESIDENT GATES, or RUTGERS.
To the Editor or The Trf6une.
SIR: The recent conference of college pro-
fessors in Ncw-York to consider methods for making
efficient the work of colleges IN French ana Ger
man, may render opportune statement OF certain re-
suits this direction which experience has shown to be
attainable
Mr.. Adams's Phi Beta Kappa Grafton has served at
least one good end. 1t has emphasized the need OF
greater efficiency in the instruction in French and Ger
which is given In most Of our colleges. " mas
called attention great practical value of familiarity
with these languages for men in every profession ana IN
many lines OF business life. Gratitude 10 Mr. Adams
for emphasizing these facts is felt by many who do not al
all agree with him in other opinions expressed IN MS 40
drcss-who are Inclined I'm fact, not only from taste
and by OF convictions, but also by the simple
rules Of logic regarding luductye methods to question
the soundness of argument which derives from the
personal pccuIaites Of single family the conclusion
that all American youth should be dcbarrcd the study OF
Greek IA part of a liberal education.
Ny own estimate OF the value of Greek suffer me to
say. from that Of ar Adams that hold rather
with the distinguished Engiishnan who. writing late In
life to an early oxford friend recalls the uniformity
with which the men Of their acquaintance who dis
tugu,hcd themselves while undergraduates for excel
lerce in Greek had made their marx in life Greek,
when it is TAUGHT rs it should he taught, invariably finds
its own. There few tests for hncncSs OF in
tccctual fibre, and for that ccarne>N oi thought ana
expression which i, essential to success and influence IS
leader Of men, than the test which Is found in love OF
Greek and I'm proficiency in thi, study where the spirit Of
,, ,I,,,r, ,,r. tho c,,..-t,,u iu which Greek 1,
49, ~
taught
Bat IN, French and German now included in the ordi
,,. .,,.r ,,, IN. of mol, renter ,-1c ia
''''' W. o.. q. &c., -.
the student "| 'il'lh d'""4'' ''i''''' '" ~ '''
hah Of using ami applying nat ha- been learned. Per
,. , ant, q 1..c. il, tl. oy,,r.-- i,I of tIi, ouuiou
''I' I'M
INA! DE allowed t'ohc VINO a, seen certain Oh lt h''
results orrn1glIi.bcd through surc, Of years. While
- ,.....,..,..,.... i,..I. ,,...
me N"Ih "i one Z" 'l' ".7' :" il'i'''"''i' '"'
under direction, we adopted the plan OF using FRENCH
yt-tol I'm the .td az tlfnri science during the last
-. 49,. ,t. t,r,, ,..~. ,l .. ,,r.
!'i' VI w" W ''' '''' " "
pared their Ieclladohs IN physics uul!' e"tu c''''
during one or two ycIT7, from the Paris edition NJ
C4uot'- Ttaitt de Physique" with certain glasses. ih"
book used reading hook Tor few weeks h'I"r"
40. daily Icctti0u with the Professor ol fh}c" h'rdn
But after ycar- study "f fr'uch 10y hoyS old b. tH"c
such special preparation Will hardly be found necessary
After few lessons have rendered the students some
what familiar with the vocabulary "l The ~'I'ur'' the
lesson j. prepared nom tie lIcurh irN'-h""h WIN very
little additional chit The result OF inis dIR waCHcr
in the readiness with which hgN~ ~ n"V'niten
90 -htrru could Hsr French WpNf ana ID 'h' Su'1 "l
added power which Wa, their when lhrl "Hpb"cH ID!
thrI work French Periodicals aHd Sb mime I'NicN0' Hl