The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-06

Colonial Civil Service is small
book by A. Lawrence Lowell, con-
tanning an account of the East
India College at Haileybury, by H.
Morse Stephens, of Cornell University. 1t
cannot fail to be of absorbing interest to
many readers in America 1t is one of the
best works on this subject which can be
found in any library. and will be particu-
larly valuable to the student of current
events at the present time.
The author discusses the selection and
training of colonial officials in England,
Holland, and France, giving the history Of
the civil service in the colonies of each
country. the principles on which it is es-
tablished. and its condition at the present
time. There is also chapter on the need
of a good civil service training school
for the United States, and the
difference between our needs and
those Of England in this respect Then
follows Professor Stephens history of Hal
leybury, which occupies about a third of
the book. and is not by any means the
least interesting part Of it. Professor Ste
phens is especially well qualified to write
on this subject since he received his own
carly education in that college, was an IN
dergraduate of Balliol from 1877 to 1880
and taught the history of India for two
years at Cambridge. to the selected candi-
dates for the Indian civil service. MIR.
Lowell has come to the conclusion. based
on a thorough study Of Haileybury meth
DDS. that the only practical plan for the
United States to adopt is a college not IN
like Haileybury.
There is an immense amount Of inter-
esting information in this book and it is
of a kind that most Americans need very
badly. Few people in this country have
any idea of the absolute need Of trained,
competent, and most carefully selected men
for civil service in colonies, especially
those in Asiatic countries. The policy Of
lassez faire will not do in this 1t would
be impracticable TO consider fully all the
chapters in this book, since all are impor-
tant; it will therefore be necessary to no.
tice only the part of it which deals with
the need Of training for American civil
ians in the colonies.
Mr. LowelIs statement Of the case IS
clear and business-like. He points out,
first, the fact that the ordinary competi-
tive examination in force here will net do
for civil service in the Orient, because
men must be especially trained for ruling
Asiatics. He then states that although ii
is unsafe TO copy foreign political methods
exactly. good will result from a careful
study Of them and selection of such as
will meet our own needs. He explains
that in the English civil service these
principles hold the men selected for .Tch
service have a high general education
then some special preparation for the work,
not necessarily very elaborate and then
an active apprenticeship in the place where
their work is TO be.
He then goes on to say that any com
petitive examination based upon the sub
jects of a university education would not
be suited to American needs or habits OF
thought, because, first, a university de-
gree in this country is apt to mean a
dozen different things, from a Harvard
diploma to an education little beyond that
OF a country academy, and second, re-
striction Of such Offices to college J. en-
would shut out many men eminently fitted
by practical experience for administration
and initiative, but without any education
beyond that Of the common schools. 1t is
plain, therefore, that selection cannot be
made wholly from the college graduates
Of the present day, nor, in future, from
the same class Of men, since this would
recruit the civilian almost wholly from
the well-to-do classes. In England this .
would be regarded as a matter Of course, /
in America it would be considered step
in the direction Of class privilege.
Therefore Mr.. Lowell advocates the cs- I
tablishment of a special college in which /
can be educated for this work any boy .
rich or poor. who shows special fitness for /
higher education He would place it on
the same footing as West Point and An
napols. so far as its relation TO the peo- /
pie is concerned but would make its re
quirements something like those of Hal /
leybuTy Cheltenham, the United Services /
College. or like schools in England He /
also suggests that consuls could be 4
trained in this same college and the idea /
is not a bad one. Anything that Will 4
improve the quality Of our Consular Ser /
vice is much to be desired. New York. /
The Macmillan Company. S150J