Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-02
DR.. HARPER ON RUSSIA.
President of chicago University
Talks of ToIstoi and the C<ar.

Talka OF L0A9I01 ana the O81Es
DR.. William Raney Harper, president
of the University of Chicago, arrived
at New York recently on the Hamburg
American liner Auguste Victoria. For
the past two months he has been max
ing a tour through Russia, inspecting
the educational institutions of that
country. Incidentally he met Emper-
or Nicholas II and Count Lyon TolStoi.
"Our interview with the emperor"
said DIR. Harper TO a reporter of the
New York Times, Tasted for half an
hour. IL the party with me were NJ.
Ryerson and CharleS9t Gtchinson, pres
ident and secretary of the University
Of Chicago board of trustees, and
Charles X. Crane, who recently endow-
ed a chair OF Russian literature and
history in the university. We were
introduced by Count Muravleff, minis
ter OF foreign affairs, the emperor re
ceiving Us at his country place. in
CZarskl.
Nicholas is a most prepOSsessing
man in every way. He was standing
when we entered the reception room.
and shook hands with us all round.
After that we talked informally in
English, the conversation being prin-
clpaIly about America, and the emper-
or showing u vivid interest in every
thing about this country He COM
mented on the hospitality OF our peo-
pie. saying that he had often heard of
1t through Russians who had visited
the United States.
Before we left him the emperor
you must remember that lie doesn't
-
be glad to assist us in selecting Rus
sian lecturers for the chair that Mr.
Crane has established in our univer-
sitY. His majesty showed a marked
interest in educational matters all
through our conversation and wanted
TO know everything about our Ameri-
can colleges.
Before reaching st. Petersburg 1
visited Kiev, Limberg, Cracow and
Moscow, and it was with the schools.
colleges and polytechnic institutes of
| these cities that 1 chiefly interested
myself. At all OF them our party was
received with great formality. a uni
formed guard receiving lis and the d.
rectors displaying much pride in show
ing us the results of their work.
Il was wonderfully impressed with
the fine educational advantages avail
able to the upper classes of the coun-
try, but equally with the lack of school
facilities for the mass of the people.
The country, however. is steadily pro-
crossing, and l believe those in power
are working for universal education.
But this end cannot be attained at a
jump, and at present there are not
enough teachers In the empire for its
accomplishment.
For two days of my stay in Russia
saw a good deal of Count Tolstoi,
who is still, despite his great age, full
of intensity and interest in the worlds
affairs. He wanted to know why Amer
lea was not more strongly for the
Beers, with whom he said it was prop
err for us to sympathiZe. He himself
Is heartily on their side, as indeed is
the great majority of the Russian peo-
pie"
DR.. Harper went on to say that he
had seen Count Popadaneskoff, secre-
tary of the Russian synod and practi-
cally the head of the country's religious
life, and several members of the I'm
perial Geographical society. All Of
these were asked and consented to as
sist in the choosing of lecturers for the
newly established course of Russian
literature in the University of Chicago.
for which a different native Russian
scholar is to be engaged each year.