The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-12

tics the coast and geodetic and the
geological surveys, the technical bu-
reaus of the army and navy, the
bureau of education, the botanical,
pathological, chemical and other d.
visions of the agricultural department,
the Smithsonian institution, the ma
tional museum, the bureau of ethnol-
ogy, the botanic garden and the con-
gressional library, to mention only a
few of the fifty or more departments
more or less throughly equipped and
more or less engaged in original in
vestigation. Except occasionally, but
little of this immense and valuable
plant is made use of for educational
purposes. The work of the govern
ment experts is of great scientific and
practical value, but it has been used
by experts and not for the making of
experts.
But toward the close of the last con-
gross a bill prepared by the academy
of sciences was passed which author
ICES use of all these resources for grad
uate study and research. The academy
called to its support the Washington
Memorial association, one of whose
objects has been the attainment of
Washington's university project, and
together the two organizations laid
down a program. This program con-
templates the active cooperation of all
the universities of the country in the
building up of national university
through the agency of a central organ
ization located at Washington, and it
also includes the erection of the neces-
sary buildings for such university.
This building will be named in mem
DRY of President Washington and is to
be built by the Washington Memorial
association. The academy of sciences
will undertake, with the aid of the
National Educational association, the
Association of American Universe ties
and the Association of Agricultural
Colleges and Experiment .Stations to
provide for maintaining the institu
tion. The foundation, it appears, will
be independent of government control,
and the government will be vested in a
board of fifteen trustees, with which
will be affiliated an advisory board
composed chiefly of heads of govern
ment departments and bureaus. The
board of trustees selected includes
among others Prof. Graham Bell,
Nicholas Murray Butler, DR.. Daniel
G. Gilman, president of Johns Hopkins,
President Hadley of Yale, President
Cyrus Northrop, President Harper of
Chicago, Mrs. Phoebe Hearst and
Carroll D., Wright.
While it will be several years before
the fruits of this institution will be
abundant enough to attract attention,
there can be no doubt of the ultim ate
success of the project. The necessary
funds will probably be collected with
out much delay and with the cooper
alton of the existing universities the
faculty will undoubtedly include in
the not distant future some of the best
American scholars. An appointment
to the faculty will be distinct honor.
and little by little the more ambitious
of the students in the graduate depart
ments of the universities will turn to
Washington. But the development
will necessarily be of slow growth.
Such a university can only justify it.
self by the achievements of those it
has trained and will only be popular
when the worth of its degrees is recog-
nized as equal to those of the German
universities The foundations have
been wisely laid and American scho-
larship and educational enthusiasm
can be depended upon to do the rest.
The Washington Memorial association,
which has undertaken to erect the nee
essary buildings, will shortly begin a
canvass in the hope that the women of
America will contribute enough to
embody in stone and mortar lasting
memorial to Washington that will
make possible the ful6llment of one of
his noblest and most statesmanlike
conceptions