Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-21

Chief of studies and real head of the Polytechnic
gave them another chance. Again sixty
blank papers were handed in. Now all
these young men are liable to military serv-
fee and the discipline of the school is &C
cepte1 In place of the regular three years.
Two mornings later orders came from the
minister of war to scatter the sixty stu
dents at once through the garrisons Of
France, three by three, where they will be
obliged for the present to lead the lives of
common soldiers, knapsack on the back.
What the next two patches of sixty will do
when they come up for the same examina-
ton will decide whether the famous school
is to be considered and treated as a hot
bed of mutiny. But 1t Is necessary to know
what admission to the school means for
French youth to understand the commotion
created by what has happened
The Ecole PolytechniQue of Paris is IN
doubtedly the most famous engineering
school in the world. 1t does not turn out
engineers, but 1t gives that general scien-
tifc training which fits the student to sue
coed In the special schools of practical en-
gineering. And there are many of these in
France.
Leads to Higher Things.
Every parent looks forward to getting his
child into some government service, and
the government has made something like
civil service out of every work for public
utility, whether military or civil, that goes
on In the country. So this government
school prepares. during two years OF Sc
rious mathematical studies, hundreds of
students who are to go up to the special
schools fitting them to be engineers Of
mines, of highways and bridges. inspectors
OF the government tobacco factories, of
gunpowder and saltpetre, Of photography,
OF naval construction, officers of the artil-
lery, OF the army engineer corps, of naval
artillery, of the navy and of the navy COM
missariat. All these employments and Of
fces are under government control, are en-
tered from government schools. which cor
respond to our West Point and Annapolis
though with much greater variety, and fur
nish lifelong career to the young French
man.
These young students Of the Polytechnic
School. Immediately on their admittance to
the establishment, are provided with a mil
itarylike uniform to wear. From the start
they have the illusion, which has now be-
come stern reality, of belonging to the gov
eminent service. They have already their
pride. their traditions and their esprit de
corps. The sole riches of the late President
Carnot came from his having been a sue
cessful student of this school. 1t sent him
up to the special school Of bridges and
highways. where the government took him
to preside over the roads of Savoy, a posi-
ton which warranted him In marrying a
well-to-do wife. Marcel Provost, in spite
of the success OF his first novels. held on as
long as he could to the position which the
Polytechnique won for him as director of
the government tobacco factory In Lille.
Emile Henry turned anarchist and so came
to have his head cut of. because he had
failed In the entrance examination into the
famous school after Paris had educated him
In her colleges for eight years.
An Independent Institution.
The Polytechnique is so important that 1,
II independent OF all the branches of the
etate university. 1t accepts no examina.
tons but It's own. and these are public. II
Is not under the minister OF public instruc.
ton, but depends directly from the minis
try OF war, although by far the greater
number OF its students engage in some
branch OF civil engineering. The school Ia
also under real military discipline, with q
colonel In command. and with a squad o.
drummers to call the students out Of bee
and to their various exercises.
Few students present themselves for thu
entrance examination unless they are al
ready bachelors of science Of the French
University. But this does not help them
and they have to stand up with the Others
to be questioned in their preparatory stud
les. while their fathers and mothers sit be
hind them in the hall. listening and trem
bling for their success.
In point Of fact, great number do no
succeed. The school can receive only 25(
new students at most each year. On &C
count of the difficulties of this entrance cx
animation there are numbers of private
schools having for their special object t.
PtSpaAc AOi H. 1HeIe are lew pdcnelOrS o.
science from the university who do not tax,
at least one full year of special prepare
ton before facing the ordeal. They have
no time to lose. for no one can enter tn,
school later than his twenty-frst year, no
completed.
Favors the Republic.
Two-thirds Of the candidates and one hal
Of those finally admitted come from tn,
state colleges Of Paris itself. 1t is thi.
predominance Of Paris. so It has Away,
been said. which has constantly kept tn
Polytechnique on the side Of the revolution
and the republic. The army officers hav,
often been accused Of a liking for king OF
Pm emperor; but the Polytechnic student.
AVE helped In every revolution from 1S3t