The Irish standard., 1903-05-09
A Desire to Encourage and Promote Union
Of English Speaking Peoples
the Main Motive.
British War on South African Burghers
and Our War on Filipnos
Twin Infamies.

The provisions in the will Of the late
Cecil Rhodes for two three-year schol-
arships in perpetuity at Oxford col
lege, England, for each state and ter
ritory of the American union, has
naturally created much interest on
both sides of the Atlantic, says
writer in the Chicago Record Herald.
The writer yields to no one in ap-
probation of the Importance of edu-
cation, and the value of college and
university education, nor is he obliv-
ious to the good generally resulting
from interchange of ideas between
representatives of different national
tiles.
Ordinarily, therefore, bequest Of
this chara cter would be welcomed, but
under the circumstances Of the present
case Mr.. Rhodes action cannot be con-
sidered otherwise than as possible
misfortune in disguise. 1t is an open
secret that, with regard to the South
African war, Mr.. Rhodes was an ac-
complice before the fact, because the
destruction of the two republican gov
ernments in South Africa would direct
ly and powerfully contribute to his
plan for British federation in that con-
tinent.
Nor is it less well known that con-
siderable portion Of his vast wealth
was acquired directly or indirectly
through the criminal exploitation of
Africa by England. But we pass the
question as to the right or propriety
of using even for education the pro-
ceeds Of public plumber, and proceed
to a consideration of more practical
Importance. Mr.. Rhodes is quoted as
giving the following reason for the be-
quests in question, in common with
similar bequests to all the British col
Onies and Germany:
II desire to encourage and foster an
appreciation of the advantages which,
I implicitly believe, will result from
union of the English speaking peoples
throughout the world, and to encourage
in the students from the United States
who will benefit by these scholarships
an attachment to the country from
which they have sprung, but without,
1 hope, withdrawing them or their
sympathies from the land of their
adoption or BIRTH"
William Z. Stead is quoted as saying
of Mr.. Rhodes educational bequests:
"The central principle of his scheme
is that every English-speaking colony
and every state and territory in the
American union shall be offered q
scholarship of the value of $1,50O a
year, tenable for three years at OK
ford. BY this means Mr.. Rhodes be-
lieved it would be possible to make
Oxford the center Of the spirit Of race
unity. where students from every part
of the English-speaking world would
meet. on common ground. in the most
famous of the old universities.
While this sounds well enough, we
are pertinently reminded of the Ian
glage employed by President Wash
ington in his letter of January %, 1895
to the commissioners of the District OF
Columbia. in connection with his plar
for a national university at Washing
ton. as follows:
at has always been a source OF
serious reflection and sincere regret
with me that the youth of the United
States should be sent to foreign coun
tries for the purpose of education
Although there are doubtless many
under these circumstances. who escape
the danger Of contracting principles
unfavorable to republican government
yet we ought to Geprecate the hazard
attending ardent and susceptible minds
from being too strongly and too easily
prepOssessed in favor of other political
systems before they are capable OF
Rppreciating their own.''
Again. in his letter of March 16
179o. to Governor Brooke of Virginia
ut is with indescribable regret that
have seen the youth of the United