The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-10
Educational Scouting.

A~S~S>SSoS@S$AVA
Colleges and universities are starting
up all over the land. They are begin
ming the years work along the usua.
lines with their regularly appointed
courses of study-so much time devoted
to mathematics. so much to ancient Ian
guages, so much to modern languages
so much to natural science, so much tc
political economy, so much to psy
chology, etc. This is the way men have
been taught for generations, and this
is the way they probably will be taught
for some time to come.
In the main it is the right way. The
subject is not introduced here for the
purpose of demonstrating that it is not
But in this connection it occurs to us
to wonder whether in all this layout
for intellectual exercise and training
the university and the college are sure
that they are keeping right up with the
procession. Are the schoolmen in touch
with the needs Of the times? Have
they taken account Of what the young
man needs to meet the conditions which
are likely to confront him7 Have they
studied the drift Of things? Have they
looked into the newspapers, into the
commercial reports, into the informa
ton to be had from the study Of indus
trial conditions, into what the govern
mont has to tell thru it's consular re-
ports from abroad and it's local agen
cies in this country Of opportunities
and openings and chances for men who
are equipped and ready? -
How much influence, for example
have the accomplished and prospective
changes in the Orient, as a result OF
the RussoJapanese war, had or are
they likely to have upon any college
curriculum or course Of university lee
lures during the coming year
Will any young man who steps
out of the college or university three
or four years from now be any better
prepared by reason Of MS college train
ing for the opportunities which are 60
ing to offer themselves to him in the
east, either thru relations with ORR
entail countries while resident of
America, or for actual operations in any
Of those countries than he would have
been if no new opportunities had been
opened there's What thought have
the educational institutions of America
given to our interests commercially, So
cially and intellectually in those peo-
pie of South America who are coming
rapidly into closer political relations
with us-a movement which is sure to
be stimulated greatly by the opening of
the Panama canals
There are great industrial and fnan-
cial institutions, like the railroads and
banks and trust companies, which find
it profitable to employ experts to study
the signs of the times thru the news.
papers, thru the weeklies, thru the mag
aZines, thru the commercial and Off
cial reports, thru original personal in
vestigation, and thru every means by
which may be discovered the signs of
approaching events and future develop
ments which may affect the interests
OF these institutions. We can conceive
of no institution whose usefulness and
success could be more effectively pro-
NOTED by such scrutiny of the signs
of the times and such knowledge of
what will be demanded of the educated
and equipped man of the future than
that institution which assumes to give
him his education and his equipment.
Are its scouts and prospectors out ahead
sending back reports Of what oppor-
tunlties and difficulties are to be ex-
pected, and how to best prepare the
young man to cope with them when they
have been overtaken?