New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-22
IMPERIAL UNIVERSITY FEDERATION


In an interesting article in The Nineteenth
Century and After" on The Rhodes Request
and University Federation j. ChurtOn Collins
makes what is probably the broadcast and best
argument vet presented FOR the continued domf-
nance of the humanities at Oxford and Cam
bridge. The argument is based upon imperial
premises. Taking his keynote from Sir John
Seeley's declaration that Englishmen must cease
to think that the history of England Is the his
tory Of the Parliament that sits at Westminster,
and accustom themselves to contemplate the
whole empire and call II all England, Mr. Col
Inns shows the effect Of the Rhodes bequest in
binding together in educational relationship all
the parts Of this Greater Britain and making
for close and intimate relationship with all
portions Of the English speaking nations The
Allied Colonial University Conference which
met in London almost cOntemporaneously with
the announcement of the Rhodes bequest NAV
be said TO be the starting point for the scheme
of imperial university federation, whose aims
were apty expressed in Mr. Bryce's inaugural
address upon that occasion.
Mr. Collins cites what has been done in the
way Of realizing this broader Idea Of univer-
sity influence, and rightly claims for Oxford and
Cambridge the hegemOny in such federation
This pre-eminence. also goes to the greatest
and oldest of English univ ersties according to
Mr.. Collins. not because of their facilities for
teaching science for their superiority in that
respect-for, as matter Of fact science Is, per-
haps, better taught elsewhere and is wholly in
dependent Of such Influences as those which
have given to Cambridge and Oxford their
unique place-but because they are "the centres
"Of the humanites in the most comprehensive
sense of the term: and he adds:
BY virtue of their relationship to the human
tiles and by virtue OF that relationship alone
81
mon with other universities here and over the
sea can Oxford and Cambridge claim that plaza
which every English spea king nation gladly and
proudly comedies them TO subordinate the
interest of the humanites to the interest of
science as is becoming, perhaps inevitably more
and more the tendency in both universities liz
deliberately 10 dethrone themselves
This view as TO what constitutes the greatest
attraction Of oxford and Cambridge especially
TO students in America, Germany and England's
colonies, Is strikingly borne out by facts that
have become known since Mr.. Collins's article
was written. The Trlbune's London CORE
spondent the other day gave an interesting ac
count of American students at Oxford and of
how the ancient English university impresses
them BY examination he found that the elias
sizes or litere humaniores, take second place
with these students, the Oxford University
school Of law. perhaps the greatest in the world
ranking first In favor while less than a third
of the American students entered for science
modern languages, English literature and theol-
ogy AS our London correspondent points out
these facts are great encouragement to the
willy Greeks, who have been lighting their
obattle with the modern revOiutlonists during
1.-The last week both here and at Cambridge"
That the Greeks" seem to have won the fight
is favorable omen 10 those who, like Mr. Col
Inns. see IN the dominance of the humanities at
Cambridge and Oxford the chief strength OF the
universities from the broader field of view
taken by those who are now seeking to bring
tbe universities into line with the views on i'm
perial federation which are slowly making their
way in England, but rapidly gaining form in her
colonies.