New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-20
OXFORD ANGI0-SAAONS.
He's ne Rhodes fdco! Is Carried
Ont -.fcadcmie F;ct'0Hs.
oxford. December g.

W being y
Saxon ideal. When the inns think aloud they
burt out the truth thai in their estimation the
Colossus of South Africa made gigantic ms
take In undertaking TO educate Germans. Ameri-
cans and even colonisIs p. oxford on terms
cf equality with EEglishmen. They do not
hesitate TO say that II would cave been better
r. he had left lis fortune 10 ne university it
SELF which Is rot well endowed although the
rolleees themselves are rich. They consider Il
: q misfortune that the Rhodes Scholarship Trust
IS diverted from the education Of Engushmeh'
7Nelshmen and Scotslncll, and possibly lrlshmeh
as well. to a missionary enterprise for CON
vertipg Germans. Americans and colonials INTO
good Arglo-Saxons. They would certainly have
cropped The Germans il they could have had
their way, for they do not believe that the stu
dents nominated from ;he palace in Berlin WEI
ever be good Anglo SaXons. Some Of them say
outright that the Rhodes Scholarship Trust
viii enable the German Emperor to give can
didates FOR The Diplomatic service good train
ing in English studies without expense; ana
thai Y hen they leave oxford they will be more
unoonpromising Germans than ever The Amer
scans are regarded rs more hopeful subjects of
Anglo-SaNon missionary effort than the Ger
mans: yet il cannot be doubted tha; a large
afo-irv Of the resident masters Of arts regret
that Mr. Rhodes included them i'm The scoi;e OF
his educa tiona! scheme. When they are closely
questioned they frankly admit that they think
g.. would have been wiser - more equitable
~ each Of the counties Of the United Kingdom.
in place Of the States Of the American Union,
had been allowed two free scholarships under
The Trust America is rich" they say. and
ahundantIy able to educate men at its own
colleges Mr. Rhodes ought To have thought of
tho poor English parsons and helped them to
yut their sons in the way Of getting on in the
U orld He should have limited his scheme to
the colonies and he might have stopped short
Of 50 large a measure Of generosity even there.
OF course there has been no opportunity for
ascertaining definitely the opinion OF the uni
Nersity which is a sovereign body OF about
thirteen thousand students, enrolled on the
books Of twenty-three colleges or societies; but
I have no doubt that these views are generally
held by oxford men
This lack of sympathy with Mr.. Rhodess
Anglo-Saxon motive is explained. If not justified
by the inadequate accommodations for students
in the colleges. The number of students in resi-
dence and reading for the degree Of bachelor of
arts is approximately 2.;25. when 900 names Of
students not in residence. but enrolled on the
books are deducted. Christ Church is the larg-
est college with 800 students: New College and
Ralliol come next and the numbers dwindle TO
33 for St Edmund's Hall. There are also POO
students on the foundation of the Non-Colleglate
DeleEacy. which provides instruction for them
without housing or feeding them. Under the
rules Of all the colleges students in tier hnal
wear give up their rooms and live in lodgings,
hut are allowed TO dine in commons and in this
vvav'roorn IS made for newcomers. The hous-
ing accommodations Of the colleges are limited,
end when the 100 or moro Rhodes scholars are
IN residence next year they will inevitably
crowd out British students Even matters now
stand. with about one-half Of the Rhodes schol-
ars in residence the attendance OF students has
fallen off from the figures of the preceding year.
siore rooms are needed in all the colleges, and
there is no money for he construction Of new
buildings. What oxford men say is that the
Germans Americans and colonials are educated
IN the traditional way with all the peculiar
features OF the college family life, when they
are virtually taking the places of Englishmen,
Scotsnen and Welshmen. not to say Irishmen.
This is considered something Of = hardship and
il g certainly sacrifice made for Mr.. Rhodes's
good AngIo-S1Ions. in whom the Conservative
Oxford dons haze as little faith as the cynical
Prince Talleyrand in his day had in his good
Europeans. To their credit be IL added that
while the college authorities have not been IN
sympathy with the idea Of educating foreigners
and colonials with British South Africans
money. they have accepted the situation with a
cheerful mind and made room for the newcom-
eTs. The Germans and the Americans have been
received without prejudice and made COM
Portable as possible In the college buildings.
They have moi bee,i sent outside into lodgings
but have been admitted withou. reserve TO all
the social and domestic privileges OF actual resi-
dence IN the colleges. If there has been any
resentment among oxford men. the Rhodes
scholars have not suffered vicariously The
university has kept all its engagements with ihe
Rhodes Scholarship Trust in the most hoaora ole
he fort II a
dents row there have no cause for complaint OF
either discrimination or prejudice against them.
oxford men are better Greeks than Anglo
Saxons, bur :hey have had The good sense to
perceive the Importance Of The Rhodes bequest.
The hroadminded imperlalist loved Oxford but
h. also knew how narrow It had become through
the Inertia q IT'S own conservatism He de-
signed a policy which would convert the uni
Te:sity from a refuge Of lost causes into a
centre Of world vide influence. OXFORD pro-
fessoTs and lecturers had been talking for long
time about postgraduate courses IN jurispru-
dence. history, scIeEce. modern languages and
Oriental studies, but foreigners had been slow 10
take advantage of the opportunities for research
work and advanced reading Under the Rhodes
scheme men are now coming TO the university
from America. Germany. Australia Canada
South Africa. New-Zealand the West Indies
and the ends of the earth. The honor schools
are now attracting foreigners and coloniaIs. and
men who have exhausted the resources of uni
Nersity courses abroad enter the medieval
Quadrangles with commoners' gowns to receive
the finishing touches OF 4 superior training for
work in the world. oxford was once an AGA dem
ic Tate Of rest for Hellenists and dreamers but
now il is a city set on hill, and is sending out
as Ight Tar and wide. Even the sleepy con-
servatiyes. who dislike new methods and a7,,.-
thing like hustle and animation, impressed