Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-04-12
DREAM OF ANCIENTS
REPUBLIC OF LETTERS NOW ON
POINT OF REALIZATION.
Scientific Spirit of the Age Removes
the Barriers Between Nations
Interesting Re-

The ideal of republic of letters is
approaching nearer and nearer toward
full realization in the modern world
What was partially accomplished in
the prime of medieval Europe by the
use OF common language in the ex-
preston of common religious faith
is in process of accomplishment once
more with characteristic differences,
says the London Morning Post. 1t is
the scientific spirit of the times that
has removed the barriers between ma
ton and nation, to allow of the free
interchange of knowledge and of the
ideals based upon knowledge. The
modern world, by which is understood
not only Europe, but the American,
African aud Australian continents and
the Indian, Japanese and Chinese en-
pires, has ho common language; but it
has a common faith in the power of
scientific principles to advance knowl-
edge and to prepare for its further ad-
vancement. We record to-day fur
Their stage in the progress toward In
ternational unity in scientific and
educational endeavor. Columbia uni
versity has established In the Uniyer-
sity of Berlin a professorship OF the
history and institutions of the United
States, to be held by a series of Amer
lean scholars of repute for one year
each. The trustees of Columbia uni
versity will nominate American schol-
ars for the Theodore Roosevelt"
chair at Berlin, and the Prussian min
lister of education will make the OPP
pointment. These professors are 20
be men Of acknowledged eminence in
their special studies; they are to give
instruction in German to the Berlin
students, and they will be 10 chosen
as to present In successive years an
outline Of the history, the constitu-
tional and administrative law, the ed
vocational, scientific and technogical
work, the art and literature and the
economic and sociological movements
of the United States. In return the
German government will establish a
similar chair at Columbia university,
with the object of presenting In Eng.
lish to the students Of that seat Of
learning an outline of German history
and German institutions.
The praise due for the bold con-
ceptton and prompt fulf1llment Of this
scheme for the international exchange
of ideas and of ideals through the me-
dunn of professors qualified to ex-
| pound then With scientific exactness
in the language used by the students
in either country must be divided
among the German emperor and DR..
Nicholas Murray Butler, who, we IN
derstand, discussed it last August at
Wilhelmshohe; DR.. Athoff, Of the
Prussian ministry of education. to
whose advice the scheme owes much !;
President Roosevelt, after whom the
chair at Berlin will be named, and
whose wide outlook upon the world
has given 80 great an impetus to
the intellectual life of his country.
men, and last, but not least, James
ESpeyer, whose splendid gift Of $780,.
600 has given substance to what would
otherwise have remained a mere as.
piration. We are gratifled that the
visit which DR.. Butler paid to this
country during last summer should
have Aeft upon his acute mind SO IA
vorable an estimate of the work done
by the English universities that he
should express his hope for an in.
terchange Of the same kind between
one or other of them and his own
University of Columbia. That, too
is an aspiration, and it remains for
some rich Englishman to give it sub.
stance. The professorship of colonial
history recently established at Ok
| ford by the munificence Of a South