New-York tribune., 1906-04-13
AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES.
A Scottish Newspaper Compares Them with
Those of Great Britain.

The following article is an editorial from The
Dundee Advertiser" 1t derives added interest
from the fact that the proprietor Of this paper,
Sir John Leng, spent considerable time in this
country last fall and made special study OF Amer
lean universities
The appearance of the American Ambassador
ana Minister OF Education at a meeting for the
sfuc7e conjuncture MF Birre though ne
70 dseoyep so Worng gay 6sen Sn ee o
posing conceptions of religious teaching in the pub
BILE for educational knowledge. besiege him in the
hope OF pressing some petty denominational advan-
ported in the discharge of a simple public duty.
What can be the result of this tight for the posses
ceTn from rom the true , objects Of edgcstion? -
dor. had another Story TO tell He narrated the
marvellous growth of the university system in his
generally agreed that the common schools in Amer
lea are IN no way superior to the corresponding in
agement, is there any reason to think that the
ours AS regards the popular branches of Ameri-
education the enviable feature is the strength
well instructed mind. Interest in education is
c6no aeeP and o ben
from higher standpoint than that of the small
schools cannot be made too good for them. and that
is an attitude we might proftably copy.
In the matter OF universities. America has much
TO show us by way of guiding our developments
Mr. Whtelaw Reid remarked that the first amer amer
lean universities were modelled upon the old British
seats Of learning and these early limitations We'll
however, when the expanding needs of the people
called for higher education of different type and
as the process Of subdung the continent 10 the uses
of civilization grew, there arose institutions either
in related to universities having for their object
the study of scientific and archaeological subjects
The number of these schools qualifying for degrees
in science is two hundred. and for degrees
in engineering over one hundred more
An interesting fact brought out by Mr.. Whitelaw
Reid is that the colleges and universities wholly
or in large part supported by the government
promise to become richer than the magnificent In
stitutions which owe SO much TO the private bene-
factor. Thus. not merely the rich man. but the
public at large. in the spirit to be exceedingly
liberal toward all forms of intellectual effort. In
the broad comparison Britain has been adhering to
the humanities America throws its greatest energy
into science and it's applications. Mr.. White
law Reid speaking from experience of both
countries sees the beginning of a change of parts.
At q time when the British universities are fore
casting progress in the direction of science and
technology. America is hearing Il request for a
greater cultivation of pure scholarship litera-
ture. This is a reaction from the intensely prac
tical Still. the tendency in America is toward
specialization. precise, closer to the
Students intended career Success in industry ii Is
realized belongs to the of accurate knowledge
and expert ability. This is the electrical age, and
one-half Of the degrees in engineering science
electrical degrees
For the British public at large. the lesson Is to
get away from seCtarian squ2bbling to the duty or
raising up efficiently instructed people. For
the universities it Is TO foster science and teen
uOoGy either within the universities proper or with
IN closely related institutions