Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-03
UNIVERSITY OF PARIS.
Greatest Educational lnstitu-
ton in the World.
- =. - y'1'
STUDENTS AVERAGE is, 900
Great Increase in the Women Of
Late.
PROVISION FOR FOREIGNERS
Bohemian Life Perilous for Girls
Club Founded by MRS White1aw
Reid-What is Desired.
i -
PROVISION FOR FOREIGNERS


= - -. .
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS. III
Special Correspondents Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
PARIS. September 9, 1906.
The University Of Paris Is the greatest
educational institution in the world; and If
you want to know all about it, ask the con-
cierge who sits behind a counter at the en-
| trance of the main building and has a
tongue that can express her thoughts at
| the rate Of 500 words minute. She is a
| jolly, fat person. and her, experience with
the students has given her knowledge Of
human nature that is Undoubtedly Of value
value to the institution as well as to her.
self. Cross her hand with silver and you
will get more Information than all faculties
| combined could give you. She may not be
| so deeply versed in philosophy and mathe-
matics the rector and the dean, ebut she
knows a lot more about the students than
| they do, and it is only necessary to set
her going and give her time. You will not
| be able to ask any questions unless you
| choke her Off, and the length of the in
terview will depend upon the time at your
| disposal '--'' ''
| What the Concierge Said.
She told us that the number of students
was about the same year, averaging 49,
900, but Of late there was a large
| increase of women and a corresponding
! failing off of men. Last semester more
than 10000 women students matriculated
| There are so many women. she said, that
| they are keeping the men students away,
and DR.. Siard. the rector, is making holes
| in his brain trying to think of some way
| to get rid Of them. About half the women
are foreigners. They come from all over
| the world, Europeans being largely in the
majority: The French girls, she said, are
| more frivolous, and do not take so deep
| an interest in their studies as the foreign
| ers. who are pleasant and CHEEKY compan-
| ions, but are very serious Russian and
| Polish girls are especially serious and
most Of them are very poor They take up
| literature, medicine and the applied sci
ences in order to qualify themselves for
teachers and for physicians. Russians are
| more numerous than any of the races ex-
cept the French. Next come the English
| and Americans, but she cannot tell the diff
ference between them. Very few of the
| Engash-speaking girls are young at
tractive, and, with sly wink at my hand
some companion, she remarked: II don't
think they would interest you AS rule,
American girls have more money, dress
better and live better than the European
students, but they do not have SO much
respect for the faculty. and are not so
careful to obey the regulations. They are
more Independent and know how to take
care of themselves better than European
girls.
Many of the students are not serious.
Some of them seldom attend the lectures.
but pay their fees. which amount to $40 or
| $50 year after year and year, after year,
until they reach middle age, and never do
anything but hang around the cafes. They
enjoy student life and have no ambition
to do anything else.
For Foreign Students. -
There is committee Of patronage for
foreign students, and it has an office at
which they can obtain information on any
subject The French parliament votes a
subsidy every year to enable this commit
tee to pay the fees of worthy foreign stu
dents who distinguish themselves. This
committee can also obtain reduced rates
upon all French steamships and save them
so per cent more in their travelling ex-
| penses. There Is also bureau of informa-
tion. especially for Engiish-speaking stu
| dents 1t is established in house imme-
| dately opposite the university and the sec
rotary is always there to give informa-
ton. A Franco-American commf zee COM
| posed of university professors in France
| an dthe United States was founded in 1895
to bring the students from America to
Paris and to encourage French students to
| go to our institutions.
There are various other associations for
similar purposes. The Scandinavian stu
dents have a club: the Catholic students
and the Protestant students have each as
sociations to bring together and look after
| the temporal and spiritual interests Of
members of those faiths, and there is an
association to facilitate the work OF stu
| dents generally. to improve their material
| conditions, to offer them Intellectual and
|: ! moral encouragement, to secure them re-
| ductions in the prices of books. magazines
: and clothing. and to assist worthy man
; in borrowing money II he gets into tight
place. The Young Mems Christian Asso-
: citation looks after American and English
| students carefully also, and the American
| Art Association, started some years ago
| by A. A. Anderson Of Cincinnati furnishes
: | a rendezvous for those at the Beaux Arts.
Club for Americans.
Mr. Anderson, while he was a student.
. | saw the need of some such place for Amed-
: can students to meet instead Of at the
boulevard cafes. He hired a cheap house;
other students and several members Of the
American colony joined him. and the club
: was organized The next yeay Rodman Wan
. | amaker, son of the great Philadelphia
| merchant and his business representative
in Paris. offered to pay the rent of a
larger building. They found an old palace
| next to the mint, where Napoleon lived
when he was a lieutenant in the army.
! They fixed it up luxuriously. but the fine
! | furniture and the imposing surroundings
: made the students uncomfortable. So Mr..
Wanamaker leased a less pretentous build
Ing in the Latin quarter and moved down
there. '..r,' -f'.
7 get their meals at cost prices, a garden
where they can loaf and drink their beer, a
| library where they can read and study and
find the home papers. big gallery In
which the American artists give sale ex-
hibition every year, an amusement room
| where they can play cards, chess and other
! games. and other apartments. Mr.. Wana.
| maker pays the rent, and, president OF
the club, takes an active interest in its az
fairs Paul Bartlett and Leo Mielziner are
! vice presidents: The club is self-support
! ing The members pay small fees and te
& make up the usual deficit give yearly en-.
tertainment usually a minstrel show. which
is attended by everybody in the American
colony. and the treasury receives a per
centage on all pictures sold.
In addition to the social features. course:
I fSof lectures are arranged each winter or
: art, history and other subjects, and severa
eminent European artists and university
professors are always ready to respond K
invitations to speak. There are classes il
h music language and athletics, and a Uhole
some social atmosphere Is created, which i.
especially important for newcomers.
Refused by Congress.