New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-03
a GREAT ADVANCE.


In 1919 the property owned by the institutions
for higher education was valued at 46J.216,545.
4 gain Of almost thirty-three millions over the
amount for the preceding year. The permanent
Bndowments amounted to S2O6,J6o.lOS. CT
enough 10 pay nearly twO-flfths Of the operating
expenses of the United States government Tor
Dne year. Excluding benefactiOns, tho sum Of
E4s:99, 1913 was spent on the higher education
Df the maturing youth OF the land This sum.
however. was hardly more than one-third Of the
amount spent by Uncle sam on his navy last
year, and only about one-half of the cost Of his
army. II was about Sl5.G00000 more than
New York City spent on its public school sys-
TEN. The United States Commissioner of Edu-
ration indicated in his last report. which is for
The year 19G3-'04. that in that school year an
army Of 12S.7Gl students was encaInped in and
about the institutions OF higher education arm
ing and drilling themselves for the battle Of life.
This army is more than twice the size Of that
which, by force OF arms, quenches the savage
spirit of the peulidtous Pulajanes, mollifies the
Moros. returns the redskin 70 his ranch and
holps the Cuban teccontrol his couatry.
Almost A third q this army Of students were
women. In the 3I3 universities and colleges
open to women well as men, there were p
$50 women fitting themselves TO he the equals
In knowledge Of the brothers at their side. In
the colleges whose doors were open for the re-
ception OF the ''betrer half" Of the human race
alone there were 16.63S students.
To-day one in every Id young men and
women between the ages Of fifteen and twenty
five i'm this country who might be studying the
higher branches IS so engaged. one in every
139 men between these ages is in college, pro-
Fessional school or a technical institution, such
as a school Of mining engineering. As for wonl-
anlind. one in every $50 Of her sex Of that age
Is struggling with the perversities Of college
courses or preparing 10 enter profession. The
total number in the collegiate, graduate and
professional departments is 137173, a gain Of
S,4l2 since 1904.
One effect OF the liberty Of opportunity, which
Governor Hughes declared on Washington ;
Birthday at Ann Arbor, Mich. to be the lead
Ias American idea, is illustrated by a COM
parison Of the proportion Of Americans with
other nationalties in schools of higher educa-
tion. While it is difficult TO secure exact figures
OF this character regarding other countries, yet.
based on those available, it is evident that no
country in the world equals the United States
in the ambition Of its people to secure a col
lege degree. Germany is famous for its uni
versities. 1t has twenty-one. In 1901 there was
only university student 10 each 1870 per-
sons in The empire, although Germanys per-
centage of illteracy is lower than that of the
United States. In the United States one in
every 621 persons was in some institution II
higher learning last year
Although the modern Greeks to-day not
noted for their resemblance TO the early in
habitants of their jagged peninsula in respect
10 literary ana artistic qualities, yet they rank
next 10 the United States in the proportion Of
the inhabitants who are seeking a university
education one Greek out of every $50 is en-
rolled as a student at the university in Athens.
Hungary, closely followed by Finland, ranks
next among the nations in higher education II
all tbs inhabitants of Hungary and Finland
were drawn up into regiments having a nu-
merical strength Of something over 100 each,
one OF the members Of each regiment would
he a university man. The average for Europe
Is ore university student for each , lJ7 persons.
By a conservative estimate there are $4,000
living alumni OF American universities and col
1eges. out Of every Ia persons, men women
and children, may meet upon the street
one of them has taken a college degree. Based
on the divisions Of the population according 10
age made by the ubiquitous census taker in
1900, one in every ~ persons over twenty
FIVE years Of age in the Land OF Opportunity
has passed through the portals of a degree
7,,1e