The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-10

Americans going back on eo'education
More than l5,o00,00o children are BE-
ing co-educated in public schools, am
the enumemtors at the time OF tn
last national census found that nearl.
~ per cent Of American college student
were in co-eiucational institutions
oberlin College opened its doors to bot
men and women as far back as lsS
and throughout the length and breaitl
of the country practically all the stat
universities are CO. educational. Yet tn
ltwo.sex plan has been pretty frequent
liz under attack recently. Some thing
THE late President Harper of Chicag'
University had to say about It was vel
remembered
Two more hard knocks have just beer
given to the system oi imparting col
lege education to young men and young
women under the same roof--one BY
an eastern college president whose ex-
perience has shown that men students
tend to disappear from the department
| to which women are admitted; the other
| by one of the most brilliant Of the
women novelists Of this university city,
who in book which is creating a sen.
sation on account OF it's frank treat.
ment of social problems due to condi-
tions of heredity and environment has
occasion to paint somewhat unlovely
picture of the result Of co-education in
a leading western university.
The question of what TO do with am
bilious young women seeking the same
advantages as their brothers and cous-
ins has been met in Cambridge by what
is known as the Radcliffe plan. and the
woman's college affiliated with Harvard
has flourished since the days when 1t
was the Harvard Annex though the
attitude OF the men students at the old
est of American institutions of higher
education has always been like that Of
a freshman who when his father asked
him what we're the sights of Cambridge,
replied, 'The Radcliffe girls Whether.
however, the broad problem has been
solved anywhere is still regarded by
practical educators as doubtful.
There was consequently ripple OF
interest last month when President +.
| w. Hamilton OF Tufts College, one OF
the larger educational institutions OF the
greater Boston, came out with decla-
ration that the college of liberal arts is
likely in the near future to contain only
women unless some scheme for separate
colleges can be devised. The girls drive
young fellows away. Women students
began to be admitted to Tufts Is years
ago. They compose nearly 60 per cent
OF this years entering class in the col
lege of liberal arts. President Hamilton
without attacking the higher education
of women in which he thoroughly be-
lieyes, argues against co-education as
iapplied to the eastern institution OF
(which he Is the head.
| A more personal line of attack ap
pears in novel, ''The Road to Damas
Gus" written by Mrs. H. A. Mitchell
IKeays, resident now of Cambridge but
until recently OF the university centre
of one of the western states. Mrs
lKeays. one of whose earlier stories
handled the divorce question with that
utter frankness that the women novel
| lists of today affect, has in this lates'
book taken advantage Of an interesting
study of the old antithesis of heredity
as against environment to have some
thing to say incidentally regarding th'
social side of life in the colleges wher
both sexes meet daily in class room
and elsewhere. Her novel is not dis
| tinctly a college story. 1t deals witt
| the larger aspects Of life as lived b.
| men and women in a city of the middle
| west. Some OF its chapters, however
give point to the words o. a member 0
the medical faculty of Syracuse Uni
yersity to the effect that other prob
lens arising out Of co-education, how
ever serious they may be, are nevefthe
! less "a minor matter compared wit
the lasting power to harm that exist
in student love and marriage. 1t at
G tacks the credulity Of one not Dor
i. under the influence OF American custom
e to be told that these colleges deliberate
: lly foster student marriages, whic
7 must also imply student love. In on
: western college day is deliberately Sc
d apart during Commencement week 70
s the announcement OF engagements be
. tween the students
Some such situation as this appear