Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-15
BRYCE TALKS TO STUDENTS
British Ambassador Discusses What a
University Should Teach.
PLEA FOR BROAD EDUCATION
Technical school All Right I'm It's
Place, but Cannot, He Asserts,
Take Place of Broader
Education.

MADISON, wis, June Thames Bryce.
British ambassador TO the United states,
addressed 500 members OF the graduating
class of the University of Wisconsin this
afternoon. His subject was University
Recollections In After Life" He pointed
out the new danger which the wonderful
development OF industry and commerce
and the material prosperity OF the coun-
try has brought to the universities, de-
ploring their tendency to emphasize prae-
tical training at the expense of pure sci
ence and the humanities. He said, in
part:
The progress of science has been so
rapid, the results obtained by the appli-
cation of science to all forms Of industry
and commerce have been so wonderful,
the eagerness of every man TO secure
wealth and Of every nation to outstrip its
rivals in material progress is so keen that
there is a strong temptation to favor those
branches of university teaching from
which direct material advantages may be
expected. This temptation is felt every
where. in Europe no less than in Amer
lea. and there are many persons who,
while ready to spend large sums in the
development of the so-called practical de-
partments of a university, such as agri-
culture. mining and engineering disparsge
the value of the so-called human sub
jects.' such as history, economy. rhiloso-
ply or language This is a fatal mis-
take.
Univeraity for Training.
Whatever an individual achieves. what
ever a nation achieves is the result of keen
observation and close reasoning. A uni
versity exists for the sake of traininb men
| to observe and to reason. II II 10 to do
this effectively, 1t must provide training
| for them in all the branches of thought
| and give them the opportunity of acqur-
| ing every kind of knowledge. No one can
tell from what quarter new light may come,
either In science or in any other branch of
| human effort. for all branches are nter-
| connected Any nation which should so
narrow Its energies as to follow what are
| called purely practical lines would soon
| fall behind its competitors and see its in
! tellectual life fade and wither. Any uni
versity which so restricted its field would
be unworthy of its high calling and would
discharge even the practical part of It's
functions far less effectively.
"The study of the liberal arts fits men
to profit by the teaching they will receive
in the other colleges. They will be all the
better chemists. engineers. or lawyers,
or bankers, because they have received a
training In scientific theory or in language
and literature which has given them d
wide outlook over the field of knowledge.
"The university will be thanked for Civ
ing first of all. knowledge; secondly, friend
ships, and, thirdly a sense of the vastness
of knowledge.
with a sense of the vastness and gran
deur of knowledge there should come also
love of knowledge. A university ought
to give that which Is still better than the
love of knowledge. The love of knowledge
ought to lead up to II, but 1t Is a rarer
thing, harder to attain, harder to preserve
untained-it is the love Of truth, which is
a virtue in all walks OF life. The university
will be remembered for many things 1t has
given. but for nothing had 1t ought to be
remembered greater than It taught its stu.
dents to love and follow truth"