The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-27
LONDON PAPERS TALK
Said Rhodes Scholars Kept Too
Much to Selves.
On the Whole, Salinan Thinks
Criticism Was Unjust.

Kansas City, Dec. 27.-Are the Amer
lean scholarship students at Oxford uni
Verslty who are benefited by the Cecil
Rhodes bequest, unsociable?
That complaint was made recently in
a series of articles published in a Lon
don daily newspaper. One of the Rhodes
scholars, Frank B. Bristow of Salina.
son of Senator Joseph L. Bristow, was
asked for an opinion on the situation.
He answered that he believed that most
of the criticism was unfair.
THE articles attracted much atten-
ton in Oxford, both among Americans
and Englishmen, and all the comments
L have heard have been in denunciation
of them," he said. while, of course,
we would not be apt to hear expressions
OF contrary view, it has been notice
able that, in many cases, both profess
sors and undergraduates have gone out
OF the way to speak in appreciation of
the manner in which the scholars have
fulfilled Cecil Rhodes Stipulations.
Criticism Sometimes Justified.
Undoubtedly, there have been cases
In which the criticisms have been more
or less justified, yet on the whole I be-
lleVe the contrary to be decidedly the
truth. Americans have always been
popular at Merton and the same is true
gained considerable circle of acquaint-
ances outside their own colleges. This
is a thing few of the English do as
may be realized from the fact that
though have been on the river nearly
every day for six weeks, 1 do not now
recall having heard anyone mention the
name of a single member of last years S
varsity eight.
can indication of the part the Ameri-
can students are taking in athletics is
Of hn y-eI+x
freshmen track meet, a few weeks ago,
they took four firStS, besides a, number
of seconds and thirds.
Il do not conceive it to have been
Cecil Rhodes idea that the scholars
should not associate together while
here, or that they should ALLEVIATE them
selves from their native country In
fact it is no small privilege to exchange
ideas and make friends with men FROM
widely scattered sections of the United
States. That this can be done without
excluding a close contact with the
Englishmen and their ideas, has been
conclusively demonstrated ir many
cases.
"One of the most marked of the inn
pressions which I have gained in my
few weeks residence here is that of
the remOteness of the university as an
organization. 1t seems to be some dis
tant, superior being with which the
average student seldom comes in con-
tact except on mdLr1culdI1On, 6Xam1na-
ton and receipt of degrees This is
true to a lesser extent of the college,
that division of the university in which
a person actually lives. It seems to be
a sort of machine which operates with
out visible motive power, though this
| impression doubtless varies much with
the different colleges.
Like Conditions in Athletics.
"a like state of affairs exists with re-
gard to athletics. For instance, no partic-
ular effort is made to advertise an i'm
portant varsity football game to arouse
the enthusiasm of the students. A few
handbills are distributed and it is noted
| in the regular list of events for the term.
In fact it may be played without ma
Jority of the undergraduates knowing any
thing about it.
the multiplicity of athletic interests that
| exist here, arising from the number OF
| pastimes INDUCED in and the numerous
! contests, varsity, intercollegiate and intra-
| collegiate. The collegiate contests often
attract the greater attention. Much has
been written in praise Of, the system by
which every man in a college is given an
opportunity to make a team That il