The Washington times., 1910-01-31
Further Charges Against
George Washington Uni
veTSity Answered.
IS NON-SECTARIAN
BY RECENT CENSUS
Claim That II Is Private In
stitution Contra
diCted.

President Edmund J James, Of the
University of Illinois who has conduct
ed the campaign against the proposed
extension of Ike benefits Of the Morrill,
act 70 the District OF Columbia through
George Washington University today
made public another memorial to Con
grcss urging that body to consider we'll
its action before subsidizing a private
educational institution"
Casting aside many OF the allegations
made earlier in The campaign the new
memorial endeavors 10 establish two
charges around which fl is thought the
investigator committees decision VIII
hinge These charges are
That George NVashintton Is. a private
institution and not in the class with
State institutions,
That George Washington IS primarily
a sectarian- institution though It has
lost its Baptist affiliations in an effort
10 come within the scope of the Morrill,
act
President Needham Replies
To these newly formulated charges
President Charles w Needham, of
George Washington University made
answer in a statement that charged
that illinois IS backed by certain 9th
one of these influence as the tTus-
tees OF the Rockefeller fund.
The Rockefeller trustees-T declared
DR.. Needhazu. are known 10 be op-
posed % the establishment Of a ma
FiuuaI university Ia Washington ON the
double ground that the city can best De
served bE nGlELD0rlnE institutions AMI
that there is no constituency here for d
Or %eedharl charged that the op-
-rHH > zinc afer7
Sacrificing the Capital and closing their
eyes to the needs of the young men Of
this city merely 20 carry ouf a pet
theory OF geographical distribution OF
uuiversItics.'
Feared as Competitor.
As long as George Washington con
Quoted night schools" Dr. Needham
continued they let us alone because
they did not think We could compete
with other universities Now that we
show signs of growing into a university,
there are powerful forces allied 10
crush out this new institution on no
other ground than that IT, might prove
a slight competitor TO universities Of
longer standing
DR. Needham reiterated that George
washington had no quarrel with Mary
land Virginia or other NEARBY lnStltI-
lions but was being carried on he said.
TO aCrommodate a peculiar cofSliLu-
..f-ar from being a city without col
1c-n and university students Dr. Nee-l-
nam said Washington occupies a uni
que place In the edUcduonaI neld De
cause Of the young men VINO WoTh mere
and must get their education here and
because of the many sons and dauEh-
tiers OF parents whose average income
ranges from SI-116 10 $3.50 a year
What It Discusses
The memorial discusses the question
OF the right Of Congress 20 extend the
act 10 the District, the alleged seCtsr-
ianiSu Of George Washington. the nm
anciaI record OF this university, the .-un-
happy comparison Of George Washing
ron with Cornell University, the match
ing of appropriations b. the District
rs the States match them in receiving
funds under this act, the right of Jhe
Federal Government 10 grant funds 20
the District and the ,de5 Of the Govern
Ilenr assuming the entire burden OF
'IEEuCinE George Washington JnlVer-
SHY
The present memorial comes on the
heels Of the bitter opposition TO the ap-
UIiCariOu f 1iOTTiU funds 10 the uni
EersilE MANIFESTED a. Ine Inee i-.l9.-- o.
Inc Senate CpmIniJLee on Agriculture
and Forestry by the Professional Ven
ems League Of Washington
Probably the two most Important
points OF argument IN the memorial bear
upon the religious affiliations and The
financial condition OF George Washing
ton AZ Ter RENEWING me hlSloEy 81 the
institution from It's Baptist origin 10
Ire present with its amended charter, /
The memorial SAYS
Its Sectarianism.
THE question O. vv-ether an institu-
non is Se-taTian or not does not depend
merely upon the wording Of a charter. I
hut UDOn the spirit III which the word
Is observed. upon the sectariau afhIia-
zion and obligation and the actual his
Tory Of the Institution in this respect
Tried BY this test as VIII be sseu by
The history OF George Washington Uni
vereity, the institution is certainly q {
seCtarlan school in the ordinary sense
OF that term and has been so from the /
beginning. nearly ninety years ago" =
In summing up the financial condition [
# the local university the circular asks: I
SHAH Congress appropriate money 10 I
IN Institution which has such d. wab0ly I
record upon -he subject of =eCtaTI.tni-Ta F
IS George Washington University If
-, SHAH the Federal Government select +
Gn institution which by the peculiar .
Management Of It's funds has brought .
itself 70 the serious financial situation 4
N which 30 finals Itself
n this connection TOO. the circular SAYS I
that the Carnegie Foundation benefits /
were Withdrawn because OF yIe need OF 4
Ge1r-H Washington 10 use its productive /
endowment 20 meet current deficits.
Census Of Faculty
In combating a statement regarding T.
its SecJaTiauism- Dr. EeeGham rHzs
morning cited a census which had been
taken Of the faculty upon the initiative /
Of Or. Richard Harlan
Just how small q figure the denomf- /
national affiliations OF our faculty cuts 4
in their standing here said Or Need
ham, can be shown by the fact that
when 7 was asked about that subject I /
did not know Dr. Harlan's iIrvestiCa- Z
ton disclosed the fact that out Of Ia I
members of our faculty who nave an
sWered our question SO far. 81 are EpiS- I
cuEaI ianS. 81 are Presbyterian L are 4
Meth0dists. but la are Eaptists. and the ]
rest are scattered among other denomi- /
nations
The possibility that these ten men I
could swing the college back 10 Baptist I
control Is absurd on the face Of it
in answer 10 the charge OF being "A
private Institution Dr. Harlan made
public today some of the facts that VIII
later Toe transmitted 10 the Congress
S-ouaI invest iCaIinE committee
rrr 20 Hr