New-York tribune., 1911-12-18
OXFORD INERTIA
Reform Vetoed by ParsOnS-The
AbbOtShOIme Idea.
London, December 2.

/
to have n little time for pulling them
selves together before another royal
commission should investigate them and
! Parliament enact legislation for bring
! ing them into line with modern life
! Lord Curzon the chancellor Of oxford,
being anxious to profit by this period Of
grace. recommended a statute for max
ing Greek optional for a degree in arts,
and two hundred resident teachers, with
many heas masters behind them, sup
ported the movement A statute allow
ing honors men I'm mathematics and
natural science to substitute two out Of
five alternative subjects for either Greek
or Latin was carried through congrega-
tion after a protracted struggle. The
reformers seem to have won an easy
victory, but the discounted Greeks in
the last ditch had no idea Of surrender
ing. The nonresident country clergy
were summoned by circular TO convoca-
ton, and after Greeks and optlonals had
ioined issue I'm n classical tournament
the statute was rejected by a vote Of 595
to $50. The parsons evidently were con-
vinced that the interests Of the Estab-
lishment, not to say revealed religion,
would suffer II candidates for honors in
science and mathematics should be al
lowed to dispense with smattering Of
Greek They exercised the veto power
decisively.
Supporters and opponents Of the stat
rte were equally fervent In praise ot
Greek as the greatest language and 1T
erature The issue between them was
whether there would be better or worse
| Hellenism If the study of Greek at the
universities were voluntary instead Of
| compulsory. Or Warren, of Magdalen,
| favored the proposed statute because IL
would substitute better examination
! for Ar inferior one for those who wanted
/ Greek and allow schools to rearrange
! their courses and TO group their pupils
suitably. The Regius professor Of Greek.
| Or. Murray, was also a supporter, be-
cause he was convinced that there wonld
be better Hellenism and more OF it II the
study Of the language were not COM
pulsory for responsions, but were de-
veloped on the voluntary basis DR..
Lock the warden Of Keble. opposed the
statute because Greek had always been
characteristic of the oxford curriculum
and because the university would lose It's
unique position and tradition If the con-
ditions Of responsions We're relaxed. Dr.
Case, the president Of Corpus Christi, the
! stronghold Of classical studies, contended
that the study OF Greek needed 10 be
artificially protected as an antidote TO
the spirit of the age, and appealed to the
| parsons to disregard the advice Of a
| large majority Of the teaching staff ot
the university and OF the head masters
outside. The nonresident clergy re-
sponded to the clamors of the reaction
airy "die-hards' with an enthusiasm
which must have delighted Lord Halls
bury, a silent spectator.
The parsons, so long AS the convoca-
tion retains its present constitution have
the same power Of absolute veto with
which the peers were armed before the
Parliament bill was passed. They can
hold up practical reforms recommended
by the resident teaching staff and by the
head masters of the public schools and
prevent the conversion Of oxford into a
representative and truly national uni
yersity. BY defeating the statute for
allowing candidates for honors in math-
ematics and science to pass responsions
with only one ancient language they
have demonstrated the helplessness Of
the teaching staff. oxford cannot be re-
formed from within by enlightened and
progressive scholars like Or. Murray, but
only from without by direct action OF
Parliament; and this is not likely 10 he
done even when Radicals are in power,
for universities in England, as on the
Continent. are left at liberty to govern
themselves without state Intervention.
This has been one of the traditions OF
learning since Frederick the Great REIN
stated Christian Wolff at Halle after his
expulsion as a hereto. The fate Of re-
form measures at oxford now rests with
seven thousand registered members Of
convocation, of whom n few hundred
can always be rallied for the defence OF
Hellenism. These are the clergy who
look upon the Greek grammar as saCro-
sanct and little less than the corner
stone of Christianity. Out of theif
country vicarages they swarm TO out
vote the educational experts and broad
minded teachers. and their nonpacet
buzzing silences the hopes OF reformers.
So long as the universities remain un-
modernized and unreformed centres for
mending the manners and training the
minds of wel-to-do idlers, who have lit
lie heart for serious work. the public
schools must remain biassed I'm favor m
a smattering of Latin and Greek and
narrow curriculum. The head masters
know that they are not training men f0
practical life by excluding modern Ian
guages and science from the courses OF
instruction and by restricting Specialize
tion To classical studies; but they are
helpless SO long as the parsons direct
the processes of secondary education by
their veto power i'm university cOnyOca-
tion. There are sagacious head masters
like Or. Rcddie, of Abbotsholme in
Derbyshire. who understand the problem
of adapting secondary education % mod
ern conditions. They are preparing men
for the universities and for life in their
own way. and are disrcgarding the mo-
nastic traditions and unscientitic proc
e-scs which the parsons with their Greek
grammars and testaments consider as
unaltorable as the creeds. what an I'M
pulse would the work of practical re-
formers like DR.. Reddie receive II the