Evening star., 1914-02-28
WOULD MEAN RICHES
FOR PEOPLE OF j. S.
Educators Discuss Benefit of Great
National University in
Capital.
Not Yet Too Late, They Declare, to
Profit by the Advice of
Washington.

Il have no doubt that if the American
people had followed Washington's sug
Sestion and had opened a federal mi
vcrsity on this new and enlarged plan
when the federal city was founded ir
the District of Columbia American
education would today be distinctly
farther along in every branch of its
development than ii is at the present
time.
DR. George Francis James of the
Minnesota State University transmitted
for his brother. Edmund ]. James.
president of the University of Illinois.
these views on u national university
in Washington, speaking before the
House education committee last night.
At the hearing committees representing
the National Educational Association
and the National Association of state
Universities were present. both organi-
cations having indorsed the Fess bill,
outlining the establishment and con-
duct of the proposed institution.
Wise Men Not Needed.
The American people turned aside
from the advice of thc far-seeing men,.
said Dr. James, "and left the question
of education to private institutions, to
the individual states. to weak and ILL
supported colleges. to provide as best
they could for this fundamental need
Of the American republic.
Il believe that if the federal govern
ment were, even at this late date. To fol-
Fow- the advice Of President Washing
ton, and erect here in this federal city
the kind of a university which only it
can undertake to organize and develop.
with the means which are only at its
disposal for accomplishing this great end,
such an institution would exert TODAY
the-.samc kind of an uplifting influence
that IL would have cNerted if established
:. century ago. II is true that We have
nl5ry institutions now which are begin
rings, at any rate, of universities. which
nave started ON the road which leads to
the DEVELOPMENT of universities: but there
is not one in my opinion which would not
be greatly Helped IN its evolution toward
the highest type of American university
by the example and inspiration which
an institution of this sort. founded by
the government of the United States in
tits capital Of the whole country, might
bring.
s7l Prosperity to Amaze World.
s'.Now, such an institution. founded here
in the Capital city of the republic, on
a scale such as the federal government
can adopt. and which can be adopted by
no other unit in our society, whether
pubic or private say such an in
stttution would exert Il subtle anu Jar
reaching influence IN the d.recuor of
cmphds.z.ng the Importance OF human
science in the deve.opment o. our civinza-
Iion. personally, L believe that ii we
could get the scIentiiic attitude, the
scientific point OF View IN the mind and
IAeart OF the average American. we SnouId
begin a career ol uneXampleu prosperity,
the ike OF which the word has never
even dreamed of.
The suite influence of such. an ilsti-
tuition. of the group OF men which such
an. institution would inevitably bring
it, . upon the conditions determln
ng.legislation and upon our whole out
iook upon hfc, would be far-reaching in
dee.
Oxher speakers included Brown Ayres,
PRECEDENT OF the University of Tennessee;
Ca&oil c. Pearse, principal of the Mil
waa1xee. Wis. Normal School; Charles
WlDabney. president of the University
of cincinnati: President W. Q. Thompson
of -She State University of Ohio and
President Brown of the New York State
UnG Gersity.
HEARINGS will be continued tonight