New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-27
~ Ge01ye7 y2AooT MSa7o0rE x z

ment and envelop them in the shrOud
of death and destruction.
Their famous halls Of learning are
,hcltering the wounded and the
manned; the museums and the gal
lerics Of art. with their priceless
spccimens, arc being destroyed and
vandalized. The laboratories OF science
are no longer engaged in peaceful re-
search or in delving into Natures
processes and secrets. Those that re-
main are wanted only for the purpose
of deyising more efficient means OF
destroying human life and property
The architectural landmarks, repre-
scnting the contributions Of centuries
in beauty Of form and of shape, are
rapidly disappearing. and are now in
many cases mere heaps OF broken
stone and crumhling mortar. Siege
guns and dynamite have spared
neither the ancient nor the beautiful;
neither the artistic nor the useful.
/ Human passions have run amuck; fire
ard sword have surmounted and over
thrown peace. civilization and the
pursuit Of knowledge For the better
mert of the people.
The atmosphere of war and the at
mosphere Of study are totally different.
They arc as completely opposite as are
noise and silence. No longer can the
student cross the broad water in safe
ty, intent upon realizing the object OF
his ambition. The opportunity of do
ing so is passing nay. 1t may even
have passed, for aught We know at the
moment.
The world is full Of the relics of
past generations, relics which tell the
story of the rise and fall CT great ma
tions, which represent. or which have
represented. the many and varied
phases of civilization. War, which is
a concise word expressing the elements
of death. destruction and so-callei
glory, has been mainly responsible for
the decline and fall of many great ma
| tiOns. Their achievements live only
in the past Much Of their knowl-
edge. and the plane Of civilization upon
which they stood has been lost.
1t may be, perhaps. that European
nations may even disappear in the
present cataclysm, and that with them
may 20 their individual arts and their
scientific methods and their stores o.
knowledge At least, many of their
early possessions and Of their repre-
sensations OF civilization are already
! destroyed. and much Of the charm Of
contact with their associations and at
mospherc will soon have disappeared
/ forever. 1t will be a struggling, half
dead civilization, with sad memories of
past grandeur.
Another generation will pass away
before il is possible for such nations
to rchablitate themselves. Probably
some Of them will never succeed in do
1. L.
/ turning TO the West for help, for re-
cuperation. for absorption into our
! style and standard OF civilization.
+ Tho practical question is: What
direction will the student take, now
that his pathway to the East is
! practically barred? Will he waver for
awhile or will he be content with his
| present stock Of knowledge, now that
his ambition for European study can
! no longer be gratitied?
Many Of the great teachers of Europe
will find their way here. 1t would be
| good policy 20 encourage them to come.
I There u always room for the man or
woman who has the ability to impart
knowledge. The scientist, the artist,
! the technician and the teacher should
! be welcome among US. We need them
and they need rs. II is not possible to
clothc Our institutions either with the
antiquity Of ages or with the exact
scholastic atmosphere of the Old
World, but it is possible TO absorb suf-
fcient Of the best in European civiliza-
tion and education and appropriate it
TO our own benefit.
Since education is the bulwark Of
our culture. it follows that thiE process
must be carried out with the aid Of
our institutions Of higher education
that is. With the aid of our colleges,
universiticG and technical schools.
The culture which is craved by our
Students in Europe must be provided
rs our own institutions. Every in.