The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-16
SAYS NEW PROBLEMS
CONFRONT COLUMBIA
President Butler Outlines Radi-
cal Financial Policy and Need
of Intellectual Effort.
DEPLORES WARS EFFECTS

IN tho annual report of President Mich
o'as Murray Butler to the trustees of
Columbia University. just made public.
the European war comes in for It's share
Of attention. as well as the history or
the university and its needs
The policy Of the university for the
immediate future as regards finance is
60 be- radical. BY q resolution OF the
trustees no new work OF any kind is to
he undertaken. and no funds are to be
invited for such u purpose until the an
nual income OF the corporation shall be
such that the work or the university can
be carried on without deficit No gifts
will he invited for new buildings, excep;
g. complete University Hall.
In speaking of the war. DR.. Butler
ssd.
we have Just now been treated to a
checking spectacle. and one which may
wei cause us to wonder whether the in
fuence Of higher education " as vet more
than skin deep. Some of the most noted
scientists and scholars In the world have,
with the advent OF the great war in
Europe, apparently lost all sense of what
Is true, honorable or becoming On every
side We find them rushing like the bit
tercs' and most untutored partisans to
mo defence Of whatever policy or course
OF action their several Governments have
chosen ~ adopt
"Souie OF them have oven gone so far
a. IN insult the great universities and
learned societies in other lands than their
own which have In years past and in
happier days honored them by singing
out their scientific and literary achieve
ments for special marks of distinction.
II the scholars and scientists and men
Of letters Of the world are to behave in
this fashion. then what are We to expect
~ The uneducated and half educated
masses Of the population throughout the
world? Scholarship and scientific or lit
trary reputation are plainly no guarantee
o. common sense and ordinary decorum."
The shaping and directing OF mems
conduct Is sill a problem and II is for
the solution of this question that a uni
versity exists, in the opinion ot Dr.
Butler
we are confronted" he continued. by
the deplorable fact that those among us
who are supposed TO be the wsest and
the. best disciplined behave like the
orudest and the most unframed under
the pressure Of national chauvinism or
those dscreditabls emotions which war
calls into full play. The dilemma which
corfronts us Is either 20 give up the task
NJ using knowledge and discipline as in.
struments for the elevation OF mankind,
or 10 seek for the cause Of the present
failure. and to set 10 work with renewed
e''' H'viN ihN''iAsthA NAhoi upNi IouS
and difficult task"
This latter he considered TO be Column
BIAS problem. and said II would be I'M
dtrtaken regardless OF the disappointing
results so far. or the gloomy outlook OF
the immediate future.
Among the interesting statistics emu
merated at the end of the report were
the following: Total In gifts for the
year, N.49i,64ssl number OF acres
owned by the corporation 1.o76.5o: total
teaching STAFF, 9l5 total registration. a.
o9S. number OF degrees granted last
June, 1858.