Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-06
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vaIHe of city Planning.

Value of city Planning.
SIOUX CITY. Ia. May s.-To the Editor
OF The Bee: George p. Ford has an
article IN the March issue Of the Ameri-
can City-"City Planning and Real Is
tate He points out that city planning
years ago would have saved New York
the 100000 Il r. now spending for the
extension Of Seventh avenue City plan
ming years ago would, have avoided the
spending Of s5.O0o0O for three little
breathing spots in the New York lower
East Side. City planning would have
avoided the great land condemnation
costs for a waterfront Improvement that
20 many cities are now paying. ut
would see TO it" says Ford, that every
Improvement should be designed with a
view, not only TO present need, but. as
far as is possible to foresee, to the best
interests Of the city and the property
owner when its population is double or
treble what II IL now
CITY planning conserves and stabilizes
real estate values Perhaps its first duty
Is to undertake to prevent so far as
possible. the demoralizing shifting of real
estate values from which SO many cities
are suffering Just now"
Something is certainly wrong II values
fall. II everything were right It need
not be said that the only change would
| be for the better. II seems unreasonable
TO presume that values in and near
beauty spot will deteriorate unless the
beauty spot itself becomes disrespectable.
To carry out such a program. how
ever" says Mr.. Ford. "the city needs
the cooperation of those who know real
estate and real estate values. It is so
n ~
and value out OF property that II Is obvious
that the city should have the advantage
OF the best real estate experience. The
real estate man owes It TO his clients to
help in every way he can"
CECIL MONTAGUE.
German View of Freedom of speech.
OMAHA, May 5.-To the Editor of The
Bee: In your editorial you criticise
Prof. Kuna Meyer for denouncing and
you applaud President Lowell for up-
holding Harvard's students dogEeret
verses lbeling a friendly nation, which
verses were warded prize by the
institution named. I believe you Will
admit on second thought that your COM
ment was ill-considered. illogical and
entirely unwarranted IN it's conclusions,
unless intended to voice partisan senti-
ment Freedom of thought and con-
science and freedom OF speech must rule
at our universities so far as accidents dis
cussions ana teaching Is concerned, but
academic comfy and national courtesy
draw the line at improprieties which
are more nearly indeoencies than Tack
Of reverence" Whatever excuses Presi-
dent Lowell may offer. the prize jurors of
I'd in eli
ond only to the poet (?l, whose verses
1 quote as follows:
"GoTT NIT UNs!"
No doubt we are the PEOPLE. Wisdom's
flame
Springs from your cannon-yes, from
God needs your dripping lance to prop
No doubt We are the people. Far from
Your captains who deface the sculptured
stone
Which by the labor and the blood and
bone
OF pious millions calls upon His name.
No doubt we are the folk. IT'S to prove
Your wardenship OF virtue and of lore,
Ye sacrifice the truth in seeking gore
Upon your altar to the Prince OF Love.
Yet still cry we who still in darkness
'Tis the Antiehrist ye serve and not
your God"
Entirely devoid OF literary value and
fun OF Misrepresentation they were OBJ
viously composed to vent spleen and to
created prejudice.
Whatever inspiring genius OF American
institutions may surround Harvard uni
versity. President Lowell skates on very
thin ice when he compares the endowed
universities of this country with German
universities. as to freedom Of speech and
discussion, but when he expressed the
Hope that he may see the day when
freedom of speech and discussion be in
troduced into German universities" he
either talks buneombe or else pleads
guilty to the grossest ignorance Presi-
dent Lowell should know that nowhere
else In the world is academic liberty held
as sacred as in German universities. Alb
solutely free research in every line Of
human thought is the highest principle OF
the German scientist.
Nowhere Is there more violence done 10
freedom of discussion than in the en-
dowed universities OF the United states.
The multi-millionaire who hopes 70 inn
mortalize himself by an endowment, usu-
ally dictates the academic policy as 10
certain economic problems which may
effect his financial interests. mention
OF the many cases OF record. only the
sudden dismissal from Stanford uni
Versity OF Prof Julius Goebel, be-
cause he had the temerity 10 write
book, THE Contest for Germanism In the
United States" Mrs. Leland Stanford,
who had endowed the institution, COM
manded. and the regents obeyed. That is
why Nebraska respectfully declined 10
accept the professors pension gift Of
fered by Andrew Carnegie. II Harvard
thinks II has reason TO be proud OF these
verses. well and good. No German uni
versity would have the bad taste to Of
fioally endorse the act OF one OF its
students in grinding out doggerei rhyme