Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-19
A Loss and a Humll-
iation to Georgia
BY Bishop w. A.Candler

BY Bishop w. A.Candler
= brilliant Young teacher, who has
been doing some special work at one
of the walthiest universities of the
north, writes me as follows:
You will be interested in the follow
ing figures taken from the official direc-
! tory of the students attending the
summer session of the university. The
total enrolment is 5000. OF this num-
Der Georgia furnishes PCS. There are
only four states that show a larger en-
| rollment here than Georgia. Georgia
| furnishes 16 per cent of the southern
enrolment. and nearly half as many
students as all New England. These
students from Georgia will spend dur
! ing this summer term alone more than
$4,000, of which amount over $4,000
will go for travelling expenses. If they
could get equal advantages in Atlanta
they would save $4,000"
These statements of fact should ar
rest the attention of every patriotic
Georgian. They show what it costs our
state to be so far behind other states
in the matter of higher education.
1t should be borne in mind that the
figures are for one northern university
alone. There are at least three other
such institutions to which Georgia stu
equal numbers.
Georgia students expended probably
not less than 100000 during the sum-
mer of 1916 in attendance upon north
ern universities. This is a consider
able drain on the financial resources of
the state.
But the loss in money is not the
greatest loss. a far more serious mat
ter is that we are consenting for 9TH
ers to educate many of the most gift
ed youth of the state. 1t is humili-
ating to contemplate. Can we preserve
the characteristic eXcellencies of our
own civilization without maintaining
our own educational institutions and
making them equal to the best in the
land?
Do our people comprehend what a
leavenlng influence issues from great
university, and what power it pos
sesses for coloring thought and
changing social and political institu-
tions?
The nations OF Europe understand
the matter far better than do our peo-
pie. They know by centuries of eX-
perience what consequences flow from
great educational establishments. Ger
many especially has demonstrated the
far-reaching influence of universities.
After the battle of Jena, Germany SIT
about healing the political bruises and
military wounds inflicted upon her, in
that disastrous defeat, by founding the
University of Berlin in 1910. NJ Ernest
Lavisse has related most Interestingly
the story of its foundation. He says
the king of Prussia, Frederick William,
declared as the reason for it's establish
ment: ut is necessary that the state
supply by it's intellectual forces the
hne lost
The great Schfeirmacher supported the
project enthusiastically and most clear
ly forecast it's future.
He said: when that scientific or
ganization is founded, 1t will have no
equal. Thanks to its interior force,
ii will exercise it's benevolent rule to
the borders of the Prussian monarchy.
Berlin will become the center of it's
entire intellectual activity of north
ern and Protestant Germany, and a
solid foundation will be prepared for
the accomplishment of the mission as
signed to the Prussian government"
His words were most accurately fulfill
ed The University of Berlin more than
any other one thing united and invigo-
rated the new Germany with which Ma
poleon III had to settle in 1870. And
that force is militant and powerful to-
day.
Think of the proposition! To elevate
the kingdom of Prussia and unity the
German empire by establishing a
school, Our practical men" would
laugh at such an idea but the more
practical German authorities knew what
they were doing The event has justi-
fed the wisdom of their fAr-sighted
proposal. Berlin has become the sci
entific and political center of the Ger
man people With it's great university
it is the very heart of national life, and
it's influence is felt throughout the
world. Our own educational institu-
tions have not escaped the influence of
the University of Berlin.
Again after the overwhelming defeat
of Napoleon III in 1870 by the unified
and renovated German nation, Bis
marck undertook the Germanizing of
Alsace- Lorraine by completely recon-
structing the University of Strasbourg.
We thus see that both to retrieve a
defeat and to confirm a victory long
headed Germany established a new edu-
cational plant. And in both instances
she has not been disappointed in the
outcome.
The power displayed by Germany in
the present war in Europe is largely
derived from it's universities, especial
ly the University of Berlin. This war
has been scientific and chemical war;
and the German universities have had
much to do with it.
1t is time for the south, and eSpe
cially our own state of Georgia, to un
derstand the worth of educational in
situations. There is not yet in the
south really great university, and we
suffer both at home and abroad on this
account Many Of our strongest edu-
Gators are drawn away from. us into
northern institutions of learning.
There is scarcely northern institu-
ton, of the first magnitude, which has
not drawn 10 il some of the south's
most apable educators. A few may
be mentioned. Georgia lost to Califor-
MIA the LeConte brothers, and w. A.
Keener to Harvard university. South
Carolina lost Charles Forster Smith to
the University of Wisconsin, where
that distinguished scholar now fills the
chair of Greek. Virginia lost DR.. Thorn
as Price from Randolph college
to Columbia university, and DR.. Dodd
to Chicago university. Many others
might be mentioned, if space allowed.
1t is time for our business men, who
have any of the qualities of statesman
ship about them, to take hold of this
matter with strong and generous hands
and remedy it. The endowment of one
university in New York exceeds the en-
dowment of all the institutions of learn
ing throughout the entire south. This
ought not to be so, and will not be so,