Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-22

GO NUMEROUS and notable have the items
~ OF American philanthropy been in recent
years that such a gift as that made while
ago by the General Education Board passes
with a few inconspicuous lines in the news
papers. Yet 1t was for sum exceeding two
and a half millions of dollars BY its pro.
visions the clinical service at Johns Hopkins,
Yale and Washington Universities will be re-
organized on a full.time basis--that is, the
members of the medical and surgical faculties
will devote all their time TO clinics and teach
ing and not be compelled to supplement their
incomes by general practice.
The American public has become accus-
toned to the generosity of thought and TO the
magnitude of such gifts. Yet less than 100
years ago, when James Snithson endowed the
Federal institution that bears his name in the
sum of $500, 900 for the increase and diffusion
of knowledge among men," the world marveled
at the greatness of the sum. 1t was the pre-
cursor of the tendency of individuals to devote
their private resources to public purposes.
Girard followed with his great benefactlon.
Homes, colleges art galleries. parks, orches.
tras, hospitals and numberless other enter
prises have since been reared or cared for by
American philanthropists. Their work may
be called peculiarly American, since they pro-
vide out of a private purse what is in older
countries most often a matter of State sub
vention. Where Smithson wrote in hundreds
of thousands they write in millions, and where
his devotion was to the propaganda of wisdom.
theirs includes interest in health and cheer,
art and science, education and mercy-n a
word in progressive humanitarianism, which,
after all, is the best definition of civilization.
A statistician, with the data in hand to con.
firm his statement in impressive figures tells
us that during 1915 the bequests contributed
or distributed for the advancement of educa.
ton, the progress of religion. the nourishing
of charity and the ameloration of the race in
America alone ran to half a billion dollars.
This does not include all the money subscribed
to war relief funds, which would add other
millions II recorded.
We may be, as foreign commentators some
times assert, a sordid, money-grabbing, money
grubbing race, sunk in materialism But none
of the critics sets forth record to outmeasure
that of America, made up of great sums and
small sums. The statistics quoted do not take
into account bequests of less than $4,000, and
these are many. Such hostile charges are as
unintelligent they are unwarranted. They
fall utterly in contrast with the endowments
associated with the names of Crittenton Mills,
Sage, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Phipps, Carson
and others of the recent past. And that these
are no new manifestation is proved by the
annals of the past. luminous with the names
of John Harvard, Stephen Girard, Peabody,
Peter Cooper, Pratt, Isaiah Williamson, James
3. Colgate and others.
Men of immeasurable means have, in our
generation, taken TO the thought that they
are the stewards of great wealth; that opu-
lence is not theirs to have and to hold alto
gether for selfish ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. The names
of these philanthropists will endure, not be-
cause, recognizing that landed estates and
treasures of the earth cannot be transported
across the bourne. they gave grudgingly some.
thing of no longer use. but because as fellows
to humanity they regarded as kin other men
and women less fortunate. considered their
needs and gave largely out of heart of cheer.
fulness and loving kindness.
The modern American millionaire now as
sumes the roles of an Aesculapius. Maecenas,
a st. Anthony of Padua. a St Francis of
Assist BY their generous benefactlons and
their quiclSened spirit education has been diff
fused. culture has been broadened, science
has been sustained for more expensive re-
search, knowledge has been more widely ex-
tended and the hands of charity have been
more bountifully replenished. Whatever their
faults and however many. whatever their lirni-
tations of intellect of spirit-and they are
faliible like the rest OF humanity-the possess
ors OF great wealth have come more and more
TO the utilization of their riches for the public
service and general veal. More and more
hey are regarding private fortunes as public
trusts.