The sun., 1917-10-11
COLUMBIA FREE
SPEECH REVOLT
SPREADS FAST
The Faculty and Students
United in War on Trustees
Beard Prccipitated.
NEW RESERVATIONS NEAR
Undergraduates to Meet To-
mOrrOw-Chase Pacifist
Agitator From Grounds.

The sun and President Butler de-
parted from Columbia's campus at about
the same time las. evening. the one
brightly. the other dourly-or so It
seemed. While Or. Butler waited for
his Amsterdam avenue car he paced up
and down the sidewalk. his head low
cred, his brow furrowed. his hands
clasping and unclasping. as IL In per-
turbed thought.
For some forty eight hours ne had
been holding down a lid which barely
restrains an explosion and the urbanity
Of his bearing could not quite disguise
the strain Of the effort. The truth Is
that Columbia. faculty and undergrad
uAtes, is seething because Of the situa-
ti6n which forced the resignation Of one
Of the most admired and respected mem
hers Of the faculty. Charles Austin
Beard. professor OF politics. University
tranquility has taken wing. Several
more professors are said to be on the
verge OF resigning. The undergradu-
ates have quit the class room for the
stump.
The resentment Of many teachers and
students Is levelled against the trustees
OF the university, the business men con-
trollers. who are accused by Prof Beard
Of being reactionary and visionless In
politics and narrow and medieval in
religion, Of terrorixing young instructors
and OF interfering with academic free
dom.
Whatever the rights and wrongs OF the
case may be, investigation yesterday dis
closed that large majority OF the
faculty are publicly or secretly in SYM
pathy with Prof Beard. The students
seem solidly behind him. The unanimity
Of sentiment supporting Prof. Beard In
his stand Is such that. for the time be-
ing, all factions in the university body
have composed their differences for the
purpose of compelling the trustees to re-
call Prof. Beard and Of smancipAtjng
academic life from what In termed dol
lars and cents" domination.
At the very outset Of this rebellion
tfor the situation at Columbia suggests
no milder description) emphasis Ia laid
upon the point that the Beard case has
only a remote connection with the cases
Of Prof J. McKeen Cattell and Prof II.
W. L. Dana. Cattell and Dana were
elected from the faculty because It was
considered that their pacifisTn was
bringing discredit upon a loyal univer-
sity.
Beard got out because he could no
longer endure (as ne considered III the
reactionary methods OF the trustees.
He Is loyal to the heart is ardent for
the war and the defeat OF Germany. has
TO use for the pacifists and declines to
permit himself to be bracketed with
Cattell or Dana.
The distinction between the Beard
case and the Cattell-Dana case is clearly
understood at Columbia. To students
and professors the latter was merely u
disagreeable episode. but the former rep
resented blow struck for academic
freedom, or rather a great sacrifice made
In that cause. This IL why the whole
university has rallied. like an army with
banners. behind the noted teacher who
uprooted his career in order to speak
indignations that had been forming in
his mind for years. There isn't the
slightest doubt that Prof. Boards bitter
denunciation of the trustees expressed
the views Of a majority Of the profess
sors few Of whom say publicly and
many Of whom say privately that free
speech and free thought have been i'm
possible at Columbia.
beard Cheered on Campus,
1t was observable yesterday that
Prof Boards resignation and the pub
licity given to his reason for getting
out of the faculty have thrown the
work Of Columbia into confusion. The
faculty is disturbed and apprehensive.
Students are going about under excite
ment and with their minds only partly
on their studies. There was a small riot
on the library steps yesterday morning
and II would have been big one II
the good sense OF majority Of the
undergraduates had not been applied.
| The welkin rings whenever Prof
| Beard happens to appear upon the
campus. Mass meetings are projected
and resolutions demanding that the fac
ulty be freed from trustee dictation in
purely academic matters have been
| drawn up. The air is static with tho
currents and crosscurrents OF combat.
| There has been no situation like II prob
ably in an American university for
| years. Not even the Scott Nearing case
/ at the University OF Pennsylvania is
comparable. for Nearing apparently
| possessed nothing like the unanimous
regard and affection which Beard had
from associates and students.
! A proof of the gravity OF the situation
was had last night when a conference
Of the professors Of the political science
| department came to an end Tho meet
/ ing lasted three hours. The Beard case
| was discussed IN all OF Its bearings. An
attempt was made to find a way out OF
! the troubles into which the university
| has been plunged. Apparently no de-
cision was reached. When tho conferees
! left the campus they said merely that
they had been pledged not to talk.
| Among tho twenty that attended the
meeting were Profs. Franklin Fl. Gid
! dings. Edwin r. A. Seligman, Carlton
| Hayes. Benjamin r.. kendrick, James
| Harvey Robinson. Edward NJ. Salt, r.
r Schuyler. Elery C. Stowell. r. E.
Chaddock, Il. S. Muzzy and s. NJ. Lind
| say. 1t Ia known only that warm
speeches were made In defence Of Prof.
Boards stand, and that Q few of the
twenty present defended tho trustees
and said In effect that Columbia could
get along even without Beard
This meeting typihed one Of several
efforts that are being made 20 save
the situation through concillation and
diplomacy There IN a fear at Columbia
that Boards resignation may be fol-
lowed by that of other teachers who
feel as he feels. He has bcen 40 strongly
supported by Profs. Carlton Hayes and
James Harvey Robinson. to mention
two only. that nobody would be sur
priscd n Q kind Of professorial "strike'
| "