The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-23
war WILL CHI lAGf
AMERICAN COLLEGE
Dean keppea Of Columbia OF Opinion
That Difference win Be
Profound.
MOST STUDENT LOYAL
says Undergraduates Habit of Doing
Own Thinking Alarms "Paci-
phobes."

Frederick Paul Keppel, dean of
Columbia college. but now serving as
an assistant to the secretary of war.
predicts in his annual report as dean
that the whole nature of American
colleges will be changed by the ma
tons experience in war. 1t Is too
soon. he thinks. to predict what per-
manent changes will be made. but
he does not doubt that the changes
will be profound.
In his rapport Dean Keppel says:
The entry of the United States into
the great war will prove to be a slim
ulus which will profoundly change the
nature not only OF countless Ameri-
can collegianS but of the American
college itself. Results will be far
reaching and will not be merely along
lines OF military training and efficien-
cy. In order to hold the present un-
dersraduatss who are not Of thse draft
ase viii be necessary to provide mill
t&rytra1n'ng more generally than has
oeAn our previous national habit, for
II would be too much to expect those
boys to look far enough into the fu-
ture to recognize the practical value
OF purely cultural studies. They and
the country at large will demand
something more concrete.
MuSA Ala Reconstruction.
How long the military training will
remain 4 part OF the curriculum and
how permanent will be the present
close connection between scholarly AZ
fairs and military Affairs It IL teo soon
TO say. At any rats the colleges will
not have fulfilled their function until
they have played their part In the
work OF reconstruction and reconcilia-
ton which must follow the war. II
the result In to be q real victory for
humanity it IL for then, to break away
when necessary from the trammels
OF a conventionalized and unthinkinx
to remind the nations that
Justice and liberty are ~ necessary
as they were In 177e."
The dean expresses pride and pleas
ure In the patriotism manifested not
only BY Columbia's students but by
American students In general He
says that In Columbia college out of
1.<bt students registered At the be-
ginning OF the second half year no
fewer than sac had entered some form
OF national service before commence
ment
mo one." says the dean. "excspt a
Few paciphohes who had been alarmed
at the growing habit of underxradu-
afes to think for themselves, feared
S6"% o&t 0tu0ShAy A& kA0fvIQuAiS.
would stand back In tho fear Of hard
ships or danger when tbs new call
10 arms should como any more than |
they did in 's1 and 'ps; but very few
X any realised how complete q revo- |
luton In our hard and fast tnst,tu- |
etonaf ana soci&f tffs would be the
result or that this would come almost |
~ matter OF course
Students Did Not Hesitate.
The students gave up without q |
moments hesitation their cherished !
games and gatherings and all the
careless but comfortable routine Of /
their daily lives Their action has
been marked not only by a proper |
recognition Of the emergency but by |
high degree OF intelligence Of choice |
from the glorious risks Of the avia- |
ton corps to the humdrum work OF |
lining the fields of the even harder |
decision to hnish a course In order
10 DO of greater service later ON. Az
l. whole the undergraduates and
young Alumni OF our colleges have {
made record OF which the nation /
may well be proud"
further prophecy OF important |
change II contained in the following: !,
The parental attitude which the
American college has always main
lained toward its students will no
onSer be limited to matters Of per-
sonal morals or conduct but will in
-luds tho students public usefulness.
. recognition Of his place in the pub
10 order. II will mean changes In |
he curriculum to provide for such use
not alone In military subjects
but in geography and International
studies and In other fields II will
involve also an increased realization
u the Importance Of the physical fit-
hess OF the group as a whole az con-
rasted with the possession of win
1ing teams OF specialista.~