The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-23
War WILL CH ,AGE
AMERICAN COLLEGE
Dean KeppA OF Columbia OF Opinion
That Difference Will 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. II 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 report Dean Keppel says:
The entry OF the United States into
the great war will prove to be a slim
illus 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-
dergraduatss who are not Of the draft
age will be necessary to provide mill
tarytrAintng more generally than has
been our previous national habit. for
1t 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
tho country at large win demand
something moro concrete.
Must Aid Reconstruction.
How long tho military training will
remain q part Of the curriculum and
how permanent will be the present
close connection between scholarly az
fairs and military Affairs 1t Is too soon
to say. At any rate the colleges will
not have fulfilled their function until
they have played their part in the
work of reconstruction and reconcilia-
tion which must follow the war. If
the result Is to be a real victory for
humanity 1t II for them to break away
when necessary from the trammels
OF q conventionalixed and unthinking
patriotism to remind the nations that
justice and liberty are as necessary
as they were In 1776."
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,@t3 students registered at the be-
ginning of the second half year no
fewer than $40 had entered some form
OF national service before commence
ment
No one" says the dean. except a
few paciphobes who had been alarmed
at the growing habit OF sundergradu-
ates to think for themselves, feared
that our students. as individuals,
would stand back in the fear OF hard
ships or danger when the new call
to arms should come any more than
they did In 81 and 'ss: but very few
II any realised how complete a revo-
luton In our hard and fast institu-
tional and social life would be the
result or that this would come almost
A. 4 matter of course
HfrsAnrtn YnaH Nrr> Uo~AA>a~
Tho students gave up without
moments hesitation their cherished
games ana gatherings and all the
careless but comfortable routine of
their daily lives. Their action has
been marked not only by 4 proper
recognition Of the emergency but BY.
. high degree OF intelligence of choice
from the glorious risks Of tho avia-
ton corps to the humdrum work Of
filling the fields Of the even harder
decision to finish q course in order
to bs OF greater service later on. Az
. whole the undergraduates and
young alumni OF our colleges have.
made record OF which the nation
may we'll be proud
A further prophecy of important
change 10 contained in the following:
The parental attitude which the
American college has always main
tanned toward Its students will no
longer be limited to matters of per-
sonal morals or conduct but will in
clude the students public usefulness,
a recognition OF his place in the pub
lie order. 1t will mean changes In
the curriculum to provide for such use
fulness. not alone in military subjects
but In geography and international
studies and in other fields. II will
involve also an increased realization
OF the Importance Of the physical Mt
ness OF the group as a whole as con-
trasted with the possession Of win
ming teams Of specialists.'