The sun., 1919-03-31
Universities and National Life.

Universities and National Life.
| II any additional pointer were nee
essary to indicate the wide difference
between English and American uni
versities, that pointer Is furnished in
the summary Of the United States
Bureau of Education on higher edu-
cation in England and Scotland. not
long ago published. What impresses
in every such survey is the intimate
relation Of the great English univer-
stiles to the religious, political and
literary life Of the nation. in contrast
to the almost complete isolation Of
our universities, as such, with those
activities in America.
The present report furnishes a re-
hinder Of the very definite identity
acquired in the English national life
by Oxford and Cambridge. MATHEW
ARSoLp's well known designation OF
oxford as the home OF great move
ments and of Cambridge as the home
of great men calls to mind immedi-
ately crucial chapters OF English his
tory and their dominating characters
in a way that testifles most con-
vincingly to the Identification o.. these
institutions with the country's life.
Moreover, It offers testimony also to
an influence that is nearly unique.
In an uglier and entirely different
form one must come to the modern
university in Germany to lind any
thing to match 1t. Only. in the latter
case. the gesture proceeds from the
State toward the university and not
from the university to the State.
Certainly not In America can any
university be said to occupy such
happy position Of secluded yet lively
scholarship, serving a s. the handspring
Of national thought and action easily
Identified with their source. In
France the University of France may
be mentioned in tracing the develop
ment Of that country's literature, but
as an institution Its influence ends
| there. Religion and politics do not
mark their mllestones. as they do in
England, with the name of this or
that university.
| In America the university ceases to
function as an entity after imparting
knowledge to those who come there
to imbibe it. Its Identification with
the national life does not extend be-
yond having, here and there. scat.
tered sons IN the various fields Of
endeavor. The present situation Of
course. in which the universities are
rendering such splendid military ser
vice, is entirely exceptional, and has
no part in a consideration Of their
historic status.
In England the philosophicaIly
minded man turns instinctively to-
ward Oxford; the poet HES him of
to Cambridge; and In due time each
issues forth, an unmistakable prod
uct Of his chosen hall. The same two
| young men in America would have
no compelling reason for choosing one
rather than another of some half
dozen universities. Can any one i'm
agine an epochal movement in Amer
lea. properly designated by the name
Of a university, which would be In
any manner comparable to the Ok
ford movement in origin. scope and
signlficancef
This may or may not be a short
coming on the part Of our universe
ties.' 1t may want merely the passing
of time, with Its sanctions and adj
! hes!ons. to establish some such union
between our universities and our ma
tional life, as well rs to impart some
such individual Identification of the
universities themselves However
this may be. one grows increasingly
sensible of loss and a want in COM
pairing the two conditions.
1t has too long been the habit of
the secular" to look upon UNIVERSE
! ties merely as the repositories of the
worlds treasure In art and learning.
This despite the presence of English
history to teach US that they are at
once the source Of sane progress and
safeguard against half baked radI-
calism. More than at any other time
in the worlds history there will lie
need tomorrow not merely for
straight and clear thinking but for
the illumination that can come only
from comparative knowledge. And
this is to be had only from students. 1
The Identification of the university
with the national life would seem to
be a natural growth where 1t grows
at all. In England, where 1t is most
complete. It has not been forced. The
unwisdom Of forcing II with instru-
ments Of state has been made appar-