Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-01-15
THURSDAY EVENING, JAN. Is.
THE oo1dEGE REFERENDUM.

THE COLLEGE REEElkENDOM.
Complete returns from the college
referendum on the peace treaty have
not at. this moment been published,
but they will be available very Boon.
There is no reason to suppose, how
ever, that the complete figures will
show any material departure from
the record already published. That
record shows, beyond question. that
the college men Of the country, by
an overwhelming majority, are in
favor of the immediate ratification
Of the treaty on some terms, and that
by a very considerable majority they
are in favor Of such compromises as
may be necessary to insure ratifica-
ton. The majority .favors some
compromise between the . so-called
Lodge reservations and the <so-called
Democratic reservations. The prop
osition next in favor, is that Of rati-
fication without reservations. Next
comes the vote in favor Of the Lodge
reservations, with i IN insignificant
handful in favor Of the rejection OF
the treaty entirely.
It goes without saying that the
vote on ratification is really a vote
on the League of Nations. Outside
OF that the treaty has not been ser
iously under discussion. And, II the
facts could be known, it would doubt
less a~n~o- that carf3V,o mt IN FaHrnr
of ratification with such reservations
as may be necessary Is really
stronger than the vote shows. For
instance, there are persons who
would prefer ratification without n
changes whatever, who would never
theless be willing to accept compro-
mise reservations, and some who
would even be willing to go to the
length Of accepting the Lodge reser-
vations in order that progress may be
made, and that the ultimate disp0si-
ton OF the subject may be brought
earer
Who are the college men who are
represented in this vote? Faculty
members are included in. it. The col
lege faculties Of the country include
perhaps al wide a variety Of capacity
and judgment as can be found in any
group. The range is from the ultra
Conservative to the ultra-radical. The
radical element makes the most noise,
and the conservative element does
the most work. Numerically we be-
lieve that the radicals constitute an
insignificant minority Of our college
faculties, though this minority, by its
erratic movements and bizarre meth
does the great body Of c~lear-thinke
Ing. Woodworking men who,. often
very quietly and unobtrusively, are
doing the real work Of our colleges,
and who are making them construc-
tive forces in the building Of our civ
ilizatfon.
And who are the college students?
Their variety is Infinite: They come
from everywhere. and they are head
ed in as many different directions.
But, after making all due allowance
Tor the fadists and the freaks. for
those whose college career, such as
it is marks the climax of an arrested
development, it is safe to say that
h great student body which inhabits
our colleges today contains ninety
per cent Of those who, in a large way,
will be shaping the affairs of the
country tomorrow. These are to be
our engineers. our physicians, our
lawyers. U chemists, our preachers,
our leaders in every department of
science. literature and art. From
this great body will be drawn mest
OF those who are to direct THE great
business affairs of the country. They
will be The leaders of American
thought and action.