The evening world., 1921-05-10
most PEOPLE"
VERY IGNORANT
OF MANY THINGS
Wizard Edison Is Answered by
College Heads, Some of
Them Sharply.
.COLLEGlANS MORE APT,
General View IS That Higher
Education Is an Asset,
Not a Liability.

Elmer z, Brown, Chancellor Of New
York University, commenting to-day
on Thomas A Edisun's statement
that "all college men are ignorant"
went tho inventor one better by de-
claring that most people are aInas-
ingly ignorant about a great many
things"
''rhe only one l ever knew who
knew everything" he added, died
before he got into college"
Tho Chancellor, however, expressed
the belief that n college education
IS an asset rather than n liability.
There is an immense difference be-
tween men as to their consciousness
Of ignorance and their ability to
amaSs the information they need at
any given time" he said. 81 still have
a notion that the colleges help a little
IN this direction. / am speaking now
simply Of their general services and
not what they do in courses OF special
raining for certain vocations.
a. THE kind OF training that IS re-
led as liberal cducltion'-Eood for
anything, good for everything, but
cood for nothing in particular-does
seem to enable young man 10 climb
\ q good deal faster when he starts in
on the lowest runE of the ladder than
ne could have climbed without it,"
There are many undergraduates
who can PROFOUND questions 70 Mr.
Edison which he would find great
difficulty in answering" Dr.. A. C.
Humphreys, President OF Stevens In
stitute, declared. He added that
there were oven questions regarding
engineering which students of tech.
meal schools could put to Edison
/ which the wizard" probably woulL
funk" on, especially those relating
to engineering subjects in which Edi'
\ son is not particularly interested.
\ CHICAGO, May lO.-Harry Pratt
4 Judson, President Of the University
OF Chicago. pays his respects &c
Thomas a. Edison in these terms:
with due respect to the wonderful
mind Of Mr.. Edison, l believe his fail
ure to appreciate college education
might be attributed to the fact thai
he did not have one. Colleges and
l universities defend themselves against
such attacks by their wonderful
achievements"
COLUMBUS, O., May lO.-Mr
q Edison was severely criticised for hi'
y view by Ohio State University Off
Gals to-day.
I'VE all know SO little that it doe
Loot bchoove any man to point at an
4 OTHER and say lie IS ignorant Dr.
W. .. Thompson, President Of Oht'
( state, said A mans knowledge o
electricity cannot be judged by hi
! mastery Of Sanscrit. Tho field .
learning is so large that one man cal
hardly master one branch OF it, but
IS known that the college trainc'
man can quickly adapt himself to
situation"
Frederick (. Hicks, President OF tn
University of Cincinnati. said: Il
NAV develop that Elison's idea Is q
wide variance with our position. Il
Dossible, of course for almost an
one to get up list OF questions wh.c
no one else can answer sausfac
torily."
CLEVELAND o., May lO.-Dr, 7
M Focke. Dean of Case school of Az
piled Science points to the fact tina
n large percentage OF college me-
was advanced To- officers during IN
war in refutlng Edisons statement
He also said that the records of tn
Association OF College Registrars 10
the last five years show that large
percentage OF college men have mad
names for themselves in cnginccrln
Fields than have the nou-COllege mel
BOSTON, May lO-'its too ride
ulous To answer Dr. Charles W
Eliot. President Emeritus of Harvar
said today regarding Thomas
= ,EdisOn's assertion.
Dean Arthur Ii. Wilde of the SchO'
Education, Boston University, sal
Intricate tests Of Intelligence SHOVE
college m'u were not ignorant an
hat the &C. that there have bee
colleges for generations shows 10
sons belief is hascloss.
ATHENS. ONO, May lO.--ln rcpl
30 Thomas 4. lldiSOn'S statement, ac
inc President OF ONO JuverSlt
" Edvin Watts Chubb, said to-day
i college men are ignorant OF man
I things but not as ignorant as tho'
who are not college men. SoCrat'
aid +b,t ne was the wiscSt man
Athens because other men didn
Enow anything but didn't know tn,
1idn't know anything, but he knew !
didn't know anything. The special
rs ant to dcprrcate general cultul
because the man of general cultu
shows a lack OF knowledge Of son
special field"
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