Evening star., 1921-07-31

the early mental 4trophy which GER
tainly now threatens US. 1 have only
the peril. Having denied the general
misconception that have condemned
college education, let me say that
manufacturers and merchants will do
we'll IL they Investigate the worth Of
higher training before condemning 1t
My regret is that in the United
States each year the colleges turn
out only $4,000 graduates. far too
few to furnish one-twelfth of the men
required each year to fill industrial
positions calling for mentally trainedi
these graduates seek professional ca
reers. The shortage Of tho trained
among our industries would be tragic
even if all trained men were well
To-day there is far more reason for
the possession of many facts than
there ever was before. Industry con-
tinuaily becomes more complicated
The schools must change, the col
leges must change. and, more than
ships with children certainly must
change, or serious national harm In
evitably will result. 1t is the peo-
pies business. Thousands of things
today cannot get to the public-things
the public needs. I mean--becausee
their production ia in the hands Of
the incompetent, who alone are now
available for factory work. Many q
good invention. perfected to the work
able machine stage. has been denied
lack Of intelligence upon the part of
those who could be found to do the
work Of making it.
"The situation 10 alarming. America
today does not produce ability In un.
limited quantities. developing in Hc-
vr,Gk hA
nation offers. There 10 far more op:
portunity than there is ability-aRd
that means bad things for America
"MY real feeling ns. with 'lh,r regard gard 10 10
not deserve all the condemnation
have been credited with heaping on
them. yet they measurably fail. Care
full thought convinces me that this Is
because the men who run them never
have been out in the great world OF
struggle. Professors. usually. are
men untried in any sort Of competi.
tion comparable with that which their
students eventually must face. Often
have been tested. Speaking gener-
ally, such men cannot impart the right
IDEAS 10 tne UOy0, AOA SAAoy sAAon'o0A
are ignorant. I do not know. ana
therefore will not positively assert.
but believe that the boys who MADE
grade A in our examinations DID not
get their knowledge from the col
leRes, though all were college graz
yates They would have done wen
without the college education; tnat
they had II did not make them fail.
But outside Of college men We dio
not find one-half OF l per cert VINO
passed. So the thing argues for the
college at one end and against 1t at
the other. / have not been attacked
by colleges, because asked only col
lere mon to apply for the executive
poaitiona. College men are the pest
we have, although. d have saao, }
know they, might be better.
arhe general application OF the
ouestionnaire plan might be a good
thing for the country. Explorations
outside the group Of job.seekers pro-
nuSs now ranked a. highly competent,
even as distinguished. would show
Nm badly after q three-hundred-word
and very simple questionnaire."
Could you trace effects Of race
among these failures? inquired.
No; they were not there. Amert-
can, English. German. French. ltel-
ians. Scandinavian., Spanish. swiss
and Jews were in the hrst group EN-
ployed AZ the result OF competent an
swers to the questionnaire."
(Copyright, 1871, Inward Marshall Syndicate,
incorporassd.)