Evening star., 1921-08-14
Exchange of Students With France

Nothing. in the opinion of edu-
Gators, has done more to promote
international understanding than the
comparatively modern movement Tor
exchanging university professors ana
students between nations. The I'M
portance of this is just beginning to
he impressed deeply on France, for
the French are notoriously stay-at-
home people, and some stimulus must
he provided if large numbers OF
Frenchmen are to have an opportu-
nifty to study foreign countries ana
cultures and absorb the best OF what
they have to give.
An article in the Petit Journal of
Paris emphasizes these and other
points: ,.so,f
with encouraging young Frenchmen
TO study abroad, and especially In
England. In May. 1920. the minister
of public instruction issued clrcu-
lar proposing the exchange OF young
man and woman students oet"eeh
France and England in order TO Tor
tify our friendly relation with Eng
land and found our friendship on mu-
tual understanding: -,
"The execution of the plan was In.
trusted to a Partisan professor OF
English. NJ. Desclos. The idea was 10
persuade parents to exchange tneir
Children with English parents Tor pc
RODS of from two months and a haif
(the duration of the summer Naca
,ionl to six months. Relations were
established between about a hundred
lycees. colleges, upper primary primary
,ohoa1c-and similar
shrosd, More than $50 families. SO
far as possible of equal station ano
the same occupations, were prousnt
into relationship. Most OF the vlsits
..The moral benefits of this exodus
ware undeniable. We asked NJ.
nesc,os himself for his impressions
on this point. and he said:
":in the first place, our students
made remarkable progress IN tne
English language. AS s,nS 20 emd er lorna
tion OF character. it was an astonish,
w. step forward. The parents all
nhssrved that their children returned
more alert anu at the some time more
serious more conscious OF their re
sponsibilities, more accustomea ~
taking care Of themselves witnou.
q ess,stsnce. The ministry has decided
to Continue the experiment. whicn
| se.y have an important influence on
tha French mentality Of the future
| w. elready have eighty-nve re-
omests. but there is still room Tor
| the movement to grow
IN is indeed surprising that these
.xchanees. which cost the parents
little and yet are SO proouctive
;ntelleotuaily, are not counted py
I thousands It is interesting TO KNOW
the reasons that temporarily arrest
the extension Of the enterprise.
They are as follows: Hesitation
! nm the part of the French parents
especially the mothers,, 10 or
separated from their children: iear
of not being able to oner sne vistsor
| all. the comfort he may nesiIe' D@e. @
cause Of the high cost Of living. On
80 I'm 1iish side certain parents
/, fae- sociaI or International disturb
"Hs for long-term visits. there is
| to he a change in the plan, which
| will facilitate them. Children going
+, FOR six months will leave. not In
| Julv Is at present. but at Easter,
when the greater part of the annual
cnrric,tlum has been covered, and
i thew will be promoted to the next
ciasa above in October, along with
their classmates.
:.Relations with America exist also
in the university. At the request oil
our transatlantic allies in 1918 we
created q committee to encourage
| exchanges Of letters between schools
and iycee students. A few hgures
win give an idea OF the extent OF this
From October. 1919. to April. 1921,
the oommittse sent to America the