Evening star., 1921-11-27

members include such internationally
known authorities as Leo S. Rowe.
director general of the Pan-Ameucan n
Union: Chauncey D. Snow. manager
OF the foreign commerce department.
Chamber of Commerce. of the United
States; James H. Carter, vice presi-
dent of the National City Bank. New
York, and jeremiah w. jerks. re-
search professor of government and
public administration, New York
University. This committee is sup
ported by an advisory committee,
which is roster Of the best known
business men. and educators in the
country, as we'll as statesmen. includ-
ing men like James J. Farrell, presi-
dent of the United States Steel Cor
poration; Nicholas Murray Butler.
president of Columbia University. and
one Of the worlds greatest aTthori-
ties on international law; Wilbur j.
Carr, director of the United States
consular service of the State Depart
ment; John NJ. F'hey. former president
of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States: Eugene Meyer, 1r..
managing director Of the war FL
nance Corporation; Elihu Root. for
mer Secretary of State; William How
ard Taft, Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States: A. Law
renee Lowell, president OF Harvard
University, and Frank A. Nanderllp.
The challenge is not issued to the
colleges and universities in hostile
or antagonistic spirit. In fact, the
committee has been working in the
closest cooperation to aid the exist
ing educational Institutions in meeting
the new conditions. and if the exist
ing institutions fail this organization,
which has the support of business
generally and the federal authorities.
will act as a unit to establish a ma
tional institution to meet an impera-
tive need.
DR.. Swiggett. chairman of this conf
mittee of fifteen, founded the first
conference ever held in any country
in the world to consider ways and
means for getting into our schools
and colleges satisfactory training for
all phases of foreign Service-poli-
tical, commercial, engineering. social
welfare. finance. etc. He had for
years been a teacher of medern
languages teaching in the University
of Michigan. Purdue University, Uni
vers:ty of Missouri, University Of the
South University of Tennessee, etc.
These modern languages are spoken
by the peoples primarily interested in
commerce. Commerce. he argued. to
peoples must be largely in the sense
of development of good will" In
presenting these modern Languages
he attempted to acquaint his pupils
with the resources of the several ma
tions. with which the people of the
United States naturally seek CONNER
cial relations. and the human as well
as the. economic Interests which lead
these peoples to enter into, fnterna-
tional contacts.
y e *.A+li
FIN attempting to-. acqhaint himself
r. with the political understandings
| of these peoples. he saw that If ever
this country was to have; anything
like Its share of relationships, or
world trade, we would have to en-
| large the courses in our schools and
colleges SO that the people gem
Nicholas Murray Butler--'interna-
He found. in 1910, that George
Washington University. in Washington.
was really the only institution that
attempted by asdefinite course to train
flee, and gives great credit to Admiral
Stockton, then president of that in
stitution, for his pioneer work and
foresight. He found in 1910 that the
percentage of students taking Spanish
! In the schools and colleges: was
ngure-"less than one-half of per
cent. He worked quietly. speaking
In executive sessions to groups OF
business men, chambers of commerce.
| etc, looking toward the establishment
| of one or more federal academies OF
commerce to prepare, young men and
! women quickly for service, in the
Latin American countries Immediately
| subsequent to the opening of the
Panama canal
The result was that the study OF
! Spanish and the more elementary
| economic resources of the Latin
American countries was ' greatly
stimulated. SO that by 1915 the United
States bureau of education; made a
| survey and found that of all those
registered little. more than 2 pei