The Bozeman courier., 1921-12-07
NATIONAL COLLEGE
Fitting TRIBUTE


Washington, Dec. 6.-"To the men,
ory of George Washington what
greater tribute could be raised than
National University"
In his address on the occasion of
the laying of the corner stone of the
National Victory Memorial in Wash
ington, President Harding, giving an
analysis of the will of George Wash
ington, called attention to the fact
that among many other devises was
one for the endowment of a univer-
sity in a central part of the United
States and the president, in his con-
Guiding remarks, said of that docu-
ment. 'as a charter Of good citizen
ship and patriotic purposes this last
will an dtestament has been an in
spiration many times to me- The
truth of that statement was evidenced
by the zeal with which Harding re-
vercd the memory of, and the poll
cies laid down oy Washington in the
campaign Of l.-1 wnic resulted in
the overwhc.u dc,isi5n hat this
nation should maintain i1s ndepen-
dence.
AS for the clause Of Washington's
VIII which provided for a university,
ii IS understood tAa5 sum consider
able ~ -lo,t as was set aside to
initia1a : -or1@ing of a university
and th.. TINS sum was in the form
of certain canal honds. The canal
was long since filled in but the pur-
pose of the Father of Our Country,
wniie it has been permitted to lam
euIsh, has never died. Several at
tempts have been made to carry it
out. notably in 1907 when the George
Washington University sought to
constitute itself the nucleus of great
national university and solicited funds
- for it's enlargement. But the admin.
istration Of that institution may not
have been such as to commend itself
to prospective contributors at that
time and after a few months of few
erish and futile activity the movement
perished Of inanition.
"When it comes to pass that tn,
almost crushing legacy of debt left
to the nation by war shall have beer
lightened, the project conceived b!
Washington may well be carried on
by the party which has been so faith
ful to his memory. A great univer
sity at the capital of the nation, linn
tied perhaps to graduate work, woul,
be an admirable and practical monu
ment to him who was first in wal
first in peace, and first in the heart
Of his countrymen.' Such an insti
tuition could capitalize the wealth 0
material to be found in the archive
of the government, the library of cor
gress, the various scientific bureaus
and the legislative halls. Of 'storie
urn and animated BUST of plinth an
architrave and snowy shaft to con
memOrate the Great Liberator, the1
is no lack. He did not ask for thes
But he did ask for AN institution I
disseminate learning, culture, and
proper understanding of right priI
ciples in government to quote tf
words of President Harding.
Attendance at this Universit
might be assured to those designate
by the faculties of the five hundrt
odd colleges and universities in Il
United States, whereby the enrol
ment of this graduate Institute
would be composed of the intellectu
cream of the land; while from evel
country in the world would come st
dents who would wish to train ther
selves in the science of republic;
government and to explore the upp
strata of those sciences and new
humanities in which this country
taking such a leading part. Associ