The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-10

Washington. D. c., Sept. 9.-How
meals are being served for as little
at three cents apiece to students in
half a dozen European countries,
that they may continue their stud
les. and so prevent the complete
breakdown of higher education IN
Europe, is told in a report upon a
year of activity by the Worlds Stu
dent Christian Federation. 1t is
one of several organizations that
are working to help university stu
dents in Europe.
The European universities were
impoverished and depopulated by
the war. Students and professors
were killed and MANNED There
was no money for textbooks or
equipment The greatest educa-
tional system the world has ever
seen was threatened with ruin.
Europe, with the greater part of
it's youth killed, has no adequate
facilities to train what is left The
great problem is how to train the
doctors, engineers and technicians
generally, the teachers, lawyers
and teachers. in all lines, who
must rebuild European civilization.
Somehow European students must
be kept alive and supplied with
books, for the sake of the whole
world. This is the work the Fed
Grafton is doing. Rumor says that
its work is soon to be extended to
Russia. if the bolsheviki admins
tration will permit.
The executive committee which
is in charge of the European stu
dent relief program of the Worlds
Student Christian Federation is
composed of DR.. John r. Mott and
David r. Porter of New York city,
U. S. A, DR.. Karl Fries of Geneva,
Switzerland; Miss Ruth Rouse of
London, England, and DR.. H. C.
Rutgers of Hardenbroek, Holland.
A World Undertaking.
The report points out that the
assistance now being given to stu
dents throughout central Europe,
from Esthonia to Turkey, has been
made possible by voluntary contri- |
buttons from rs countries, includ-
ing such widely scattered states as
Japan, Uruguay, Finland and Cuba. !
Students have been the principal |
agents in collecting funds, as well !
as themselves generous givers, in |
all the contributing nations. In |
England direct appeals to CONNER
cial firms have resulted in gifts of !
rs tons of cocoa and several car
loads of biscuits for students |
breakfasts. In Norway and Swe-
den students have appealed from
the churches and in this manner |
gathered collections running into |
thousands of francs. The results
Of clothing raids organized by |
Dutch undergraduate are now
seen on the backs of penurious
Austrian and Polish students, while .
during this summer vacation young
from Oxford university
are collecting funds in Swiss and
English resorts to enable this work
n behalf of their fellow UNDER,
graduates to continue.
In cooperation with the Ameri-
IAN relief administration, whose
,unds for this work have been
argely supplied by American col
ege students, 10000 students in
10 institutions of higher learning
ire being assisted by the Fedora
ion with meals Gifts of foodstuffs,
assistance by the various govern
nents and universities concerned,
student cooperative se1f-help and
he high purchasing power of mon
y of the victorious nations in CEN
raj Europe enables the cost of
hese meals TO be kept at the al
most incredibly low figure of little
more than three cents apiece.
In addition to the feeding work,
arge supplies of clothing have
,een distributed by the Federation,
II Austrian students having been
in a period of five weeks
arly this year Another activity
low being developed is the supply
# necessary textbooks in places
There not only student poverty, but
hat of the university itself pre-
ents access to essential works.
'hus 600 volumes of reference
looks, each with a special book
late indicating that it is the gift
f the European student relief.
ave been presented to the medical I
chool at Cracow Poland). Needy '
tudents at the University of Dor ]
at tEsthonia) have been furnish :
d with 10 cases of textbooks which, :
re serving as the basis of a per
lament loan library. At the re- {
uest of the Federation's represen-
atives in Berlin. publishers in that {
ity have agreed to furnish books '
Or Austrian universities at practic- I