The New York herald., 1922-10-01

such policies as the restriction OF en-
rollment, the selective process Of ad-
mission and the permanent elimina-
ton from the college membership OF
men incompetent or unwilling to quail
| ify according TO the standards which
| the college seeks to maintain.
Says Too Many Men
Are Going to College
Too many men are going TO college!
\ The opportunities for securing an edu-
cation by way of the college course are
definitely a privilege and not at all a
universal right. The funds availale
for appropriation to the uses of insti-
tutions of higher learning are not lin
| itless and cannot be made so, whether
their origin be sought in the resources
of public taxation or in the securable
benefactions for the enhancing OF pri-
vate endowments. 1t consequently be-
| comes essential that a working theory
be sought that will operate with some
degree of accuracy TO define the in
dividuals who shall make up the group
to whom. in justice to the public
good, the privilege shall be extended
and to specify those from whom the
privilege should be withheld!
This is q twofold necessity: on the
one hand that men incapable of profit
ing by the advantages which the COL
lege offers or indisposed, shall not be
withdrawn from useful work to spend
their time profitlessly. in idleness. ac-
curing false standards of living, and,
on the other hand, that the contribu-
ton which the college is capable OF
making to the lives of competent men
and through them to society shall not
be too largely lessened by the slack
ening of pace due to the presence OF
men Indifferent or wanting in ca
pacity
We hear much of men seeking an
education, but too often they are only
seeking membership in social organ
ization which has reputation for af-
fording an education. from which rep
utation they expect to benefit If they
can avoid being detached from the as
sociation. The assumption would be
humorous if ii were not so serious
that enrolment with college re-
| ouires that the college shall either
force education upon the individual
man or surreptitiously bait him to 1t
rather than that he should crave and
at the cost of any effort possess HIM
self of the utmost which the college
can give.
feI 1t would be incompatible with aHsof
the conceptions of democracy to as
sumo that the privilege of higher edu-
/ Il, he ctr-fr nA n gS
defined by the accident of birth or by
the fortuitous circumstance of possess
sion of wealth, but there is such
thing as an aristocracy OF brains,
made up Of men intellectually alert
and intellectually, eager. to whom. in
creasingly, the opportunities OF higher
education ought to be restricted If de-
mocracy is TO become a quality prod
uct rather than simply a quantity one
and II excellence and effectiveness are
to displace the mediocrity toward
which democracy has such tendency
to skid.
Mental Gymnastics
Not Genuine Thinking
I wish carefully to safeguard these
statements, however. by iteration and
reiteration that II behooves all OF us
TO avoid confusing the symbols and
the facts of intellectually. and i
should hope that under any circum-
stances we might avoid confusing
mental gymnastics and facility In ap-
propriating the ideas of others with
genuine thinking. Unfortunately, in
|
ment, intellectual smugness, are not
Sufficiently infrequent even within col
lege halls, while at the same time
believe that. on the whole. they are as
much TO be avoided and that they are
as detrimental to the spirit OF true
scholarship as is ignorance.
Tn the last analysis the stimulation
in the individual man of his ability tc
think and the willingness to follow the
logic of his carefully considered
thought though TO conviction Is the
desirable ambition for the college
This presupposes the acquisition oi
certain fundamental knowledge. the
mastery Of the technic OF finding
new knowledge when needed. acquaint-
anceship with the method of gaining
access to original sources, a disposi-
ton TO seek all facts and to sort these
according to relative importance before
accepting conclusions and finally ar
openminded tolerance for new facts II
they shall appear and be proved valid
even though they attack conclusions
already formed.
This all Is simply another way Of
| savinS that the college ambition IL
that its men may be consecrated tc
the spirit of truth. Such Is the essen
tial loyalty. II is. moreover, at thi;
time especially necessary TO repeat the
statement. for there never was
harder time to know where truth may
be found than now. and we have moth
ing to designate the approach to u
except the finely attuned and rigid,
disciplined processes OF the human
.aind.
The two great conflicting forces oi
the world at the present time are the
spirit OF truth and the spirit OF propa
ganda, the former OF which leads tow
ard the light and to ultimate peace ant
happiness for mankind and the lattei
of which Is not only the father o
lies but whole ancestral tree. ulti
mately making for confusion ant
distress.
Many of us thought we were to have
been done with any necessity fol
thinking of or discussing propaganda