Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-04-02
Editorial Comment
A Paeifist vs.. the Truth
Boston Transcript

When Names pacifst governor
refused last autumn to Join the Fed
cral Government and the governors
OF the States in observing Roosevelt
Day as day of grateful tribute to
the Navy he was caught in the act
OF trit1lng with the. truth in regard
to the Conference OF Washington
and public statement by Secretary
Hughes made perfectly patent the
fact that MIR. Baxter was either ic-
norant Of or Indifferent to the facts.
Now President Little of the Cnivcr-
sity of Maine has caught the gov
ernor in the same ugly pastime OF
trif1inc with the truth. this time in
a message to the Legislature.
1t was the Navy and the Nation
as q whole which were the victims
of Mr. EaXtcr's public misreprcscn-
tations last October. 1t is Maine
institution. the University OF Maine.
its president and trustees. it's under
graduates and alumni who are the
victims of Mr.. Bakers misstate-
ment of facts and unwarranted slurs
with which he has seen fit to faint
message to the Legisla ture. 4
statement issued by President Little.
who is not only known in Maine but
in Massachusetts and in many other
States. as a man of his word, bles-
sed with both brain and back
bone. puts the case against Gov
ernor Baxter 50 plainly that he who
runs may read. Space does not
avail to publish the text. In order
that educators in other parts Of the
country may be informed. however
in regard to the guerilla warfare
which Names pacifist governor is
wacing against the University of
Maine they have only to read the
concluding paragraphs OF President
Titles refutation of the governors
untruthful message:
After having stated to me in
letter Of Oct. Is. 1922. ut would
hardly be wise to limit the size of
the university by statute he now
proposes this exact move. Aside
from the educational absurditN OF
denying the opportunity of attending
the State University to those boys
and girls of the State who morally
and intellectually are fitted to profit
by it, the contradiction Of his own
statements is one example Of why
the trustees and I have found it diff
ficult to reach any cooperative agree
mcnt such as he signs for.
He further shows Il rather remark
able ignorance of even the common
est principles underlying the uni
versity by comparing the cost OF
instrllcting the students in Bates,
Bowdoin and Colby. all OF them COL
lcgcs of Liberal Arts with the cost
per student at the University or
Maine. where more than half Of the
students are members of the col
leecs of either Technology or ASri-
culture. Anybody, with even
smattering of information concern
ing the organization of university
instruction. should know that the
cost per student in colleges or the
technical type is uniformly higher
because Of equipment and specialized
instruction than it is in college OF
liberal arts.
The lack Of college spirit is be-
moaned. and no reference whatever
other than n slurring one IS mace ~
the present activities of the alumni
and friends Of the institution pre-
paring to raise A fund of SoO0OOV
for a memorial to the students ana
alumni of the university who gave
their lives in the World War.
To follow his financial suggestions
would mean disaster to the unlvef-
sitv: to follow his administrative
suggestions would mean decrease
rather than increase of interest on
the part of the alumni. and to follow
his educational suggestions. includ-
ing the limitations Of the number of
students. would make the University
of Maine and the State Of Maine
marked, and a laughing stock to
anyone that took the trouble to con-
slider it's situation.
In view Of Governor Bakers mis-
representation last autumn OF the
conference of WASHINGTON we see
no reason for surprise that he should
now misrepresent the University of