Evening star., 1923-06-03

Some advantages OF complnation OF
the Randolph Macon College and
American University, steps for which
already have been taken, are set forth
in the following manuscript submitted
to Lucius c. Clark, chancellor oil the
latter institution, by group of minis
ters and laymen of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South ..
Washington is potentially the most
attractive city in the world for students
Of higher education. 1t is center or
national and world affairs. 1t suffers
less than other cities from the noise
and smoke of commercialism. 1t is a
city of government and of homes and
of national welfare offices. 1t is the
healthiest large city with white death
rate of only 1164 per thousand popula :
ton. 1t is recognized as the most
beautiful city in the world. Nashins-
ton TODAY is the nerve center of clNlil-
cation, the most influential city of the
world Through the gate of Washing
ton every world leader must pass
sooner or later with his influence ana
message. Scarcely day fails to see
some event transpire there when II IL
took place in any other college com
extraordinary educational interest. The
great preachers educators, musicians,
statesmen. authors. actors, lecturers.
artists and leaders in business come 10
Washington. A student there STANDS at
the crossways of humanity Wnere ne
NAV see the genius of the world go by.
Center of World Thought.
In Washington during the student 8
college days he gains first-hand knoWi-
edge of world affairs by virtue OF WORK .
ing in the cosmopolitan atmosphere o,
national and international thought ana
this enlarged outlook is an incalculapie
asset for his whole future career.
All this has great educational value.
The educational resources of Wash
ington are almost lmitless. Ihere are
forty three embassies of foreign gov
ernments all open to serve students IN
such subjects as political economy
sociology history and education. Ihe
Public Library has 227,5oo volumes ana
50, 900 mounted pictures. Tne LlprarE
of Congress has over 100000 Volumes
11o 400 maps, $4,000 pieces of music,
424.7S3 photographs, prints and engraV-
ings. The bureau of standards mas
scientific staff of $50 specialists. Gradu-
ate students may be adTHitted on saiarS
10 continue their studies for advanced
degrees Work done in the bureau Is
accented by the best universities.
Among other facilities for educational
work in Washington are: Ihe ran
American Union. the United states es
public Health Service. the bureau OF
education. the Department Of Labor.
the woman's bureau. the chiidren
bureau. the Smithsonian Institution. the
bureau of American ethnology, the Ma .
tional Geological Park. the bureau OF
scientific literature, the Corcoran ia.
lery of Art. the Corcoran School OF
Art (Which is free), the National Cal
lery of Art the New National Museum:
the Carnegie Institution: the offices OF
fiftyfour national patrionc ana wei
fare organizations, the offices OF forty !.
three religious bodies, the off1ces OF
twenty-nine scientific societies. and
Headquarters of twelve reform assocla-
1ions. The free resources afforded by
Washington for educational work could
not be provided by hundreds OF mil
lions of dollars in endowments
Place for World School.
The one place for world univer-
sity" is Washington. Who snail buiio
ito Shall the government? No; for IL
must never be hampered by politics.
Shall great wealth? No; for It must :
vested commercialism. Shall the world
university be built by religious reaction. !.
aries or by religious "free-thlnkers
No: for it must be an institution IN
which any religious person may feei
absolutely free to think and work. IL
certainly must be religious; for. as the
Duke of Wellington has said. "educa-
tion without religion only makes race
Of clever devils" Modern education is
the product of religion at the hands OF
many religious martyrs. To build a
world university without religion would
he a desecration of our sacred inherit
ance and a crime against posteritv;
Who, then. shall build the rst world
university?
The eyperience of centuries has given
the Roman Catholic Church the wisdom
and prophetic vision to sense the trend
of human affairs for many generations
10 come. That church sees clearly that
Washington is increasingly to be the
strategic center of civilization. Conse-
uuently that church is fortifying itself
here in a masterful manner. While
there are only about $4,000 white mem
hers Of the Catholic Church in the Dis
trict of Columbia they have twenty-six
churches with parochial schools and
fve institutions of higher education
These five institutions are: The Catho-
lie University of America with its
eleven affiliated colleges, the George
sity. Trinity College and the Catholic
Sisters College. In these five institu-
tions there is an investment. including
endowments, estimated at over sl6,-
100000 and campaign is now under
way for s5.ooo000. There are in these
Catholics have ALREADY gone far toward
making Washington their greatest edu-
Cational center In the world.
Others Slow.
The Protestant forces have been slow
In grasping the strategic opportunity
Of Washington as an educational CEN
ter. The Methodist Church has laid
the foundations for a great educational
enterprise in Washington in the
American University. with 245 gradu-
ate students but with no college OF
liberal arts. Its total assets amount to
about $4,000, ,000
II appears that world university in
Washington is the opportunity and
task providentially assigned to Meth
odists. Washington is particularly i'm
portant for Methodists. Washington
Is world center Methodsm is a
world churcT. In the capital of the
nation Methodism is the strongest Prot
estant denomination and the best field
In which Methodist bodies of America
can make demonstration of practica
cooperation on a large scale The
present lack of Protestant facilities fol
education in the District. with the fac
that the Methodist Episcopal Church
has already laid a solid foundation fo
great university in Washington
makes an opportunity that calls upor
Methodists to take the lead in provid