Evening star., 1925-04-26

N only one of the largest and wealthiest
| " of American educational institutions,
but stanch foundation rock of Meth
odist learning. For years Methodists, most
numerous of Midwest churchmen have stead
fastly and consistently done four things:
Barred dancing. drinking and card.playing
from their congregations and sent their
and daughters to Northwestern University
Therefore, in making a study of religion
and morals among the youth of American col.
leges it inevitable that interview Walter
Dill Scott, president of that great university.
Mr.. Scott met me at the University Club in
Chicago, and after had settled ourselves in
one of the quiet corners of its comfortable
lounge, / showed him poll taken among the
seniors of large university in which ma
jority of the students had testified that they
approved of women smoking, that they smoked
themselves, had taste for liquor, and that If
given the opportunity they would marry for
money, rather than for love. Following this,
asked Mr.. Scott II it not true that the
colleges had taught money making to the
e:usion of religion and right-living.
| repeat Mr.. Scotts frank reply with our
ALLOWING conversation, he gave it to me.
A. No. but your criticism is in part justified.
Our colleges have been Influenced by their
social environment and have been induced to
place emphasis material things. We teach
the science OF transportation. of insurance, of
accounting, of biology, zoology, anthropology
and all the other oogies but have not yet
given sufficient emphasis in teaching
Judges ana our parents ana our teachers ana
preachers the science of mankind. We in
spire the materiaistc outlook rather than the
religious outlook upon life.
Against Religious Camoufage
Q. What do you mean by the religious out
look?
A. BY religion refer to no sect or dogma
but to the broad science of living with our
fellowmen and making them happier and bet
ter because of our contact with them. I do not
believe in camounagng religion under various
names creeds and IL we had not become
en,broiled with dogmatic disputes minor
issues, should not have lost sight of the
ma jor issue we have today.
O. Why have the colleges failed to empha
size the teaching of this sort of religion.
A. OF course. we did teach it at first. Har-
ward was founded to save the church from IAN
illiterate ministry Yale to prepare young men
for public employment both in church and
state Northwestern Ito promote the cause OF
Christian learning And in those early days
ancestors knew perfectly how to educate
our children There were certain fixed rules
which governed life. This shalt thou do, and
this shalt thou not do
Don't Know What to Teach.
Today these rules are all topsy-turvy. We
are in a transitional stage. We can t teach
students any set Of rules. because
don't know what they are ourselves. Science
started the trouble. We taught youth the
scientific history of mankind, which upset their
religious trainings. and we gave them nothing
to replace their old creed We threw away the
old tooA before had developed the new.
@. Why have the colleges concentrated
most Of their time a materialstic form of
education?
a. Because the entire nation has been
busy with n,ateralistic enterprises. Our an
cestors were not in the same position. They
were chiefly concerned with guiding the forces
of men, Of molding Government. But
with that Government once set up, turned
our untirng energy and enthusiasm to over
coming the forces of nature. We were sur
rounded by the greatest wealth in the world
and we have been busy developing it.
It is natural, therefore, that we should pay
more attention to science than to religion; that
we should be interested in electricity
the telephone, radio, the automobile and all the
wonders of our age than we are in the problem
of morals. do not say this right but l
say 1t was natural.