The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-20
u. S. UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS VISIT
RUSSIAN SCHOOL,
Brookwood Representa-
tive Describes Trip


(BLES)-The following letter has
been written from Moscow, Russia,
by Thomas L. Dabney, a graduate of
Brookwood Labor College last year
Dabney is a member of the American
student delegation to Russia. Other
colleges and universities represented
by the ~ members Of the delegation
include Columbia, University of Pitts
burgh, Occidental College and Wash
ington University.
Mocyow, July 8.
The members Of the American stu
dent delegation to Soviet Russia were
most cordially received on our arrival
at Moscow Saturday, July 2. A large
reception committee of students met
us at the station with cars and accom-
panied us to our hotel. We were con
fronted with cameras on every side.
Pravda and other Moscow papers have
carried news stories about the dele
cation every day since our arrival.
Russian Students Eager.
The students whom we have met
are not interested in the educational
problems of Russia but they are eager
to get all the information they can on
the problems of education-in America
have never seen so many serious
forward-looking students anywhere as
have seen in the three schools in
Moscow which We have visited.
Our delegation has visited the first
Moscow State University, the Trans
port Engineers College and the Timir-
jaseff Agricultural Academy. At each
Of these schools we were given a
warm reception by an official of the
school, Altho it is vacation time, a
considerable number of students are
still at these schools-some helping
in repair work or general construction
and some doing special school work.
Questions covering the whole range
of education were fired at us by stu
dents in each school that we visited.
They are particularly interested in the
fortunes of women students, the
amount of technical training given in
American schools, the attitude of
American colleges to Negro students,
the extent to which scholarships are
awarded to students and the prog
ress of workers education.
Can't savvy U. S. Schools.
Almost every group of students
whom we have met asked us if we
were from trade union schools. At
the Transport Engineers College the
students were particularly anxious to
know whether students in America
had the opportunity of sharing the
government of the colleges with the
faculty. When l told the group that
students at Brookwood were active
members of trade unions and that
they assisted in the strikes of their
locals, one comrade asked the rest of
our delegations: How long will it be
before your colleges will become
schools like your comrade's?" Again
and again 1 saved our delegation en-
barrassment by mentioning Brook
wood and other labor schools.
Bridging Gap.
Russian students are eager to do
what they can to bridge the present
gap between themselves and the
American students. They would well
come the opportunity to exchange stu
dents with American colleges. After
we paid visit to Lunacharsky,
student told me that plans were on to
send a student to Brookwood and
they were glad to meet a representa-
tive from Brookwood and find out
something about the school. When
ever possible l have assured Russian
students that the few liberal students
in America are interested in the prog
ress of education in the Soviet Union
and regard themselves as a part of the
great movement Of liberal students
in all countries.-Thomas L. Dabney.