Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-16

Re really should stop MS study, come
hcme and go to work.
sometimes it Is interesting TO watch
this bitterness disappear, as in the case
of che scholar whom I knew. He began
by being virulent in his hatred of the
life. His second year was less violent.
Finally he fell so fully into the way of
Oxford that he ended by becoming a
Don and is now teaching there perma-
nently. Time and better understanding
soften sharp edges and mellow the mind.
y " y
TT were not sacrilege to say that the
American Club should be utterly
abolished in favor of some organization
| like the British American Club of which
half of the members should be Areri-
cans and half British and Colonials.
That the American should go to oxford
and associate entirely With Americans
is utterly ridiculous. In this way the
Rhodes scholars are losing the prin-
cipal end real benefit of their study at
Oxford
It is again mistake to send a student
there with the idea that he is to 60 on
amassing greater and deeper knowledge
in law. medicine, in anything, in fact.
which he feels he will need in prepara-
ton for his career. If it is knowledge
alone he must h We, let him stay in
America
In opportunities for study Oxford can
offer no advantages which our Amerl-
can colleges can lot. Scholastically II
is not superior. The discovery OF this
is invariably a source OF deep disap-
nointment TO the Rhodes scholar. The
matter Of temperament, and not
| athletic or scholastic ability should al
ways be first consideration. II can
didate hopes only to be one Of r go
| get-'em-live- wire" business men. lawyer
| doctor or f1nancier without breadth OF
sympathy for literature and art, he
| should not be sent at all.
1t is the chap with calmer ideas, who
| has the real appreciation for the finer
! things and Older cultures. who should
be sent. He will get infinite good and
inspiration out Of the old-feshioned uni
verSity, whereas the other man will be
restless long to be done with it and off
1t is the student of man and of mans
history in art. in warfare. in architec-
ture. and all mans ancient doings who
will settle down into the quiet peace of
(, Oxford, rumnage among the books in
the old +Bodleian Library, sip nj port
and smoke his briar pipe. gradually
work himself into the excellent friend
ship Of fine Englishmen and so get thu
most out Of the old university.
One great cause for the lack of under
standing between the American and the
English student is that the viewpoint
of the former is based on actual social
democracy and that Of the latter or
political democracy. The sons OF Wears
and very modestly-to-do families go tc
the university and somehow succeed in
living like gentlemen. When I learned
that some of these had an allowance
of half a crown (about so cents
spending money week, often refused
to play bridge for stakes even at Thu =
pence a hundred,
In America these boys would work
throughout their college course and
earn badly needed money. In England
gentleman dare not. His family may
be starving and economizing to SEND
him TO the university and he may be
ekeing out the bare necessities, tut he
may not work. The stigma of the
tradesman is indelible. Tradition holds
that no gentleman shall work Student,
go through oxford knowing they must
get out and dig for living afterward
yet while there they dare not lower
themselves to work.
An American In one of the college,