Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-19
Professors Advice to Students
Starts Debate on Word ''SnOb"

remains unchanged and that Prof.
Rogers has pointed the way to become,
not a gentleman, but the sort OF person
whom aspiring young engineers should
and would desire not to be-
Quoting Matthew Arnold as having
said "the men Of culture are the true
apostles of equality" the Philadelphia
motto for the classes at Tech" The
personality and life of Prof Rogers
do not agree with his address, in the
opinion of the Boston Evening Tran
script, which describes him as follows:
An incurable humanitarianism resides
In r.. E. Rogers, an altogether uncon-
trollable readiness to be useful, consid-
crate and helpful to all who exist round
about him or who seek his assistance"
Some Of the newspapers do not take
the professor so literally. The Asheville
Times states, Prof. Rogers speech
seems to have been full of epigrams,
and so 1t Is not to be taken literally in
all its Implications" The Akron Beacon
Journal wonders if Prof Rogers has
failed to express his meaning clearly
or If he is just another of those poor
unfortunates who have become too
much involved in that intolerant. and
phere."
The Savannah Morning News thinks
the Harvard professors basic advice is
good, but he gave it in the wrong Ian.
guage. He said what he didn't mean
and meant what he did not say"
ADVICE from the Springfield Mass,
Republican Is against taking the pro-
lessor literally; as it interprets his
speech. saying, "He aimed to be pro-
vocative, extravagantly humorous and
poppy so as to drive his idea across
to the younger generation that there is
nothing in actual superiority in intel
lectual attainment, manners and char
acter to be ashamed of or to apologize
for" The New York Sun thinks it in
the silly season." when the "most re-
nnarkable things can happen in the most
unexpected places"
AS the New York Evening World puts
1t, There Is certainly no objection to
urging college men to use their advan-
tages in seeking public careers and So
cial and intellectual leadership" The
Lowell Evening Leader infers that the
speaker was endeavoring to spur young
men on to stand for something In the
community. instead of drifting aim
lessly And that, after all, is good dem
ocratic doctrine" concludes the Leader.
Analysing the speech, the Milwaukee
Journal advises the Tech graduates to
adopt just enough of its precepts to i'm
press an lHlpTeSSlOEaDiS WOrlQ ana COu-
pie them with enough sound sense and
sincere good work to accomplish things
AND land on top in the end" The
Springfield. Ohio, Sun finds the "real
message behind the radical sounding
phrases" to be that "the world accepts
pretty much the value a person places
upon himself" The Worcester Daily
Telegram rather gets the idea that he
was merely urging them not to be afraid
of having somebody sneer at them as
snobs because they kept their aspira-
tons high" The Columbus Dispatch
sees in the address warning against
the inferiority complex that has caused
the failure of so many able men in the
business world; also an excellent bit of
ychology-thinking success to win
success"
The New York Times sees irony in
the professors suggestions, and saws.
"All the old maxims about working and
waiting, study and industry are to be
thrown aside in favor of push, irnpu-
dence, tuft-hunting, insolence and greed.
And when challenged later about the
Of this advice Prot. Rogers
declared that he meant every bit of
1t and had not Q word to retract.
That would seem to make his circle Of
sarcasm completely rounded"