Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-20
SEES EDUCATION
AID TO WORLD PEACE
G. w. u. President Cites Uni
versity as Channel to Demo-
cratic Understanding.

University life is the only channel
! through which a democratic under
| standing among nations may be arrived
! at, DR.. Cloyd Heck Marvin, president
| of George Washington University, de-
| clared in an address to the university
| faculty at its first meeting of the year
| last night in Corcoran Hall.
Freedom of thought and daring
| strength" DR.. Marvin said, will permit
| the truest of contacts between nations,
and such will be through academic
channels, for only academic men have
| free minds and strength in seeking after
truth"
Democracy Outlined.
Continuing, the university head de-
clared:
THE function of democracy is not
government, but rather the develop
ment of strong citiZen-men who are
| interested in public affairs because of
what such undertakings mean in the
lives of their fellow men," To that end
DR.. Marvin urged members of his fac
ulty to strengthen their lives not only
to serve technically, but to visualize
what such technical training must
mean to students who later will serve
nationally and internationally
The sweep of democracy Is carrying
us beyond what we ordinarily have in
terpreted as nationaliSm," DR.. Marvin
asserted I'VE live in an age of revo-
luton, a reaction against social and
political forms of the eighteenth and
ninteenth centuries. First came the
American Revolution and the French,
then a succession of social revolutions
In various countries until today our own
constitutional Government is the oldest
government.
Challenge Follows World War.
Immediately following the World
War, great challenge presented itself
to the United States to work in an init
mate way with Europe and the other
states of the world in interpreting the
new democratic movement, for until
the time of the breaking down Of the
great coalitions of Europe in what was
looked upon as one of the great cataS-
trophies of history, selfish nationalism
had been paramount.
Now the great stream of democratic
thought is asking that the world take
a further step. Democracy demands
that nations shall live together; that
they shall be strong individuahsts, yet
at the same time live beyond rational
limits that the people of the world may
be served. 1t is new adventure and
one that is difficult to formulate in
terms that will be understood ana ac-
cepted. 1t is difficult for people to
arrive at an understanding under a
democratic philosophy of life and TO
formulate it in terms of active
principles that will be acceptable
Leaders held that a common under
standing would be found through COM
merce, and that trade based upon gain
would be a deterrent to misunderstand-
ings among peoples, but the world has
not found this to be the case. Other
suggestions have proved futile. 1 am
convinced that there is but one channel
through which to arrive at a demo-
cratic understanding among nations,
and that is university life, for truly
academic men have free minds and
strength in seeking truth.
Points Beyond the University.
"As members Of this university" Dr.
Marvin told the faculty, I'VE are par
ticularly fortunate to be in touch not