Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12
DIR. WALSH URGES
NEED OF LEADERS
Effective" and "Credit" Sys-
TENS Blamed for Over
Production in Education.

1.-THE time has come to devote more
attention to the production of leaders
than to leadership in production" DR..
Edmund A. Walsh, S. j., vice president
of Georgetown University and regent Of
its School of Foreign Service, said in a
statement last night blaming the "elec-
tive" and credit" systems for an over
production in education.
"Surfeited nature has rebelled against
mass production OF industrial COM
modities," the educator stated. THE
world Is in economic doldrumS as a
result. A similar peak has been reached
in educational circles and there is
widespread complaint from bench and
platform. We have reached the point
of diminishing returns. A moratorium
in production is imperative"
Believing a special responsibility de-
wolves upon a university in training
candidates for overseas careers, the au-
thorities of Georgetown have reorgan-
lied the educational policy Of the School
Of Foreign Service.
Technical and specialized informa-
ton is Of the highest Importance, but
becomes wholly inadequate unless hui
manized by a broad and liberal back
ground, which alone can assure the in
telligent and fruitful application OF fac
tual knowledge to human relations" DR..
Walsh said in explaining the educa-
tional requirements of diplomatic and
foreign trade representatives.
One of the abuses in modern educa-
tional methods to which the George
town educator referred is Journalism
that has smothered genius in the regis
trar's Office and produced the credit
hound"
In his statement of the new educa-
tional policy of the school DR.. Walsh
said:
Foreign service, either in public or
private capacity, is an exacting profess
sion. The American representative OF a
Government department or OF business
organization engaged in foreign trade
carries not only his own, but his coun-
trys reputation. We are judged in his
person; credit or discredit results to the
Nation as a whole from the hab1tual
conduct of individual Americans resid-
ing in foreign lands.
There is a special responsibility,
therefore, devolving upon the candidate
for overseas service, and on the univer-
sity which undertakes to prepare him
for his life work. Technical and special
lied information is of the highest i'm
portance. but becomes wholly inadequate
unless humaniZed by broad and liberal
background, which alone can assure the
intelligent and fruitful application of
factual knowledge to human relations.
Premature and unbalanced technical
training increases the supply of special
lists, but diminishes the number of the
educated. Sheer electivism, with its con-
comitant disregard Of mental discipline
can only end in a dictatorship of the
mediocre. OF all forms of government,
representative democracy has the great
est need of individual leadership.
The educational world has not es-
capped the unrest and social dissatisfac-
ton which has so deeply affected eco
nomic and social thought these latter
years In particular the abuses of the
credit system have returned to plague
educators who overemphasize it. Ger
tain mechanical devices originally in
vented to safeguard educational ideals
have too frequently obscured the essen
tial purposes Of liberal education
Education has suffered in the United
States from slaviSh adherence to arti-
fetal standards in which form has dis
placed substance. doubt if Plato or
Aristotle could have qualified for a
higher education under conditions pre-
vailing in certain quarters of this coun-
try for the past two decades