Evening star., 1934-06-03

student generation.
This attitude of bitterness and re-
sentiment had two inevitable corol-
laries. In the first place students be-
gan to question the wisdom of burning
themselves out to secure an education
for which there seemed to be no prac-
tical use in the future. That there
was no larger exodus from the colleges
seems to the writer to be due almost
altogether TO the fact that in most
cases the choice was between continu-
ing in college and becoming totally
/ unemployed
Secondly. it dawned on the students
that the faculties of their own institu-
ions we're members of the same gen.
Grafton that had shown such utter
lack of competence in planning and
managing the affairs of the world. The
suspicion that father was not always
right grew rapidly into a conviction
that he seldoms was, and the country
was swept during 1882 and 1888 with
a wave of student movements, protests
and the like.
Became Crusading Newspapers.
The existing student publications
departed from their long standing
characters of daily or weekly news
bulletins and literary monthlies, and
became crusading newspapers and
critical reviews. In addition new pub
lications sprang up on many campuses
and devoted themselves largely to tell
| ing every one how to do his job. Nu-
merous student proups were formed,
avowedly for the purpose of discussing
current social problems; but after
their organization they applied them
selves almost entirely to wholesouled
criticism of the existing order, both
collegiate and national.
Not all the students took active
part, to be sure, but on most cam
puses extremely articulate minorities
| took the lead and in one instance or
another found that they could COM
mand the support of a substantial
number of their fellows.
Once started, the critical habit grew
rapidly. When a college administra-
tion had the temerity to make changes
in its teaching staff. the more vocal
groups felt obliged almost automati-
cally to take offense and usually to
ascribe the most unfavorable motives
to the action. Likewise, when we'll
intentioned benefactors ventured to
make substantial gifts to some Of our
colleges, they found that in certain
quarters they were regarded as veri-
table menaces. Programs OF military
training were frequent cause of pro-
test.
Censorship Burning Issue.
Such controversies as these natur-
ally made for a lively student press,
and it was inevitable that the ques-
ton of the extent to which college pa
pers should be free of supervision or
censorship should become a burning
issue. Various institutions answered
the question in various Ways-none,
so far as have observed in way en-
tirely satisfactory to all parties: 1t is
difficult and conceivably impossible to
determine the exact point where a
free college press ends and an aca-
demic nuisance begins. Those inSti-
/ tutions which settle matters by de-
vising some sort of administrative con-
troll, either active or passive. have
been acutely. though often secretly.
aware of the essential improperly of
such procedure. while those which de-
clared for absolute freedom have been
likewise beset by misgivings
This hectic period was an open sea-
son not only for college officers. but
for Washington officials and other
men in public life as we'll. Such in
I ternational problems as disarmament
/ and the newer theories of government.
and such social problems as the relief
of unemployment and the capitalistic
system afforded vastly fresher and
more vital material for criticism than
such traditional subjects as overem-
phaSiS on athletics.
GeneralizationS are always danger
Gus. There were. it should be said.
numerous students of strong liberal
interests whose approach to social
problems remained reasonable and OBJ
| jective. In the main. however. the
crusades were marked by intolerance
or sensationalism. The high point in
militant student activity was reached
when delegation from half a dozen
Eastern colleges attempted with con-
J siderable publicity to enter the strike
area of the Kentucky coal fields for
the purpose of first-hand observation
of conditions and possibly of partici-
! patton in the miners defense.
Radicals Gained Recruits.
The leaders of our newer and more
radical political parties early per-
! celved in the general state of affairs
an opportunity to acquire youthful
and ardent converts. and were quick
to take advantage of the opportunity.
In most of the larger institutions the
newly formed student groups entered
into more or less formal affiliations
with the Nations minority parties.
Much of the talking and writing
was hysterical. but provocative. The
air on many compuSeS was heavily
charged with electricity and it seemed
that our American colleges might
! very likely be on the verge of ex-
perimencing the violent form of stu
dent movement that has distinguished
continental universities since the war.
| Needless to say. those in charge
OF our educational institutions did not
view these manifestations with entire
| composure. An acute awareneSs and
understanding of what is going on
IN the world about him are most de-
sirable characteristics for a student
to develop, but when he becomes so
excited about these problems that the
productiveness of his daily RESPONSE
bilities is in danger of disappearing
one is inclined to doubt that the
main business of the college is being
advanced
1t must stand to the credit of all
except a small fraction of our college
administrators that in this trying
period they kept their balance amaz-
ingly well. There were present all
of the conditions necessary to turn
large numbers of basically sound
thinking young people into embittered
and unreasoning trouble makers and
it may be that this would ultimately
have occurred had not the under
graduate attitude commenced to
evolve into its third phase, the pres
ent one
Attitude of Optimism.