Evening star., 1934-12-29

Hotel. The founders, or guests OF
honor on this occasion, are Clarence
w. Bowen, New York publisher; Davis
r. Dewey, economist, of Cambridge,
Mass; Prof. Ephriam Emerton, also
of Cambridge; J. Franklin Jameson.
Library of Congress historian, and
Henry E. Scott, Boston editor.
Other officers scheduled for auto
matte election at this afternoons busl-
ness session include Charles H. Nc
Twain of Harvard University and Guy
Stanton Ford of the University OF
Minnesota, vice presidents; Dexter
Perkins of the University of Rochester,
secretary, and Constantine E. NC
Quire of Washington, treasurer.
Council Members.
Scheduled for four-year terms on
the council were Dumas Malone of
the Dictionary of American Biography,
and William L. Westermann of Co.
lumbia University.
Rev. E. A. Walsh, S. j.. vice presi-
dent of Georgetown University and
authority on Russian history, presided
dI d oCoolOlL 0SdlLlS
revolutionary tradition in Europe.
Speakers at this session included
Prof. Louis Gottschalk of the Uni
versity of Chicago; DR.. Henry E.
Bourne, editor Of the American His
torical Review, and Prof. G. S. Ford
of the University of Minnesota.
At a meeting devoted to Colonial
history, Prof. Lowell Joseph Ragatz of
George Washington University dis
cussed THE West Indian Approach
to the Study of American History
DR.. Ragatz declared that no un-
derstanding Of the English colonies in
America could be arrived at without
full consideration Of the sugar colo
MES" He pointed out 1t was the
West Indian possessions and not those
of the Atlantic Seaboard, which were
the Jewels of Englands old empire. -
Cites Legislatures.
DR.. Ragatz called attention to the
important part played by island Leg
islatures and the parliamentary in
fiuence of West Indian interests in
shaping British policy with regard
to the colonies.
Other speakers at this meeting
we're DR.. C. A. Duniway of Carle-
ton College and c. K. Shipton of the
Massachusetts, Historical Society and
Prof. Lawrence H. Gipson Of Lehigh
University.
ington University was moderator at
general luncheon conference today
devoted to a discussion of the teach
ing of social sciences in the schools.
A group discussion was held this
morning on the thesis that business
prosperity has been the basis of cul-
tural advancement in all ages. Prof
j. w. Thompson Of the University OF
California presided.
Among local historians participat-
ing in the sessions is Prof. Ernst Stein
of Catholic University, an Austrian
citizen who taught in German uni
versities, including Berlin, prior to
leaving that country to teach in Bel
GUM and, eventually, the United
States. It was mistakenly published
that Prof. Stein was "a refugee from
the Nazi regime"
Discusses Lincoln Theme.
Discussing the question, Has the
Lincoln Theme Been Exhausted?" DR..
j. G. Randall of the University of IL
linois told the session late yesterday
The historian must hew to the line
In honestly treating Lincoln material
Conclusions as to Lincoln's statesman
ship are to be arrived at by critical
process, not assumed in advance in
the attitude of hero-worship. Inter
preting Lincoln will mean knowing
enough of the sources to tell straight
story. knowing enough of the setting
to supply background, knowing enough
OF LincOln'S mind to avoid niSrepre-
sentation of meanings.
Some Of the reinterpretation will
come from Southern scholars, some of
1t from the angle of public opinion,
for the whole subject of propaganda
under Lincoln requires further explo-
ration. Lincoln is larger than any
party. especially than the party which
claims him despite the fact that it
thoroughly repudiated his policies as
to reconstruction. Each new decade
has seen significant advances in Lin
coin scholarship. Considering the sus-
tanned popular interest it is not likely
that writing in the field will suddenly
stop"
New Deal" Traced.
New Deal philosophy was traced
back 1000 years by Prof. James H.
Breasted of the University of Chi
cago in an address last night
The Egyptian social sages preached
help for the forgotten man and pro-
claimed the New Deal over 1000
years ago." said the famous Orien-
talist. Mankind is today almost as
far from aggressive convictions re-
garding the needs for a permanent
New Deal as were the men who lived
under the social idealists of Egypt in
1000 BIC"
The earliest recorded concern for
the forgotten man." he said, was an
Egyptian writing board" now in the
British Museum, bearing this inscrip-
ton: =
The poor man hath no strength to
save himself from him that Is stronger
than he''
Goal Far Away"
"The New Deals of the future will
be no more new than the present
one" Prof. Breasted continued. "In
this everbroadening process, wise ad-
enlightened by full knowl-
edge Of human experience will carry
us on far more safely than a great
complex of Government action.
THE high noon of that ethical day
which history now shows is dawning
in the life of man is still very far
away. We may hope that the right
kind Of education will accelerate the
advance, but the effort to perpetuate
idealistic sentiments by legislation has
been shown by history to be utterly
futile