Evening star., 1938-10-25
AUTCH|NS SCORES
SCHOOL SYSTEM
Lacks Freedom Of Thought,
Chicago U. President
Tells Forum,
b the Associated Press.

NEW YORK. Oct. 25.-Dr. Robert
M. Hutchins, president Of the Univer-
sity Of Chicago, today criticized the
modern educational system as "a large
scale housing venture" which fails to
develop freedom Of thought.
To this lack Of freedom he ascribed
the major Ills Of the modern world.
DR.. Hutchins' address, THE Free
Mind" was delivered to the first ses-
sion Of the New York Herald Tribune
1898 forum On current problems.
The opening address was delivered
by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who
spoke to the forum by radio from Gin
cinnati on Youths Contribution in
Keeping the Mind Of the Nation
Young"
Opposing Theories Described.
DR.. Hutchins described two opposing
theories of the State: On the one
hand, anarchy; on the other, the
doctrine that the State Is supreme over
man.
This Is fascism," he said. 1T as
cribes to the political organization
qualities that can belong only to God.
1t denies the eminent dignity of the
person. 80
THE great problem Of our time is
moral. intellectual and spiritual. With
q superfluity of goods we are sinking
into poverty. With q multitude OF
gadgets We are no happier than we
were before. With . declining death
rate we have yet to discover what we
should do with our lives. With 4
hatred Of war We are heading inevita-
bly, toward 1t. With q love OF liberty,
We see much Of the world in chains.
How can these things be? They
can be because We have directed our
lives and our education to means in
stead Of ends. We have been con-
cerned with the transitory and super
ficial instead Of the enduring and
basic problems Of life and Of society"
Mrs. Roosevelt Speaks.
Mrs. Roosevelt. in her address, said:
If We are going to keep ourselves
ready to face the world of tomorrow
we must listen to young people We
will not always agree with them and
they will not always be right, but the
majority among them will help us to
approach new ideas with an inquiring
mind"
People must not fear changes, she
said, but must adapt themselves to q
constantly changing world.
L am very much disturbed by q
trend which I find more evident in
women today than in the past said
Mrs. Roosevelt. Il can best describe
1t as a kind Of fear complex, and
whether 1t has come about through
clever propaganda or whether 1t is
because women dislike change more
than men, I do not know. but more
women than men write to me sug-
gesting that Communism may be
gaining real hold on this country
through our youth or through some
other group Of our people.
Il read the papers and notice that
1t is largely the women's organizations
which are suggesting that their men,
bers may. without knowledge of what
they are doing, join organizations
which are subversive, and I find lately
in reading some Of the resolutions
passed by some of these organizat tions
that there is stress laid upon what to
nght against rather than what we
should be trying to accomplish.
Apathy Real Danger.
Il deplore that attitude, for fear
is not . constructive force. If We
are going to meet today's problems
and accept what youth has to give us
and be Of assistance to them, we will
have to face the future with courage
and affirm our determination to serve
democracy.
mo forces can destroy a democracy
which meets the needs of its people.
The only real danger to us is the
apathy or fear Of the individual which
keeps us from doing our share in
adapting human beings to world
changes. Our youth must be leaders
in this situation, and we cannot live
timidly If we are going to walk hand
in hand with them"