Evening star., 1947-05-11

It IS little publicized but hi
1900 foreign students are studying
the number here before the war.
the rate Of 1000 month. Scores
iof thousands-the estimates run well
into six figures are clamoring to
| get In.
These men and women are paying
their own way as far as we are
concerned. They are spending an
estimated SAC, ,00o, 900 q year. We
are actually benefiting financially
from a situation which other coun-
tries are spending millions to bring
about In their own educational
Institutions.
Good Will Value.
Z More important than the money
| involved is the possibility and the
| hope that the returning students
will become ambassadors of good
will and exponents of the American
way Of life.
/ In practice this hope is limited
by the facts. The United States
has very little to say as to what
students are to come here and what
subjects they are to study. To fill.
the gaps in the worldwide move
ment, from our point of view, the
State Department fayors legislation
setting aside funds to bring selected
students here.
A sort Of tWo-way exchange will
function on a large scale when the
Fulbright Act begins to operate.
This act, sponsored by Senator Full
bright, Democrat, of Arkansas,
former Rhodes scholar, provides that
the State Department may use for
eign currencies and credit acquired
through the sale of surplus property
abroad for student exchange pro-
grams It has been called an act to
turn swords into scholarships.
Rhodes Influence.
The United States Office of Edu-
cation has several programs for
student and teacher exchange and
there are a number of private or
ganizations providing scholarships
and fellowships and handling stu
dent-teacher exchanges.
This tremendous movement dwarfs
the best-known of all the inter-
nation educational plans. the Rhodes
Scholarships, but its Importance may
be assessed from the unquestioned
influence Rhodes Scholarships have
texerted on relations among the
United States, the British Empire
and Germany, where they have been
awarded. So 3RitS&
Since the death of Cecil Rhodes in
1902 about 1000 men have studied at
Oxford on grants from the trust
set up in his will. OF these, more
| than 1,100 have been Americans. A
Itabulation made last year showed
that 389 returned to become educa-
tors, 236 lawyers, SIS doctors, So
writers, newspapermen or radio
broadcasters and 14l businessmen.
There were "A in Government serv-
| ice, 36 in research, IS In religion,
43 in academic pursuits and so in
other occupations.
Difference In Exchange.
In most instances Rhodes desire
that the students achieve positions
Of leadership and influence has been
fulfilled. In this respect the results
achieved have far outweighed the
money expended, and they have
become apparent in 40 years. Rhodes
once alluded to his plan as a work
Of two centuries.
There is one striking difference
between the movement of scholars
to England and that to the United
States. The overwhelming majority
of the foreign students now in this
country are studying our technology.
They will go home with grasp Of
our mechanical know-how but with
| little idea of our economic or our
political system. They may learn to
make money or operate an efficient
laboratory or assembly line but they
won't be in a position to interpret
America.
| Rhodes scholars, on the other
hand, are selected in such way
and study such subject matter as
to f1t them to interpret the English
point of view. This is not to say
they become propagandists for Great
Britain, but they do leave Oxford
with some understanding OF Eng
lands political life and traditions.
An Example Cited.
| The State Department naturally
wants at least some Of the young
men and women who study here to
understand what makes America
tick. II they want to go home and
preach a doctrine OF Americanism,
so much the better.
Here Is an example OF what is
happening. When India was roti-
| fled finally that it would be inde-
pendent the Indian government
adopted long-range educational
Iprograms Some 1000 scholars were
to be sent annually to the United
States at Government expense. An
arrangement was made for loans TO
additional students who wanted to
come on their own.
AS of today about 500 govern
Iment and 800 private Indian stu
dents are In the United States. It
lis expected that within two years
there will be 1900 government and
| / 600 private students here, spending
an average Of $1,000 each annually.
Burma Sends Group.
The point made by the State De-
partment Is that virtually all these
persons are studying scientific or
chronological subjects. There Is, for
example. not one journalism student