Evening star., 1949-05-29
Academic Freedom Is Permitted
In Vienna, Duke Professor Soys

Professor Soys
bus discovered America. It's med
ical school before World War ]
attracted physicians from all parts
of the world who came for ad-
vanced research training.
Flowers Color Vienna.
When he left It was spring and
the city Of Vienna upon the banks
Of the Danube was at its best.
The horsechestnuts bordering its
Ringstrasse were In full flower. as
were the great tree-high hlacs.
Contributing q new note to the
seasonal beauty were the hun
dreds OF yly-blooming tulips
which were o gift Of the people
Of Holland last fall. Everywhere,
Dr.. Hubbell saw masses Of pansy
plants In blossom.
Window shopping Is q favorite
diversion. The wares Of the mer-
chants are displayed chiefly In
the shop windows. with very lit
tie on the shelves and trade slow
on account Of high prices. Antique
jewelry Is cheaper than modern
costume jewelry because the Aus
trians In their need have had to
scarifice many heirlooms.
Academic procedures, dating
back in many instances through
the centuries, are different from
those in America. The rector OF
president of the university is ad-
dressed as His Magnificence.
Although the university Is nation
ally controlled by the Ministry OF
Education. the rector Is elected
to his office by the faculty and
so are the deans or heads Of de-
partments. They are not ap-
pointed by a board of trustees as
is the custom here.
The professors lecture from q
raised platform with q canopy
overhead. Students rise as their
professors enter and again as they
leave the room. Approval Of pro-
fessorial remarks is indicated by
the tapping Of the students pen
cils in . tat. tat. tat. upon their
desks, or in the case Of heavy
applause. by the stamping Of their
feet upon the classroom floor.
Students Dread Politics.
The Austrian notion that higher
education is in the main for the
higher classes may be the reason
there is no shortage OF teachers,
according to DR.. Hubbell. He
found some evidence Of the de-
moralizing effect upon both stu
dents and professors Of having to
swear allegiance to the many diff
ferent regimes. besides that Of the
Nazis, which have ruled Austria In
the past 80 years.
Students are disillusioned about
politics and yet fear that If they
belong to neither of the leading
parties they will not be able to
get the jobs which they SEEK" DR..
Hubbell said.
With the greater barriers which
exist between students and pro-
fessors-professors are the author
tiles and the students rarely ques-
ton or ask for proof-it Is difncult
to get the students to take any
part In a give-and-take discussion.
When DR.. Hubbell invited his
seminar students in small groups
to have dinner or lunch with him
at the Hotel Bristol where he was
quartered. he at first found them
shy and rather suspicious. as II
they were wondering what sort of
propaganda he had been sent to
dispense for the United States
Army. Some Of his students had,
of course. been in the Germany
Army Zone was a fighter pilot and
two more had been prisoners Of
war in the United States. Still
others had left Austria after the
Anschluss to join the British Army.
Eventually, they talked eagerly
and with apparent freedom about
whatever subject came up. To
show their appreciation. several
groups invited him to their homes
where true Viennese hospitality
prevailed.
Quality Of Papers High.
"Their research papers were
quite as good as those I expect
from my best graduate students
at Duke and I was continually
surprised at their ability to speak
English correctly and f1uently in
British rather than in American
fashion," he said. "The general
cultivation of those who have
grown up in Vienna is particularly
marked, despite the hardships en-
tailed by wars and revolutions"
In early April. while the uni
versity was having its spring va
cation, DR.. Hubbell spent more
than two weeks in the United
States zone. During this time he
lectured to four large groups of
soldiers at Camp Truscott and
Camp McCauley on "Some Ad-
vantages of an Education" "Ex-
traordinarily rich advantages are
being offered by the Army to our