the higher learning in america-第13节

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care　of　in　the　realm　of　learning；　no　less　than　in　the　working



scheme　of　economic　and　civil　institutions。　And　as　in　this　other



work　of　reconstruction；　so　here；　if　it　is　to　be　done　without



undue　confusion　and　blundering　it　is　due　to　be　set　afoot　before



the　final　emergency　is　at　hand。　But　there　is　the　difference　that；



whereas　the　framework　of　civil　institutions　may　still；　with



passable　success；　be　drawn　on　national　lines　and　confined　within



the　national　frontiers；　and　while　the　economic　organization　can



also；　without　fatal　loss；　be　confined　in　a　similar　fashion；　in



response　to　short…sighted　patriotic　preconceptions；　the　interests



of　science；　and　therefore　of　the　academic　community；　do　not　run



on　national　lines　and　can　not　similarly　be　confined　within



geographical　or　political　boundaries。　In　the　nature　of　the　case



these　interests　are　of　an　international　character　and　can　not　be



taken　care　of　except　by　unrestricted　collusion　and　collaboration



among　the　learned　men　of　all　those　peoples　whom　it　may　concern。



Yet　there　is　no　mistaking　the　fact　that　the　spirit　of　invidious



patriotism　has　invaded　these　premises；　too；　and　promises　to



bungle　the　outcome；　which　makes　the　needed　work　of　reconstruction



all　the　more　difficult　and　all　the　more　imperative。　Unhappily；



the　state　of　sentiment　on　both　sides　of　the　line　of　cleavage　will



presumably　not　admit　a　cordial　understanding　and　co…operation



between　the　German　contingent　and　the　rest　of　the　civilized



nations；　for　some　time　to　come。　But　the　others　are　in　a　frame　of



mind　that　should　lend　itself　generously　to　a　larger　measure　of



co…operation　in　this　respect　now　than　ever　before。



　　　　So　it　may　not　seem　out　of　place　to　offer　a　suggestion；



tentatively　and　under　correction；　looking　to　this　end。　A



beginning　may　well　be　made　by　a　joint　enterprise　among　American



scholars　and　universities　for　the　installation　of　a　freely



endowed　central　establishment　where　teachers　and　students　of　all



nationalities；　including　Americans　with　the　rest；　may　pursue



their　chosen　work　as　guests　of　the　American　academic　community　at



large；　or　as　guests　of　the　American　people　in　the　character　of　a



democracy　of　culture。　There　should　also　be　nothing　to　hinder　the



installation　of　more　than　one　of　these　academic　houses　of　refuge



and　entertainment；　nor　should　there　be　anything　to　hinder　the



enterprise　being　conducted　on　such　terms　of　amity；　impartiality



and　community　interest　as　will　make　recourse　to　it　an　easy　matter



of　course　for　any　scholars　whom　its　opportunities　may　attract。



The　same　central　would　at　the　same　time；　and　for　the　time　being；



take　care　of　those　channels　of　communication　throughout　the



academic　world　that　have　been　falling　into　enforced　neglect　under



the　strain　of　the　war。　So　also　should　provision　be　made；　perhaps



best　under　the　same　auspices；　for　the　（transient）　taking…over　of



the　many　essential　lines　of　publicity　and　publication　on　which



the　men　engaged　in　scholarly　and　scientific　inquiry　have　learned



to　depend；　and　which　have　also　been　falling　into　something　of　a



decline　during　the　war。



　　　　Measures　looking　to　this　end　might　well　be　made；　at　the　same



time；　to　serve　no　less　useful　a　purpose　within　the　American



Academic　community。　As　is　well　known；　there　prevails　today　an



extensive　and　wasteful　competitive　duplication　of　plant；



organization　and　personnel　among　the　American　universities；　as



regards　both　publications　and　courses　of　instruction。



Particularly　is　this　true　in　respect　of　that　advanced　work　of　the



universities　that　has　to　do　with　the　higher　learning。　At　the　same



time；　these　universities　are　now　pinched　for　funds；　due　to　the



current　inflation　of　prices。　So　that　any　proposal　of　this　nature；



which　might　be　taken　advantage　of　as　an　occasion　for　the　pooling



of　common　issues　among　the　universities；　might　hopefully　be



expected　to　be　welcomed　as　a　measure　of　present　relief　from　some



part　of　the　pecuniary　strain　under　which　they　are　now　working。



　　　　But　competition　is　well　ingrained　in　the　habitual　outlook　of



the　American　schools。　To　take　the　issue　to　neutral　ground；



therefore；　where　this　competitive　animus　may　hopefully　be　counted



on　to　find　some　salutary　abatement；　it　may　be　suggested　that　a



practicable　nucleus　for　this　proposed　joint　enterprise　can　well



be　found　in　one　or　another　　perhaps　in　one　and　another　　of



those　extra…academic　foundations　for　research　of　which　there



already　are　several　in　existence；　　as；　e。g。；　the　Carnegie



Institution。　With　somewhat　enlarged　powers；　or　perhaps　rather



with　some　abatement　of　restrictions；　and　with　such　additional



funds　as　may　be　required；　the　necessary　work　and　organization



should　readily　be　taken　care　of　by　such　an　institution。　Further



growth　and　ramification　would　be　left　to　future　counsel　and



advisement。



　　　　The　contemplated　enterprise　would　necessarily　require　a



certain　planning　and　organization　of　work　and　something　in　the



way　of　an　administrative　and　clerical　staff；a　setting　up　of



something　in　the　way　of　〃organization　tables〃；　but　there　can　be



no　question　of　offering　detailed　proposals　on　that　head　here。　Yet



the　caution　may　well　be　entered　here　that　few　specifications　are



better　than　many；　in　these　premises；　and　that　the　larger　the



latitude　allowed　from　the　outset；　the　fewer　the　seeds　of　eventual



defeat；　　as　is　abundantly　illustrated　by　contraries。



　　　　It　is　also　evident　that　such　an　enterprise　will　involve



provision　for　some　expenditure　of　funds；　presumably　a　somewhat



generous　expenditure；　which　comes　near　implying　that　recourse



should　be　had　to　the　public　revenues；　or　to　resources　that　may



legitimately　be　taken　over　by　the　public　authorities　from　private



hands　where　they　now　serve　no　useful　purpose。　There　are　many



items　of　material　resources　in　the　country　that　come　legitimately



under　this　head。　At　the　same　time　it　is　well　in　this　connection



to　call　to　mind　that　there　is　no　prospect　of　the　country's　being



in　any　degree　impoverished　in　the　course　of　the　war；　so　that



there　need　be　no　apprehension　of　a　shortage　of　means　for　the



carrying　on　of　such　an　enterprise；　if　only　the　available　sources



are　drawn　on　without　prejudice。　In　the　mind　of　any　disinterested



student　of　the　American　economic　situation；　there　can　be　no



serious　apprehension　that　the　American　people；　collectively；　will



be　at　all　worse　off　in　point　of　disposable　means　at　the　close　of



the　war　than　they　were　at　its　beginning；　quite　the　contrary　in



fact。　To　any　one　who　will　look　to　the　facts　it　is　evident　that



the　experience　of　the　war；　and　the　measures　taken　and　to　be



taken；　are　leading　to　a　heightened　industrial　productiveness　and



a　concomitant　elimination　of　waste。　The　resulting　net　gain　in



productive　efficiency　has　not　gone　at　all　far；　and　there　need　be



no　apprehension　of　its　going　to　great　lengths；　but；　for　more　or



less；　it　is　going　so　far　as　safely　to　promise　a　larger　net　annual



production　of　useful　goods　in　the　immediate　future　than　in　the



immediate　past；　and　the　disposable　means　of　any　people　is　always



a　matter　of　the　net　annual　production；　and　it　need　be　a　question



of　nothing　else。　The　manner　in　which　this　net　product　is；　and　is



to　be；　shared　among　the　classes　and　individuals　of　the　community



is　another　question；　which　does　not　belong　here。



　　　　A　question　of　graver　weight　and　of　greater　perplexity　touches



the　presumptive　attitude　of　the　several　universities　and　their



discretionary　authorities　in　the　face　of　any　proposed　measure　of



this　kind；　where　the　scope　of　the　enterprise　is　so　far　beyond



their　habitual　range　of　interest。　When　one　calls　to　mind　the



habitual　parochialism　of　the　governing　boards　of　these　seminaries



of　the　higher　learning；　and　the　meticulous　manoeuvres　of　their



executives　seeking　each　to　enhance　his　own　prestige　and　the



prestige　of　his　own　establishment；　there　is　not　much　of　an



evident　outlook　for　large　and　generous　measures　looking　to　the



common　good。　And　yet　it　is　also　to　be　called　to　mind　that　these



governing　boards　and　executives　are；　after　all；　drawn　from　the



common　stock　of　humanity；　picked　men　as　they　may　be；　and　that



they　are　subject；　after　all；　to　somewhat　the　same　impulses　and



infirmities　as　the　common　run；　picked　though　they　may　be　with　a



view　to　parochialism　and　blameless　futility。　Now；　what　is



overtaking　the　temper　of　the　common　run　under　the　strain　of　the



war　situation　should　be　instructive　as　to　what　may　be　also　looked



for　at　the　bands　of　these　men　in　whose　disc