RHODES SCHOLARS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18408, 15 June 1925, Page 15

RHODES SCHOLARS.

— r— ■• TOUR OF INVESTIGATION. STATEMENT BY DR, RENDALL. A irisitor to Duuedin at the present moment of 110 small distinction in tho 6cholnstio world is Dr. M. J. Kendall.Up till last July Dr. Renciall occupied tho position of headmaster of Winchester College, the mother of Eton., and) the oldest public school in the whola of Great Britain. Tie is now secretary of the Cecil Rhodes Trust, and is travelling round the Empire on a tour of investigation lor that Trust. Ho is accompanied by his secretary, Mr AT. Wright, who has" just left Balliol, Oxford. They are the guests in Duhcdin of Mr Colin Gilray, of. .Tolin McGlaslian College, -who was one of the early and distinguished Rhodes Scholars sent forward hy Otago University. Dr. Reiidall granted a brief interview to an "Otago Daily Times" reporter oil Thursday, and in the course of it gave a very concise and informative Summary of the position of. the Rhodes Trust. "The Rhodes Trustees," he said, "are in charge of the fortune of Mr Cecil Rhodes, a large part of which, but not the whole, is used to provide; scholarships enabling men from the, Dominions and.from America to fepeiul three years at Oxford. The Rhodes Trust is still iu its infancy, Or rather it has just escaped that stage iis tlia first scholars were elected in 11X34. Naturally the whole system needs perpetual investigation. We wish at llotno to know how the Dominions view it. end! tfe are araioiis, as far as possible, to meet their wishes; For in-, stance, sihee it was founded 2S additional scholarships have been granted to the iMniinions and it is pr.ssible--though it is difficult to forecast the future—that nibro may be available. ''The constitution of IMiodes Scholarship Committees in various States, was first started by Sir George PiU'hin, wh'o died three or ffiuv years since, and I am to some extent carrying on the work which ho started with- such •ability.' I 'hope to pjscerta.il! the views of cdiumittces about, all kinds of questions, financial, ■ constitutiojuitl and general. Is the £BSO per aiiiiUm at-present granted eiiougli for its putposo? Do the best men come forward for schblaiships? Do they enjoy Oxford--and. get the best 6Ut of it? Are they going at the best age. Which vcvies at present from 19 to 2o? Tlio Rhodes Gommit--tees have, worked with great zeal and energy.' They always have his Excellency the Governor as their chairman and the Chief Justice of the State as a member. The task thtsy have is .one of great difficult}-. They Jiavo to choose the best man available Who is strong:in . character, robust, in intellect, and foiid of Manly sport; but it Would be a great mistake to elect ,i bookworm however able who had little influence upon others; or an athlete, however 1 distinguished, in sport, who lias" email ability. . . , -" . "I. .am often asked whether the Rhodes^-Scholars have jitsfi.fled tlte ■money spent upon thorn. I*ers6naliy I have no doubt 'that thoy .have done so abundantly. Tin* benefit liais bdeii mutual. R!ho<?-3!s ficholar-s, • and esi peciaUy tlios'e of New;. Zealand, whose intollcjctunl record' stands first' niuong all tho Dominions; have brought a breath of fresh air which has been j much appreciated in-Oxford. The 'i.i-> i fluciiee of 200 Rhodes Scholars on Oxford, for .that is their number'at any given time, can hardly he .exaggerated. They have on the other! hand gained' from Okfor'd fresh ideals and broad views which perhaps 710 other , ttuiyersity could give. them. ' Those three.years spent at whatever tlijvy do afterwards, nrc of untold influence in binding the Empire together. "Disappointment is often- expressed that .the Rhodes Scholars haVo not achieved more on their return to their own country. The answer is oh-' vious, The oldest Rhodes Scholar 19 still quito a young man With hisfuture, yet to make. Many scholars in Australia "■ and New Zealand are hoping before l6ng to make themselves felt in poli* tics, v A large number are : busy : in j schools and 'universities handh% ~6U\ the torch which they have, lighted" at j Oxford. We should*naturally,.b6 ; glfld if most of them rose to eminence in their own Stnte, As tithfiv posges I b&» lieve this ideal May be to a largo extent realised." ". '. -, Dr. Rendalt left England on his world tour last October,.and so far has visited South Africa,-all the States, of Australia, and the northern part* of Now Zealand. He is- now on his way to Canada, and will also visit the'j United States. He has .visited most of i the- chief secondary, schools ■in | Australia' and also in -the Dominion. "I think I should say;'-'. he remarked in response to a. leading, question, "I have found their tone flnd gdhoral spirit' excellent, but there , is no dqiibt they have a . Jong way to go iix education before they call [ reach the standard-of the. Old''Conntry. To examination fiend is still too much before their eyes, and they are only beginning to "learn the right uso of "leisure." v ' '• ■ , The ittt'eryiewor gathered from Dr. ReiidalU that examination never did bulk so Jargely at, Koine as they, do here. -'jMy boys at Winolttster," lio remarked re'miniscently, / -'never thought 4(bout examinations. Tt was the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake." Dr. Rciukll is too wise a traveller to be drawn into committing himself deeply to opinions about tho country lid is visiting, hut he said he I .found, like other travellers, that Now I Zealand wa.i the place' most like Ena- ! land. He. has been captivated by its i beauty, and .said that his out E tand'ne; impressions were of its unbounded hospitality and its perhaps unrivalled, beauty. ■ ■ •■•-.•