RHODES SCHOLARS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1011, 29 December 1910, Page 6

RHODES SCHOLARS.

{.why Americans' do not mix. PECrER TRAVEL 10 STUDY, . -wo!in Ne\r.' Zealand are soberly 'deliberative' as to whether precisely the b right .type of .young, men is being eelectcil' :to :go' to;. Oxford, as: Rhodes scholars, a gopd' deal is ■. being 'said in America, on several phases of a. subject; closely, akin rto that discussed last.week.. Some light is .'Cast on -tho subjectiby!.an article, cabled from Oxford to'tho. Sail Francisco, "Chronicle," which" will at tho present, juncture lx< found most 'interesting. : >"The, present,mbnth'. (says the .writer), is' a memorable,one.in the lives:of half a hundred young' Americans. For .it is now that the. select - company: of' this year's Rhodes-;scholars are' gettingtheir.; first taste'.of ' the ..venerable .traditions ; and the : h'ifetbry-laden. atmosphere '■ of;stately. Oxford; University. ;They form : the first : group : to arrive from 1 ; America .since 1908, and their; arrival has been thelsignal for the acute TOvival ol a.long-staudmg controversy. . '.; , ' - , : ;"Ever since, 'brcak'of the .verdant youngvAmericans whoM. rassing'lot/it was to constitute the pioneer delegation in ..1904, ,Oxonians have .never ceased-to deprecate the wisdom- of the philanthropic bequest which, let loose .these. 'barbarians'. jwi'thin - their' exclusive I gafes:- '; .' .

- '."This year brings. another.' kink'.. into ..the discussion—the; accusation of Amerioan snobbishness. Talking with; some. Ox- ■ ford. men on • this matter,the : impression : is "given of a\canipus . full. of cordial Britishers; arms outstretched'to receive .their American comrades, while; Rhodes scholars from tho.eifete districts of.ldaho and Dakota - shrink , along .the walls", in 1 shy .-alarm.. ;The ;colonial, and.-'..German .recipients of, the Rhodes bequest- wander " into,theso. outstretched arms; and; becomo .part-' and parcel- of-, this- effusive- .Oxford life. But the Americans stand aloof and , within, themselves; !-th<j ...Ameri':can energy and- enterprise-Cecil :Rhodes •:'was 'so' confident they,,would -display. ;V. .' "To.' anyone- who knows either.'.Ameri,.'ciiiis or Oxford .this view/will..appear- at "once to be- very quaintly; uhtrue.' 'i:And both in' print ■ and; on the lips ' of Englishmen, it - has";rccciyedoa: great ■ deal, oi publicity of late,:■ it is . not at .'.'all,'., the', view .of ..the . average Oxford fman. Nevertheless,. the : criticisms. di--rectedV at tho ;America'n.--]£hbdds:scholar f ' and; ;over his head,; at the' .system- winch .brings'; him . toOxford, : yhgve' r .arrived "this year: at■ some, very' cogent. and sugfestiTO ' disolosuTes . which-, ;■ very Tarely;. Iter.: into .the. ears; of; the ' wise : administrators, of the be'quest in" America.

. '.AMERICANS OLDEB''STUDENTS.' "In tho very first place! it must be re- ; membered'that - tho- American - -Rhodes :; acholir. is Tather,; an older. man' thsjn tho "... average Oxford youth, who enters the -.university r straight; from //the'.'-'.public •' schools of England.'. ' An: Amei'.iean rarely; embarks.-;, on' a'Rhodes-- 'scholarship ..;.unless;.he.-lias.graduated from-cbllegs at • .;;home. - Thus he ..is''li bit .reluctant. about being'classed, all"'over: agaih,';witli" a lot V'of schoolbojs as an ' insignificant-, fresh--:man;' To' his' matured .iniiid' it is, not an • .easy matter: at first friends .in .'an; apparently; frivolous atmosphere. ,-And this frivolity'grows up . to' a ' curiously ~j-Qxbnian .type "of;detached 1 urie'nthusiasm, - which provides in men of , tlie -American's ' ■ own. age.; almost. as effective; a '.temporary •'•■ barrier against -mutual! sympathy.V-:. - V -,'."Detractors - of . the; American; ,Rhod«s % scholars say n6t ;.only that s ; 'AinertcanS have.''failed, to''':earry, ; out,-their .bargain '. .inVgetting-'immersed:;.thbrbughly; .'in : ,uu-' ;,;.,dergraduate, 'life,- but', that' they .-have ! ;made 'a :■ wholly inadequate .. showing- in {. scholarship.This is quite' true,-but they - have done; as - well" as - .the- Germans or 'the colonials. And; there are 'three rea\.;sbns,' irremovable 'bnes seem, ;why .es:pectcd,.to .do ' -any. better. ■;, One. isv their.; very, natural /desire,.-.to travel ( ,about ,hs;" ranch -, as pos- . isible.LjThe. English student usuallylspeiltls, -vail 'his' vacation; studying—it. is part ! bf - the Oxford system that almost'no 'studying gets , done during term , the; American"'spends at least half- of it '-in. travel. ;• Many;' Americans; g0.,50". far : .lalso aS: to 'take their' degree in-two -years, instead of. three,.- so,, the whole ' o'f . tho -.; last sum mer • can, be spent. in economically' • wing- the - world. All" this cuts in •' on -: marks,; qf 'course, though perhaps, not in ■'the long- run, on the value of -his work.. - /A. more Cogent/reason; still-is; the vast . incentive placed on English students to win-the coveted; 'firsts':,that .'denote; f cho- : : larsliip. On them haug positibris"in',Eng- .. land of .the' most enviable quality—almost invariably they arc ,'mado men,'; ;Thp in;cenfive v;to Americans;;; as; far as .niero ■ ' IS , obviously; i/qt nearly.of, so intimate and .pressing a nature. Of. this .fact, also, results evidence: ■ ENGLISH METHODS ;SEESf ' STRANGE ; Americans are-.not at" all ■ at-home among English educational methods. .Classical. ahd'historical;.training, to which English a schoolboys; have paid heed since ' they could:, barely.:'read and - write; jar; very " 'quickly;-. on' the American s . sense, off; up-to-dateness; 'The : ■' lrrespphsioillty- of; univesity■,life ■ and its 1 ■; 'ar. rempval at: Oxford-- from , aii .actual present tamper, very.radically ;with . the ! ■ seraasness with;.which lie takes, his tfork.- - . ,But. even.with.-all-these' -Occidents'"of :circumstance v counting -;,them, •; the Americans been '. prerebiinbntiy use .to;-. Oxford; :The' American Club, ■ decried- by .one .harsh.; detractor 1 as-- a palace » fc all >.- ;a; garret,- where "'every. Satur- . , nl « h {r®-> t " r(!a y is- absolutely, an off night at Oxford—a; fe\v Americans "gather ' n», ? "lines ■ at- .home'. • "trans- - matters; tWe. other half-is;devoted- ; t?. eompariiig ithe phase- dis££iied; with - a phase in British politics. l ' ... I--W bringing. Americans, together, in - a common endeavour-to.; understand Oxford '' lesing' tbuch with;the land' '• L}?™' e n T l 5 .P ast 'vahd: ' futpre, :-the .. American- Club is voUohed. fbr l by j[r . ■ °' pers ? n ' a Jl-¥. ad ; of ;the Rhodes' .scholars, .as-ani-institutioii' .^re-emirientlv' . cpntributive.to Oxford.;\v,Here;mijre . niou . Is spilled.: than over ■ any • other equal.:area; in ".'Oxford,'-'-and- on (m fl V p resorted",to;'almbst" as' fiuiierte.Euelishmen as-by,American's.' ; . Last ■ year; : among other honours v held snch extra'ordinarilyt high " of Athletic Club and.jumor.-coftmpjj-robm'.'iir«ii class, president at:an;Anie^a a