ENGLISH TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1733, 25 April 1913, Page 6

ENGLISH TRAINING.

A GERMAN TRIBUTE TO OUF CULTURE. , A CONTRAST IN ARMS. ' Professor' Franz, of Tuebingen, Germany, a wpll-knowiv Shakespeare authority, lias issued a study of "The Valuo of English Culture for Germany's Development," which shows in an instructive way'the esteem' felt by competent Ger-' mans for English education and training. Professor Franz, says tho "Westminster Gazette," has had a long personal experience of English 'ways; and ho finds them superior to' German when, judged from the standpoint of the production of citizens and-nien. His generalisation is that Germans may stand above English-' ivtn in knowledge, but that "they do not stand above them in culture, which contains the secret, of how to unite men and how to rule them. Iu this matter the Anglo-Saxon is emphatically superior to us." The reason is that iu Germany-a certain amount of knowledge and capacity is valmld by the State higher than: it values character and personal culture.' Tlio aims of German education, toys Professor Franz, require' industry and, conscientiousness; but they require - less pedagogic firmness and self-denial-than it required by tho aim of English education, which aim is the educating of men to be citizens. Altogether the purposo of English education, is conditioned by the in-, dividual and national ideal of the citizen,,

Professor Franz warmly praises , (ho relations which usually exist between English' schoolmasters and their pupils, 'tho indulgence shown to excesses caused by, youthful high spirits, and the severe cods of honour aud viracity. Tho characteristically English conception—self-respect —plays, lie says, the highest role. With this goes a confidence in the pupils on the side of tho 'masters, which contrasts with the Continental habit of searchinst for evils everywhere. As a result of this system Englishmen look back on , their schooldays as a time of happiness, whereas Germany's best and most capable men complain bitterly of their school experiences. And their complaints directed not so much against the excessive work and tho severe discipline as against tho unjust and distrustful ways of the school In the different conditions of Germany and Britain to-day, Professor Franz sees evidence -f the superiority of British way* in training youth. He describes the German nation'.us merely a n.eehanical mixture of the heterogeneous elements which make it up: and snvs that thereforeit fails j;o react us a unit in national 'affairs. The existence of four millions ot alicuatK mid politically discontented citinjiis. ir the shape of the SoHal-Democrats, is an. other phenomenon which Kn;tlud ha-t-ecu'spared. The and fr«» cnlturc ot tiie Aiiglj-Saxan" aceounls (| .v imicii. In England the relation of men tomoi: is different from the relation of men t< men in Germa.iv. The «uvcc<sr:il typa of official which it tho result of English training is another caus? of tho übsoii'o from EnJaud_ of widespread pnp.ihr disco lte'it- "The Englishman .ippn.wi'os initiative and independence, of character even in the official; ho leaves him at liberty, pay* him well, waives high demands on him. and encourages his sen-e of responsibility in that ViuTg<-tic lvistniite vlueh is opposed to any autocratic vjlleities." Its frempndous success in the colonics is evidence of the worth of the English way. "Self-mastery aud selMifeipline" aro two products : of English training. An. (.flier product is a strong common, national and rocs foiling, which transccnds all differences o[ party. In all party conflicts slaiids out the fact that no Englishinan hates the land of his birth and of his fathers.

"Th« patruiiisiu of Englishmen," eonWildes Dr. Fi'.ni.'., "has .somtth|)ij> of l.'m nrdnur and racrcdne.% til' dw*p religious feeling." •'