my discovery of england-第14章

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n　there　still。　The　trouble　is　that　the　universities　on　our　Continent　are　only　just　waking　up　to　the　idea　of　what　a　university　should　mean。　They　were；　very　largely；　instituted　and　organised　with　the　idea　that　a　university　was　a　place　where　young　men　were　sent　to　absorb　the　contents　of　books　and　to　listen　to　lectures　in　the　class　rooms。　The　student　was　pictured　as　a　pallid　creature；　burning　what　was　called　the　〃midnight　oil；〃　his　wan　face　bent　over　his　desk。　If　you　wanted　to　do　something　for　him　you　gave　him　a　book：　if　you　wanted　to　do　something　really　large　on　his　behalf　you　gave　him　a　whole　basketful　of　them。　If　you　wanted　to　go　still　further　and　be　a　benefactor　to　the　college　at　large；　you　endowed　a　competitive　scholarship　and　set　two　or　more　pallid　students　working　themselves　to　death　to　get　it。

The　real　thing　for　the　student　is　the　life　and　environment　that　surrounds　him。　All　that　he　really　learns　he　learns；　in　a　sense；　by　the　active　operation　of　his　own　intellect　and　not　as　the　passive　recipient　of　lectures。　And　for　this　active　operation　what　he　really　needs　most　is　the　continued　and　intimate　contact　with　his　fellows。　Students　must　live　together　and　eat　together；　talk　and　smoke　together。　Experience　shows　that　that　is　how　their　minds　really　grow。　And　they　must　live　together　in　a　rational　and　comfortable　way。　They　must　eat　in　a　big　dining　room　or　hall；　with　oak　beams　across　the　ceiling；　and　the　stained　glass　in　the　windows；　and　with　a　shield　or　tablet　here　or　there　upon　the　wall；　to　remind　them　between　times　of　the　men　who　went　before　them　and　left　a　name　worthy　of　the　memory　of　the　college。　If　a　student　is　to　get　from　his　college　what　it　ought　to　give　him；　a　college　dormitory；　with　the　life　in　common　that　it　brings；　is　his　absolute　right。　A　university　that　fails　to　give　it　to　him　is　cheating　him。

If　I　were　founding　a　universityand　I　say　it　with　all　the　seriousness　of　which　I　am　capableI　would　found　first　a　smoking　room；　then　when　I　had　a　little　more　money　in　hand　I　would　found　a　dormitory；　then　after　that；　or　more　probably　with　it；　a　decent　reading　room　and　a　library。　After　that；　if　I　still　had　money　over　that　I　couldn't　use；　I　would　hire　a　professor　and　get　some　text　books。

This　chapter　has　sounded　in　the　most　part　like　a　continuous　eulogy　of　Oxford　with　but　little　in　favour　of　our　American　colleges。　I　turn　therefore　with　pleasure　to　the　more　congenial　task　of　showing　what　is　wrong　with　Oxford　and　with　the　English　university　system　generally；　and　the　aspect　in　which　our　American　universities　far　excell　the　British。

The　point　is　that　Henry　VIII　is　dead。　The　English　are　so　proud　of　what　Henry　VIII　and　the　benefactors　of　earlier　centuries　did　for　the　universities　that　they　forget　the　present。　There　is　little　or　nothing　in　England　to　compare　with　the　magnificent　generosity　of　individuals；　provinces　and　states；　which　is　building　up　the　colleges　of　the　United　States　and　Canada。　There　used　to　be。　But　by　some　strange　confusion　of　thought　the　English　people　admire　the　noble　gifts　of　Cardinal　Wolsey　and　Henry　VIII　and　Queen　Margaret；　and　do　not　realise　that　the　Carnegies　and　Rockefellers　and　the　William　Macdonalds　are　the　Cardinal　Wolseys　of　to…day。　The　University　of　Chicago　was　founded　upon　oil。　McGill　University　rests　largely　on　a　basis　of　tobacco。　In　America　the　world　of　commerce　and　business　levies　on　itself　a　noble　tribute　in　favour　of　the　higher　learning。　In　England；　with　a　few　conspicuous　exceptions；　such　as　that　at　Bristol；　there　is　little　of　the　sort。　The　feudal　families　are　content　with　what　their　remote　ancestors　have　done：　they　do　not　try　to　emulate　it　in　any　great　degree。

In　the　long　run　this　must　count。　Of　all　the　various　reforms　that　are　talked　of　at　Oxford；　and　of　all　the　imitations　of　American　methods　that　are　suggested；　the　only　one　worth　while；　to　my　thinking；　is　to　capture　a　few　millionaires；　give　them　honorary　degrees　at　a　million　pounds　sterling　apiece；　and　tell　them　to　imagine　that　they　are　Henry　the　Eighth。　I　give　Oxford　warning　that　if　this　is　not　done　the　place　will　not　last　another　two　centuries。



VI。The　British　and　the　American　Press

THE　only　paper　from　which　a　man　can　really　get　the　news　of　the　world　in　a　shape　that　he　can　understand　is　the　newspaper　of　his　own　〃home　town。〃　For　me；　unless　I　can　have　the　Montreal　Gazette　at　my　breakfast；　and　the　Montreal　Star　at　my　dinner；　I　don't　really　know　what　is　happening。　In　the　same　way　I　have　seen　a　man　from　the　south　of　Scotland　settle　down　to　read　the　Dumfries　Chronicle　with　a　deep　sigh　of　satisfaction：　and　a　man　from　Burlington；　Vermont；　pick　up　the　Burlington　Eagle　and　study　the　foreign　news　in　it　as　the　only　way　of　getting　at　what　was　really　happening　in　France　and　Germany。

The　reason　is；　I　suppose；　that　there　are　different　ways　of　serving　up　the　news　and　we　each　get　used　to　our　own。　Some　people　like　the　news　fed　to　them　gently：　　others　like　it　thrown　at　them　in　a　bombshell：　some　prefer　it　to　be　made　as　little　of　as　possible；　they　want　it　minimised：　others　want　the　maximum。

This　is　where　the　greatest　difference　lies　between　the　British　newspapers　and　those　of　the　United　States　and　Canada。　With　us　in　America　the　great　thing　is　to　get　the　news　and　shout　it　at　the　reader；　in　England　they　get　the　news　and　then　break　it　to　him　as　gently　as　possible。　Hence　the　big　headings；　the　bold　type；　and　the　double　columns　of　the　American　paper；　and　the　small　headings　and　the　general　air　of　quiet　and　respectability　of　the　English　Press。

It　is　quite　beside　the　question　to　ask　which　is　the　better。　Neither　is。　They　are　different　things：　that's　all。　The　English　newspaper　is　designed　to　be　read　quietly；　propped　up　against　the　sugar　bowl　of　a　man　eating　a　slow　breakfast　in　a　quiet　corner　of　a　club；　or　by　a　retired　banker　seated　in　a　leather　chair　nearly　asleep；　or　by　a　country　vicar　sitting　in　a　wicker　chair　under　a　pergola。　The　American　paper　is　for　reading　by　a　man　hanging　on　the　straps　of　a　clattering　subway　express；　by　a　man　eating　at　a　lunch　counter；　by　a　man　standing　on　one　leg；　by　a　man　getting　a　two…minute　shave；　or　by　a　man　about　to　have　his　teeth　drawn　by　a　dentist。

In　other　words；　there　is　a　difference　of　atmosphere。　It　is　not　merely　in　the　type　and　the　lettering；　it　is　a　difference　in　the　way　the　news　is　treated　and　the　kind　of　words　that　are　used。　In　America　we　love　such　words　as　〃gun…men〃　and　〃joy…ride〃　and　〃death…cell〃：　in　England　they　prefer　〃person　of　doubtful　character〃　and　〃motor　travelling　at　excessive　speed〃　and　〃corridor　No。　6。〃　If　a　milk…waggon　collides　in　the　street　with　a　coal…cart；　we　write　that　a　〃life…waggon〃　has　struck　a　〃death…cart。〃　We　call　a　murderer　a　〃thug〃　or　a　〃gun…man〃　or　a　〃yeg…man。〃　In　England　they　simply　call　him　〃the　accused　who　is　a　grocer's　assistant　in　Houndsditch。〃　That　designation　would　knock　any　decent　murder　story　to　pieces。

Hence　comes　the　great　difference　between　the　American　〃lead〃　or　opening　sentence　of　the　article；　and　the　English　method　of　commencement。　In　the　American　paper　the　idea　is　that　the　reader　is　so　busy　that　he　must　first　be　offered　the　news　in　one　gulp。　After　that　if　he　likes　it　he　can　go　on　and　eat　some　more　of　it。　So　the　opening　sentence　must　give　the　whole　thing。　Thus；　suppose　that　a　leading　member　of　the　United　States　Congress　has　committed　suicide。　This　is　the　way　in　which　the　American　reporter　deals　with　it。

〃Seated　in　his　room　at　the　Grand　Hotel　with　his　carpet　slippers　on　his　feet　and　his　body　wrapped　in　a　blue　dressing…gown　with　pink　insertions；　after　writing　a　letter　of　farewell　to　his　wife　and　emptying　a　bottle　of　Scotch　whisky　in　which　he　exonerated　her　from　all　culpability　in　his　death；　Congressman　Ahasuerus　P。　Tigg　was　found　by　night…watchman；　Henry　T。　Smith；　while　making　his　rounds　as　usual　with　four　bullets　in　his　stomach。〃

Now　let　us　suppose　that　a　leading　member　of　the　House　of　Commons　in　England　had　done　the　same　thing。　Here　is　the　way　it　would　be　written　up　in　a　first…class　London　newspaper。

The　heading　would　be　HOME　AND　GENERAL　INTELLIGENCE。　That　is　inserted　so　as　to　keep　the　reader　soothed　and　quiet　and　is　no　doubt　thought　better　than　the　American　heading　BUGHOUSE　CONGRESSMAN　BLOWS　OUT　BRAINS　IN　HOTEL。　After　the　heading　HOME　AND　GENERAL　INTELLIGENCE　the　Engl