the higher learning in america-第14章

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in　comparison　here。　It　is；　of　course；　not　easy　to　surmise　what



may　yet　overtake　them；　and　the　others　with　them；　but　judged　on



the　course　of　things　hitherto；　and　on　the　apparent　promise　of　the



calculable　future；　it　is　scarcely　to　be　presumed　that　the



Americans　are　due　to　suffer　so　extreme　a　degree　of　dilapidation



as　the　European　peoples；　　even　apart　from　the　accentuated　evil



case　of　the　Germans。　The　strain　has　hitherto　been　lighter　here；



and　it　promises　so　to　continue；　whether　the　further　duration　of



the　war　shall　turn　out　to　be　longer　or　shorter。　The　Americans



are；　after　all；　somewhat　sheltered　from　the　impact；　and　so　soon



as　the　hysterical　anxiety　induced　by　the　shock　has　had　time　to



spend　itself；　it　should　reasonably　be　expected　that　this　people



will　be　able　soberly　to　take　stock　of　its　assets　and　to　find　that



its　holdings　in　the　domain　of　science　and　scholarship　are；　in　the



main；　still　intact。



　　　　Not　that　no　loss　has　been　incurred；　nor　that　no　material



degree　of　derangement　is　to　be　looked　for；　but　in　comparison　with



what　the　experience　of　the　war　is　bringing　to　the　Europeans；　the



case　of　the　Americans　should　still　be　the　best　there　is　to　be



looked　for　and　the　best　is　always　good　enough；　perforce。　So　it



becomes　a　question；　what　the　Americans　will　do　with　the　best



opportunity　which　the　circumstances　offer。　And　on　their　conduct



of　their　affairs　in　this　bearing　turns　not　only　their　own　fortune



in　respect　of　the　interests　of　science　and　scholarship；　but　in



great　measure　the　fortunes　of　their　overseas　friends　and



co…partners　in　the　republic　of　learning　as　well。



　　　　The　fortunes　of　war　promise　to　leave　the　American　men　of



learning　in　a　strategic　position；　in　the　position　of　a　strategic



reserve；　of　a　force　to　be　held　in　readiness；　equipped　and



organized　to　meet　the　emergency　that　so　arises；　and　to　retrieve



so　much　as　may　be　of　those　assets　of　scholarly　equipment　and



personnel　that　make　the　substantial　code　of　Western　civilization。



And　so　it　becomes　a　question　of　what　the　Americans　are　minded　to



do　about　it。　It　is　their　opportunity；　and　at　the　same　time　it



carries　the　gravest　responsibility　that　has　yet　fallen　on　the



nation；　for　the　spiritual　fortunes　of　Christendom　are　bound　up



with　the　line　of　policy　which　this　surviving　contingent　of



American　men　of　learning　shall　see　fit　to　pursue。　They　are　not



all　that　is　to　be　left　over　when　the　powers　of　decay　shall　begin



to　retire；　nor　are　they；　perhaps；　to　be　the　best　and　most



valuable　contingent　among　these　prospective　survivors；　but　they



occupy　a　strategic　position；　in　that　they　are　today　justly　to　be



credited　with　disinterested　motives；　beyond　the　rest；　at　the　same



time　that　they　command　those　material　resources　without　which　the



quest　of　knowledge　can　hope　to　achieve　little　along　the　modern



lines　of　inquiry。　By　force　of　circumstances　they　are　thrown　into



the　position　of　keepers　of　the　ways　and　means　whereby　the



republic　of　learning　is　to　retrieve　its　fortunes。　By　force　of



circumstances　they　are　in　a　position；　if　they　so　choose；　to



shelter　many　of　those　masters　of　free　inquiry　whom　the　one…eyed



forces　of　reaction　and　partisanship　overseas　will　seek　to



suppress　and　undo；　and　they　are　also　in　a　position；　if　they　so



choose；　to　install　something　in　the　way　of　an　international



clearing　house　and　provisional　headquarters　for　the　academic



community　throughout　that　range　of　civilized　peoples　whose



goodwill　they　now　enjoy　　a　place　of　refuge　and　a　place　of



meeting；　confluence　and　dissemination　for　those　views　and　ideas



that　live　and　move　and　have　their　being　in　the　higher　learning。







　　　　There　is；　therefore；　a　work　of　reconstruction　to　be　taken



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