6o 4 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



man universities, and it must not be forgotten that these young men 

 and women are not undergraduate college students, but that the German 

 university welcomes them only if they can show their college diploma. 

 The German semesters correspond to the study in the post-graduate de- 

 partments of the American universities. As Director of the Amerika- 

 Institut, I wrote to these three hundred delegates of the new world and 

 asked them with what training they came and for what purpose, 

 whether they felt satisfied or whether they found anything of which to 

 complain, what they were doing and what they were intending to do, 

 and what they could suggest. The answers display an interesting va- 

 riety. The young American scholars came from all parts of the coun- 

 try and their favorite spots in Germany are Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, 

 Heidelberg and Gottingen. In their studies naturally the German 

 language and German literature take the lead, but philosophy, history, 

 political economy and, in the line of science, chemistry and medicine 

 stand next. Mathematics is also often chosen, and, on the whole, there 

 is no corner in the field of learning to which some Americans are not 

 turning. Lowest in the list is the study of law, which of course is best 

 pursued in one's own country. As to their aims and reasons for coming 

 to Germany, some, to be sure, had no deeper argument than that they 

 " had a fellowship," and some that there " is no special reason." Some 

 wanted to see a foreign civilization at first-hand in order to be able to 

 judge more correctly of their own, or to study German in order to 

 teach it in America. But the overwhelming majority insisted that 

 there was still superior opportunity for their special branches in Ger- 

 man institutions and that the most thorough and deepest preparation 

 could still be gained on German soil. The two fundamental tones of 

 the replies were given by the one who wrote: "I came to train myself 

 to think independently," and by the other who wrote : " The best that 

 was offered me in the American lecture room, library and seminary was 

 the fruit directly or indirectly of German research. I wished to come 

 into intimate contact with it." As to their satisfaction with the results, 

 praise and complaint were intermingled. Many asserted that they were 

 entirely satisfied, not a few expressing themselves in terms of enthusi- 

 asm. Some limited their approval to certain sides : " Very well satis- 

 fied with intellectual side of the university, but have not received much 

 help religiously." Others miss the American sports or the social life 

 among students. Many are dissatisfied with the lack of personal con- 

 tact with professors. Again some complain that the student finds no 

 oversight and is not called to account and that accordingly too much 

 loafing is possible. Some complain that the attendants do not under- 

 stand English or that the libraries do not give out the books quickly 

 enough. Some suggest more opportunities for learning the language, 

 others demand the removal of evil social influences and student drunk- 



