I'KliSIDIiNTS ADDRliSS. l^ 



Germany has taken but a poor place in the domain of science 

 has now completely dried up. In every science Germany has 

 its many honoured names, and taking only one, Pure Mathe- 

 matics, the names of Cantor, Dedekind, (iauss, Grassman, 

 Klein, Leibniz, and Weierstrass will for all time s])eak of 

 original work of the highest value. 



Relations of the State and Unhersities. — This is much too 

 large a subject to enter on at the end of an address, but a few 

 words may be said. Here the imiversities will be largely sup- 

 ported by funds from the State and in consequence there will 

 be a certain amount of State control. The staffs will be re- 

 garded in some way as civil servants and some lines of activity 

 will not be open to them. But there must not be too much con- 

 trol; nothing must be done to check freedom of thought or to 

 make the views of professors conform to the views of a govern- 

 ment. In all investigations, literary and scientific alike, honesty 

 is more indispensable than ability, arid no dissimulation 

 through patriotic, religious, or even moral motives nuist be 

 allowed in regard to the facts investigated. It is from this 

 freedom j)assing from ])rofessor to student and student to com- 

 munity that training in individual initative is developed and 

 character strengthened. The statement is made that there is 

 lack of this personal v.'ill in Germany, and that the rigid State 

 control of schools and universities has " made the minds of 

 individuals too susceptible to current intellectual fashions, and 

 has left them deficient in the power of independent criticism."* 



These three things that I have mentioned are all deeply 

 involved in the (|uestion of " character." It was to the effect 

 of unWersity training on this tjuality that Mr. Asquith referred 

 at Glasgow Universit}' when he said that a university " will be 

 judged also by the infiuence which it is exerting upon the 

 imagination and the character; by the ideals which it has im- 

 planted and nourished ; by the new resources of faith, tenacity, 

 aspiration with which it has recruited and reinforced the im- 

 trained and undeveloped nature ; by the degree in which it has 

 helped to raise, to enlarge, to complete the true life of man, 

 and by and through him the corporate life of the community." 



* M. E. Sadler. 



