May 1, 1902] 
NATURE 
Mai 
commerce in the spirit of impartial scientific investigation 
and wide knowledge were also to the point. Mr, Balfour 
said, in effect, that there could be no doubt about our 
leeway, or upon the value of broad and scientific educa- 
tion as the chief factor of progress, but he looked to the 
general community to “set itself to work to bear the 
great responsibilities which the needs of our country 
have thrown upon our shoulders.” 
It is only when educational provision is under consider- 
ation that our statesmen are content to leave obvious 
national defects to be remedied by chance munificence 
in the way suggested. In military and naval matters the 
Government is held responsible for efficiency, whatever 
assistance may be obtained from voluntary effort. The 
same principle must be applied to higher and technical 
education before we can hope to make our educational 
f 
ia 
BRIXTON 
Fic. 1.—Distribution of Colleges and Polytechnics in London. 
1. Royal College of Science, 
6. Finsbury Technical College. 
11. East London Technical College (People’s Palace). 
14. Northampton Institute. 15. Northern Polytechnic. 
2. King’s College. 
7- Battersea Polytechnic. 
18. South-Western Polytechnic. 
forces equal to those we have against us. The States 
which are making headway, and equipping themselves 
for industrial war, are those which give the greatest en- 
couragement to the advancement of knowledge. Until 
our statesmen recognise this fact and act upon it, there 
can be no assurance against the loss of national position 
which must come sooner or later. 
drift can only be compared with that of the man who is 
improvident enough to neglect to provide for old age 
because he hopes that some generous friend will present 
him with an endowment assurance. 
_The Government should lead the way to improving 
higher education, not by words, but by deeds. Practical 
sympathy is what is needed at present more than anything 
else, and the University of London offers a good oppor- 
NO. 1696, VOL. 66] 
The present policy of | 
HA CK NEY 
3. University College. 
8. Birkbeck Institution. 
12. Goldsmiths’ Institute. 
16. Regent Street Polytechnic. 
tunity for the State to show it. Leta liberal grant be made 
from the national exchequer, and private donors 
would understand that the statesmen who express fine 
sentiments upon the value of higher education to national 
welfare are actually convinced of the urgent necessities of 
the case. It is because this example has not been set 
that the various colleges of the University have to carry 
on their work with very inadequate resources. We 
commend these considerations to the Duke of Devonshire, 
who is to speak at the Mansion House on May 9 at a 
meeting to be held in support of the appeal for funds for 
advanced secondary education and research at University 
College. 
It must be remembered that, when looked at broadly, 
this question of the provision of an adequately endowed 
and fully equipped University of London is a much 
n 
The order is that given in the Report of the London Technical Education Board. 
4. Bedford College. 5. Central Technical College. 
g. Borough Polytechnic. ro. City of London College. 
13- London School of Economics and Political Science. 
17 Sir John Cass’s Aldgate Institute. 
19. Woolwich Polytechnic. 
larger one than that of securing sufficient funds to make 
possible the incorporation of University College in the 
University. Even when its incorporation has been 
effected, University College will be but a constituent 
college of what we hope is destined to be a powerful 
and comprehensive University, binding together all those 
institutions located within the metropolitan area which, 
by a little adaptation and some necessary expansion, can 
legitimately claim university rank. The consummation 
for which every earnest educationist in London should 
work is the incorporation in the University of London, 
in the same large way that University College desires, 
of all suitable colleges and polytechnics. There is King’s 
College, which in one important respect, since it has 
already moved its secondary school to Wimbledon, has 
