614 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXri. No. 568. 



sense, or at least to awaken it in him (for 

 if he has it not it would be difficult to 

 create it entirely anew), to develop his 

 critical spirit, to qualify him to take up 

 the investigation of any particular historic 

 problem in such a way that when he has 

 finished his investigation the last word will 

 have been said, so far as the existing ma- 

 terial will permit. 



In addition to this, the purpose of the 

 professional school should be not merely to 

 qualify the student to do this kind of re- 

 search, but to inspire him with an ambition 

 actually to do this kind of work to the 

 extent of his ability, whatever the position 

 to which he should be called. 



I do not know to what extent this pe- 

 culiarity in the conception of a true pro- 

 fessional school may explain the leadership 

 which Germany enjoys to-day in the world 

 of science and scholarship, that is to what 

 extent this peculiarity in their educational 

 system has produced this thirst for scholar- 

 ship and learning, or to what extent their 

 natural thirst for scholarship and learning 

 has worked out this peculiar device for 

 stimulating such a spirit. Whichever may 

 be true, I think we must allow that in this 

 particular quality the German university 

 surpasses those of the rest of the world. 



They carry this thought much further in 

 Germany than in any other country. No 

 man is allowed to teach, even in a second- 

 ary school of the first grade, who has not 

 come under the infiuence of the theory and 

 practise of this sort of a professional school. 

 And while the German universities, judged 

 from an American point of view, have 

 many defects, this is certainly one of their 

 strongest points, and one which, if we can 

 in any way secure for ourselves, in our 

 own institutions, would be a great advan- 

 tage to us. 



It goes without the saying that in such 

 an institution as we are outlining the fac- 



ulty will consist of men and women who 

 will have developed this quality of scholar- 

 ship, this idea of learning, this notion of 

 productive work in the field of scientific 

 investigation and research. It can not be 

 anything else and accomplish the ends we 

 have in view. Now, of course, there is a 

 long road to travel between our present 

 situation in this respect and that time 

 when, judged from this point of view, we 

 shall be a true university. I say a long 

 road, but it will be covered, I fully believe, 

 in a comparatively short time ; for the idea 

 of this advance has already permeated this 

 body of instructors, has touched with its 

 dynamic force every aspiring soul in the 

 group and will in the long run leave no 

 individual untouched, and will leave no 

 person unaspiring. 



What this spirit, if it could become gen- 

 eral, would mean for our scientific advance 

 as a nation, what it would mean for our 

 industrial improvement, surpasses almost 

 the power of the human mind to conceive. 

 Suppose every one of our high school teach- 

 ers in this country had had a university 

 training in the sense in which I am using 

 the term, so that when he goes into a com- 

 munity and begins his work of instruction 

 there also goes into that community a 

 new power, a new force, being itself first 

 of all productive, and then aiming to select 

 from that community the young minds 

 which may have it in them to add to the 

 power and resources, to the wealth, moral, 

 intellectual and material, of their communi- 

 ties, and kindle in them the sacred flame 

 of aspiration, as only the genuine fire of 

 scientific enthusiasm can kindle it. Sup- 

 pose every student who goes forth from 

 this chemical laboratory should carry with 

 him the power and the determination to 

 add something to our knowledge of chem- 

 istry, what an addition to the industrial 

 resources of this country! It would mean 



