RHODES SCHOLARS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 729, 31 January 1910, Page 5

RHODES SCHOLARS.

IS THE ELEMENTARY TRAfNING .' ' , DEFECTIVE? , ■ A : QUESTION OF COMPTJLSOEY ..,->. ■'GREEK;-/ ,; , By Telegraph-Press' Association-Oopyrinht. '.'■'■■ ''.'■"•.'' , London; January 28/ ' "Tho Times," commenting on the annual . statement of; the Ehodes. Scholarship Trustees, says that it is hinted at Oxford that tho elementary training of. some of the colonial arid American . scholars leaves much to he desired, and weights them in tho race for university distinction. The American and colonial reply is that compulsory Greek cuts out 75 per cent, of .tho ablest candidates.

"Tho Times", notes'the brilliant career of Mr.;,' Behan, . the Victorian ■ Rhodes scholar. . Mr. Ziman, of New, Zealand, won an honorary mathematical scholarship at' Ballibl College'; :Mri, Eivett, tho South Australian, a first-class in the final Honour schools) and Mr. Dunbabin, the Tasmanian, a diploma in geography with, ..'■'-.'.;.;,-■"..-..;, •;. -.- . . V

'."Of-.78 colonials' '.elected 'as Ehodes scholars, [ 53 have returned' home, 12 are completing further stndy,' 3 have gone to'lndia',' 2 to foreign countries, - and the rest (8) are working in England." :■ ■'

''TASMANIAN REPRESENTATIVE. '.- -/■■'.'":'..' - i Hobart, January 29. ... Mr. T. Eockeliffe has., been chosen as Tasmanian-Ehodes scholar for 1910.

- OXFORD UNCHANGED/ -■[/■ .THE WORKING OF THE EHODES '"..,■■;,/: ';,-: IDEA.. .".; tt'7 b S 50 * 1 mind (writes Mr: P. Halse Rogers) the scholarship was not to .serve merely as; the'goal of an academic career, it.was to what lay-beyond that ho looked. In his. will he wrote: 'I consider that.the education of.you'rig'colon... if -i "I T one of ' tlrt universities .of tho United Kingdom is of great advantage to them—for instilling into their: minds the advantage to the .colonies as'well as to the United Kingdom of-'the unity/of.the Empire. 'It -was with the larger ideal lnt.viow that-.he included Americans and Germans. -■ The ■ machinery: of the scheme is at work, the men are coining and gaing,;and;Oxford/is doing her part When, our -term is. over and : we :come to look back the question arises, 'IS thero -any likelihood of success!" .There cannot; bo -a definite answer,- for'these.things are on the knees of the gods.-, ; The omens seem favourable,- for Oxford, apart;from its climate, is an ideals place for the. sowing , ° f ■' tb.B:seed, aud the/seed is well. 1 sown, liut tho fruit cannot appear for agenera[tion; or. : longer. . ."■■'.■■'-:--': iy ."•■

The.Amcricans.iv', :^".v.. ;,',.' ;.,;■-.:''.. : 'Meantime,-year by year, .half a hundred, men leave Oxford for every- quarter of the globe; Of all these,' perhaps," the Americans .aro most. fortunate,; tor uni-' versihes'iand colleges are numerous in their .'country; and 'many, positions 'are ■°?!? <? ■ theui' on their return.,' Almost without 1 exception tho v students from America:go home when their three years are at an end, and, in a 'majority 'of cases,-, they, immediately ,vfill; academic positions. Even after the second year of the-exodus from Oxford they l 'woro, to bo found: in the, many universities from New tngland to the Pacific In order' that, distance, shall, not; terminate'entirely' .the; friendships which'thcy formed during, their >term- they have -established an: association of American Rhodes scholars, witn.'the object of- keeping -themselves cognisant of,one. another s doings and of. keeping, in touch with. succeeding generations of scholars.. Already, they, canboasf or a-bright-little'.'periodical-' called the Alumni; Magazine/, and. they', have planned meetings at various' centres at fixed intervals..- For the most part' they, have taken a keen interest in.the idea of the founder,, and are working-as far as'is in' their, power;to realiso; his aims/;.-.,'.-' .. .', The Colonials.';' ;; . /-:?''•;;;.:->;.-■'

"'Of the colonials, likewise, a majority' ■return... t0,.. their •'"; own-:;countries: on J. the ■ termination'of:the..three years, but the prqportioii, is not as great... A certain', .number'- find more 'to. attract'-them ' in' England:itself or in-branches of the Imperial Service. Of. the whole,number the' , Australian,, contingent '..loses heaviest in proportion. Of those who have' finished ;their course up to the present only about half. seem';'likoly' to.:roturh, 'but'.thdtVis', -a mere chance,: arid cannot bo I made-a ground: for speculation as to the future. It seems'-: certain that: Uhodes's idea was that iii most 'cases the .men should return, but that is not mode even an implicit conditioij and when brighter' .prospects appear in tho Old World ;it is natural.;that',they; should stay., .Most of the menwho, remaih-would -prefer to'roturn,':but:they .have: their position in the' iworld to make; and sentimental considerations ,;cannot -count' so heavily ._- as .some' others: with 'young men: who 'have yet: to? establish-themselves.. It would seem better 'to return,' if possible, and it would be more in accordance with'.thefoundert idea; ,but those'who;-do- not are: stilj. completing the circle.-of ' friend 9' which stretches''. round,:,.tho. -world Wherever a Rhodes scholar travels he it almost bound to meet men whohave shared the .same privileges and lived the same life that he has_led.. In Great Britain ;andjon .the Continent/, in America, and Canada, in .Australia and South- Africa, in, India, and the various small colonies they are to'be;found.' They';have gone forth, to the- ends of :the earth,; young men and _ unknown;: some fewof them may, realise':' their •'' ambitions,';', and some few, perhaps/may help tomako a reality of the dream of Cecil Rhodes. '■■ '■■:■'.

The Germans.

,". 'The'-, colonials ./are hot ;as a ' rule brought much into touch /with the German scholars, but from, the tone of .their speeches at ihe' annual dinner, it would seem; that, they-too have fallen in lovo with Oxfj 1, .have' come to, understand .English, : men and - ; customs, - and ..will go back to' their own country; determined to try'to bring the/two nations.to friendship';' and' asithey/. are picked 1 by. the Emperor with ;n, view: to the diplomatic service their efforts/may be of importance in the future."/.,:. : : *./'.:/■/:-;-

.The writer says thatthe Rhodes 'scholar element has produced ho noticeable change in the life. of Oxford.' Oxford;'. has not ; changed,- nor "are'. the■ overseas '■ scholars- ' Anglicised,, even" when, fascinated-with' ,the : .life. -An Oxford man.of six or;seven years ago would not .find- Oxford nny different. There is no cliqueisin. The various Ehodes men are absorbed in their; .various colleges, conforming to .the man-.hers'.-.and''.customs- around them. They are.;made;welcome,;and- how soon 'they come to" 1 like Oxford, and .'its ways is. a matter of individual temperament..,' "To some Oxford Is a/delight from the moment they.first catch sight-of its spires. 'Where'er : they tread,'tis haunted ■ holy ground.' '■/ The city itself, .the cottages with, their strange medley- of medieval and modern,: the beauty of the quads and gardens ; and 4 the glory of the High—all these come, to them with a oharnr and fascination that is instant and undying. There, are others, ..however; of, a more practical turn' of: mind to whom Oxford, at first, seems so. steeped in medievalism as to., repel' rather than attract;; its conservatism is something new, and.the point of view from which life is regarded, is not. easily To those, perhaps,- the .first; term! or-two ;at Oxford: wore not pleasant, on account of the unaccustomed environment. But in the long; run Oxford wins; and during threo years/1 never met a Rhodes/scholar ,of a .year's 'standing who was not in love, with, the placo and the life." '' '■"','