RHODES SCHOLARS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 33, 8 August 1933, Page 5

RHODES SCHOLARS

MRS. MILLIFS ATTITUDE

REPLY BY MR. ALLEN

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, Juno 23. Mrs. Millin, -in a letter to "Tho Times," says that Mr. Carlctou. Kemp Allen, Warden of Rhodes House, in his articlo in "The Times" defends tho Khodes scholars from their critics and sets out to demonstrate that they have not merely been, as I "suggest" in mf r life of Bhodes, "decent fellows." "May I disclaim any fashionable con« tempt for decent fellows? I particularly said: 'Decent fellows are the best; fellows for composing the world. Tho Bhodes scholars must be better than average men. They are today creditably- following their professions,, they, are good citizens.' "What I did feel, though, was that as long as Rhodes scholars were timorously selected for their decent fellowship they were not likely to becomo world-leaders. My complaint was not ngainst Rhodes scholars for being decent fellows," since, after all, they were chosen to that purpose, but against a system of selection which almost automatically excluded the uncommoa spirits that do, in the end,-direct tha fate of the world. "The stated essentials of a Bhodes scholar may shortly be : described aa brains,' sportsmanship, fellowship, and school-leadership. "It seems to me that only the first is an. essential and measurable requisite of greatness, and that the last three practically demand the rejection of uncommon spirits. MB. ALLEN'S REPLY. Mr. Allen has replied::— "I did not suspect Mrs. Millin of regarding decent fellows with- 'fash.ionable contempt' nor did I make any such, suggestion. The result of tha Rhodes scholarships, in Mrs. Millin'» treatment of the subject, has been meritorious mediocrity; thus/the patronising compliment which, she pays them— 'they are today creditably following their professions, they are good citizens'—might be paid equally to tha, whole rank and file of respectable members of society. Mrs. Millin. con* tinues:— " 'Whether the scholars have dona their share towards fulfilling Rhodes 'a plans, whether many of them have gone oat.from Oxford with the sense, of a particular responsibility, is another matter. One would suggest that, pa the whole, the Rhodes scholars hay» taken, but not given. But was it in. them to give? "I have tried to show that they hay« given, and are giving, a great deal mor» than Mrs. Millin allows. "If Mrs. Millin will study the instructions which arc issued to Selection Committees she will see that something' much more than mere decent-fellowship is aimed at; and if every Rhodes scholar is not a 'world-leader,' that is because world-leaders occur extremely; rarely^ and no system of selection which human ingenuity can devise can ensure infallibly the choice of 'world-leaders* and 'uncommon spirits.' " v