REFUSAL BY OXFORD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23222, 21 June 1937, Page 16

REFUSAL BY OXFORD

■<» GERMAN INVITATION Oxford University has finally taken its stand with every other important British university in refusing to send a delegate to the bicentenary celebrations of the German University of Goettingen (says the New York Times). Rather than risk a public controversy when it is trying to raise a £1,000,000 endowment fund, the Oxford Hebdomal Council decided at its regular meeting to rescind its tentative acceptance of Goettingen's invitations of a few months ago. The council, 'consisting of the heads of the Oxford colleges, is the chief governing body of the university. It is understood that the vicechancellor, Alexander Lindsay, warned that acceptance would be interpreted everywhere as approval of the suppression of free scholarship at Goettingen by the Nazi regime. The council's reversal came only after there had been rumblings of open revolt among graduates now teaching or studying at Oxford. The dissatisfaction had grown so serious that the council knew it must either retreat or risk the consequences. Many more than the requisite number of 30 graduates were ready to challenge the council by calling a special university convocation to prevent the sending of a delegate to Germany. Not only might such a convocation have over-ruled the council, but might have involved Oxford in damaging and embarrassing publicity. The council, therefore, decided that prudence was the better part of valour. Now that Oxford has declined, a movement is on foot at Durham for the withdrawal of its acceptance, so that all British universities shall be unanimous in showing their disapproval of Nazi scholarship. The university authorities at Goettingen scarcely expected a favourable response by Oxford to their 200th anniversary invitation, says a message from Germany.