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devoid of that quality； but rather that no point in their
elaboration of apparatus can feasibly be reached； beyond which a
working majority can be brought conscientiously to agree that
dependence may safely be placed on common sense rather than on
further and more meticulous and rigorous specification。
It is at this point that the American system of fellowships
falls into the scheme of university policy； and here again the
effect of business principles and undergraduate machinery is to
be seen at work。 At its inception the purpose of these
fellowships was to encourage the best talent among the students
to pursue disinterested advanced study farther and with greater
singleness of purpose and it is quite plain that at that stage of
its growth the system was conceived to have no bearing on
intercollegiate competition or the statistics of registration。
This was something over thirty years ago。 A fellowship was an
honourable distinction； at the same time it was designed to
afford such a stipend as would enable the incumbent to devote his
undivided energies to scholastic work of a kind that would yield
no pecuniary return。 Ostensibly； such is still the sole purpose
of the fellowships； the traditional decencies require （voluble
and reiterated） professions to that effect。 But in point of
practical effect； and progressively； concomitant with the
incursion of business principles into university policy； the
exigencies of competitive academic enterprise have turned the
fellowships to account in their own employ。 So that； in effect；
today the rival universities use the fellowships to bid against
one another for fellows to come into residence； to swell the
statistics of graduate registration and increase the number of
candidates for advanced degrees。 And the eligible students have
learned so to regard the matter； and are quite callously
exploiting the system in that sense。
Not that the fellowships have altogether lost that character
of a scholarly stipendiary with which they started out； but they
have； under businesslike management； acquired a use not
originally intended； and the new； competitive use of them is
unequivocally their main use today。 It would be hazardous to
guess just how far the directorates of the rival universities
consciously turn the fellowships to account in this enterprising
way； or how far； on the other hand； they are able to let
self…deception cover the policy of competitive bargaining in
which they are engaged； but it would be difficult to believe that
their right hand is altogether ignorant of what their left hand
is doing。 It would doubtless also be found that both the practice
and the animus back of it differ appreciably from one school to
another。 But there is no element of hazard in the generalization
that； by and large； such competitive use of the fellowships is
today their chief use； and that such is the fact is quite openly
avowed among the academic staff of some universities at least。
As a sequel and symptom of this use of the fellowship
stipends in bargaining for an enlarged enrolment of advanced
students； it has become a moot question in academic policy
whether a larger number of fellowships with smaller stipends will
give a more advantageous net statistical result than a smaller
number of more adequate stipends。 An administration that looks
chiefly to the short…term returns as is commonly the practice
in latterday business enterprise will sensibly incline to make
the stipends small and numerous； while the converse will be true
where regard is had primarily to the enrolment of carefully
selected men who may reflect credit on the institution in the
long run。 Up…to…date business policy will apparently commend the
former rather than the latter course； for business practice； in
its later phases； is eminently guided by consideration of
short…term gains。 It is also true that the average stipend
attached to the fellowships offered today is very appreciably
lower than was the practice some two or three decades ago； at the
same time that the cost of living which these stipends were
originally designed to cover has increased by something like
one hundred per cent。 As final evidence of the decay of scholarly
purpose in the matter of fellowships； and as a climax of
stultification； it is to be added that stipends originally
established as an encouragement to disinterested scholarship are
latterly being used to induce enrolment in the professional
schools attached to the universities。（13*）
One further point of contact and contamination is necessary
to be brought into this account of the undergraduate
administration and its bearing on advanced work。 The scholastic
accessories spoken of above clubs； fraternities； devotional
organizations； class organizations； spectacles and social
functions； athletics； and 〃student activities〃 generally do
not in any appreciable degree bear directly on the advanced work；
in as much as they find no ready lodgement among the university
students proper。 But they count； indirectly and effectually；
toward lowering the scholarly ideals and keeping down the number
of advanced students； chiefly by diverting the interest and
energies of the undergraduate men from scholarly pursuits and
throwing them into various lines of business and sportsmanship。
The subsidized clubs work； in these premises； to much the
same effect as the fraternities； both are； in effect； designed to
cultivate expensive habits of life。 The same is true in a higher
degree of athletic sports。 The full round of sportsmanlike
events； as well as the round schedule of social amenities for
which the polite side of undergraduate life （partly subsidized）
is designed to give a taste and training； are beyond the compass
of men devoted to scholarship。 In effect these things come in as
alternatives to the pursuit of knowledge。 These things call for a
large expenditure of time and means； neither of which can be
adequately met by the scientist or scholar。 So that men who have
been trained to the round of things that so go to make up the
conventional scheme of undergraduate interests can not well look
to a career in the higher learning as a possible outcome of their
residence in college。 On the other hand； young men habitually；
and no doubt rightly； expect a business career to yield an income
somewhat above the average of incomes in the community； and more
particularly in excess of the commonplace incomes of academic
men； such an income； indeed； as may afford the means to cover the