THE AMERICAN BARBAROI

"You Americans, living now in your concrete sky-scraping tents, are still a nomad nation without any civilization". Thus does Dr. Ku Hung-Ming, writing in the New York Times calmly dismiss whatever pretensions we may cherish as to the advancement of these United States.

According to the Celestial, a civilized nation is one which not only governs, fights wars, engages in commerce, but one which in addition produces "spiritual things such as art and literature and, still more important, by its art and literature develop high and perfect types of humanity in its great men. In other words, a civilized nation is a nation which has a spititual asset or as Carlyle calls it, 'realized ideals'".

The United States we are told, comes far from measuring up to this standard. We have no great literature such as a Shakespeare or a Voltaire or a Homer might have written. Of the great men who are "high and perfect types of humanity" Dr. Hung-Ming speaks little, and then only to dismiss Washington from the roll-call of the great by characterizing him a good average man.

All this is perhaps not very palatable criticism. But whether or not it is taken seriously there is one point from which the college student, at least, can draw a suggestion.

Dr. Hung-Ming maintains that before the "high and perfect types of humanity" can come to any great degree, there must first be the spiritual force to mould the types. At a time when many "candidates for the degree" are coming out of their last examinations saying. "Thank Heaven, I don't have to study any more", it seems somewhat of a question whence that spiritual force is coming. It will hardly come from the universities if we hold to the notion that education ends at Commencement--that from then on theoretical learning is to be replaced by practical learning. Those who enter the world with that attitude can offer little in refutation of Dr. Hung-Ming's criticism. They are indeed yet candidates for "The American Barbaroi".