New Haven, Conn., March 22—A higher level of serious endeavour in American colleges was urged Ly President-elect James R. Angell Yale University in an address last night at the annual banquet of the "Yale Daily News."
"The great business of every college," said President-elect Angell, is to furnish in a four-year period the very best training, mentally, morally and physically, which it can offer its students. I think it has been generally agreed that superficiality and mediocrity have been the bane of American education.
"Whatever the solution, my own belief is that we must in our colleges by one device or another raise the level of serious, prolonged endeavour and augment markedly the interest of our students in the world of ideas, as contrasted with their- present interests in extra-academic affairs and the mere pass—ing of courses.
Fuuter Use or ATHLerics, "TI recognize and value highly the fine things about intercollegiate athletics, but anyone who thinks they cannot be improved is either destitute in information, or imagination—or both. I desire to see intercollegiate athletics used more fully than at present, because of their unquestionable © possibilities for good. Such evils as at present exist, are by no means equally distributed throughout all forms of college sport.
"These are the essential features of my athletic creed; physical education of the helpful kind for every college student, particularly for the non-athlete who is often a bit neglected. I want clean, honest intercollegiate athletics, so conducted that they not only benefit the men who compete, but even exercise a wholesome influence on the entire college community. If thera are to be professional or semi-professional coaches, I want men who are not only technically expert, but are of essentially sound, fine character. I should rather have a man of questionable charter in any other position than that of athletic coach, nowhere is the pernicious influence of a coarse or immoral man so serious.""
Tue Power oF THE Press.
President Hadley in his address, spoke of the importance of the press in reporting news, but more especially in forming public opinion. Our colleges are governed by public opinion, he said.
"I believe the time is near at hand," he continued, "when we shall get rid of such remnants of the old system and feeling as still exist; when no organization or group will venture to put forward a candidate for public office for any other reason than that he is the best man to administer that office, and when no excuse will be accepted for the man or the group'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.