ACADEMIC HONORS CONFERRED

The annual meeting for the award of academic distinctions, held last night in Sanders Theatre, was very successful, chiefly by reason of Owen Wister's notable speech on "Our Country and the Scholar." Deturs were awarded to about thirty men in the first group who had never before received this form of academic recognition, and the names of the principal prize winners and scholars of the past year were read. The music, by the Doctors' Chorus, was exceptionally fine. They gave the "Winter Song" and the "Comrade Song," both by Bullard, and led in the singing of "Fair Harvard" at the end of the meeting.

Dean Hurlbut, in a brief address, stated the aim of the meeting, and introduced Owen Wister '82 as one who in Undergraduate days was himself a scholar, who won his degree "summa cum laude," with honors in English, philosophy, and music; but dearer by reason of his books, for which all owe a debt of gratitude.

Mr. Wister commenced his speech with a reference to the recent report of the United States Secretary of Agriculture for 1906-07, a wonderful report which shows a balance of trade in favor of this country of $444,000,000.

How do we stand with relation to the intellectual supply of the world, and on which side is the balance of trade in brains, in favor of Europe or America? Where does the student go who wishes to be a master in physics, in zoology, in psychology, or any other field of learning? Not to any University in America. The greatest scholars of the world today are found in German, France, and England, not in America. Of the 43 men of the whole world who are pre-eminent in the 20 major branches of learning, we name only three who are Americans: Professor Richards, of Harvard, in chemistry; Professor Michaelson, of the University of Chicago, in Physics, and Henry C. Lea, of Philadelphia, in history. No American University possesses one teacher whose position is one of undisputed mastery. The world balance of trade is in favor of America by 444 millions; our balance in brains is minus by 100 per cent.

This showing is not one to be despondent or disappointed over. It is instead a challenge to our patriotism, to our ambition. The prosperity of a country depends not alone on its showing in trade, but on its possession of a surplus in brains. We have only a few men who have achieved distinction in scholarship. All honor to them for their fidelity to the intellectual ideal, their devotion to the best scholarship! With these stands a larger group, and in it there are the names of many Harvard men-Goodwin, Richards, James, Royce, Pickering. Harvard surely is at the head in America, but at the head of what? At the head of a country where the balance of trade in brains is minus 100 per cent! Harvard students and graduates must stand behind these great leaders of the University, for they can do nothing without the help of the scholar and the financier. The scholar must have the recognition, the encouragement, the help that he has in Germany, France and England. He must have liberty from starvation, either physical or mental. The recognition of other scholars must be given to encourage him. There are signs that the scholar is coming; the Carnegie Institute is one indication of it.

Let Harvard's alumni give her freedom of financial action. Let them stand behind these leaders of the University, especially behind President Eliot, the foremost citizen of this country. Only in this way can the promise of our scholarship ripen into the welcome fruits of performance.

The complete list of awards is given on another page of the CRIMSON.