A League of Learning 295
of our own professors and a distinguished professor of one
of the other universities who is an authority on the subject
discussed in the thesis. These two together examine the
thesis, and report upon its merits and defects to a committee,
which in turn reports to the Senate. The Senate then con-
fers or refuses the degree. If the value of the thesis is
doubtful, the candidate is subjected to an oral or written,
or both an oral and written, examination. The examiners
report upon it, and their view is adopted.
The other two methods of interchange concern college
and university teachers. We lay great stress upon the value
of the interchange of young teachers. The advantages are
obvious, but I shall not dwell upon them, for Dr. Walker
will speak on this aspect of the matter.
Now I should like to say a word about the institution of
scholarships. Without the assistance of scholarships I
should fear that the interchange may not be possible to many
young men and women who would themselves profit by
residence at a foreign university and carry back home with
them a contagious spirit of sympathetic understanding with
the country they have visited. This is a matter which, so far
as concerns your students, I believe could be most efficiently
carried out by the sororities and fraternities of the colleges
and universities in America. Were your sororities and fra-
ternities to send over to the universities and colleges of Eng-
land, or Scotland, or Wales, or Ireland one or more of
their brilliant young men and women every year, they would
be deepening their own interest in the older institutions, and
opening a way for fuller intercourse. Moreover, the
scholarships might well be a memorial connected with the
war we have waged and won, side by side. But Professor
Joly will, I trust, make you share his convictions on this
matter. I shall only add that I can think of no purpose