Internationalism and Universities
| Author | Malcolm W. Wallace |
| Published date | 01 March 1950 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070205000500106 |
| Date | 01 March 1950 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Internationalism
and
Universities
Malcolm
W.
Wallace
t
is
difficult
for
even
the
most
thoughtful
men
today
to
realize
the
extent
to
which
the
world
has
become
internationalized
during the
present
generation.
In
the
early
years
of
the century
the
centre
of
the
world
for
most
of
us
was
the
British
Empire,
and
of
its
more
distant
parts
we
knew
little
for
few
Canadians
had
travelled
widely.
Nevertheless, it
was
a
stable
world
and
Britain
was
the
chief
stabilizing
force.
We
were inclined
to
believe
that
she
would
play
this
role
indefinitely.
Since
that
time
transportation
and communications
have
been
transformed.
Two
world
wars
have
taught hundreds
of
thousands
of
Canadians much
of
world
geography
as
well
as
other
things,
and
have
deprived
Britain
of
her pride
of
place.
The
stability
of
former days
has
gone
so
completely
that
changes
and proposed
changes
have
ceased
to amaze us.
At
the
beginning
of
the
recent
war
Winston
Churchill
proposed
the
union
of
Britain
and
France:
today
some
kind
of
federation
of
Europe
seems
imminent,
and
Churchill
looks
forward
to
a
possible
reunion
of
Britain
and
the
United
States
of
America!
Professor
Commager
of
Columbia
says
that
"America
wants
an
international
organization
that
can
function
efficiently
regardless
of
abstract
questions
of
sove-
reignty."
Abstract
questions!
When
we
have
once
digested
these facts
we
shall not
find
any
future
political
developments
incredible.
Over
the
centuries men have
toyed
with the
idea
of
some
kind
of
international
organization,
but it
has
never
been
regarded
as
practical
politics.
It
is
nearly
a
century
since
science
began
its
brilliant
modern
career,
and
science
has always
shown
a
certain
superior
indifference
to
national
boundaries.
But
the
most
consistently
international
spirit
since
the
Renaissance
has
been
found
in
the
universities.
They
have
always
exchanged
lectures and
lecturers,
and
at
one
time
they
had
made
Latin
a
lingua
franca
for
the
modern
educated
world.
Their
graduates
43
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