Since　the　paragraphs　that　make　up　the　foregoing　chapter　were
  written　the　American　academic　community　has　been　thrown　into　a
  new　and　peculiar　position　by　the　fortunes　of　war。　The　progress
  and　the　further　promise　of　the　war　hold　in　prospect　new　and
  untried　responsibilities；　as　well　as　an　unexampled　opportunity。
  So　that　the　outlook　now　（June　1918）　would　seem　to　be　that　the
  Americans　are　to　be　brought　into　a　central　place　in　the　republic
  of　learning；　to　take　a　position；　not　so　much　of　dominance　as　of
  trust　and　guardianship；　not　so　much　by　virtue　of　their　own
  superior　merit　as　by　force　of　the　insolvency　of　the　European
  academic　community。
  Again；　it　is　not　that　the　war　is　expected　to　leave　the　lines
  of　European　scholars　and　scientists　extinct；　although　there　is　no
  denying　the　serious　inroads　made　by　the　war；　both　in　the　way　of　a
  high　mortality　among　European　men　of　learning；　and　in　the　way　of
  a　decimation　of　the　new　men　on　whom　the　hopes　of　the　higher
  learning　for　the　incoming　generation　should　have　rested。　There　is
  also　a　serious　diversion　of　the　young　forces　from　learning　to
  transiently　urgent　matters　of　a　more　material；　and　more　ephemeral
  nature。　But　possibly　more　sinister　than　all　these　losses　that　are
  in　a　way　amenable　to　statistical　record　and　estimate；　is　the
  current　and　prospective　loss　of　morale。
  Naturally；　it　would　be　difficult　and　hazardous　to　offer　an
  appraisal　of　this　prospective　loss　of　morale；　with　which　it　is　to
  be　expected　that　the　disintegrated　European　community　of　learned
  men　will　come　through　the　troubled　times。　But　that　there　is　much
  to　be　looked　for　on　this　score；　that　there　is　much　to　be　written
  off　in　the　way　of　lowered　aggregate　efficiency　and　loss　of　the
  spirit　of　team…work；　　that　much　there　is　no　denying；　and　it　is
  useless　to　blink　the　fact。
  There　has　already　a　good　deal　of　disillusionment　taken　effect
  throughout　the　nations　of　Christendom　in　respect　of　the　temper
  and　trustworthiness　of　German　scholarship　these　past　three　or
  four　years；　and　it　is　fairly　beyond　computation　what　further
  shift　of　sentiment　in　this　respect　is　to　be　looked　for　in　the
  course　of　a　further　Possible　period　of　years　given　over　to　the
  same　line　of　experience。　Doubtless；　the　German　scholars；　and
  therefore　the　German　seats　of　learning　whose　creatures　and　whose
  custodians　these　German　scholars　are；　have　earned　much　of　the
  distrust　and　dispraise　that　is　falling　to　their　share。　There　is
  no　overlooking　the　fact　that　they　have　proved　the　frailty　of
  their　hold　on　those　elementary　principles　of　sobriety　and　single
  mind　that　underlie　all　sound　work　in　the　field　of　learning。　To
  any　one　who　has　the　interest　of　the　higher　learning　at　heart；　the
  spectacle　of　maudlin　chauvinism　and　inflated　scurrility
  unremittingly　placed　on　view　by　the　putative　leaders　of　German
  science　and　scholarship　can　not　but　be　exceedingly　disheartening。
  It　may　be　argued；　and　it　may　be　true；　of　course；　that　much　of
  this　failure　of　intelligence　and　spiritual　force　among　Germany's
  men　of　learning　is　of　the　nature　of　a　transient　eclipse　of　their
  powers；　that　with　the　return　of　settled　conditions　there　is　due
  to　come　a　return　of　poise　and　insight。　But　when　all　due　argument
  has　been　heard；　it　remains　true　that　the　distrust　set　afoot　in
  the　mind　of　their　neighbours；　by　this　highly　remarkable
  exhibition　of　their　personal　equation；　will　long　inure　to　the
  disability　of　Germany's　men　of　learning　as　a　force　to　be　counted
  on　in　that　teamwork　that　is　of　the　essence　of　things　for　the
  advancement　of　learning。　In　effect；　Germany；　and　Germany's
  associates　in　this　warlike　enterprise；　will　presumably　be　found
  bankrupt　in　this　respect　on　the　return　of　peace；　even　beyond　the
  other　nations。
  These　others　have　also　not　escaped　the　touch　of　the　angel　of
  decay；　but　the　visible　corruption　of　spiritual　and　intellectual
  values　does　not　go　the　same　length　among　them。　Nor　have　these
  others　suffered　so　heavy　a　toll　on　their　prospective　scholarly
  man　power。　It　is　all　a　matter　of　degree　and　of　differential
  decline；　coupled　with　a　failure　of　corporate　organization　and　of
  the　usages　and　channels　of　communion　and　co…operation。
  Chauvinistic　self…sufficiency　and　disesteem　of　their　neighbours
  have　apparently　also　not　gone　so　deep　and　far　among　the　other
  nations；　although　here　again　it　is　only　a　relative　degree　of
  immunity　that　they　enjoy。
  And　all　this　holds　true　of　the　Americans　in　much　the　same　way
  as　of　the　rest；　except　that　the　Americans　have；　at　least
  hitherto；　not　been　exposed　to　the　blight　in　anything　like　the
  same　degree　as　any　one　of　those　other　peoples　with　whom　they　come
  in　comparison　here。　It　is；　of　course；　not　easy　to　surmise　what
  may　yet　overtake　them；　and　the　others　with　them；　but　judged　on
  the　course　of　things　hitherto；　and　on　the　apparent　promise　of　the
  calculable　future；　it　is　scarcely　to　be　presumed　that　the
  Americans　are　due　to　suffer　so　extreme　a　degree　of　dilapidation
  as　the　European　peoples；　　even　apart　from　the　accentuated　evil
  case　of　the　Germans。　The　strain　has　hitherto　been　lighter　here；
  and　it　promises　so　to　continue；　whether　the　further　duration　of
  the　war　shall　turn　out　to　be　longer　or　shorter。　The　Americans
  are；　after　all；　somewhat　sheltered　from　the　impact；　and　so　soon
  as　the　hysterical　anxiety　induced　by　the　shock　has　had　time　to
  spend　itself；　it　should　reasonably　be　expected　that　this　people
  will　be　able　soberly　to　take　stock　of　its　assets　and　to　find　that
  its　holdings　in　the　domain　of　science　and　scholarship　are；　in　the
  main；　still　intact。
  Not　that　no　loss　has　been　incurred；　nor　that　no　material
  degree　of　derangement　is　to　be　looked　for；　but　in　comparison　with
  what　the　experience　of　the　war　is　bringing　to　the　Europeans；　the
  case　of　the　Americans　should　still　be　the　best　there　is　to　be
  looked　for　and　the　best　is　always　good　enough；　perforce。　So　it
  becomes　a　question；　what　the　Americans　will　do　with　the　best
  opportunity　which　the　circumstances　offer。　And　on　their　conduct
  of　their　affairs　in　this　bearing　turns　not　only　their　own　fortune
  in　respect　of　the　interests　of　science　and　scholarship；　but　in
  great　measure　the　fortunes　of　their　overseas　friends　and
  co…partners　in　the　republic　of　learning　as　well。
  The　fortunes　of　war　promise　to　leave　the　American　men　of
  learning　in　a　strategic　position；　in　the　position　of　a　strategic
  reserve；　of　a　force　to　be　held　in　readiness；　equipped　and
  organized　to　meet　the　emergency　that　so　arises；　and　to　retrieve
  so　much　as　may　be　of　those　assets　of　scholarly　equipment　and
  personnel　that　make　the　substantial　code　of　Western　civilization。
  And　so　it　becomes　a　question　of　what　the　Americans　are　minded　to
  do　about　it。　It　is　their　opportunity；　and　at　the　same　time　it
  carries　the　gravest　responsibility　that　has　yet　fallen　on　the
  nation；　for　the　spiritual　fortunes　of　Christendom　are　bound　up
  with　the　line　of　policy　which　this　surviving　contingent　of
  American　men　of　learning　shall　see　fit　to　pursue。　They　are　not
  all　that　is　to　be　left　over　when　the　powers　of　decay　shall　begin
  to　retire；　nor　are　they；　perhaps；　to　be　the　best　and　most
  valuable　contingent　among　these　prospective　survivors；　but　they
  occupy　a　strategic　position；　in　that　they　are　today　justly　to　be
  credited　with　disinterested　motives；　beyond　the　rest；　at　the　same
  time　that　they　command　those　material　resources　without　which　the
  quest　of　knowledge　can　hope　to　achieve　little　along　the　modern
  lines　of　inquiry。　By　force　of　circumstances　they　are　thrown　into
  the　position　of　keepers　of　the　ways　and　means　whereby　the
  republic　of　learning　is　to　retrieve　its　fortunes。　By　force　of
  circumstances　they　are　in　a　position；　if　they　so　choose；　to
  shelter　many　of　those　masters　of　free　inquiry　whom　the　one…eyed
  forces　of　reaction　and　partisanship　overseas　will　seek　to
  suppress　and　undo；　and　they　are　also　in　a　position；　if　they　so
  choose；　to　install　something　in　the　way　of　an　international
  clearing　house　and　provisional　headquarters　for　the　academic
  community　throughout　that　range　of　civilized　peoples　whose
  goodwill　they　now　enjoy　　a　place　of　refuge　and　a　place　of
  meeting；　confluence　and　dissemination　for　those　views　and　ideas
  that　live　and　move　and　have　their　being　in　the　higher　learning。
  There　is；　therefore；　a　work　of　reconstruction　to　be　taken
  care　of　in　the　realm　of　learning；　no　less　than　in　the　working
  scheme　of　economic　and　civil　in