- A MATTER OF DEGREES
Sta,—My attention has been called to your issue of November 6th, wherein " Janus " comments upon the University of Sulgrave and myself. His interpretation of Who's Who suggests that I am holding myself out to be a Fellow of Cambridge University and professes himself perplexed. I am more than perplexed, I afti amazed, as I have never heard of this title before ; in explaining himself he says " perhaps I am wrong." If " Janus " will delete the word " perhaps " he will be right. "Janus," who seemingly creates this " honour " for me, gives the date of bestowal as 1896 ; in that year I was in my teens! Had he not better read Who's Who again and note also that the word Cambridge in my record has no relation whatever to its University? I invite all his readers to do likewise.
Thete is no mystery about my degrees ; they are of the Intercollegiate University, which has a history of fifty-four years. The autonomous British Division of this University, upon my initiative and with the full agreement of its Senate, closed its doors this year for very proper and creditable reasons, into which I will not new enter. I must here empha- sise that this University had no connexion whatever with the University of Sulgrave. The Intercollegiate University bore many untruthful attacks during its existence: if " Janus " is contemplating comment upon its degrees, either nosy or at any time, I invite him to get his facts first- hand from me ; he can have them—freely and at length. Why has " Janus" seen fit to express his perplexities and wonderment publicly instead of asking me for information first-hand? Does he think I have something to conceal? Does he think that I and those associated with me are incompetent—or that the English-speaking peoples should be saved from us?
" Janus" says, apropos of my degrees: " regarding which the usual particulars as to the granting body do not appear." This remark comes well from one who conceals his identity behind a nom-de-guerre! And why does "Janus " omit to mention that I am Ph.D. of the University of Nancy—one of the oldest Universities in France? I again invite his readers to peruse Who's Who.
" Janus" continues: "I shall follow the fortunes of the University of Sulgrave with some curiosity," and later: "I should like to be satisfied that the whole affair makes for amity and confidence in Anglo-American relations." My associates and myself are grateful to know that at least one person will sometimes think of us. Our fortunes so far include tremendous encouragement from both British and Americans, the, offer of a gift of land and buildings for University purposes, and the cordial co-operation of graduates from other Universities. The amity and confi- dence are among the desiderata for which we are working altruistically and practically, and, we trust, effectively.—Yours faithfully,
F. W. CROSSLEY-HOLLAND.
("Janus " writes: I am sorry that by some unexplained slip the date 1936 appeared as 1896. I did not mention that Dr. Crossley-Holland was a Ph.D. of Nancy because the entry in Who's Who is "Ph.D. desig- nate" and I could obtain no light on the relation of this term to Ph.D. pure and simple ; to complicate matters further, both British and French authorities on the subject assure me that Ph.D. is not among the degrees conferred by French Universities. My perplexity about the entry " Member Eastern Regional Council, Cambridge-; University Fellowship ; Hon. M.A." arose from the fact that the juxtaposition of "Cambridge" and "University Fellowship" is obviously suggestive to the uninitiated. I am interested to learn that the University Fellowship was in fact conferred by the Intercollegiate University. May it be assumed that some or all of Dr. Crossley-Holland's degrees of D.C.L., D.Sc. (hen.), M.D. and M.A. (hon.) enjoy the same origin? As to the assurance that the Intercollegiate University " had no connexion what- ever with the University of Sulgrave," I will only ask whether it is the fact that the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of the former, Dr. Crossley-Holland himself and the Rev. S. E. P. Needham respectively, are today Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of the latter, and whether the Registrar, late of Intercollegiate, now of Sulgrave, has stated that the latter institution " is taking over students who have not completed their courses in the other University "?]
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