The House of Commons gave a third reading on Friday,
July 20th, to the Oxford and Cambridge Univer- sities Bill, which sets up a Statutory Commission, but wisely declined, by 150 votes against 124, to force Cam- bridge to admit women to full membership. We do not sympathize with the continued refusal of Cambridge to accord to women the privileges which Oxford has given them. But we feel very strongly that it would be disastrous for Parliament to intervene and compel Cambridge to admit women. The Universities can only continue to prosper if they retain their autonomy unimpaired. State interference, such as the Socialists desire, in higher education is a most deadly evil. The Prussian Universities, where liberty of thought was sub- ordinated to Emperor-worship, afford an awful example of the debasement of trained intellects, and the French Universities have only regained of late some of the free- dom of which Napoleon • deprived them. We are glad that the President of the Board of Education opposed the amendment and expressly disclaimed all desire to interfere with the Universities. Cambridge will doubtless reconsider her attitude at an early date. Meanwhile, the Mistress of Girton has been appointed a member of the Cambridge Commission and will be able to present the case of the women students.
Previous page
