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it to him, and on opening it discovered careful notes of the private
conversations of several of their colleagues, obviously destined for
the
authorities. The result was that the spy was cut by his colleagues and
sometime later when he inquired of one of them why he was being cut, he
was
told the reason. Thereupon, he said "You don't suppose that I am the
only
person doing this, do you?"
 
 
 The administration of the universities causes unhappiness not only
for reasons of this kind that are largely emotional, but also on
strictly
technical ground. One of my informants whom I consider particularly
trustworthy said to me, "Perhaps the greatest difficulty in Germany
today is
that men who have the education and capacity of chiefs are ruled and
ordered
about by men of the mentality and education of Unteroffizieren." He
added
that there are two exceptions, the army itself, which is beyond the
control
of ignorant, incompetent meddlers, and a small group around Schacht.
(To this I am inclined to add, from what others have told me, a small
group around von Neurath. Incidentally  it is amusing, if tragic, to
think of the feelings of a person like von Neurath, a Wurtemberg
gentleman brought up in a hardworking, cosmopolitan, aristocratic
family, and, I suppose, a competent, diplomatic technician, as he now
is, firmly embedded in the Nazi regime.)
 
 
 At all events the universities are run by stupid, ignorant,
prejudiced, largely dishonest people. Of that I think there can be
little doubt, and the unintelligent mistakes are quite as serious as
the deliberate acts in their effect upon competent scholars and
scientists as well as upon the instruction.
 
 
 I found a few indications of sharply limited hopes for the future
of the universities. First, one medical scientist said to me, "They
like to
say they don't need us, but they know that they do." To this I replied