First Godkin Lecture.

The Right Honorable James Bryce, M.P., gave the first of the series of five lectures under the Godkin Lectureship last evening in Sanders Theatre, on "The study of Popular Governments."

Mr. Bryce was introduced by President Eliot, who said that this was the first of a permanent series of lectures relating to government and civic duty. The lectureship bears the name of a great journalist, a man of unusual vigor, sincerity, and candor, who throughout his life pursued high ideals of public duty and liberty. His pen was strong and his writings were often irritating to his opponents. To do him honor, his friends, many of whom differed from him politically, have endowed this lectureship. It is particularly appropriate that the man who is to inaugurate these lectures should be one who may be called the greatest living student of political problems and the most prominent publicist of the day.

Mr. Bryce said: It is necessary that the men who are to be in public service should study politics as a science. The times are now more propitious for such study than ever before, for the material is more abundant. Now nearly every civilized nation furnishes this material. Compare the materials with which the writer of the Federalist Papers worked and the vast material which constitutional governments now furnish. With the exception of Russia and Montenegro there is no civilized nation which does not have some form of popular government.

The United States furnishes the mot material in this field but its data is different from that supplied by the other free governments since its type of government is different. As the data increase, the need for scientific study is greater. The problems of politics are entangled with the economic history of the nation. As we need skilled economists, so we must have skilled men to solve our political questions.

The method of studying political government is the task before us, but the books which are needed for our purpose are not yet written. We cannot learn the actual workings of government from constitutions; we must have books and this means that we must have students who will make a scientific study of governments.

Mr. Bryce will give the second of the series of five lectures tomorrow evening.