It is worth noting that, up until the start of the second world war (i.e. right around the time this was written), Germany was the seat of intellectual power. As educated individuals fled for the last safe haven, which just happened to be America, they brought about a shift in that power. However, it wasn't until Sputnik and the scare of the commies being able to "drop nukes on our heads" that natural born American citizens started to really participate in the development of America's intellectual prowess.

It's also apt to note that many of the individuals educated in the knee-jerk response to sputnik are now reaching retirement, and, dare I say, it shows!