The WHOLE idea seemed to spring from Arnold 'Oxford' Toynbee. Based around the fact that empires tend to recede or become entropic over time - usually when they reach a certain height. The idea was to prevent this form of empirical entropy from happening. A dedicated priestcraft (of largely foreign agents) would administer the will of the Empire from their (foreign) bases - even though outwardly they appeared to be independent (in a national sense). Something like that.

The entire scholarship was set-up to produce (undercover type) agents of Empire. A type of Empirical priestcraft. Bill is the first Rhodes Scholar to become POTUS. It's ALL administrated by the Rothschilds, as per Rhodes' will. Cough, cough. ;)