Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-27
HIGH SCHOOL TROUBLE
EASTERN PUPILS CHARGED WITH
DERELIcTIoN.
Repfoved for Disobeying Instructions
They Leave the Building
in Body.

While the winning of the prize in the
annual competitive drill of the high school
cadets has brought honor and qualification
to the pupils and teachers of the Eastern
High School and to the parents and friends
of the pupils. there is nevertheless clond
upon the school horizon. Filled with en-
thusiasm and eager to make a demons;ra-
ton. the girls and boys of the school last
Thursday. upon reaching the building. at .
O'Clock. decided to have parade through
the eastern section of the city and do
honor to Capt. f. Hartman Linthicum Of
Company f. In doing this, it Is said. they
6isobeyed the instructions of Principal NJ.
F. F. Swartzell. and put hin, in such Sn
antagonistic mood that when they returned
to the school he refused to let them have
the usual program of speech-ula king. etc,
in the assembly hall. ordering them all
to go at once to their class rooms. This
the cadets refused to do. and. instead
trooped out to the street and went on a
:.'strike."
As result of this the cadets and many
of the other pupils are at loggerheads with
Mr. Swartzell. The companys victory has
thus ended in general dissatisfaction. 1t
Is said the teachers upheld the principal
in his action and severely reprimanded
the boys for their alleged miSbehavior. The
boys. however. claim that the attitude of
Mr.. Swartzell was entirely unwarranted
and that he ought not to have prevented
them from having a good time.
Dissatisfaction Expressed.
Many citizens of East Washington are
expressing open dissatisfaction with Prin-
cipal Swartzelrs conduct. Parents of the
boys think the latter should have been all
lowed to work off their extra" enthusiasm
and that Mr.. SwartZelI used no tact what
ever in handling them. In this connection,
also comment upon the other acts of Mr.
SWartZeil in the management or the East
ern Is being made and the fact is brought
to light that an investigation has been i'm
progress for several months. by COM
mittee of the East Washington Citizens
Association. of the way the Eastern High
School is managed The effort is to learn
if possible why the enrolment of this
school has fallen off in the past few years.
President Thomas w. Smith of the as
sociation referred to, in conversation with
Star reporter this afternoon. said that
there is considerable dissatisfaction in
that section of the city with the head
management of the high school. The pu-
pills, he said. do not find the management
popular. and are, in his opinion, leaving
that section of the city to go to other
schools on this account. Mr.. Smith said
also that much has the enrolment of
the Eastern fallen Off in recent years that
if Congress were asked to make an ap-
preparation for the construction of the
building under present conditions the
money would not be so readily forthcom-
ing as was the case at the time it was
voted.
Some idea of the feeling which exists
between pupils and superiors can be had
from the fact that since the trouble OF
Thursday a petition has been circulated
among the pupils asking for an altera-
ton in the conditions.
The citizens association is still investi-
eating the matter through its committee
on public schools, and will doubtless take
some action in the near future if the stu
alton is found to warrant 1t. Chairman
Nottingham of the committee said today
that every effort will be made to ascer-
tain the real conditions existing in the
school
The behavior of the cadets of the East
ern High School Thursday last is greatly
deplored by Director Hughes After the
way in which the company was enter
of its victory on the competitive drill field
he thinks the members should have had
more respect for Mr.. SwartZell.
The trouble has arisen, he beleveS,
through the efforts of a few unruly spirits
in the student body. AS to the attitude or
the principal toward the pupils, he regards
it as lust and says that Mr.. Swartzeil was
preparing for the assembly hall celebration
and was only disSuaded from his purpose
by the action of the boys. Parents and
friends of the students who blame the prin-
cipal for his ruling. in Mr.. Hughes opinion,
are doing the principal q great injustice.
Mr.. Swartzell has not been interviewed.
reporter for The Star being unable to see
him He is understood. however, TO justify
lis action on the grounds of good dlscl-
pline 1t was the direct diSobedience or the
cadets it is stated, that led MIN 10 refuse
further celebration.