The San Francisco call., 1909-04-01
MUST GIVE Up
THE CHARTERS
IS DREAD FIAT
Alameda County Will Enforce
State Law Against Secret Fra-
ternities in the Schools
Students Declare They Will Not
Yield Without Fierce
Legal Battle

OAKLAND, March 31.--ssFraternities
and sororities In the high schools and
grammar schools throughout Alameda
county must go." Statement by Dis
trict Attorney ". H Donahue con-
CURED in by city superintendent Of
schools McClymonds. backed by state
law
sswe will NOT go. We Will fght.r--
Statement by Bertrand L. York of the
Phi Sigma fraternity. appointed chair
man of state wide committee to test
the constitutionality of the law.
Battle has been joined between mem
bers Of fraternities, sororities and se-
cret societies with membership re
cruited from the student bodies of the
public schools and the school authori-
ties of the county. backed by District
Attorney Donahue.
The issue is sharply defined and is
summed up in a demand for the sur
render of the charters of all school So
cieties in the Oakland high school by
April 20. a demand which, it is ex-
pected, will be officially made by an
action of the Oakland board OF edu-
cation tomorrow night.
District Attorney Donahue was asked
to draft the resolution to be submitted
by Superintendent McClymonds TO the
board, and Donahue afterward an
nounced his intention of furnishing
copies of the resolution to the school
boards of Alameda. Berkeley and the
trustees of the districts supporting
high schools outside of The taeee mn-
inequalities. The resolutions will be
simple, merely quoting the recently
enacted state law and making a for
NAL demand for the surrender of the
charters and the disbanding of the So
cieties. sThe penalty is expulsion.
Oakland High Schools
The fight centers around Oakland
high schools, where some of the oldest
chapters in the country are located.
Among these are Gamma Eta Kappa,
Delta chapter. organized in 1882
Theta Chi. Alpha chapter. founded in
1898; Sigma Beta. Alpha, chapter
founded in 1900, and Phi Sigma, Ep-
silon chapter, of which York is a
member.
The sororities include Lambda Theta
Phi, Alpha chapter, founded in 1884;
Alpha Sigma, Alpha chapter. founded
in 1894. and Phi Beta. organized within
the year.
The boy students have also the
Mask and Book interfraternity honor
society, which is included within the
ban.
Fight Will Be Hot
Plans of the organizations now bat
Ting for their very existences call for
the engaging of legal advice and a
fight in court to be carried until there
is no further question regarding the
constitutionality of the law.
District Attorney Donahue said to-
day, The law is clear in its meaning
and I have no doubt will be sustained
by the courts. There have been plenty
Of decisions in other states upholdins
similar laws, and 1 expect the same
result here. Students are forbidden
by the law to become members in
these societies"
McCIymonds said: From the best
information obtainable believe that
the board of education is agreed that
fraternities are bad and ought to go
That the law will be enforced 1 have
no doubt"
The struggle recalls the efforts OF
the Berkeley board of education tc
stamp out fraternities prior to the
passage of the state law. Members
were penalized by Withholding certif-
Gates of graduation and of permission
to engage in any activity carried or
under the school name, including ath-
ietics. dramatics. social or journalistic
efforts. The board finally secured the
surrender of the charters though not
without long continued opposition.
County Superintendent of Schools q
W. Frick said today that no fraterni.
ties existed in schools operated by the
county authorities and the law woult
be merely preventive.