Evening star., 1909-06-16
MISS WESTCO1TS REJo|NOER
EDUCATIONAL REVIEW SCORED
FOR BASELESS HINTS.
"Yellow" Magazine Article Reflect
ing Upon Local School Affairs
Unfounded.

The indignation felt by the public
school teachers OF Washington over the
imput tions contained in an article print
ed in the May number of the Educational
Review, published and edited by Nicholas
Murray Butler, In voiced by a letter writ
ten by Miss Edith c. Westcott, principal of
the Western High School. and printed in
the current issue Of the Journal of Edu-
cation Miss Westcotts high personal
and official standing and the esteem In
which she is held by her associates and
by the people of Washington are appre
ciated by Or. 4. f. Winshp, editor of
the Journal OF Education. who pays this
| tribute to her in an editorial note:
"On another page we use a letter by
| Miss Westcott Of Washington, though it
is a departure from our custom. Miss
Edith G. Westcott is woman of such
personal worth and professional leader
ship that she is entitled to a hearing in
the defense of the Washington schools
and teaching force in any publication.
We should not use such q protest except
from one whose position, personal and
professional. entities her to speak for her
self without involving the paper in the
discussion
Miss Westcott's Letter.
Miss Westcott's letter. entitled THE
Washington Situation" follows:
I'm the Notes and News section of the
Educational Review for May. 1909, ap-
pears an article under the heading The
Washington School Situation This ar
ticle, If 1t did not come from the pen of
the editor, DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler.
president Of Columbia University, at least
received his editorial sanction.
During the three weeks which have
passed since this arraignment of the
Washington schools first came to my at
tention 1 have had a growing sense of
it's incompatibility with what should be
the standards and ideals of educational
journalism.
"The article in question deals with in
nuendo, slur and half-hinted scandal. 1t
employs the methods identified with vel
low journalism. It's authority is summed
up in the phrase One hears Yes, and
so one may hear to the end Of time, for
venomous gossipers are ever ready with
their latest budget Of scandal One may
hear whatever one is willing to listen to
about any person or situation. That We
all know to our sorrow.
Idle Gossip and Mere Rumor.
1.-THE pity of it is that the Educational
Review should consider such idle gossip,
admittedly based upon mere rumor. and
retailed in spirit Of marked unfriendii-
ness, as contributing anything Of value to
the educational outlook. That the pres
ident OF q great university should place
before his audience ian audience which
comprises the leaders of educational work
and thought in this great country the
query, rs it true that one high school boy
murdered another recently In a Washing
ton high schoolT when all the facts re-
lating to the accidental shooting of Vivian
Bowdoin by Denniston CharletOn facts
which have been the subject of official in
vestigation and OF subsequent official ex-
nv1oY fnoN how hna
obtained by DR.. Butler for his complete
satisfaction upon this point brings one to
serious pause.
There seems, indeed. little hope for the
future of sensational yellow journals,
when a magazine, which, from Its edito-
rial strength and educational prestige, we
have right to consider dignified and pro-
fessional in spirit. Is willing to arraign
school administration under the f1imsy in
nuendo of implied rottenness, because Of
an accident parallelled in almost every
community in America. The list of boys
(and of men) who did not know 1t was
loaded is as long as the list Of tragedies
to which their negligence and carelessness
gives cause, and more's the pity OF 1t all;
but no magazine has the right to mas
querade under the title OF Educational Re-
view If its summary OF educational news
is to include such hearsay rumors and
scandals. The casual reader is shocked by
the manifest unfriendliness of spirit of
this article.
Not an Unparalleled Case.
"1s there a community where youth and
beauty have not been betrayed by the
lust Of man? Sad. indeed, is that story,
when the victim is from the ranks of
those charged with the intimate care of
young children. All Washington was
shocked and grieved over the tragic death
of the beautiful and gifted young teacher
referred to in the article. but ii took the
Educational Review to see in the situation
of q lovely girl betrayed to her death an
indication of moral unsoundness in the
school system of Washington.
The article is without parallel in my
experience of professional journalism. and
l can but believe that it will arouse in it's
most casual reader the same sense Of the
prostitution OF high talents to base uses
which has prompted this protest.
EDITH G. WESTCOTT,
Principal Of the Western High School,
Washington, d. c.