The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-19
Dr. Rowe In Bad
 As Result Of
 Kings Coronation
Irish Societies, fingered at
 Display of British Flag in
 School, Make Charges to < Board of Education.

Dr. Stuart H. Rowe, former super district in New Haven, and a promi- nent educator, has become the centra figure in a bitter attack by the Unit ed Irish societies of New York city as a result of an action which they claim he took in connection with his work at the head of the Wadleigh High school in that city in connection with the coronation of King George in Great Britain. Dr. Rowe is charg- ed by these societies with having dis played an English flag on the walls of one of the school rooms and of having prepared a salute which the pupils were compelled to say in which they hoped there would be an arbitra- tion treaty between America and Eng land. The Irish societies are oppos- Ing the passage of any such treaty and claim that Dr. Rowes action was entirely against the rules and that he was unwarranted in introducing any such element as this into New York school life.
 The accusation is that on the day of the coronation Dr. Rowe displayed an English flag on the walls of one of the rooms and compelled the pupils to salute this flag in these terms:
 
 there will be an arbitration treaty be- tween England and America
 AS result of these claims the socie- ties have sent the following communi- cation to the Board of Education in complaint of Dr. Rowe:
 The board of directors of the Unit ed Irish American societies herewith call to your attention violation of the State law, and of the city school law by MT. Stuart H. Rowe, principal of Wadleigh High school, and respect fully ask for an investigation and such action as the facts may warrant.
 Complaints of coercion have been made to this board by pupils of Wad- leigh High school and by parents. These complaints, if made personally or in writing by the complaining pu- pills or their guardians, would cause such pupils to be persecuted and pun ished by class teachers and princi- pal.
 .'It is charged that Principal Rowe has violated Section S1 of Article of the Consolidated Laws of the State of New York, which provides: It shall not be lawful to display the flag or emblem of any foreign country upon any State, county, or municipal build ing; that on or about Coronation Day, June g, 1911, MT Rowe displayed on Wadleigh High school building, that is to say, upon the wall of the building in class rooms, the British flag.
 AsThat Principal Rowe read or caused to be read to the pupils a political document in the form of a letter which Leonard Challenor, head master of a school in Handswor-th, England, had been advised to send to City Superin- tendent Maxwell, which political docu- ment MT. Maxwell sent to the princi- pals of High schools for action.
 That Principal Rowe caused the pupils to rise and salute the British flag, and to repeat the formula: T salute the British flag and hope there will be an arbitration treaty between England and America
 That Principal Rowe knew the An glo-American treaty is a. political scheme of certain leaders of the Re- publican party and that the compul- sorry salutation and prayer were dis tasteful to the pupils of German. Ital- ian, Slavic. and Irish birth or descent, and to their guardians, and was an unwarranted violation of the law which bars politics as we'll as religion from the public schools.
 That the political activity of Prin- cipal Rowe is detrimental to school discipline and is an outrage upon the feelings and convictions of the pupils and their graduates.
 Respectfully,
 JAMES CLANCY, Chairman, ~
 JOHN SHEEHY, Secretary