Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-03-13
RICHMOND COLLEGE EXPLAINS
Error as 70 Date of High School
Defamation Contest Cleared
up.

z 3. Prettyman, of the Alexan- |
dr;a High School, has received the
following letter from Walter A.
Mon. gomery, chairman of the COM
mi.tec of Richmond College, which
had charge of the defamation con-
test. recently held there, in which
the Alexandria High Schoo! repre-
sentative failed to take part on ac-
count Of mistake as to the date.
"Mv dear Mr.. Prettyihan:
Your letter bearing date OF Feb
ruary 2Sth. reached me on March 3.
regret very much that you have
had to wajc for any statement from.
me bearing on the defamation con-
te,,t matter. My understanding from
our conversation was that you were
20 call upon me for it, in the event
YOU should need it for any purpose.
Il was at your service all the while.
The facts were stated to You in
our conversation, with the exception
Of p point brought out in the en-
closed letter of the Presidents sec
retary. which will be spoken of Ia
ter. These facts are:
About the middle of January,
circular letter announcing the hold
ing of our second annual lnterschol-
astic defamation contest was sent
to each of SO high schools and acad-
cn1ies in the State. The one to Alex
andria was addressed to Professor
Ficklin. whose name appeared as
nrincipal of the Alexandria High
School, in the last report OF the
State Superintendent Of Education,
4 letter which you say was sent IN
answer TO this. accepting our lnvi-
tarion. on January 26th, was never
! received bg us. Early in February,
| because OF conflicting date with a
! lairc athletic event scheduled for
! February q, the date was changed
to Friday. February 20. Notification
/ of this change of date Was sent to
! each school upon our list. fhe facts
concerning this notification are set
forth in the enclose,. statement OF
the Presidents secretary Her YER
SCR liffa,.&. r,.ont nj = - $, :'t--.! =
you orally. in that she remembers
positively TO have sent notification
to every school, regardless CT wheth-
er it had. at that date, accepted OF
not.
! On February 18th, a letter from
YOU WAS received, asking if the con-
| test would be held, and mentioning
the original date, February q. lS
this | at once replied, expressing oul
pleasure that the Alexandria High
School would be represented, but
!neelecting to correct the date as yor
!had it. This special point, as | to!c
you, 7 regret exceedingly.
In all four of the Richmond dali!
papers on both Thursday, Februa1!
10, and Friday, February 20, ap
peared notices of the contest; tn
Friday morning and afternoon pap
= ers gave the full program to be ren
t dered, which, of course, included IN
Alexandria representative.
4 Though. it is, of course, unneces
1 sary to repeat it, let me again as
: sure you of my deep regret at tn
c unfortunate incident of your not be
t ing represented. I feel, too, that II
S view of the miscarriage of the OF
}, fetal notification of change OF date
e and my own inadvertence, it VII
e be only right that the College de
e fray the expenses of your represen
II tative incurred when he came I
S Richmond on Saturday, February 2
e in order to enter the contest. Tn>
S the college cheerfully offers to d
n upon presentation of the account.
2 Assuring you of the hope of Ricf
/ mond College that the Alexandr
High School will he duly represent
ed in every subsequent contest
this nature, | remain,
Yours very sincerely,
WALTER a. MONTGOMERY. l.
Chairman Of COmmitte
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