The Washington times., 1916-02-09
Director Stuart Agrees With
Huidekoper They Give False
Impression.
FAIL TO POINT OUT MISTAKES
Seventh and Eighth Grade Chill
dren Get Wrong Idea From
Books, They Say.

"Histories used as text books in WASH
ington public schools. like those now
used in most schools. convey the idea
that the United states can go out ana
lick anything in the world
This is the terse comment of A. T.
Stuart director of intermediate instruc-
tion In the schools, and former superin-
iendent of the schools here. Mr.. Stuart $
jurisdiction includes the seventh and
eighth grades. where most of the
American history is now taught. High
school pupils get no American history
at all except in special courses
Wide interest was aroused i'm school
crcles by the charge OF Frederick
ouis Hudekoper who yesterday told
the Senate Military Committee that the
foachng of American history. so far
IS it relates to the record of the United
.taIes in wars. is ''one-sided. inaccurate
md partial" +. l.. 1hurston. super
ntendent Of schools Is out Of the city,
but other school officials said they con-
Cured with Mr.. Huidekopcrs opinion,
anu said the fault exists in the history
taught here.
Cites Striking Sentence.
MIR. Stuart pointed to n sentence in
the closing pages of Montgomery
"American History" the text book
used in the seventh grades here. This
paragraph states.
Here every advantage is open. Ed
uCation is absolutely free. Millions
OF acres of Western lands are stlll
open to settlement. Here, and here
only, among the leading civilized ma
tions. no colossal standing army eats
up the daily earnings of the people
This hits the keynote of most OF
ON text books on the matter OF pre-
paredness," said Mr.. Stuart. "They
breathe the same spirit that inheres
in the American people; the idea that
we never nave been beaten in any
war and never can be.
ut should be remembered that, in
recent history text books, the aim has
been to condcnse the long accounts or
wars and to place more emphasis on
the economic side of history: They
paint pictures Of our great development.
and point to our wide opportunities.
Il am in sympathy, to some extent,
with efforts 10 minimize the attention
given to wars. but I believe what Is
said about them should convey the
exact facts, and show when we were
unprcpared and failed on account or
1t. as we'll as when we were VICTORIOUS.
Another Wrong Impression.
In Mace's school History of the
I
in the eighth grades. Mr.. Stuart point
ed out, the entire military prepa ra ton
for the Spanish American war is de-
scribed in a few sentences. These
give the impression that preparation
for war is only matter Of having
Congress vote the funds and ask for
volunteers. The nrenarations for the
war are thus described:
After few weeks, Congress voted
s5c,0O0, 900 for military purposes. de-
clared that the Cubans ought to be
free and authorized the President to
employ the army and navy. II neces-
sary. to force Spain out Of Cuba.
little farther on Il is stated:
"rongresS Immediately voted tn bor-
row 500 mn. .n0O and to raise further money
b. means Of stamp tex. Two hun
dred and fifty thousand volunteers were
called for. but many times that number
offered their services. The forts
along the Atlnntic Horc strengthened
arc protected hy mines
Treatment Of the orcpa ra tionE for
other wars are iu similnr hreozy fash
ion. generally in p Nnrarranh which
state how easy it was to get v"' 'Inteers.
md stating how much rooney Congress
voted to carry on the var.
There is no mention Mr. STUART said.
Of the lives ncedlesslv lost because OF