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.

"IIistories used as text books in Wash
inEton public schools, like those now
used in most schools. convey the idea
that the United states can 90 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-
tendent of the schools here. Mr.. stuart $
Jurisdiction includes the seventh ana
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 In school
circles by the charge of Frederick
ouis Huidekoper, who yesterday told
the Senate Military Committee that the
teaching of American history. so far
;s 1t relates to the record of the United
.tates in wars. Is 'one-sided. inaccurate
and partial" f. L. 1hurston. super
intendent Of schools, Is out of the city,
hut other school officials said they con-
Cured with Mr.. Huidekopers opinion,
anu said the fault exists in the history
taught here.
Cites Striking Sentence.
MIR. Stuart pointed to a 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 still
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 have been beaten in any
war and never can be.
"It should be remembered that, in
recent history text books, the aim has
been to condense the long accounts OF
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.
II am in sympathy, to some extent,
with efforts TO minimize the attention
given to wars, but believe what IS
said about them should convey the
exact facts, and show when we were
unprepared and failed on account OF
It, as we'll as when we were victorious.
Another Wrong Impression.
In Maces school History of the
DnlIeu states, lnS NcAl bOOh NS'N
in the eighth grades. Mr.. Stuart point
ed out, the entire military preparation
for the Spanish American war is de-
scribed in a few sentences. These
give the impression that preparation
for war is only a matter OF having
Congress vote the funds and ask for
volunteers. The preparations for the
war are thus described:
AFTER a few weeks, Congress voted
E5o,0OO, 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"
A little farther on Il Is stated:
Congress Immediately voted tc bor-
row $500 NM. 900 and to raise further money
by means Of a stamp tex. Two hum
dred and fifty thousand volunteers were
called for. but many times that number
offered their services. The forts
along the Atlantic we're strengthened
anG protected by mines"
Treatment Of the preparations for
other wars are IN similar breezy fash
ion. gNnerallV in nararranh which
state how easv il was to get volunteers.
and stating how much money Congress
voted to carry on the var.
There is no mention Mr.. Stuart said.
OF the lives needlessly lost because OF