New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-25
Wants DOllman's BaniShed
Art Back in Irving
High School.
AMAZED PAINTING
WAS FOUND UNFIT
Would Give Children Realizing
Sense of Certain COndl.
tons in City.

Hiss Margaret Woodrow Wilson,
daughter Of the President, has Joined
in the protest aroused when Edward c.
Zabriskie, principal Of the Washington
Irving High School, banlshed from It
Dollman's famous painting Am I Ny
Brothers Keeper as a picture OF
degenerate character"
Il represents a group OF park bench
derelicts. such rs the pupils OF the
Washington Irving High School might
see in Union Square, two blocks from
the school, and Miss Wilson considers
that "a vital purpose OF education is
20 give a sense OF the realities around
u.s."
rs indifference 90 misery a good
preparation for service" she asks. IN
a letter received Yesterday by Carl
Beck. directing secretary o. the Labor
Forum In this city Miss Wilson will
be present al e further discussion Of
the picture on Sunday evening az a
meeting Of the forum in the " ashing-
ton Irving Building. Seventeenth Street
and Irving Place. These representa-
tives from fourteen forums will eI-
press their Endorsement Of the Johnson
bill. for which she is sponsor, 20 estab-
.ish ten community schoolhouse forums
in the District OF Columbia. Her letter
follows:
Regards Picture a. Wonderful.
1T was with amazement that / heard
that Mr. Dollman's wonderful picture
Am ! Ny Brothers Keeper was con-
sdered by educational authorities TO
be unfit for a school building.
Surely one OF the most necessary
and vital purposes Of education is 20
give O sense o. the realities around US
and to prepare Us TO grapple with the
problems which these realities present.
1T seems 10 me that this picture
would give the children Of the Wash
ington Irving High School a realizing
sense of certain Of the conditions Of
life in their part Of New York City. and
because Of its appeal the picture would
make them want 20 help change those
conditions To my mind the picture is
too beautifully conceived and executed
for its appeal 70 be morbid or un-
healthy.
ADO the educational authorities in
this school want 20 send the children
away from school without any sense Of
responsibility toward their fellow men
Do they think that ignorance Of life is
q good preparation for life. or indf-
ference 20 misery . good preparation
for service?
Ignorance Impossible.
Even though il we're desirable 20
keep children ignorant of the dark
things Of lie, it Is imposs ible 20 90 so,
e9ueclally when these things lie II
their very doors. Surely II is the duty
Of teachers 20 teach children % look at
the life around them with understand
ing sympathy and a sense Of response
bility.
q am glad that the people Of the
Washington Irving High School Forum
realize that part Of the responsibility
for the education Of the children OF
their community is theirs. The mis-
sion of the American schoolhouse will
not be fulfilled until the citizens Of
this country make il the vitaliz.ng cen
ire Of education for themselves and
their children alike"
The painting won a medal IN the
ROYAL Academy al London, and was
presented 20 the people Of New York
by the British Education Commission
i'm 1911. Mr. Zabriskie objected TO i
on the ground that it was Earring and
decreasing