The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-11-18
SAYSSCH0OLS
OF CITY REEK
In SOCIALISM
A. w. Ransom Cites DistOr-
tion. of Boys Minds at
De Witt Clinton.
PARENTS RAISE A STORM
Teachers Union. Fighting
Back, Preparing Charges
Against DR.. Tildsley.

while the Teachers Union. q CO.
ordinate organisation with the American
Federation Of Labor. continued its
stream Of lnvective against Or. John L.
Tildslsy yesterday parents, school board
members and education ofiicials lined up
~ the side Of unqualified Americanism
and told some Of the reasons why they
deem tho investigation into the loyalty
4 teschsrs- imperative.
Albert W. Ransom, a lawyer Of s5
Nassau street. who has a son in De witt
Clinton High School. said:
''ps Witt Clinton In rampant with
socialism. free thought and what might
~ termed infant individuaiisn,' The
nlnds Of the boys are distosted and bent
y this influence. am opposed te.it
~ only ~ 4 father Of . boy being
taught such things butts = citizen.
Every parent who h1oyal 10 the nation
q war should Stand behind Dr. Tildsley."
Mr. RaAS6m cited for evidence that he
10 AndinE parental authority breaking
tsvn under the doctrines taught by
certain teachers. "Disobedience and
lack Of discipline apparently have been
osndoned and encouraged by these teach
en-" he said.
Given Sociallstic Topics.
The seeds Of what I call individual
~ have been sown. and the teachers
~ now reaping the whirlwind. Boys
~ given socialistic buttons, socialistic
literature and write compositions on
spsh topics ~ this: Is . boy justified
ID hold!uk Independent beliefs on ta)
religion: 10 politics: (c) future ambi-
uenT Practically the whole class an
swsred yes; the one boy who argued
10 ths negative was ridiculed by the
teacher. Boys wearing the socialistic
sutton IN their lapel are greeted with,
An that's the thing
The military uniform Of the United
otAtse has bean referred TO In classrocms
BY the teachers ~ uniforms Of 'nnur-
dsrers'. and whsn Marshal Joffre visited
New York last summer he was referred
- as murderer .
There II no such thing - school
sDlyit In Do Witt Clinton High School;
tho whole attitude Of the school Il you
owe mo somsthing there 10 no thought
that they evN anything to the institu-
tiea.
HsadPsA Paeiast Teackers.
II boy should indicate" Mr.. Ran.
sem continued. that he 10 not In SYM
pathy with the isms and cures for
~ and political Ills that arc taught he
,s told, Wake up: you are living In IT,
twentieth century"
1t has been charged by the investisat-
NJ COMMITTEES that there are 100 teach
srs In the public school system who hold
'ociaiistic or pacihst views and that
'here are a few pro-Germans among
hem.
Mrs, Cora L. Magnus OF es West
Ainoty sixth street. who has protested
'sainst teaching foreign languages in
iae schools since the war started, said
Yesterday that in September she had
.onrcrsa,ion with q teacher. then in
rn5lic School 80. since transferred to
TIE Bronx. In which the teacher ad-
n!i',ed she was for the Kaiser"
AT that time" Mrs Magnus said,
TO children reported that some Of the
''achers had protested against work be-
'rS done In the school for the Red Cross
s. FAR as I know the teachers now in
Public School % are thoroughly loyal"
Mrs. Masnus stated that she had gone
twice 20 the Board Of Education to make
complaint against these conditions.
Most Of Teaehers Loyal.
Resident Wilcox Of the Boar Of
Eiucation asserted yesterday that the
majority OF New York teachers are be-
hnd the investigating committee in its
!.quiry The Teachers Union. which
fas begun bitter attack on Dr. Trldsley,
rfu-eseNfa M AyCoI
he said. and they are not worth dis
cussing."
Mr., Wilcox in an open letter written
IN reply 10 . school teacher who had
ssEed for an expression Of his views on
.he loyalty investigation made the fol-
lowing statomsnt:'
We must not confuse the issue with
Questions Of the individual right Of free.
nom Of thought and speech. Teachers
ere employed ~ the expense Of the tax
payers to teach those things which in
me general opinion will best promote the
Welfare Of the pupils and the community.
me representatives Of the Government
must decide upon qualifications for rem
daring this service.
~ In their Judgment . teacher can
not be expected by word. example and
influence to promote tho objects for
which the public schools are maintained
'hey must look Tor desirable candidate.
individual differences which do moi
ssqualify teachers for effective service
may Of course be disregarded. but
opinions which inevitably defeat the
en)ect OF the schools cannot be ignored
In a time like this especially We
n'ed and We must demand teachers who
sre neither disloyal nor neutral In theil
attitude toward the American Govern.
ment but Who are positively. aggres
swly and enthusiastically patriotic.
The issue 10 not opinions but quail.
hcations for the Job Of training Amer,
lean citissna."
ChasSss TO BE Preferred.
Arthur l.. James, principal Of Boy
HSh School. Brooklyn, admitted las
ght that there have been conditions II
.F school similar TO those now tho sub
OF inrestiaation. He said that Boy
'lsh IL 10 per cent. Jewish or children
"' foreign parents.
We did have that condition here" u
'H'a hut it Was stamped out before tn
var began, 7 instructed the teachers 1,
N''ory and EpGlsh to watch the boy
fictllly for any evidence of anything
'asonaole IN character. In no case
'"ever, was there evidence that III
a'illy had encouraged these notions."
till,als o' the Tea .ner, ruiou an
''ar"i yesterday that they a"a prepa,
." make charges against D., TIlds
o. tho ground that lia i!.tcstl ga ito,