New-York tribune., 1917-11-19
Plan to Gust
Socialism From
High Schools
Education Officials Say Dis
loyal Sentiment Must
Be Checked
Teachers Blamed
For Propaganda
Must Curb Pacihsts and In
ternationalists, Asserts
DR.. Tildsley

officials of the Board Of Education to-
day will begin campaign TO rid the
high schools of Socialist propaganda
DR.. John l.. Tildsley, Assistant Super
intendent Of Schools, announced yester-
day that he had gathered sufficient evil
dence 70 show that disloyal sentiment
among certain of the teachers and
pupils was due "to the rising tide Of
socialism, not only in New York, but
throughout the country"
DR.. Tildsley said he had learned that
many teachers were Socialists, pacifists
or internationalists, that Socialist lit
erature was being freely circulated IN
several of the twenty-four high schools
and that hundreds of pupils were being
converted TO views antagonistic TO the
government because they were per-
ritted to read certain radical publica-
tions.
ave cannot permit socialism or any
other radical doctrine to undermine the
loyalty of young Americans" said DR..
Tildsley. at is not the purpose of the
school authorities to give the impress
sion that the New York schools are un-
patriotic or pro-German, but it is nee
essary that the public should know the
truth.
Pupils Only Mildly Rebuked
an .he De Witt Clinton, Stuyvesant
and Boys High schools, where the
pupils are largely foreign born or Of
foreign born parents, It cannot be de-
MED that socialistic views are in the
ascendency. This tends to create an
tangon;sm to the government. The at
titude of some Of the teachers is to
blame, because, being themselves pac-
fists. internationalists or even Social
lists, they only mildly rebuke pupils who
express unpatriotic sentiments.
"We intend this week, if possible,
thoroughly to stamp out this evil.
Every teacher who does not come up
to the proper standard of patriotism
will be severely dealt with"
John Whalen, chairman Of the high
school committee of the Board of Edu-
cation. yesterday denied the statements
of Henry r. Linville, president of the
Teachers Union, that the suspension
of three teachers and the transfer OF
six others from the De Witt Clinton
High School was done because of
school politics and not because Of any
question of loyalty
ave don't care what criticism is
made of the transfers and removals,
because they were ordered after thor
ough investigation said Mr.. Whalen.
"The time has come for action without
further talking, and we intend to keep
on acting until the menace of disloy-
altv is eradicated. We intend TO be
fair to the teachers, but the teachers
must remember that one of the func-
tions Of the public schools is TO create
good citizenship"
Mr.. Linville said that at a meeting
of the executive board of the Teachers
Union at the Washington Irving High
School tonight the school authorities
"will discover that .he teachers are no
longer afraid TO voice their protests
against the present school manage
ment."
Teachers Resent lmputation
"Heretofore the teachers generally
lave been afraid to express themselves,
or when. they have been under fire they
nave given evasive answers TO avoid
trouble said Mr.. Linville. "Dr. Tilds-
ley's attitude has emboldened them.
The teachers resent the imputation that
they are not loyal. OF course, they do
not all hold the same view on the con-
duct Of the war. Some of them criticise
the government. But as class they
are as loyal as any other body Of citl-
Zcns."
Parents, school officials and teachers
are to meet in an open forum Wednes-
dav night at Terrace Garden, Fifty
eighth Street ana Third Avenue.
Charles Rozelle, jr, president of the
Federation of Parents Associations,
who called the meeting, said that DR..
IllCSIey, MI. LlHNIlle anu many ISaCH-
ers had been invited.
DR.. Tildsley said yesterday that the
hearing Of the cases OF the three sus-
pended De Witt Clinton High School
teachers would take place Thursday
afternoon in the rooms of the Board Of
Education.
Samuel Schmalhausen. one of the sus-
pended teachers, yesterday branded as
"a frame-up" the charge that he had ap-
proved letter attacking President Will
son, which pupil had written. Mr..
Schmalhausen said he WAS unaware of