New-York tribune., 1917-11-21

Accusing Assistant Superintendent
Of Schools John l.. Tildsley and John
Whalen. chairman of the high schools
committee of the Board of Education,
of attempting "to crush out all man.
hood and womanhood" from the public
school teachers and of creating "a ma
ohine-line educational system the
Teachers Union, representing one
thousand teachers, yesterday issued
public statement giving their side OF
the controversy which grew out Of the
suspension on disloyalty charges of
three De Witt Clinton High School
teachers.
The teachers charge that DR.. Tilds-
ley resorted to "third degree" methods
and that he inquired into their per-
sonal views on politics, religion and
citizenship in attempting to segregate
alleged disloyal teachers. They assert
that the school management was actu-
ated by spirit of retaliation because
the teachers protested against length
cned school hours recently instituted.
"Inquisition" Questions
The questions which DR.. Tildsley is
accused of asking the teachers individ-
ually and in secret as a test of their
loyalty are:
"1f king were ruling in this couE-
try and he didn't get the respect of
your pupils which he deserved bv
virtue of his office, wouldn't you con-
slider it your duty as teacher to
incucate respect for him, even If you
had to knock it into the pupil.
Don't you believe that the Prus-
sian system of education, which, after
all. does achieve efficiency and does
teach instructive obedience, should be
instituted in our school system?
as there not presumption that
whatever is. is right?
"Are teachers qualified to criticise
. superiors?
as il not a teachers duty as an
cmploye of the state to teach at
very early age instructive obedience to
sureriors in Office?
"Why do you believe in philosophlc
anarchism?
Would you be willing to see So
cialist principal of this school?
Don't you believe that the Jewish
students especially the Russians
are to be disciplined out of their in
dividualistic tendencies?
Don't you believe that in war time
il is the duty of the teacher TO teach
the boys that the highest function of
the state is militaristic, and that they
should be encouraged to enlist in the
army?
What is your opinion of the Bol-
sheviki?
"If President Wilson were to pass
along the street. wouldn't you con-
slider il your duty to show reverence
for the head of the nation By step
ping out Of his way and letting hir
pass first? Wouldn't you teach your
pupils the necessity Of such instins
tive reverence for superiors?"
The three suspended teachers
Thomas Mufson, A. Henry Schncer and
Samuel d. Schmalhausen-who are TO
have hearing tomorrow afternoon
before the high school committee were
among those who authorized publica-
tion of the loyalty questions they at
tribute to DR.. Tildsley.
"Didn't Oppose Loyalty Pledge"
The statement given out BY the
Teachers Union yesterday. after de-
claring that the organization has al
ways fought against incompetency and
disloyalty in the schools. says:
at is true many OF our members, as
we'll ns many teachers in other organ
izations and some members of the
Board OF Education itself. refused to
sign the Loyalty pledge proposed by the
MAYORS Committee on National De-
fence. for the simple reason that we
believed the Mayor was trying 20 make
political capital out of the crisis in
the nation. when the Board Of Edu-
cation required its loyalty pledge to
be signed by the teachers. very small