The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-31
MOVE TO GUST
ANTI-RECRUITINC
SCHOOL TEACHERS
General Wingate Plans To
"Clean House" In
New York

NCW I O1h
New York. March 31.-General
George w. Wingate, member of the
Board Of Education and veteran
Of the civil war, says he is going to
start a campaign to sweep from the
public schools of New York all teach
ers who are not unadulterated Ameri-
cans. Pacifists, the General says, are
not unadulterated Americans.
1t was General Wingate who led
the successful fight in the Board of
Education on Wednesday night
against the promotion of Alexander
Fichandler, Principal of Public School
165, Brooklyn, because he was paci-
fist.
General Wingate said yesterday
that he was determined to put out OF
the school system all teachers who
talk pacifism in schools and all teach
efs who talk pacifism out of school.
The General said the matter came
down to this a man or woman VINO
gets his living out Of the state owes
the state duty to teach those things
that are for the best interest OF the
state; If he or she doesn't see III 10
do that, he or she has no right to
draw a living from the state.
The General added that he had re-
ceived many complaints and state
ments of the teaching Of pacifism by
teachers other than Fichandler. and
that as soon as he got good advice
that a teacher was talking or aiding
pacifism in or out OF school or oppos-
in recruiting, charges would be
brought and the teacher placed on
trial He said teachers who taught
pacifism in school should be arraign-
ed on charges Of gross misconduct,
and teachers Who taught or talked
pacifism out Of school should face an
additional charge before a court OF
having forfeited their right to citizen
ship.
1T is time to read the riot act to
these teachers the General told a
Times reporter. They are just as
dangerous, just as guilty of treason as
House.
.sThere is large poulation Of for
eign descent in this city who pay
much attention to what their chill
dren's teachers say. and 1t is time that
1 stop was put to unpartiotics teach
ings which may have a dangerous in
fluence. At
t'There is IA rule of the Board Of
Indication that a teacher who is gull
ty Of gross misconduct may be drop
ped. Drunkenness for instance, is q
form Of gross misconduct. But the
teacher who teaches pacifism and
that this country should not defend
itself Is q thousand times more dam
gerous to the welfare OF the city than
the teacher who gets drunk and lies
in the gutter. It is my sincere belief
that the board will support the CON-
tentton that a teacher who lives by
the pay he gets from the State and
then teaches doctrine so subversive
to the state is guilty of gross miscon-
duct
doubt IL the courts would hold
that q teacher is guilty Of gross mis-
conduct il he talked pacifism outside
only But then such a teacher would
be amenable to the charge of being
inefficient, for If he taught what he
should teach in school and didn't be-
lieve it he would not be a good teach
er. 1t seems that most of the teachi
ers who have been doing this unpa-
triotic talking outside are foreign
born men who have become natural
lied. I believe they should be brought
into the court which naturalized them
and accused Of having forfeited their
claim to citizenship If were a Judge
should revoke their naturalization.
There are q few teachers, who
were brought over to teach German,
French, and Spanish, because we
wanted natives to teach those Ian
guages There is a grave doubt about
those people being forced to become
citizens. but in the present crisis, I
would oppose Germans teaching, for
i believe enough persons who will
swear fealty to the flag can be found
to teach German in the pupnc schools.
II they cannot be found, would stop
teaching German"
General Wingate was asked what
he thought about making all teachers
take Il the oath Of allegiance. He
thought 1T wouldn't be bad thing,
+ but that it should not relieve the
teachers from being watched.
William G.. Wilcox, President Of the
Board. said there was no room in the
principalship Of public schools for
persons who were not unqualifiedly
loyal
Mr.. Ffchandler has said" said Mr.
Wilcox, that he would not support
the government in its defence of our
rights on the seas, but that he would
support, the government in time OF
war. But we wan! no conditional OF
divided loyalty. We want absolute
loyalty, with no IFS and ands and butts
about it. We can't afford to have a
principal whose loyalty is even under
suspicion. believe every teacher
should take an oath Of loyalty to the
United States,
This is the oath which Mr.. Wilcox
has suggested and which must be TAX
en- ifsa bill which has been introduced
at Albany becomes a law:
do hereby declare, on oath,
that absolutely and entirely
pledge my allegiance and fidelity
to the United States Of America,
that will support and defend the
constitution of the United States
against all enemies. foreign and
domestic, and that will bear
true faith and allegiance to the
same, SO help me God.
DIR. Ira s. Vile, one Of the four
members who voted for Mr.. Fichand-
ler's promotion, did not agree with
Mr.. Wilcox and General Wingate.
This is not a, question OF pacifism
versus militarisril," he said, ..but q
freedom OF thought and action. Re-
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