New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Seditious
Teaching in
the Schools
1OTHING that has happened in Ne,

hss
aroused more widespread indignation An,
vigorous comment than the charge th,
seditious teaching was going on in IA,
schools. Three teachers Of the De Wit
Clinton High School were suspended AM
six others transferred pending trial a
charges that they had been spreadiu,
doctrines among the students which wer,
"subversive of discipline in the school
and which undermine good citizenship
1t was alleged that socialistic propaganda
was being exploited, and that in soma
cases it might be called even pro-German
As sample of the concrete charges, ons
teacher is said to have conceived it props,
to maintain before his classes an atttuA
of strict neutrality in class discussion
dealing with:
"(a) The relative merits of anarchisu
as compared with the present government
of the United States;
"(b) The.duty of every one TO support
the government of the United States p
all measures taken by the Federal gov
eminent to insure the proper conduct Of
the present war"
Another teacher is said to have OBJECTED
to any discussion Of patriotism in tAs
schools and to have argued that the BoaN
of Education had no right to institute
military training. There arose a BELLE
that the whole school system was per-
meated with seditious suggestion.
teacher whose name is Schmalhausen d.
rected his pupils to write an open letter
to Woodrow Wilson commenting frankly
on his conduct of the war against the Ger.
man government" In response to this i
was said he elected compositions grossly
disloyal" and failed to object to them.
The Board of Education INDUCED in an
investigation the methods of which were
not generally regarded by the press Is
polite. but with the exception Of the
Socialist paper, "The New York Call
which defended the accused teachers, the
chorus of editorial disapproval and indig.
!
papers have maintained silence.
There was, of course, general desire
to withhold final condemnation until the
facts were proved. That it is a matter Of
no small moment appeared from the
statement that of the 10000 children in
the high schools about 10000 are either
foreign-born or of foreign parentage. It
is regarded as peculiarly important that
seditious doctrines or even socialistic ideas
should not be spread among them.
"The New York Globe" which was par
ticularly outspoken, characterized the ac-
cused teachers as charged with vicious
"sneaking disloyalty." Speaking Of the
letter criticising the President, The
Globe" asked:
what did Herr Schmalhausen desire Y
draw out? Was he interested in merely y
exercise in English? How did he happen
refer to the President as he did! II ne had
been in Germany is it likely he would have
asked his pupils to write letter to the
Kaiser commenting frankly on his condae'
of the war against the American govern
nent'?'
The recent spectacle of the school chill
dren on strike" led 1.-THE Globe" to think
there is mo doubt that groups Of teachers
have translated freedom of speech INTO
license to spread propaganda against gov
eminent"
In the opinion of "The New YORK
World" the city "can afford to take no
chances with such a menace" Inc
Evening Sun" said that views suoyer'
sive of discipline and calculated to Under
mine good citizenship cannot be tolers'@
on the part Of the teachers Of American
youth" THE Evening Post" alone wa
inclined to regard it as "a good deal Oh
a teapot tempest"
Meetings of parents associations wers
held to protest, and at one of these VI
Joseph H. Wade, district school super
intendent, foresaw danger Of "a racial up
heaval in New York City" as the war goes
en- unless influence Of "sullen, dlscon'
tented" band of teachers is overcome
It seems the same issue has been en-
countered also in the schools Of Chicago
though in a milder form.
Milwaukee also has been feeling tne
dangers Of this kind of doctrine. !"
school board refused to permit circuiat'on
in the schools of loyalty petition" SUP
stituting a compromise resolution wn,e"
avoided reference to the war. Tine NM
waukee Journal" condemned this ACTON,
saying that the board had COMPROMISE
with the Socialists"
Some critics have been seeing IN tns''
developments definite, organized German
propaganda. "The New York EVeh'ne
Telegram" called it German influence -
the schools" and summed up the genera
feeling in saying: ut is as important y
turn enemy aliens out Of the schools as
is imperative to warn them of the waN'