Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-16
d ID (llII !
ON WAR MESSAGE
School Board Officer Now
Willing to Have 1t
Read in Schools
CRlTIcIzEs DOCTOR LErDY

ef having the Presidents war message read
a 10 the students Of the public schools was an
bounced today by simon Gratz. vice presi-
dent OF the Board of Education. Mr.. Gratz
\ also Is president OF the Board Of Revision
OF Taxes,
Mr.. Gratz said he had no objection I, the
Hs message being read In school-rooms wherein
Is the pupils were old enough to understand
y the import Of the document and he kug-
gcsted that teachers in the lower grades
explain the message in simple, forceful
Language,
Mr. Gratis showed resentment of the
n recent charge OF Dr, Joseph, Leldy that he
was 'unpatriotic and REASONABLE" lie
said Doctor Ledy was malirg capital out
OF patriotism. MIR. Gratz said he did not
agree with Doctor l.eidy that German
teachers should be ous,ed from the public
schools Of Philadelphia such a course he
said, would not he In accord with the Presi-
dents wish that we refrain from hating
( aliens"
wITHDRAwS OBJECTIONS
one OF the chief objections made by Mr..
Gratz at board meeting last week was
that reading OF the Presidents message
might hurt the feelings of German teach
ers in the public schools of Philadelphia"
Today he withdrew that objection. saying
ne believed the Presidents message was Il
great public document aud should be read
no matter WHOSE ItcliiHS NtE' uuIlt W.T..
tiratz said that although he was Of German
descent he had no sympathy with the Kaiser
and the present ruling c'ass In Germany lie
said he would like to see the Kaiser de-
thfoned and marooned on an island like
Napoleon.
being read because it would hurt the feel
ings Of German teachers in our schools"
Mr.. GratZ was asked
1T is true" he replied. 'that | did say
Al.rA A..a IN IA
for the teachers who are natives of, Ger
many and teachers Of German parentage
In our schools. | was thinking of one
woman teacher who Is In mourning for a
brother killed while serving in the German
army.
81 don't know her name. but / know that
she teaches in the Normal School. Thir-
teenth and Spring Garden streets. The prin-
cipal there told me about her"
Have we many German teachers in our
public schools?"
Yes, quite number dozen. | guess
maybe two dozen who Were born in Ger
many or are of German parentage."
In what schools are they"
We'll, they in the william Penn
High School. the Girls High School and
the boys schools. believe Miss Haevericl
head of the department of modern Ian
guages at the Girls High School, was born
In Germany. at least Is of German
parentage. but she has never said anything
uHpdtTlotlc ttat l ever Heard OF.
DEFENDS GERMAN TEACHERS
i cannot see what harm those German
teachers are doing They are keeping their
mouths shut. IL IL was proved to me that
any one of them had said anything up-
patriotic, | would be the first one to work
for the removal of the culprt or culprits"
Have you any objections to the Presi- |
dents message being read in the schools
VI Philadelphia"
.
Of reading the message should be left to
the discretion of the principals of the in
dividual schools. These principals should
decide what classes .matured enough
to understand the message. OF course. the
import of the message would be entirely
lost upon children six and seven years old
Teachers should simply explain the import
OF the message to children of that age"
Have you read President Wilson's mes
sage?'
I Il have" @~
do you believe in IL? DO you subscribe
to the ideals set forth by our President"
II believe in 1t absolutely" he said. 1T
Is absurd for anybody to say l am unpatri-
otic Would l have voted to resclnd the
neutrality rule in our public schools If ] |
had been unpatriotic? believe every word
Of the Presidents message. every word |
every comma, period and semicoon.
How are you going to test patriotism
anyway? l want to ask Some people pa
rade their patriotism others are quiet in
a time of national stress. but when the time
comes for them to act they show by deeds
that they are the real patriots. 1t is plain
that Doctor Ledy is making capital out of
his patriotism he has It on parade with
bands playing and streamers flying l can
not understand his attitude against me un-
less he is grieved because | refused to sup
port his plan for compulsory military train
schools I yi
our students should take a course In ath-
letics that would fit them for service in the
army. but refused to subscribe to putting
muskets into the hands of our boys A
delegation Of Friends backed me up in my
stand
II am of German descent. but it was
way Blackjack OF 1850 when my ances-
tors came to this country and settled. Amer.
lean Why everybody in this country
descended from some European national
ity. ] guess there Is no more rock ribbed
American in Philadelphia than /. My an
cestors did their little bit in the Revolu-
ton. My great-great-grandf and my
great-great-uncle signed the importation
order which was designed to stop impor-
1tAtion from England to this side of the
Atlantic while the British unjustly taxed
the Colonies"
Just then somebody going through the
corridor started whistllng THE Star Span
gled Banner"
the ever-workng muscles of his face be-
came still for the first time during the
interview. and he said with voice ringing
with emphasis.
II AM A PATRIOT"
Il am a patriot, and love America and
American ideals.
Il believe America is justified in the
course II Is taking In this war I don't see
how we could take any other course. Ger
many was sinking our ships and numbering
our citizens on the high seas. I think
mat the children Of our public schools
should be told of the indignities which Ger
many has heaped upon the United States.
th'But understand, do not hate the Ger
man people. We all know that the rank
and ME Of the German people are humane
and deccnt. It is the ruling, class and the
skeiser that detest. I hope that the Kaiser
VIII lose his throne. He should be ma
rooned on an island like Napoleon. so that
~ Will not have another opportunity to
MI w<xrsA =. A. ~