New-York tribune., 1918-03-20
| eacher Loves
Germany, Faces
Loss Of Place
Miss Pignol Said to Have
Admitted Pro-Prussian
Sentiments


the probable penalty Miss Gertrude A.
NJ. Pignol, an instructor in German at
the Manual Training High School, of
, Brooklyn, will pay for her pro-Prussian
attitude when the Board of Education
! acts on her case the latter part of this
week. Protests against her pacific and
pro-German sentiments have been made
to the Board of Education by DR..
Horace NJ. Snyder, principal CT the
school, and many of the instructors
and pupils. Following rigid investi-
CATION, the case was turned over to Gus
tave Straubenmuller acting City School
Superintendent.
II we were at war with Mexico or
any other country Miss Pignol would
be accepted as a teacher" said DR..
SNYDER last night, "but her war atti-
tude is such that her presence in an
American school is intolerable She
speaks her pro- German opinions freely:
she quite frankly declares that she
loves Germany, and that the Prussiaus
are not lighting war of aggression
She says that the people of the United
States are against the war; Not only
has Miss Pignol refused to subscribe
to Liberty bonds and to buy Thrift
stamps, but she has refused to urge
the pupils to buy them
Other Teachers Against Her
Miss Pignol is not the person to
teach the kind of patriotism we be-
lieve in" continued DR.. Snyder, "and
the attitude of the other teachers is
very pronounced against her. Three
months ago I gave Miss Pignol leave
OF absence, with the hope that her war
attitude would change. She. returned
to the school last Friday morning but
| her views were the same as ever. She
was not at school yesterday or to-day;
she has not been suspended-that is
for the Board of Education to do.
"Miss Pignol has taught at my school
for number of years. She is a very
good instructress and an honest and
truthful woman, but we cannot tolerate
her German-loving attitude
Miss Pignol is a middle aged woman.
She was born in Berlin, but has lived
for long time in the United States.
Secret Service agents questioned her
as to her pro-German activities. While
they are convinced that she is pro- Ger
man, they were satisfied that she is not
connected with any anti-American
activities.
Miss Pignol could not be found at
/
Brooklyn, last night 1t was explained
that she was visiting friends and would
not be home until this morning.
"a clear case of divided allegiance"
said DR.. John S. Tildsley, assistant
superintendent of high schools Of New
York City. "While protesting love for
America Miss Pignol is decidedly pro-
German. We questioned her carefully
yesterday, and her statements were Of
such q nature as to convince us that
she is German in many of her views,
can patriotism. She freely admitted
that she did not think America should
be at war with Germany"
In statement to an afternoon paper
Miss Pignol is quoted as saying that
her attitude is as pro-American as it
is pro- German. She declares, accord
ing to her statement, that she finds it
difficult to defend both countries, and
does not consider that her love for
States She declared that she told
Secret Service men who asked her if
she was interfering with the prosecu-
tion of the war by the United States,
that such behavior on her part would
I be indecent.
Miss Pignol in her statement admit
ted that she had said the United States
is not a democracy. She said that
Americans have been denied the rights
provided by the Constitution. and tha.
there is no free opinion, speech or
press. She declared that she believes
in a war of real defence, but did not
buy Liberty bonds or thrift stamps be-
cause she could not do so conscien-
tiously.
I In her interview, given to the af-
ternoon paper, Miss Pignol is quoted
as saying that it would require great
effort and self-rcpression for her 20
conduct class in citizenship each
week. However, she declared. she
would feel capable Of teaching the
ode m &c ratio virtueSV