Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-22
JUSTICE mccoy
REBUKES CLAYTON
Takes Educator to Task in
Urging Continuance of Ger
man IN Schools.
1'suiTs PRoPAGANDIsTs''

Asserting that German propagandists
, IN this country and IN Germany I'M
doubted1y will be greatly pleased at
their rendition of the letter written by
Dr.. p. P. Claxton. United States com
missioner of education. to DR.. Robert L.
Slagle, president of the University OF
South Dakota, Justice Walter I. Mccoy
Of the District Supreme Court today
issued an open letter directed to Com
missioner Claxton. In which the latter
Is severely taken to task.
In his letter to DR.. Slagle Commits
saoner Claxton urged that the teaching
Of German in public schools and col
leges of the country be not abolished.
He stated in effect that the United
States is not at war with tho German
language or literature, but with the
imperial German government
Justice McCoy's Letter.
In his reply to Commissioner Clax-
TOMS letter Justice Mccoy said:
II can imagine with what glee the
German propagandists in this country
will read your communication and how
thoroughly it will be distributed by
them throughout the country. 1 hope
that a copy of it has reached some of
Alliance and that it will be used by
some of the members of that patriotic
organization as evidence before the
Senate committee which is now consid-
ering the bill having for its purpose a
repeal of its charter.
-Of course, the letter will reach
Germany and undoubtedly will be dis
tri6uted, after the publicity agents in
Germany have cut out the statement
to the effect that we are not at war
with the German people. and will tell
the German people. including the SOL
diers. that the commissioner Of pub
lie education of the United States him.
self feels that Germany is necessary to
the world; that the Germans are a very
kindly people; that the heart Of Amer
lea Is not in. the. war and that but for
the President the United States would
not stay in.
This may mean the death of a few
moro Americans in the trenches. but
that won't make any difference be-
cause the German language will be
preserved for the use of Americans.
What Is the death Of few more Amer
leans compared with the desirability
Of being able to read Lessing, Goethe
and Schiller! Notwithstanding that
comparatively few valuable inventions.
scientific or otherwise, ever came out
Of Germany, we must kill a few more
Americans SO that the technical writ
inSs OF the German people viii con
knowledge Of the history Of Germany.
Of course, must be recognised. and. nat
urally, we shall go to German sources
for the history Of the world. especially
ajnco August, 1914.
.As for the philology Of the German
language, that. like everything else
German, Is necessary for an under
standing Of tie English language and
for tho Interpretation Of Engiish-speak-
in9 people to themselves. The German
American Alliance win eee to that.
Suggests Commission.
couldn't you and George Creel or
ganize q commission, of which you and
he would, of course, be members, to go
to Germany and tell the Germans what
nice people we think they are? Or
mAyoo II you couldn't ind q commits
sion willing to take that risk, you
might sand one to France and Belgium
to ten our soldiers that they are fight
ing so ttat the United States may be
made safe to read Leasing. Goethe and
Schiller.
Il wonder whether you have any sons
ut tie front OF whether any Of your
female relatives are in France. Belgium,
or any other place liable to be raided by
the kindly German soldiers
Have you since we went to war with
Germany expressed regrets because Of
that fact and have you expressed senti-
mentS Unfriendly to Great Britain? How
much Of your life have you spent In
Germany. Yours truly,
WALTER ]. MCCOY"