New-York tribune., 1918-01-14
No Basis for Charge of
Spreading Kaiser's Prop
aganda, He Asserts
Saws Others Are Worse
-~-
Even Ex-Ambassador Gerard
a More Serious Offender,
He Declares

Paul K. Pope, professor of German
:. Cornell University, has risen in de-
..nce of the much criticised German
.,,thooks now used in schools and col
,eres and has pointed out that the
<sne charge OF German propaganda
rb;ch has been directed against these
works might apply as we'll to tho En-
,vclopndia britannica or even James
V Gcrards My Four Years in Ger
many" -
Professor Pope, who has written
German textbooks himself, in letter
10 The Tribune takes exception to the
statement that his and other similar
volumes arc "implanting in the mind
ef the student q justification Of Ger
ran nilitarism and German aggrcs-
SION" He points out that il such de-
auctions are to be drawn from iso-
lated sentences in work. numerous
other and impeccable books must come
under the head of pro German propa-
sanda-
Passages in Other Books
oDoes not" he asks, "the widely dis
tributed Tarr-McMurphy Geography
contain statements, such as, page 800
IN order to hold her present boundaries
Germany must be prepared to defend
them at any time. To say nothing of
other passages where the good sense
Of the German people is contrasted
with our own extravaganza, or where
the great advance of Germany is
shown to be due 30 the strong central
government established in 1871.
Gwen Ambassador Gerard, whose
denunciation Of my book you feature
Professor Pope continues, "has pas
sages in his 10 nc very interesting
book. Ny Four Years in Germany,
which | would hesitate to use in q Ger
man textbook, so favorable are the!
to the German Kaiser and Grown
Prince"
Professor Pope emphasizes the fac
that he is an American of about tws
centuries standing, has no German
blood in his veins, and has been pro
Ally since the outbreak of war. II,
does hold. however, that "most of tn,
books so bitterly attacked are not du,
10 German PROPAGANDA. but admit o
4 ~
panation.'
German Suggestions Mild
The selections in the books justify
ing militarisn,, " he says, 'most of whicl
were, to be sure. adapted from German
authors, are mild in comparison witt
articles in our owr Army and Navy or
gans, or in the American press, adNo
Jn
nouncing pacihsts.''
Not in one case in hundred. Pro
fessor Pope believes, has the teacher o
German been guilty of an attempt t,
make his classes pro-German.
As enthusiastic teachers" he writes
full of their subject. they have at
tempted to make the subject alive t
their pupils. They have attempted t
portray a living, virile Germany. Natu
rally, they have praised and avoide
censure in general. This is good peds
sogy. That their efforts were apprt
ciated is evinced by the strides whic
the study OF German took in the year
preceding the war.
The danger TO tho tender, absorbin
mind of the pupil who uses such book
has been enormously exaggerated. A
matter Of fact, most Of the materis
dealing with German achievement
whether in war or peace. is still as co;
rect as ever, and We might as we
recognize it. We can't defeat OF
enemy by belittling him. We can, how
ever. learn much TO our advantage /
studying his achievements. And thj
in addition to making the subject inte
esting. is what authors of the Germa
textbooks have had in mind in paintin
IN DerhauS sometimes tOOl v10uir
colors the achievements Of the Gel