The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1918-03-26
LUTHERAN SCHOOL PILIKIA
School Superintendent Makes
Investigation, But Does
Not Close School

Complaints have been made to
Henry w. Kinney, the superintendent
Rof public instruction, that Fraulien
Maria Heuer, who resigned recently
from the faculty of the College of
Hawaii, and who is now teaching in
the Lutheran school in Lihue, has as
sumed a decided anti-American atti-
tude, and has emphasized it on pat
riotic occasions especially. The Ho-
nolulu Star-Bulletin stated that Henry
w. Kinney had taken steps to have
the scool closed as a result The Bull
letin reports Superintendent Kinney as
having said:
Before | became superintendent,
the school board granted permission
to conduct a school in German on
Kauai. Last fall, after receiving an
oipinon from the attorney general |
notified that school that it could not
continue under the law, the law stat
ing that English must be the medium
of instruction. The German school
then changed its course of study, and
made English the medium OF instruc-
tion. 1t is a private school.
"Since then complaints have been
made that Fraulein Heuer, formerly
of the College of Hawaii, had been
appointed a teacher by the private
school, and that she had caused con-
siderable ill-feling in Lihue by remain
ing seated on patriotic occasions when
every one else stood up.
81 took this matter up with the attor-
ney general, who advised me that the
department had no authority over pri
vate schools, except with regard to the
moral character of the teachers.
81 am thoroughly convinced that it
is not proper that any child, irrespect-
live of nationality, in this territory,
should be taught by teacher who
manifests an attitude such as Fraulein
Heuer has shown.
IF she makes herself so conspicu-
Gus by these professed anti-American
acts, then she should not be allowed
to teach any one in this territory,
either in private or public school.
THE department has no legal au-
thority to enforce her suspension or to
close up the school. | have written
to a certain person who | believe has
influence regarding the school in Lii
hue-he is an American of German
antecedents-and asked him to do
what he could toward rectifying the
situation"
Superintendent Kinney adds that he
has also consulted District Attorney
S. c. Huber, and has been advised that
the course he has pursued is the cor
rect one.
Concerning Miss Heuer's alleged un-
patriotic acts in Honolulu the writer
has no personal knowledge. We have
investigated the school matter here
however, and have not been able to
find anyone who could bring any
charge against Miss Heuer in regard
to her conduct as teacher. The Ho-
nolulu Bulletin announced in its head
ing of the article that Superintend-
ent Kinney had taken steps to close
the school. The text of the article.
however, did not warrant the heading
as the article itself will show. And
it is considered a part of good copy
writing, to write a head that will be
borne out by the subject matter.
G., Maser, who is one of the teach
ers, has been a resident of the island
twenty-three years, is a citizen of the
United States, and the auditor of Kau.
al county. He states that no informa-
tion has been received from Superin.
tendent Kinney in regard to the clos
ing of the school, and that in fact no
cause has been given for any such
aciOn.
Mr.. Maser calls attention to the
fact that the school has been as pat
riOtic as any, and that no lack of pat
riotism has been shown by any one
connected with the school He states
further that during the past five weeks
the sum of $27S.25 was invested by the
pupils of the school in thrift stamps.
This makes an average of $7.72 per
pupil, which he thinks is a commenda-
BILE figure.
Mr. Maser states also that the teach
ers are now planning a Junior Red
Cross unit. and that the work will be
taken up after the easter vacation.
Aside from all this, considering that
the Lutheran school is now an English
school, and there are plenty of public
schools in Lihue, it seems that the
Lutheran school might with perfect
propriety be closed.
During war time, especially a
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