The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-27
COUNCIL BLANES
WOMAN, NO ORDER
AGAINST GERMAN
SCHOOLS ISSUED.
J. w. Riley Makes Public
Correspondence Reveal
ing Unusual Situation
BANNED ENEMY
LANGUAGE ONCE
Order Enforced Against.
Armenia, Nulled When
Used In Pontiac
LANCER SAYS NO
AUTHORITY GIVEN
Head Stenographer'' , He
Says, Responsible-Sanne
AS Elevator Case
Order Enforced Against
Armenia, Nulled When
Used In Pontiac :
LANCER SAYS NO =
AUTHORITY GIVEN

Like Adam in the Garden OF Eden
the council of defense OF North Da-
kota has blamed 1t on q woman.
That is the remarkable disclosure
made today by j. w. Riley, super
intendent OF schools OF Cass coun-
ty, who makes public correspondence
between himself and the state cou1s-
Gil of defense, and between himself
and Attorney General William Lam
ger, Of North Dakota, involving the
councils supposed order againEt
German language schools in North
Dakota. .
There's no such order, despite the
fact that the council had issued to
Mr.. Riley such ruling, over the sig
ntaure of Thomas Allan Box, secre-
administration newspapers whose
correspondent at Bismarck draws
pay as an employe Of the council
Of defense, had published broadcast
the story Of such an order.
Stenographer 10 Blamed.
A woman-a stenographer in the
council of defense Office without
authority by the council Of DEFENSE"
is cited by Attorney General LANCER
as being responsible for the 3ssu-
ance to Mr.. Riley late in June Of an
order under which mo school or IN
struction, OF whatever nature, in the
German language, will be allowed in
North Dakota, and compliance with
this order must be Immediate"
That order resulted in the closing
Of school at Armenia. cass county,
but when Mr.. Riley attempted to
enforce the ruling againstsa German
Lutheran school conducted by Rev.
H. Elster in Pontiac township, Cass
county, he ran into q snag-the at
torney general declined to support
the superintendent, and finally de-
clared that the council of defense
never had issued any order.
Same as Elevator Case. .
In many respects the German Ian
glage school order issued by the
council Of defense is very much like
the famous order for the conflscation
of elevators, which was reported
adopted by council members, pub
lished as adopted by administration
papers, and then denied. In that in
stance Secretary Box made Dorr
Carroll, Of Minot, responsible for
giving out unauthorized" informa-
tion. -
Superintendent Riley, in making
public the correspondence that bares
the German language school issue
as handled by the council Of defense
and the attorney generaAt. did so,
he announces. as a result Of the fact
that he had been criticized for per-
nitt.ng the Pontiac German school
to continue His correspondence, he
says, shows clearly that he acted 30
far as he was able, and that the
fault does not lie with him.
EARLY in June, the first complaints
were made to me with respect to a
German language in the public |
school building at Armenia I i'm
mediately took the matter up with |
Secretary Thomas Allan Box OF the
council of defense, by telephone. He |
said he would look the matter up. |
The next day / met Mr.. Box in Far@
go, and discussed the situation with
him. He assured me that he would
advise me at the earliest possible /
of the status OF such /
He was to advise me from
Bismarck on a Monday, and on
fFSnyf{r1,aa on y1aera