New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-05
8 Catholic and 6 Lutheran
Institutions Have leu
ton Glasses
Defence Society Acts
Principals Asked to Discon-
tinue Study at This
Time


has been eliminated from the element
airy public schools Of New York, but it
! is still being taught, from the first
grade up, in at least fourteen local re-
lgious schools.
Two distinct movements were start
ed yesterday to have the teaching Of
German thrown out of these parochial
schools. Professor A. Ralph Kip, a
Commercial High School instructor, be-
came the leader of a campaign begun
by teachers Of New York to purge re-
lgious schools of "the Kaiser's propa-
ganda medium"
DR.. William T. Hornaday, director Of
the Zoo and a trustee OF the American
Defence Society, was preparing to send
letters to the principals of these
schools, pointing out "the desirabilty
of disseminating the teaching of Ger
man at this time"
German in Fourteen Schools
"The schools in which German is
being taught to young children are
Catholic and Lutheran parochial
schools. 1t was said yesterday that
German was being taught in eight
Catholic schools and SIX Lutheran
schools.
In none of these is German the Ian
guagc of the classroom. German is
taught during regular periods, the
same as spelling or geography. The
schools in which German is taught are
in parishes where the majority of the
members are of German extraction.
"The situation in the West has
caused New York teachers to look
about them to find out what are the
conditions here at home said Profess
sor Kip yesterday.
"At Secretary Lanes Amcricanization
Conference in Washington Wednesday
it was charged that in one thousand
Western schools the closing of the
days session is marked by the singing
Of Deutschland Uber Allies or Die
Yacht am Rhcin.
81 am glad to be able to say that
from all reports conditions are not
anything like that here in New York.
But the German language is being
taught here in parochial school ele-
mentary grades to pupils of the most
inlpressionabie age. 1t should be
stopped. The teaching of German in
American elementary schools is a great
kindness to the Kaiser. 1t prepares a
fertile field for the German propagan~
dists.
Pro-German Office Boy
81 was told to-day about a boy in a
New York office. This boys grand
father came from Germany. When the
Germans started their big drive last
week this boy went about the Office in
whistled, threw out his chest and other
wise frankly expressed his satisfaction
that the Germans had started some
thing which he fondly supposed would
end in the Kaisers favor
"Now, this boy should be an Ameri-
can. His parents, | understand, are
loyal Americans. He simply had be-
come victim of the German language
taught in a parochial school.
at is not the German language in
itself that does the harm, but the
things that { with 1.-THE pror Uganda.
"The teachers themselves nay not
realize that they are spreading the
Kaiser's gospel when they instruct a
child in German. But the propaganda
is always there just the same.
"In the Office boys case, the things
that came to him during the German
study periods cngendered and kept
alive in him false feeling of patriot
ism for the land of his grandfather.
Such results are what the Kaiser ex
poets from the teaching Of German in
American elementary schools. The
Kaiser doesn't want young American
boys of German extraction to forget the
Fathcr'and The study of German
keeps them from forgetting."