The Irish standard., 1919-05-24
Government Publications, Daily Press
and Teachers Organizations Used
to Further Smith-Towner Bill.
The Action of Catholics in England
Regarding Objectionable Edu-
cation Bills.

The Action Of Catholics in England
Regarding Objectionable Edu-
cation Bills.
II.
The interest taken in the propa,
ganda conducted by the National Edu-
cational association in favor of S.
$685., revised version of the Hoke-
Smith bill for the creation of a fed
eral department of education, by
School Life" a government publica-
tion, has been noted. Propaganda for
the bill, which aims at the establish
ment of federal control of schools, is
also conducted in publication named
"Americanization," particularly in the
issue of March 1, 1919, which is No. z
of Vol. l.; likewise in the Vocational
Summary, particularly in the issue of
March l, 1919, No. II of Vol. 1. Both
publications, it seems, are devoted to
this same scheme of federal control
of all education. The comparative
newness of these publications-they
are not older than the agitation in
Question-and the fact that they are
published from government funds,
prompt the question: By what right
and with what money is this propa-
ganda of the N. E. A. being carried
on in government publications?
The N. E. A. has also made exten-
sive use of the daily press for its pur-
poses, even the Spanish daily paper,
LA Prensa" tissue of April 9th) sings
the praises of this most recent ma
tional movement (El ultimo movimien-
to nationalista).
N. e. A. Makes Use of Teachers
Organizations.
In addition to the previously men,
toned characteristics of the N. E. A..
propaganda denoting a measure Of
fanaticism we must note the unscru-
pulous whipping into line of all who,
under some title or other, can be
reached. The N. E. A. began a cam
paign to secure 10000 new members
in order to obtain money for the pas
sage of the bill; the association ap-
pointed field secretary in the per-
son of President D. B. Waldo of the
State Normal School of Kalamazoo,
Mich. This gentleman is supposed to
devote half of his time-all of which
should be devoted to his work at the
State Normal School-to the work of
the N. E. A. Here is an item CLEANED
from the Detroit Free Press (April
29th), which illustrates the methods
used to bring the teachers into line:
Cooperating with the campaign in
tituted by the National Educational
association to procure the backing of
teachers associations throughout the
country for the Smith -Towner bill,
which will be introduced at the next
session of congress, a Detroit commit
tee to promote the interests of the
measure has been named by Frank
Cody, acting superintendent of
schools.
"The bill is an amended form of
the Hoke-Smith bill, submitted in
1918. It provides for national de-
partment of education, with secre-
tary at it's head. An annual appro-
priation Of $10O,000,OOO is called for,
with a like appropriation from the
states.
ION the Detroit committee, which
will hold its first meeting Wednesday
afternoon, are: Miss Rachel McKin-
ney, president of Detroit Teachers as.
sociation; Arthur Lederle, president
of Detroit Schoolmen's club; William
Curtis, principal of Woodrow Wilson
school; La Verne Mann, princ1pal of
Eastern high; Warren Frye, house
principal at Northern high; E. H. Por.
ter, of Western high; w. H. Allmen-
dinger, of Greenfield Park school; 1r.
win Van Tassel, house principal Of
Northeastern high, and William G.
Doolittle, of Northwestern high"
A Foretaste of Complete National
Control.
This item refers to the agitation
carried on in only one state. But
from the plan of the propaganda clear.
a rtIER. NLK0EA,.