The Washington herald., 1920-03-20
SEEKS RETURN
or DR.. LEARNED
Van Schaick Sends Dip
lomatic" Request That He
Return to Testify.
MRS. COOK ON STAND
Comedies With Chief 5
View That Supt. Thurs
ton is Not a Leader.
MRS. COOK ON STAND

Although the Senate subcommittee
investigating District school condi-
tions decided, yesterday, that Il
would not insist that DR.. Henry b.
Learned. member Of the Board Of
Education, who Is In California. re-
turn to testify at the hearing, DIR.
John Van Schaick, jr.. president of
the board. telegraphed DR.. Learned
that his. testimony undoubtedly
would prove, Of value"
Although DR.. Van Schaick did not
encourage him to return to wash
ington. he limited plainly in his mes
sage that he would like to have him
do so. He mentioned several other
members OF the board in his teie-
gram who. he said. were Of the
same opinion.
Motives Not Questioned.
DR.. Van Schaick told DR.. Learned
that the Senate subcommittee would
not insist on his testimony. and that
his motives for being away at this
time had not been questioned by
committee members. In closing.
however. he made the comment that
DIR. Learned, without doubt. would
be able to make worthwhile COM
ments on the muddled school situ-
alton here.
DR.. Learned Is delivering a course
of lectures at Leland Stanford. jr..
University.
Backs Up Van sehaick.
Mrs. Coralie F. Cook, fourth
member OF the school board to be
called before the investigating COM
mittee, proved q staunch supporter
Of DR.. Van Schaick, and expressed
the same attitude Of opposition to-
ward Ernest l.. Thurston as super
intendent that was taken by the
three members preceding her. Mrs.
Cook took the stand yesterday upon
the failure OF Mrs. Margarita s.
Gerry to appear at 10 o'clock, hav-
ing been delayed. r. &
She declared that. in her judg-
ment. superintendent Thurston
lacked administrative ability, was
not able to grip a given situation.
and does not measure up to his
position.1 She said no one could
accuse Thurston of not beiI\ a
hard worker and declared thai he
was overburdened with work which
should be handled by business
manager. She doubted. however.
that IL even relieved Of some of
the business features OF his work.
he. would be able to make bet
ter showing.
Her objection to Thurston, she
said, was more a matter of general
impressions than Of any specific In
stances Of shortcomings. After
nearly six years on the school
board, she said. she believed he
was not leader. 80
Tells Of Bruce Case.
She declared Thurston never pro-
tested when he had been requested
not to attend beard meetings when
witnesses in the Bruce case were
being heard The first knowledge
that he had objected to the proce-
dure, she said. was when he recent
ly began his fight on the school
board. The reason for preferring
the absence of the superintendent at
| the hearing, she said, was to en-
courage the witnesses to be entire
ly free in their testimony.
Mrs. Cook expressed her unquali-
fed approval of the community CEN
ter movement as well as the prac-
tice of dancing in the school build
ings, in reply to questions of Sena-
tor Sherman.
She also suggested that the school
funds should be divided between
the white and colored schools on
the basis of thes school population.
and expressed approval of Sthe plan
of segregating a building fund.