Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-21
MISS ALICE WOOD
DENIES HER ACTS
WERE UNPATR|OT|C
Suspended Western High
School Teacher Before
Senate Committee.

Miss Alice Wood a teacher at West
ern High School, who was suspended
by the board of education because of
alleged indiscreet teaching, appeared
before the Senate committee investi-
eating the public schools today and
denied emphatically that any action
Of hers had ever been unpatriotic.
Only yesterday. she said. she had
been attacked on the floor of the
House and imputations made against
her patriotism, and at a meeting re-
Gently in this city she had been criti-
cised by Senator Myers of Montana.
Miss Wood said that the court had
compelled the board of education to
rescind its order of suspension and to
pay her the salary which had been
denied her.
Miss Wood read to the committee a
detailed statement of her case. At
one point she referred to a text book
used in the schools made up from
President Wilson's speeches entitled
Democracy in America" She read
to the committee a quotation from
the Presidents speech of January S
1918, in which he said that the acid
test OF the good viii Of the allies to-
ward Russia would be shown in their
treatment of the country.
Discussed MS Current Topic.
The situation in Russia Miss Wood
said was discussed in her classes on
current topics
1T would be preposterous to my
mind" said Miss Wood. .if we should
be afraid to let the young people
various governments"
She pointed out that some of the
boys who leave the high school ca
vote after short time if they go into
the states.
Miss Wood said that protests had
come from all parts of the country
against the action of the board in
suspending her. She said that it was
at the request of the High School
Teachers Union that her case was
taken up by the union.
She called attention to testimony by
some of the board members in which
they said they thought Miss Wood
should have appealed to the board in
stead of taking up the matter with
the union.
Miss Wood said she thought the
time for informal friendly conference
with the board had gone by after she
had been suspended.
She told the committee that from
her point of view the question of her
patriotism had never been raised in
the case, and said that former Presi-
dent Hamilton of the board had stated
that the question of her patriotism
was not involved in the action of the
board.
She said she wished that Repre-
sentative Blanton and Senator Myers,
two of her critics. had been present
today to question her.
Senator Walsh asked if she thought
that Supt. ThurSton'S action in her
case had lessened his influence among
the teachers. particularly those in the
union.
Miss Wood said that she could not
answer as to that.
Read Charges to Witness.
Senator Harrison read to the wit
ness the various charges which had
been made against her, and she de-
MED categorically those charges
which asserted she had expressed the
opinion that bolshevism was a good
thing, or that the principles of Amer
ican government adopted in the early
days were out Of date. She denied also
that she had ever said that interna-
tionlism was higher than national
ISM She declared also that she had
never said that there was no more
reason why dogs should not go to
heaven than human beings.
SnOwden Ashford Heard.
Snowden Ashford, municipal archi-
tecr. was the first witness heard to-
day. He recommended that the board
~ education be abolished and that
the superintendent have sole charge
until the system could be reorganized.
He suggested that business mama
ger be-provided for at $1,000 a year
Salary and that the board of Commits
sioners appoint an advisory commit
toe Of three The superintendent
would be at the head Of the sys-
tenn. He said he had bill prepared
along these lines.
The witness urged that a survey OF
the school buildings in the District be
made by the Engineer Commissioners:
the superintendent OF schools and
himself
The colored schools. Mr.. Ashford
said, have received. in recent years.
more than their share of the money
for the schools of the
District A number of the colored
witnesses appearing before the COM |
mittee have insisted that the colored
schools were Disseminated against.
He said that President Taft in 1911
had asked Information about this |
natter and that il had been reported |
then that 81 per cent of the appropri-
atoms for schools had been for the |
.olored schools, when as a matter Of |
fact they were entitled to slightly |
ander 33 per cent II the appropria- !
ions were divided on the basis of |
The witness began to describe Diff |
'erences which he had had with the 1
school board in the past, mentioning !
Capt. James F. Oyster. at |
,ne time president OF the board. The |
committee said. however. they did not |
.are to go into past history.
Miss Hunter Appears.
Miss Charlotte Hunter. whose name |
1as frequently been mentioned in the