Evening star., 1920-01-13
DR.. VAN SCHA|CK'S
FITNESS ARGUED
BEFORE SENATORS
Citizens Attack and Defend
His Selection as D. c.
Commissioner.

Dr. John Van Schaick. jr.. who has
been nominated as District Commls-
sioner was away from Washington
during the greater part of two OF the
last three years. and on that account
was not eligible for appointment un-
Ger the law. by opponents OF ms con
ffrmatiou at Il hearing before the
Senate District committee today. Dr.
Starr Parsons. representing the North
east Washington Citizens Assocla-
tion. and William Nick. Clayton. OF
the Brightwood Citizens ASSOCIATION
were the witnesses presented DS the
opposition today. 49,
a. J. DriscoH. president of the Mid
City Citizens Association: Mrs. NJ >.
Gerry. a member of the school ooard !:
D. A Edwards, q former president Oh
the Federation of Cltlzens AsSocla
tions and Hayden Johnson, colored'
also a member of the board OF eduea,
ton, were among those who testined
In favor of DR.. Van Schaick.
Served in Belgium.
Mr.. Driscoll, replying to an asser-
ton that Dr. Van Schaick did not ful-
fill the requirements of the law pro
Nding for District Commlsslohers
said that he was sorry that any
group of citizens should appear be-
fore a Senate committee and urge
that Dr. Van Schaick had loSt ms
citizenship in the District because ne
has served for two years win 'he
"A
In nv opinion it is very poor Judg-
ment to make such an argument, SAID
Mr.. DriScoll.
MIR. Driscol said that Dr. Van
Schaick had been criticised on the
ground that he was not good execu-
tive Yet" said Mr.. Driscoil, DIT van
Schaick, as Red Cross commissionaeerr aer
to Belgium. had disbursed so,ooo,voo
SO wisely that he had been compH-
mented by the Red Cross board In
New York.
Mrs. Gerry Approves
Mrs. Gerry insisted that Dr. Van
Schaick. as president of the school
board had been an excellent executive
and had been absolutely fair, and had
not caused any disruption in the
the committee the charges made
against DIR. Van Schaick by the Col
ored Parents League, declaring that
that organization had been entirely
unfair to DIR. Van Schaick.
Regarding letter put INTO the
record by the opponents of DR.. Van
Schaick in which it was said he had
described the colored population of
the District as one-third child, one
third savage and one-third she'll
game men. Mr.. Johnson said that he
had received similar letter. Tie
language of this letter as read by
Mr. johnson was to the effect that
that outfit is one-third child. one
IElrU savage anu
game men" Mr. Johnson then pro-
ceeded to describe the activities of
the Colored Parents League in tie case
of Assistant Supt of Schools Bruce,
whom, he said, the league desired to
remove. He insisted that DR.. Van
Schaick was an able administrator
and fair to every one.
The first witness today was DR.. Par
sons of the Northeast Washington
Citizens Association. He said that his
tixx I.o iuht I,nd adn
lutions opposing the confirmation of DR..
Van Schaick. He said that DIR. Van
Schaick was dogmatic, and that his
manner was Offensive to many people
that the public schools had been in a
turmoil during his administration as
president OF the school board.
Mr.. Clayton told the committee that
the appointment of DR.. Van Shaick was
opposed both to the spirit and letter OF
the act of 1878. He said he regretted
that DIR. Van Schaick was not present,
so that he might be Questioned
I'VE believe HIM to ~ ? voter in
New York" said Mr.. Clayton. I'VE
have tried by writing to find out if
this is fact"
Mr.. Clayton said that under the Ian
guage of the act if DIR. Van Schaick
had voted in any of the states in the
last three years he could not qualify
for appointment as District Commits
sioner. since the law says that to be
tIslDie the dpDOlnlee must nave Deen
an actual resident for the preceding
three years. and have claimed resi-
dence nowhere else.
Mr. Clayton said that it is difficult
for the citizens to appear in oppoSi-
ton to an appointee of the President
but that their appearance was evi-
dcnce of a new spirit of democracy
which has developed here since the
war.
.Fight for Self-Determinntion.''
1T is the opening gun in the fight
for elf-determination,' said Mr..
Clayton.
The witness said that no one knew
how DR. Van Schaick stood on ques-
tions of vital Importance to the
people of the District.
Senator King of Utah wanted to
know what Influences had been back
of the appointment of DIR. Van
Schaick. He was told by the op-
American Red Cross Society, Com
missioner BrownIow and Miss Mar
garet Wilson. daughter of the Pres-
dent, had strongly urged his ap-
pointment.
Mr.. Driscoll told the committee that
the Mid-City Citizens Association.
whichl has LOO members at its last
meeting gave DIR. Van Schaick its
unanimous approval. He said that DR..
Van Schaick was q member of the as
sociation.
Il feel that the opposition has fail
ed he said. Ito show any reason
why he should not be confirmed as a
District Commi ssioner He possesses
all the qualifications necessary to be
efficient Commissioner He has
beien active in civic affairs for many
years and is an intelligent and broad
minded man"
Mrs. Gerry said that DR.. Van
Schaick is a man who announces his
opinions directly and fights with Der
feet frankness. She said that pos
sibly he was impulsivc. that he has
strong convictions. but that she had
marveled at the temperatures and
fairness which he displayed as presi-
dent of the board of education She
denied that DR.. Van Schaick had been
the cause of any undue friction in the
board. She denied also that George
L. Hamilton had retired from the
board, as charged now. because he
could not get along with DR.. Van
Schaick.
Has Not Voted in Three Years,
A statement signed by DIR. Van
Schaick to the effect that he had NOT
voted or registered to vote anywhere
within the last three years and that
lie had been a resident of the District
of Columbia since January, 1900 was
presented to the committee by Milton
L Zeiler. Mr.. Zeiler appeared in sup
port of DR.. Van Schaick.
At the afternoon hearing Yesterday.
Warner Stutler, president of the Ben
ming Citizens Association. presented
To the committee resolutions adop. ed
by his association protesting against
the confirmation of Dr. Van Schaick
Nr. Stutl@r read to the committee a
Complementary report to the associa :
ton by the executive committee which
also opposed the confirmation of Van
4f.str Cd -