The Washington herald., 1920-01-21
Eastern High 5 Building
Disgrace to Washington;
NelU One is Only Remedy

CT the kind and can either leave 1t
loose at night or carry 1t home
every evening.
Conditions in the basement of
this modern" high school building
are particularly bad. One room is
given over to Iunchroom. 1t is
hardly large enough to accommo-
GATE forty people at a time, but $50
young men and women are fed here
every school day during the half
hour recess at midday. MSny of
them. after being served. are COM
pelled to eat their food in. dark and
oingy corridors under. most unsan-
itary. conditions.
The very small drill hall for the
cadet companies does manifold serv-
Ice now. 1t Is used as a rifle range,
armory. and gymnasium for both
boys and girls. 1t is so small that
the young men and women who
must practice there cannot play
games, under regulation conditions.
Ends Of Corridors Used.
The ends OF the corridors are now
used for class rooms. The lighting
Is very poor. and If some of the
pupils come out of this school with
perfectly good sight, II will be
something of a marvel. The library
of the school. too small to carry all
the books which the students must
use In their courses, now is used
also for recitation purposes. Reci-
tation and study classes are crowd
ed into the scientific laboratories.
making 1t difficult for anyone to get
the full amount of results from the
instruction.
In February. the physics, chemis-
try and biological laboratories and
two drawing rooms will have to be
used as class rooms. making it prac-
tically impossible to carry on the
special work of these departments
in anything like a satisfactory man
ner. Use of experimental apparatus
necessarily will be curtailed, and
proper care of it made difficult.
School officials point out that un-
der present conditions 1t is impos-
sible to extend or amplify any of
the courses now given, or to intro
duce any new courses considered
necessary in order to keep the
school up to date with other similar
INSTITUTIONS tnfouShout the country.
Summary of Petitions.
A summary of briefs written by
the principal and several teachers,
and submitted to the school direc-
tors. says that the construction of
new building is absolutely neces-
sary:
ITO provide suitable accommoda-
tions for those pupils now enrolled
in the Eastern High School.
TO provide for the constantly in
creasing enrolment of the school
ITO relieve the congestion which
exists at the other white schools.
ITO allow for the development and
expansion of the various courses
now offered.
ITO allow for the Introduction Of
additional courses, which cannot be
developed under present conditions.
ITO stimulate interest in science.
drawing, art. music. household eco
nomics, business training and other
special subjects, by offering courses
in the subjects under proper con-
ditions, and with modern and COM
plete equipment.
TO provide for the physical well
fare OF the pupils by giving them
adequate gymnasiums, comfortable
and healthful class rooms. proper
light and ventilation, open play
grounds and an athletic field suf-
ficient to meet the needs of 1.500
students"
Request Room for 1,500.
II provision is made for the new
building at this session of Congress
it will take at least two years to
erect it. it is estimated, and by that
time this building win have a
population of about 1900 students.
The figures for the present attend
ance do not give any idea of the
number of children who should be
going to this school. Crowded con-
ditions have forced several hundred
into the high school buildings in
other parts of the city.
Eastern Is supposed to cover
practically all of the territory ear
of the Capitol. and a growing ter
ritory it is.
The proposed building. according
to it's plans. would accommodate 1900
students and would have all the
necessary equipment for a modern
high school building. Provision
also is made in the plans for a
lunchroom to Accommodate 80 pupils
at a time and a large stadium, on
the order of the present one at the
Central High School.
There is no one who would ques-
tion the need OF a new building
after a visit to the school. The
alumni association is out working
for the building, as are a number
of the civic organizations in the
eastern section OF the city.
The old building would not be a
loss, but could very well be fitted
up as an addition to the Wallach-
Towers schools located or the same
lot
Tomorrow The Herald will show
the conditions existing Mt the Buch-
anan School. z street southeast, be-
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets, and the Tyler school, Elev-
enth street southeast, between G and
streets, taken together, as they
cover the same general territory
Brig. Gen. Mordecai Dies !;
Burial to Be at Oak Hill
Brig. Gen. Alfred Mordecai retired,
died yesterday in his apartment in
the westmoreland apartments. He
was so years old. Funeral services
will be held this morning at II
o'clock, at st. Margaret's Church,
the Rev. Herbert Smith officiating.
Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery.