Evening star., 1924-12-19
LIBBY, At HEARING, is ASSAILED
FOR HIS PACIFIST UTTERANCES
Prevention of War Society Official Defends Right
Speak in Public Schools-Before Education
Board Committee.
Board Committee.

Assailed as a pacifist, Frederick ].
| Libby, executive secretary OF the Ma
| tional Council for Prevention Of War,
coolly replied to the charges Of his crit
| les at public hearing conducted by
special committee of the Board of Edu-
cation last night at the Franklin School
| The committee was appointed to in
vestigate the charges against Mr.
Libby and determine his fitness to ad-
dress children in the District public
schools.
Voluminous evidence, verbal and
documentary, to support their accusa-
tions was filed with the board COM
mittee by Mr.. Libby's opponents,
majority of whom are prominently
connected with patriotic organiZa-
tions. Mr. Libby and his friends also
submitted to the committee evidence
to refute the charges. The hearing
lasted from $40 to 11:30 o'clock, and
Edwin c. Graham, chairman of the
investigating committee, announced
at the close that each side would be
allowed another week to file addi-
tional briefs, counter charges, creden-
tials' and communications.
Forces In Opposition.
Arrayed against Mr.. Libby were
Charles L. Frailey. Capt. Clayton
IL
the Military Order of the Loyal Le-
gion; Maj. Gen. George Barnett, re-
tired, former commandant of the
Marine Corps; Thomas j. Frailey, rep
resenting the Sergt. Jasper Post of
the American Legion; Mrs. Noble
Newport Potts, representing the U. s.
Daughters of 1912; Theodore Back
strom, Lieut.. Col J. NJ. Kenyon, Com
mander Peckham of the American
George F. Dudley, pastor Of st.
Stephens Episcopal Church. Support
ing Mr.. Libby were Thomas j. Sid
well, principal of the Friends School;
Maury s. Kenworthy, former secre-
tary of the Friends relief and re-
construction units in Europe; Miss
Emily G.. Balch of the Woman's In
ternational League for Peace and
Freedom and Mrs. Raymond B. Nor
gan, former member Of the school
board.
Disarmament in Nursery.
Mr.. Frailey, who opened the attack
on Mr.. Libby, declared that the Ma
tional Council for Prevention of War
was opposed to the national defense
act, and was endeavoring to disarm
the nursery Of toy pistols, toy SOL
diers etc, as a means of intoxicating
in the impre ssionable minds of chill
dren to hate war and the uniforms
of Americas military. That's unpa
triotic," he asserted.
Libby was described by Capt. Emig
as IAN unfit person to speak in the
public schools of Washington" He
attempts to obstruct and has obstruct
ed the carrying out of the national
defense act" he added. Col. Sands
read extracts from a mass of written
evidence he had collected, designed to
show that Mr.. Libby is an agent Of
Soviet Russia.
Gen. Barnett was most bitter in
his denunciation of Libby. IT strongly
object to Mr.. Libby or any other man
speaking to our school children who
speaks of treason" he asserted. "All
l ask is that the laws of this country
be enforced. II the laws had been
enforced all members of the league
would have been deported after the
convention Of pacifists here last
Spring. Why teach our children to
be white -livered slackers? Shall our
children be taught to be worthless
imbeciles?" Libby admitted that he
was a pacifist, he said, and Gen. Bar
nett asserted that any man who would
not fight for his country in time of
war is a "white-livered imbecile."