The Washington times., 1925-01-13
.BALLOU DENIES
CHARGE OF
DEAN
Declares He Has Not Stifled
Discussion Of Platoon
System

Educators in the District gaaped
today at the latest bombshell that
has been thrown squarely into the
middle of q hitherto unheated dis
cussion over the platooning of the
district schools, in the public crit
icisIn, by the dean of the teachers
college Of George Washington Uni
versity, of Supt. Frank w. Ballous
attitude on this moot question.
Dean Ruediger, in an address last
night at a Public School Associa-
ton meeting at. Franklin School.
declared. that a. platooning expert
of the Bureau OF Education had
been prevented from making adj
dresses in the District because of
the opposition Of Superinte ndent
Ballou to platooning.
There were denials today as the
fuller significance of the deans
criticism was outlined more clearly.
Dean FOrgets.
Dean Ruediger said he did not
speak from notes and said he had
forgotten the exact wording OF
what he said. He characterized his
remarks as being made aside, !"
and admitted that he forgot re-
Superintendent Ballou denied the
accusations OF the dean that he
had "stif1ed discussion" on the
platoon subject.
Dean Ruediger is quoted as say
ing:
Education, has been forbidden by
Commissioner Tigert to speak in
the District OF Columbia because
Doctor Ballou is against platoon
schools. I resent it, and ] think
we all have right to resent it.
We in the District have a right to
hear any subject discussed and we
have as much right as any one IN
any of the States to ask Mr.. Tigert
to send us speakers on any subject
we please.
Doubts Influence of Survey.
"As for the proposed survey of the
District schools by the bureau, l
can't see that it would do any harm,
but it would take time, and ] doubt
il it will have any influence with the
superintendent Of schools. He has
already accused them of making
propaganda for platoon schools, with
the result that Commissioner Tigert
has drawn in his head altogether.
If were he, would certainly resent
such an accusation. ] believe ne
tries to keep the bureau impartial.
Dean Ruediger today at first de-
MED using Doctor Ballou's name
"iust in that way" and said he be-
lieved the Washington superinten-
dent 'is open-minded on the subject
of platooning."
Doctor Ballou today declared he
could not think what the basis OF
such a charge could be. He stated
that two or three times he had per-
sonal conversations with CoD1rnis-
sioner Tigert last summer. not
about affairs in the District, but
about the bureaus conferences with
superintendents at the annual meet
ing OF superintendents in the Ma,
tional Education Association.
What BaIIOu Said He Said.
1T was a personal conversation
with no application to the local sit
uation at all and could not reason
ably have been made the basis Tor
any official action. do not know
that Miss Barrows has been asked
not to speak on platoon schools in
the District, but IL such a thing
were to have been based on what
/ said, she would have had to have
been asked not to speak anywhere
in the United States"
Because the bureau had made
platooning the topic of the con-
ference four years in succession
and was to do it again, Doctor Bal
lou said, he told Commissioner
Tigert the impression was gaining
credence that the bureau was
spreading propaganda in interest OF
the movement.