The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-27
GENERAL TRIES
TO Get LIBERAL
TEACHER FIRED
Is Inaamed at Expose of
Society
BY LAURENCE TODD,
Federated Press,

WASHINGTON, Nov. "a. - Fascist
bullying Of modern-minded teachers
in the high schools Of the national cap
ital, attempted by Amos A. Fries
major-general in the army. chief OF
the chemical warfare service and com
mander of the American Legion in the
District of Columbia, has met a set
back.
The board of education, in executive
session, has refused to act on de-
mand by Fries, couched in terms
worthy of Mussolini, that Harry FURY
teacher of biology in the Eastern High
School, be dismissed The offense al
legged against FURY is his authorship
of definition of socialism, printed in
the Forum for October.
Protested Article.
Superintendent of Schools Ballou
received a letter from Fries, signed
Major General, Commander of the
American Legion" ETC., calling atten-
ton to this definition and protesting
against Flury's being retained as a
teacher. Fries denied the truth OF
the indictment drawn by the teacher
against American industrial society,
which read:
Socialism is big question mark.
1t asks why, with all the wonderfully
productive machinery and improved
methods of organization, the workers
are still slaves. 1t asks why civiliza-
ton is so cruel and ugly. 1t asks
why little children still toll in facto-
ries. 1t asks why those who create
do not enjoy the advantages of what
is created, why those who build auto
mobiles walk, those who build Pull
mans ride in boxcars, those who build
palaces live in novels. 1t asks: Is
not the industrial civilization we have
created Frankenstein that has made
itself our master?"
"Un-Ameriean Radical"
Fries wrote Superintendent Ballou
that these sentiments were "in only
slightly different form the statements
of the Communists that our govern
ment is bad and should be overthrow,
if necessary by force and violence.
This is just the type Of un-American
radical that the American Legion and
other patriotic organizations are bit
terly opposed to-"
He pompously demanded word from
Ballou as to what he proposed to do
about FURY, and said he would await
your reply before taking it up" with
his patriotic crowd.
Called On the Carpet.
Ballou tried to serve the fascist
cause, but lacked nerve. He called
in FURY and asked him to explain his
own opinions as to American indus
trial society. FURY asked Ballou
whether he was being questioned'by
plain citizen or by the superintendent
of schools. When Ballou said he spoke
in his official capacity, FURY smil-
ingly replied that he never discussed
his political, religious or economic
views in his capacity as a public
school teacher, since that was clearly
improper for a biology teacher. Bal.
lou then told him to write the board
Of education on his position, since the
Fries letter would be sent to the board
for action in executive session. Bal
lou remarked that FURY was confront
ed by serious situation" and asked
whether he had read Scott Meanings
book, What Happens to Teachers
Who Think" He was astonished when
FURY replied that he had; in fact,
Scott Nearing had been his instructor
in economics at the University of
Pennsylvania.
A month passed. No word from
Ballou to FURY that he was safe. No
word from anyone. Finally group Of
press correspondents heard OF the
fascist antics Of Fries, and smoked out
the fact that the board in secret ses-
sion had decided to do nothing-at
least for the present. FURY comes up
next spring for salary increase; he
may hear from the thought-controllers
then.
Fries Notorious.
Some years ago Fries became noto-
rlous, and was reprimanded informally
by Secretary Weeks for putting clerks
to work at making the "Spiderweb
Chart" a llbellous document pretend
ing to show that most OF the liberal
and humane organizations in America
we're connected with the Third Inter-
national. Some weeks ago Secretary