New Britain herald., 1927-11-04
MAYOR WRITES l3
 PAGES OF REbUkE
Big Bll' in Bitter Attack on
 Library Heads


 Thompson. America First" pro- tagonist. poured thirteen typewrit- ten pages of rebuke on the heads of Chicago library board members to- day.
 He spoke of "untruths" in their recent letter to him. and called on them pointedly to resign. He re- charged them with sponsoring pro- British propaganda through reading courses,' denied with some heat tba { he was aiming at free press, and requoted extracts from library pamphlets which he regards as trai- torous.
 Tt is not to the texts of library books that l take exception" he said. but to the teaching of certain texts." The reading courses put out under the recommendation of the board, he contended, constituted teaching.
 The mayors letter was his second since October 27 when he wrote, criticizing particularly a pamphlet by Herbert Adams Gibbons of Princeton, "circulated by your off cial body and the American Library association" The boards reply, the mayor said. was "evasive and mis- leading and In several particulars in contradiction of facts"
 You say,' the mayor wrote, that the Gibbons pamphlet Is only one of series issued by the American Library association and circulated in almost. every library in the United States. l know that these pam phlets are circulated throughout American libraries. That is why this fight against pro-British. un- American propaganda takes on a na- tional aspect.
 Tn your letter you say: We do not sponsor these pamphlet study courses any more than we sponsor the opinions expressed in the million and half other volume on the shelves of the library
 In saying you do not sponsor these pamphlets you state what is not true. You sell them in the pub lie library. You might as well say that the merchant is not sponsor for, and responsible for the goods he sells. Moreover, you are selling them in vioation of law. XXX You have no power to sell books or pamphlets in this manner.
 You paste between the hyleafs Of these pamphlets. reading with purpose leaf of your own.
 You say, or insinuate, that the extracts from the Gibbons pam phlet given in my letter to you were. not quoted correctly. Here you are guilty of another untruth.
 Dean Inge's 'England,' and other books officially recommended, give the English viewpoint, and scor at and insult America and Amcri- cans.
 There is no practical difference bstWecn uS on the certain funda- mentals that you express, although you would make it appear there Was. No man in America today has fought harder, and at such sac ritce. as l have fought for the free speech and free press guaranteed by the constitution. It is far from my mind and my ideals to censor the books on the library shelves and you Jnow it--but I do step in when, under official sanction, prop aganda pipe lines are led out of that reservoir of Knowledge to poison the minds of American citizens.
 "Throughiut much of the reading course pamphlets which you arc selling in the Chicago public library, are recommendation for the read ing of culogistlc books concerning Edward Box. advocate of the world court; Andrew Carnegie and the Carnegie Foundation which he en- doWed for the purpose Of bringing about q political union of English speaking people; and th. pro-Brit- ish ambassador, Walter II. Page. who would have had the United States in the war from the begin ming.
 Your whole reading with a pur- pose course should be severely scrutinized and considerable DOT tions at least should be eliminated. Tn my campaign for mayor pledged myself, if elected to do all possible to drive anti-Amercan propaganda out of the public teach { ing course of Chicago. AS your views evidently do not i agree with those of the people and as you are eNpcnding the taxpayers money against the will of the people as expressed at the polls. the hon. |. est thing for you to do is to resign" i A suggestion made by Canadian . 10 Prime Minister King that an ap- peal be made to the League of Ma !