Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-27

| Inc lorty-Second annual meeting Of
the American Historical Association will
open at the Willard Hotel tomorrow
morning. ConcurrentIy there will be
sessions Of the Mississippi Valley His
| torical Association. the Agricultural
History Society. the American Catholic
historical Association. the Biblioghaph-
ical Society of America and the
American Political Science Association.
With all that concentration OF his
torical wisdom centered in the Nations
Capital. 1t Is no wonder that Congress
has Tied TO the tall tinbers" and that
MAYOR Thomson Of Chicago lies low.
Ike "Brer Rabbit" to await the deci-
sions concerning the atrocities Of
George III and the faIlacies Of George
l. and his little cherry tree Clouds O.
doubt as to William Tells bow and ar
row and Baroarie Fritchies garnet win
dow will be forever diSpelled by the
/ highest American authority on history.
and Dr.. MuzZey will be Endorsed unmis-
takabiy as the greatest patriot since
Nathan Hale-if Dr. Muzzey remem-
bers the latter character in our Ma
tons drama.
In recent decades there has deyel-
oped a so-called scientific method" II
writing American history. which has
aroused intense antagoniSrn on the part
OF people who determine TO believe what
Is enticing and patriotic. whether il be
/ true or myth These opponents are
! positive that any historian who denies
the details of Washington's cherry tree
Story either need 90 learn more about
cherries or know less about the Father
OF Our Country. The very skepsicisr
shown by such writer's appears 20 the
"fundamentalists" OF American patriot
ism proof that the cotempo-aneoyS SCI
entif!c historians are bribed by England
TO write propaganda TO undermine
America
Do college professors. in writing or
| teaching American history, confess 10
the allegations OF their reasonable
conspiracy Not they. indeed, For
them il is no proof that they love
America less. when they become inter
national in their ou:looks. They pride
! themselves upon being unbiased" like
the husband who found his psStiferolls
wife fighting the bear. and PRAYED that
the battle might 80 now for the bear
and now for the wife. He was so I'M
biased So the modern historian seeks
both sides OF every conflict between his
country and that country'S enemy. and
by SO neutraliEing one side by the
| other ne boasts he thinks that he IS I'm
biased il stating only facts"
Nothing prevaricates quite so out
rageously as facts" wher they are
falsely grouped or hsit stated, uncigest-
ed. or grossly or lgnora2;ly TlSinter-
preted And no historian ever die
tated a line which was nor filtered
through his own bias. however 'u2-
/ bz AAts u Al ~ -
In newspaper ethics the reporter IS
required 10 suppress his ovu opinions
and leave all opinion 20 the editor. Bu,
he who can gather the selt-coUtraotc-
tory statements Of witnesses ard not
weigh their cred!hshty and their Sig
n!sicance as 20 she truth o. what has
happened-a murder. an accident or \
scandals q SupcrniaG. A supreme
court often fail at that task.
Managing editors Theoretically reuse
to agree with that Characterization, a
reporter mus, cc0glae his story 70 the
| "taet<"-wn,ch is fine IN theory. but
fantastic IN practice. Facts are not
facts unless they cover the sheer, the
hypocrisy. the whole atmosphere ~ the
story The verieSt cub Knows tsas he
cannot &c; two witnesses of anytAinS
TO agree III all details ~ the.T state
ment Of what has happened, He IS
bound 10 Slst the facts and that
means interpretation, however Asddea
Truth lies nos II bald facts. whSH are
inevitably tvagnentary
What is the difference between re-
porter Of current events and reporter
q. the Roman CSythasln,aa wars One
gets the same pay rs shs other es
even leSS"~>o0: the historian adds
Greek oT Latin letters ~ Ms name ana
,hs, lifts h,O above confession that Ms
story is cclcyrS. III spite ~ himself. ey
his own pvelaolceS or his own lHseraIe-
tatioaS, lie Is ''s>i star reporter
Of ancient or medieval news, and when
he tells II the American Revolution.
mavhe ne tries 10 ", unbiased by max
ins the issues between the colonies and
the mother country " equal weight
ON both sides. And ne calls that
"iartS," when tt Is essentially olSlcN~
atty 10 the spirit ct Gar Nation,
Emerson said that "tae NSe ~ his
sorv is to give value se the present
hour ans. tsS duty Wh'ca VIII COM
My With tina, aegsn,Isnn the more VrslN
-ailrst>d facts" " sOc!CSAtS ~ the
number af men tn hattie she senSta ~
the maech the rNSlslt az the s<Nssee& r.
or the spirit NJ BRAVERY ana SStg~SACsl~
retns natrtcsA>m y! those who rFeSeSssa
MS nm facing the CONTINUING NSnt teE
liberty and prASreSSSs "tS is the Ssssts
thar au,ckeneth, the flesh pyeisae'h
nothing
Al the last meeting Ut the American
historical Association, held al INNsN,lN-
bus, Ohio, the following 's>Sgss0EiestS wes>'
adopted, eut ne newSlsareg published
them henee she newspapers must b. 1n
league against teaching eAaty historical
fact" tAR>
Whereas. there has eeen IA gEoxse>S
tor several wars an asssatsten coilsetNtsd
by certain newNpAIsers, gattto3iS SsN't-
ettea, fraternal ol<iess aud agaesS against
u number III SSheS1 tent MNNSS IA has
terry and III gavoG at official eeAS<NgSlsslN
and
"Wher~aS, this rTeasaSAa<lA has inca
with sufficient StseceNs ~ MAAS ssSSss
not otN acute eSnttuNSiSN IA MANY
cities. but sae passage NJ SessSSNSasN
laws la aeNeral States 1het~eN1S,
tie Il resNlNsSt by the AMeFatAn IAN"
togteAl Association. NIs<Aa the tSSeia~
men<iatl,n Ut rs eegnNttsae ea hNtasS
teachtns III the SShaass AaI vi IN sNS
eeut,Ve council THAT sesAsIshe AMI IN
talllsent eAtrlestSIa ne leSs than ire
fe4VsY@neWts nj hNneS4N AMI sss$aAa
sshalatsaip A demand thai teNe~eSSNS
1890. 80 Xhaamhars shasaAa xAptkA n