Evening star., 1928-11-03

The severest condemnation of any
doctrine Is to call IL propaganda. 10
many persons there is no possible mean
ing ever to be attributed to the term
that is praiseworthy. Propaganda"
has come to signify underhanded, sly,
cunning perversion of truth for Self1sh
and often corrupt end.
1t exists among men and women who
control or work in the public schools
the professors of colleges and teachers
in common and high schools, for the
National Education Association so
charges. 1t is alleged to exist IN wonn--
ems organizations, such as the General
Federation-but that would be too spe-
cific if the whole title were to be
printed. 1t is always under cover, and
the actual propagandists are said to be
receiving princely. salaries to pervert
the intelligence of impressionable youths
and unsuspecting brides starting in
housekeeping.
Of course, to expose these profiteers
of propaganda is a righteous act, hence
the National Education Association, be-
ing "unco guild" has set about to
achieve that exposure, though the
heavens fall. It has appointed a COM
mittee of 10 superintendents of city
schools to assist in doing what reSo-
luton of the United States Senate last
February ordered the United States
Trade Commission to do. That Gov
ernment bureau has been laboring at 1t
all Summer; it has created massive VOL
umes of evidence, but-wait until the
committee of 10 teachers get at the
villainous propagandists! They will
keep them in after school, and maybe
set them in a corner with a foolscap
aAI@ A4AA -.
tions are Ito investigate the use in
schools of materials provided bv out
side agencies or organizations, which
evidently covers brains of lecturers on
public utilities and text books of history
OF the World War-loaned from out
side. Outside agencies" indeed!
Take an Illustration of the evil, pick
ed at random as it were The National
Education Association did not suggest
this; in fact, it failed to recognize it
when it was suggested, for this is not
an issue in the political campaign, and
the public utilities outside agencies"
issue is directly concerned in saving
the Nation. What is meant is the as
founding, bewildering manipulation of
facts of history applicable to the doc
trines of national preparedness or
pac1fism. There is not a text book in
any public school which Col. Thomas j.
Dickson chaplain of the 1st Division)
who has made hobby of reading the
history text books, does not expose as
ridiculously inaccurate, if not pernicious.
The reason for this obscuration of facts
has never yet been explained: it is now
up to the committee of 10 superin-
tendents of public schools. Public util-
tiles can wait. Shall our youth be taught
absurdities, or facts?
X X x
A sidelight is cast upon the problem
of this investigation through a para
graph in the Education Research Bull
letin, issued by the National Education
Association (Vol. VI. No. /, page 34),
which states a principle:
Which is more important. factual
knowledge or right attitude of mind?
Which is more important, to teach pu-
pills all the facts of the Revolutionary
War without regard to the spirit which
animated our forefathers, or have them
know less of the facts and have them
enthused with the spirit of sacrifice and
patriotism?"
OF course, the answer is found in
John, vi63. but how many teachers have
cited 1t? 1T is the spirit which quick
eneth, the flesh proflteth nothing" But
much today depends upon that spirit,
According to Col. Dickson, school his
tories are so egregiously inaccurate-not
rs TO their accounts of the Rise and De-
cline of the Roman Empire, the Amer
lean Revolution or Indian Wars, but of
the World War-that there seems to be
q conspiracy to belittle the events of
the greatest war in all history, and es-
pecially to dwarf the spirit of sacri-
flce" attendant upon its great military
What are the "outside
influences" affecting our colleges and
schools. and preaching pacifisnn, If not
open communism, even to college stu
dents?
Or, on the other hand, in the effort
to belittle the need of national prepar-
edness against attack, they teach the |
of American prowess over