Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-05
Ohio State Faculty Battle
Seen as Diplomatic Incident

Public interest has been aroused by
the dismissal from the faculty of Ohio
State University Of Prof. Herbert A.
Miller Of the Department of Sociology.
At first viewed as the outgrowth of
controversy over compulsory military
training, the incident is now connected
with addresses made abroad, particu-
registered, reviving the traditional dis
pute as to academic freedom versus pub
lie policy.
One Of the charges against him, "
states the Charleston (W. Va Daily
Mail, lis that when in India he adyo-
Gated resistance to British rule. I'm
agine how we should like it II a pro-
fessor Of oxford or Cambridge went to
the Philippines and advocated insur-
rection against the authority of the
United States. Finally, the Ohio pro-
lessor was notified a year ago that he
would not be retained and was given
IL months opportunity in which to Sc
cure another position. A professor has
the undoubted right Of thinking as he
pleases, but the authorities of an insti-
tuition Of learning have also the right
to determine in what manner the in
stitution shall be conducted"
Apparently the trustees and Prof.
Miller never have hit 1t of smoothly
remarks the Columbus Ohio State Jour-
nal. THE former were slow in acting
upon the question of his dismissal and
only voted it after they were convinced
that 1t would be better for all con-
cerned II his resignation were de-
manded. Prof. Miller, as he said in his
own defense, follows line of work that
Is highly controversial. Expressions of
opinion upon race questions easily bump
into preJudices. He Is entitled to at
tempt to remove such prejudices If it is
possible. Nevertheless, If in attempting
TO do so he succeeds only in intensity
ing the prejudices against both him
and his subject-and there is evidence
that this is what occurred, judged by
the complaints from parents to the
trustees-it is the duty of the univer-
sity to replace him"
"The public, which supports the uni
verSity," in the opinion Of the Cleveland
News, lis as interested in the quality
OF men selected to teach in the State
school as 1t Is in the issue raised in
the Miller case" That paper holds
that the position Of the university, as
indicated by public announcement,
is that it is "disciplining an instruc-
tor for unwise statements made in for
eign countries" and contends that "the
Se.oOA@c OSSAA AAA4AAoyy duO11lk tfldL
where the governments of Great Brit
ain and Japan seem not to have been
disturbed over the observations of the
sociolog1st, the school which employs
him chooses, more than a year after
the latest offense, to discipline him
Tor what the board considers an affront
to these governments" The News con-
cludes: 1.-The guardianship which the
university exercises over its professors
en- tour indicates keen concern for the
prestige of the State School Board All
the more surprising, therefore, is the
act OF keeping on the faculty for more
than year a man whom the trustees
considered so dangerous as Sociologist
Miller"
Observing that the American Asso-
citation Of University Professors "has
maintained machinery for an impair
tial investigation of such alleged in
fringements as this upon freedom Of
teaching" the Dayton Daily News
thinks that the association will I'M
doubleday take cognizance Of this case"
and feels that "it will be a relief to
the people of the State If an unpreju-
diced Investigation finds that there
were sound reasons, not invasive of free
opinion and freedom OF teaching. for
the dismissal"
Calling the university statement "far-
fetched" the youngstown Vindicator
says as to the effect of the university
action: Under the circumstances it
would appear that President Rightmire
and his trustees do not do themselves
justice in merely setting up a smoke
screen and refusing to give the real
reason for Prof. Miller's dismissal. They
may be right in letting him out, but
they are making q mistake in the way
they are going about it. The demand
nowadays for freedom Of speech in our
colleges Is so tnsistent that they put
themselves In an impossible position If
that he was fired because Of a harmless
address he gave in Bombay more than
il months ago?