Evening star., 1935-09-10
SCHOOLS OBTAIN
RIGHT TO TEACH
P. FACTS ON SOVIET
Prettyman Holds Teachers
May Outline Theories
of Communism.
BARS TO ADVOCATING
PRINCIPLES REMAIN
CORPORATION Counsels Ruling for
Education Board Is 0. KID
by City Heads.

Public school teachers of the Dis
trict may outline to their pupils the
facts and theories of communlstlc
governments and parties SO long as
they do not advocate such doctrines
or show any shadow OF favor 1or
them. the Board of Education was
advised today by Corporation Counsel
Prettyman.
The ruling, approved today by the
District Commissioners, was sought oy
school authorities as an interpreta-
tion of the rider" inserted in the
current appropriation act forbidd1ng
use of school funds for teaching" OF
communism.
The ruling Is scheduled for atten-
ton at tomorrow's meeting OF the
School Board 1t now represents the
position of the District Gvernment.
Depends on Interpretation.
The opinion turns on the interpreta-
ton of the word teach" Prettyman,
after weeks of study, found:
The mere recitation or study OF
factual data is not the teaching pro-
hibited by this statute. But am also
of the view that any shadow of favor
or support of communism shown by
or reasonably to be drawn from such
recitation or study, is prohibited"
The corporation counsel found that
communism refers to the govern
mental forms and theories Of the
present-day Communist parties COM
posing the Internationale, as related
to the recently adopted law. Chief
among their economic and political
tenets. he found, we're: Abolition OF
private ownership of property and the
substitution of a system OF common
ownership, control of the government
by the proletariat twage earners with
out property, that is, a dictatorship
by the proletariat, and destruction OF
present systems of government and
the substitution therefor of other Sys-
TENS adapted to the theory of prole-
tartan dictatorship.
Opposed to U. S. System.
"These tenets are. of course, directly
opposed to the established American
system, which includes among its
principal bases private ownership OF
property, governmental control by a
majority of all classes, periodically
expressed, and a governmental system,
legislative, executive and judicial, de-
signed to function in accordance with
these concepts.
1.-THE congressional intent in the
present statute was obviously directed
to the protection of this system against
internal attack"
He defined the word advocate" as
meaning to plead for, or to urge the
adoption of. The word teach" is much
more difficult to interpret within the
exact delineation of the intent Of
Congress, he said. Clearly, any teach
ing of communism which has for its
purpose or it's intended effect the nur-
ture, training or the indoctrination of
the pupils in communistic thought is
forbidden by this statute, he ruled.
After giving his ruling on the point
at issue, he said: Obviously. Con-
gress did not mean to prohibit COM
ment or instruction which is adverse
to communism, that is, teaching
against it. Neither does it seem to
me that the congressional intent
reaches to the recital, without any
shadow of favor or support. of faetual
data. whether historical, economic or
political. -
Distinction Is Made.
''There is a vital difference here
kaf Nd
about To state that communism
exists is not to teach it. To state
what Communists believe is not to
teach communism within the mean
ing of this statute, provided that the
method or manner of statement does
not imply approval"
Prettyman then alluded to the prac-
tice of Father Edmund A. Walsh of
Georgetown University, who for some
s years has given lecture courses con-
& <cerning the history, beliefs. purposes
< and practices of communism as it
exists in Russia and elsewhere.
But would any one familiar with
Washington say that this lecturer
steaches communism'?" Prettyman
asked. ''The suggestion is laugh-pro-
yoking. Similarly it would be ludi-
crous to say that the morning news
( paper which constantly carries repor-
torial articles on conditions in COM
munistic countries and the purposes
Of communistic parties is teaching
communism
Press Freedom Cited.
. He believes the purposes o: the stat
ute would be fully met" W the opin-
ion adopted by the Commissioners.
$50 long as we have a freedom of the
press for the uncensored reporting of
world news and the untrammeled ex-
preston Of editorial opinion, no cause
can well be served by an attempt to
suppress factual data" he continued.
THE danger to be apprehended
breeds in ignorance and not in knowl-
edge. The mere failure of public
school teachers to mention COM
munism would not prevent their
pupils from knowing that such a
school of thought exists. This was
+ not the purpose of Congress. That
: purpose was to protect the American
system from an insidious internal
attack through the Government-Sup-
ported public school system. Ad-
vocacy, and not information, is the
objective of the statutory mandate"
: Prettyman's opinion said the "only
safe course" for school authorities to
follou "is tn avoid cloSe cases bV