Evening star., 1935-09-24
Political Influences
And the Youth Program

To the Editor Of The Star:
Your issue of September 10 contains
an outline of what Willard E. Givens,
executive secretary of the N. Z. A.,
thinks of the Youth Program" set up
as a branch of the r. E. r. A. in the
New Deal, which Givens calls q Raw
Deal for Public Schools" Believing, as
do. in the educational experiments Of
the Federal Government as well aS in
many others outside the public school
syStem-aGult classes, vocational train
ing, parent education and rehabilitation,
c. c. c. education In conjunction with
valuable civic service, community open
forums, educational forums for farmers,
the educational program for the All
Clubs and the future farmers Of Amer
lea, and many other mutations Of :he
educational plant which are unniistak-
able symptoms that the established
species of education Is headed toward
extinction-I consider the Youth Pro-
gram" as desirable educational expert
.ment, one that will be instructive to
educators as well as to the public gen.
orally.
II the executive secretary is alarmed
because he estimates it will take $2,225,-
900 to administrate q $50,000,0 ,00c educa-
tional program-an overhead Of less than
per cent-he must feel much greater
alarm to find that, according to recent
survey, the benevolent 'non-political"
Red Cross has an overhead OF almost 60
per cent. The activities Of this great
organization permeate the life OF all
communities and should be subject
of vital interest to educators who seek TO
prepare youth for the actualities OF life.
Its funds are also supplied by the
public.
This program Of education Is prob
ably no more under the influence OF pol
itics than is the educational leadership
In the public school system. Educators
have never been known to be timid about
lobbying for their interests, nor have
they been backward about pulling polit-
ical wires In their local communities.
Politics is merely the science and art OF
government and should be OF vital con-
Germ to every citizen. 1t is an evil only
when it Is transformed into secret ma
nipulation and Sugar-coated with ideal
ism. The principles involved in pol
| itics and those involved In the whole
subject Of cost of administration, not
| merely of one industry but Of all impor-
tant industries, are proper subjects Of
discussion in our schools and the dis
cuSsions should be free, frank, open. II
our educational leaders had the courage
and wisdom to insist on such free dis
cussion in all schools there would not he
the present widespread criticism that:
"Only in the rarest instances does the
school wage war on behalf Of principles
or ideals. Almost everywhere it is in .he
grip of conservative forces and is serv-
ing the cause of perpetuating ideas and
institutions suited to an age that Is
gone"
When the Federal Trade Commission
few years ago exposed the corrupt
secret alliance between professors and
designing utility magnateS and the great
| N. E. A., which Mr.. Givens now serves.
was asked to openly make war in behalf
of the principles involved it pussyfooted
| the issue, merely passed innocuous res
olutionS, and played for delays-politics
| of the wrong kind. We do not recall
when educators have boldly and
promptly waged war in behalf Of the
principle involved in real academic
| freedom by championing the cause of a
/ DR.. Herbert A. Miller, a Prot. William E.
Sealock, or any other Of the hundreds
Of superior schoolmen who dared to
| make their faith whole with deed We
| may be hopeful that the political infiu-
enceS directing the Youth Program"
will. by their frank avowal that they
are political. purify the politics Of the
management OF the public school pro-
gram. o. J. SCHUSTER.