Evening star., 1935-10-30
R0UT PROPAGANDA
WITH INSTRUCTION,
is BALLOU PLEA
School Head Writes Fetty
of Maryland Legion At
titude Here.
NOT INSTITUTING
TEACHING, HOWEVER
Eleven of Twelve Questions An.
swered by Educator, Who Cites
Need Of Early Enlightenment.

Pointing out that the Board of Edu-
cation is not now instituting the
teaching of Communism in the
schools of the District, DR.. Frank w.
Ballou. superintendent of schools, has
written E. Brook Fetty. vice depart
ment commander Of the American
Legion of Maryland that factual in
struction on the subject would Offset
results of propaganda.
DR.. Ballou made his letter public
yesterday afternoon and Fetty dis
cussed the subject by radio last night.
Fetty wrote the superintendent IL
questions on the teaching of Com
munism and DR.. Ballou answered all
but one. pointing out that Il do not
know what this question means" IN
answer to the only one to which he
made no reply.
II believe" DR.. Ballou wrote. that
the most serious danger to the prog
ress of civilization. including the
maintenance of American ideals Of
democracy, lies in the inSidious prop
Uganda which is being systemat:o
CARED on throughout the world to-
day.
Early Action Required.
Much Of that propaganda is de-
liberately aimed at the young people
in European countries as we'll as in
this country. If we are successfully
to combat such propaganda We must
reach those same young people with
factual information concerning politi-
cal, economic. social and spiritual
matters before our young people be.
come indoctrinated with such propa.
ganda.
obviously this must be done as
early in the school program as possible
in order that our young people may
have sufficient knowledge and under
standing to meet the appeals of such
propaganda. know of no racial
troubles either current or anticipated
which are as dangerous to American
institutions as the insiduous propa.
ganda regarding communism"
DR.. Ballou pointed out to Fetty that
there is an apparent misunderstand-
ing of the Board of Education,s recent
action on the opinion of E. Barrett
Prettyman. corporation counsel. in
that the impression has been given
that the board has begun for the first
time instruction IN communism in the
schools.
The superintendent said that the
opinion of Corporation Counsel PRE-
lyman does not, in the Judgment Of
the school authorities, require any
change in the instruction heretofore
offered. The School Board Is
not instituting the teaching Of com-
munism in the schools at this time.
Desirable instruction.
"The instruction which has here.
tofore been offered concerning COM
munism, Fascism and other forms Of
political government in Europe have
heretofore aroused no adverse COM
ment. I am of the opinion that that
type of instruction is decirab,e.
Il am unalterably opposed to the
instruction in communism which aims
at indoctrination Of pupils in favor OF
communism"
DR.. Ballou cited Prettyman's state
ment that knowledge of communism
is better safeguard against propa-
ganda in its favor than ignorance
Of it."
He also asserted that study will
clearly indicate that the fundamental
ideals about communism are antago.
nistic to the fundamentals of Ameri-
can democracy"
Fetty, in his radio address, charged
that Ballou under the guise of want
ing to give the children of the Ma
tion's Capital the facts about all forms
OF government" proposed to require
that they study this destructive set
up (communism) which is stencil
in the nostriLs of all 100 per cent
Americans"