Evening star., 1935-11-21
THREE WILL PROBE
TEXT BOOKS HERE
FOR RADICAL DATA
School Board Committee to
Determine If Rider Is
Violated.
PR0BERS WILL ATTEMPT
TO FIX RESPONSIBILITY
Maurer Heads Group Charged
With Task of Ascertaining
Who Ordered Volumes.

the nlgn ScnOOS 10 determine II tney
violate the anti-communism rider in
the current appropriation bill.
Robert A. Maurer, co-author of a
text book now in use in the schools,
was named chairman and associated
with him will be Mrs. Philip Sidney
Smith and DR.. ]. Hayden johnson.
Decision to make the study was made
yesterday after a committee from the
Federation of Citizens Associations
presented citations from three books
now in use which were denounced as
actually advocating communism.
viii Elk Responsibility"
The committee was asked to make a
study of all such books and fix 'respon-
sibility for the original adoption of
such text books"
Members of the committee were
given copies of all questioned texts
and, after separate studies, Maurer
will call the members together for joint
consideration.
The survey was ordered after long
session at which communism bobbed
up half dozen times.
The meeting opened with the pres
entation by Charles B. Degges, secre-
tary, of 26 communications concern
ing the boards action in approving
the opinion of E. Barrett Prettyman,
corporation counsel, who held that
factual teaching Is permissible but
that advocating communism is against
the law. All but nine Of these COM
mended the board for its stand.
Ballou Indoses Blanks.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superintendent,
later presented recommendation for
the approval of a blank form to be
filled In by all school employees In
order to comply with the ruling Of
Controller General ]. r. McCarl that
statement from each must accom-
pany the pay roll that he has not
taught or advocated the subject In
or out of school. The form was ap-
proved.
DR.. Ballou also issued a statement
giving his views on the McCarl ruling
in which he said that since the
controller general did not attempt
to define the meaning of the word
teach, he would sign the required
form without any mental reservation
whatsoever" and indicating that the
McCarl ruling would bring about
no change in existing classes or
courses.
Advocating communism within the
Schools" he said, has always been,
now is, and will continue to be pro-
hibited, and any teacher undertaking
to indoctrinate her pupils in the ten
cts OF communism will be dealt with
administratively in accordance with
the rules of the board.
"The superintendent will take into
consideration his own understanding
of the spirit and letter of the law,
the corporation counsel's opinion of
the meaning Of that legislation, the
action of the Board of Education in
adopting that opinion as its own, and
the provisions of the course of study
prepared by the educational profes-
sion in Washington and approved by
the Board of Education"
Quinn Raises Question.
Henry I. Quinn raised the question
Of letting teachers run the risk of
losing their salaries" in case the SUBJ
ject is mentioned at all.
I'VE should toss the matter back to
Congress" he said, "either to repeal
it or have it clarified. I hope the
board will authorize its legislative
committee to seek the riders repeal.
I hope it is repealed and I shall vote
that teachers give factual teaching in
their classes and tell all about COM
munism."
The federation was represented BY
Thomas e. Lodge, new president:
George E. Sullivan, Harry N. Stull and
Mrs. George Corbin. Sullivan pre-
sented the statement, but explained
that only three books had been found
Objectionable.
He quoted from can Introduction to
American Civilization" by Harold Burg,
used in the ninth grade and first year
high school; Changing Civilizations
in the Modern World" by the same
author and used in the same grades,
and Modern History" by Carl L.
Becker, used In the senior high schools.
AL three texts were quoted to show
they are laudatory of communism.
Russia, bolshevism, Karl Marx and
Nicolai Lenin, and their teachings
and philosophy.
Selected Readings" Scored.
Sullivan particularly scored the
selected readings" cited in the text
by Becker. These, he said. were writ
ten by w. H. Chamberlin, Bertrand
Russell, II. N. Brailsford, Alex Wick
stead. s. Nearing, M. Farbman, v.
Marcy and Leon Trotsky. All of them
he described as "well-known commu-
mist writer's" - i
Two otner texts received unstinted
praise by Sullivan. These are a his
tory written by Maurer and Jones,
and Economics" by Fairchild.
The book by Maurer and Jones was
written several years ago by Robert
A. Maurer, who now heads the COM
mittee to probe the text books, and
George Jones. head of the history de-
partment in the high schools. Maurer
was then head Of the department and
Jones was teacher.
Pupils Surviving the course as far
as the eleventh and twelfth grades"
Sullivan continued. will be finally
told the truth about communism. The
less fortunate pupils, however, who
have been poisoned by the COM
munistic propaganda in the ninth and
tenth grades but have not been able
to continue the course, viii be de.
prived Of such opportunity. Moreover,
it is not unlikely that many Of those
vyan rax,sa{v, ty, fHa ne.f%nu rsx4<f1 $t,o