Evening star., 1936-03-01
SENATORS ACCORD
S|SSON MEASURE
ACTIVE SUPPORT
Several Representatives Ito
Testify Tomorrow as
Hearings Resume. ]
MSGR. RYAN ATTACKS
CURB ON EDUcATIeE
Wagner May Introduce Compan-
ion Bill-Hope for Action I
in House March 8. y

Democrat. of Montana, as IAN insult
to the intelligence of the school teach
ers" and subjected to a cumulative
barrage of criticism from inside and
outside Congress, the widely discussed
'red rider" on the 1886 District ap-
preparation bill will be the center
of bitter fight this week at the
Capitol. /
Lined up in support of a bill BY
Representative Sisson, Democrat, of
New York to repeal the rider are,
in addition to Senator Wheeler. Sena-
tors Black of Alabama, Costigan of
Colorado, Clark of Missouri. O'Ma-
honey of Wyoming, Thomas of Utah
and Schwellenbach of Washington&
A number of Representatives haye
promised Sisson they would testify
against the rider when hearings ale
resumed on Sisson's repeal measure
tomorrow at 1890 am. before tie
Subcommittee on Education of tie
House District Committee. Among
these are Representatives Gillette Of
Iowa, Lewis of Maryland, Martin Of
Colorado. Scott of California and
Maverick of Texas Others opposed
to the rider include Representative
Christianson of Minnesota and Muf-
dock of Utah.
Catholic U. Dean Hits Rider. :
In letter yesterday to Sisson, Msgr.
John A. Ryan, dean of the School of
Sacred Sciences, Catholic University.
termed the rider "a gratuitous insult
to the patriotism" of school teachers.
Senator Wheeler's denunciation was
expressed in letter he wrote yester-
day to Sisson. as follows: ?
II am taking the liberty to congrat-
ulate you upon the fight which you are
making for the repeal # the provision
for the teaching or advocating Of COM
munism in the public schools in the
District of Columbia.
ITO me it Is an insul tc the intelli-
gence of the school teachers to have
such provision on the statute books
of the United States. !
But why assume that any school
teacher is teaching communism OF
that any person who has sufficient ed
ucation to become school teacher Is
going to teach communism in the
United, States is beyond my UNDER
standing.
Those who seek to pass such laws
as you are seeking to repea' do more to
promote communism than any one
else.
Il trust that you will be successful
in your efforts !
Msgr. Ryan's Letter. J
Msgr. Ryans letter follows:
Owing to absence from the city, /
shall not be able to take part in the
hearings Monday on your bill to re-
peal the notorious 'anti-Red riderg
Therefore, I am writing you my OBJ
jections to this legislative monstrosity
and at the same time expressing the
strong hope that it will be repealed. /
81. The rider is gratuitous Insult
to the patriotism of the entire body d
teachers in the public schools of the
District of Columbia. Why should
they be required to swear that they
have not taught communism when 50
far as can be ascertained very few Il
any of them have taught communism
%. The rider is utterly futile. y
any of the teachers have actually de-
Tended or inculcated communism in
the class room they will have no
scruples about denying the fact. Your
thorough Communist looks upon and
despises truthfulness in such situa-
tions as mere bourgeois morality
"3. The rider aims to deprive public
school pupils in the District of Co.
lumbia of the opportunity to learn
something about a doctrine and form
OF government which dominate nas
ton of 160,000,000 people and which 4
few very noisy, even though very inE
competent, persons seek to have ess
tablished in the United States. Why
should the Congress give so much en-
couragement to ignorance? !
=. The rider Is contrary to all OUT
traditions of educational method and
academic freedom. It betrays a lack
of confidence in the competence. in
telligence and patriotism of the School
Board as well as of the teachers Of the
District of Columbia.
"As a matter of course, neither Conn
munism nor the Soviet form of gov
ernment should be advocated in any
class room an the public schools. The
pupils should not be urged to accept
Communism any more than they
should be urged to accept Catholicism
or Methodism. The natur~ and aims
of Communism and the operation OF
the Soviet government should be put
before the pupils with as close an ap-
proach to accuracy as is reasonably
attainable. On the other hand, OBJ.
jective presentation does not imply
neutrality In comments or judgments.
Since our political system excludes
violence as a method Of reform and
includes democratic rule instead of a
dictatorship by the proletariat, the
teacher could properly refute the false
principles 'of Communism and point
out the superiority OF the American
system. If the text books used in the
schools are objective and inadequate.
the teachers will have no great din.
Guilty In making Communism unat.
tractive to the pupils. For example.
no normal pupil is likely to acquire a
longing for the Communistic regime
who reads Calvin Hoover's book. THE
Economic Life of Soviet Russia" j.
Quotes From Book. '
"Mr. Sisson. was oposing CommYy
nism and Socialism when some 6f
the 'anti-red rider protagonists were
in short pants. What I think Of the
Soviet regime can be briefly expressed
LII sentence which take the liberty
Of quoting from my recent book, "A
tsee RED. RIDER. Page 7-sl