Evening star., 1936-01-01
REJECTION URGED
ON TEXT REPORT
OF CITY SCHOOLS
Brief of Citizen Committee
Asks Board Disapprove
Communism Probe.
CHOICE OF PERSONNEL
HELD "UNFORTUNATE"
Investigators Challenged on
Ground All Are Favorable
to Superintendent.

Denied further public hearings on
the subject Of communistic teaching
in the public schools, the special COM
mittee of the Federation of Citizens
Associations has filed a brief with the
Board of Education asking that the
report of the boards Special Commit
tee on Text Books be disapproved.
That report, submitted two weeks
ago, cleared specified text books Of the
charge that they contain pro-commu-
nistic matter. No action was taken on
the report at the time. but 1t has been
expected approval would be given to-
morrow.
The federation's brief, filed by
George E. Sullivan, chairman, gives
further citations from Modern His
tory" by Carl L. Becker, one OF the
books originally complained against.
The charge is renewed that the text Is
favorable to communism.
Committee Challenged.
The Sullivan committees brief
charges that the personnel of the Spe-
cial Text Book Committee lis rather
unfortunate" since all three members
Robert A. Maurer, Mrs. Philip Sid
ney Smith and DR.. j. Hayden johnson
are favorable to DR.. Frank w. Bal
lou. superintendent of sochols.
The chairman of the committee was
formerly a subordinate of the superin-
tendent of schools in the position of
principal Of Central High School, the
report says. Another member OF the
committee is the only remaining MEM
ber of the board who voted originally
for the election of DR.. Ballou as super
intendent of schools. The other MEM
ber of the committee was a member OF
a special committee of the board which
in 1880 investigated citizenship COM
plants against the circulation from
some undisclosed source Of commu-
nisic literature among high school stu
dents. and which committee reported,
on May 81, 1880, that, although some
80 pieces Of cor1munistic literature
had been found to have been cir
culated, there was no cause for
dldI III VI IOllCClL dS was AO
sound evidence that a large portion
of our students had received such
literature or taken any interest in it."
Probe Held Not Thorough.
The brief also charged that the fact
DR.. Ballou recommended elimination
from the list of approved texts Euro
pean Civilization and Politics Since
1915" by Erik Achorn, is proof that
the Maurer Committee did not make a
thorough investigation.
The superintendent stated reason
for discontinuing Achorn's European
Civilization and Politics Since 1915"
was that it may be construed as too
favorable toward communism
This choice use of language indi-
Gates a serious departure from the
opinion OF the corporation counsel
Congress has not left to the super
intendent of schools or the Board of
Education the determination of
whether particular matter is too IA
vorable' toward communism, or only
Just favorable enough to suit the ideas
of the superintendent and the board" !"
The brief also attacks the charge
made in the Text Book Committees
report that sentences we're taken
from their context to change their
The statement asserts that
particular page citations were made so
that there could be no misunderstand-
ing.
Rugg Texts Attacked.
Several pages of the 13-page brief
are devoted to further attack on texts
written by Prof. Harold Rugg. These
books are not being used in the public
schools, the Maurer report said.
A number of passages in the Maurer
report are quoted and answered spe-
cifically and it is charged that the re-
sponsibility for alleged "subversive"
matter used in the schools cannot be
passed on to the superintendent.
Copies Of the brief sent to news
by Sullivan bear the typed sig
natures of Sullivan, Harry N. Stull.
Mrs. George Corbin and Mrs. Horace
j. Phelps.