Evening star., 1936-01-03
WhitweII and GiIIigan Reply
to Citizens Criticism
of School Head.
ANTI-RED AGITATION
DECLARED HARMFUL
Arouses Curiosity of Students
as to Communism, Says
Member.

GIlc T6pOTG VI lGS SpcCldl COiIllliItCC oai
questioned text books was approved.
George M. Whitwell and Henry
Gilligan, board members, struck back
at the special committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations
for alleging that the Text Book Com
mittee had been selected because its
members are friendly" to DR.. Ballou.
Gilligan also criticized the methods
Of the Federation Committee in pre-
senting its charges against three text
books, which the boards committee
found were not pro-communistic, as
charged by the federation.
'I shudder to contemplate" Gill;
gan said in a prepared statement,
"what this federation committee
would do to the PsalmiSt David.
parenthetically. if it were attacking
the Bible. One of the foundation
stones of our governmental structure
is our trust in God. One might quote
from the fourteenth psalm, There is
no God The context clearly shows,
however, that the psalmist says, The
fool hath said in his heart, there is
no Cod"
Resents Attack on Patriotism.
Gilligan also said that he resented
~the imputation that has been made
many times to the effect that the
members of the Board of Education
are not patriotic. I resent the state
ment that the so-called Maurer
committee was deliberately selected
to whitewash the superintendent OF
schools. That statement is a most
unwarranted reflection upon the
president of the board and upon the
committee members.
"I cannot conceive of any more
effective method of arousing the
curiosity of young students as to
communism than the course pur-
sued by those who have been agitat-
ing this question before the board. -
Gilligan prefaced his remarks with
the explanation that he had wanted
to make the statement before but had
refrained from speaking extempor-
aneously because I might say the
wrong thing"
whitwell made his statement before
Gilligan.
IT resent the criticism of this COM
mittee,'' he said, because it is
charged the members are friends OF
the superintendent. I am a friend
Of the superintendent. I believe he
Is a fine educator, and nationally
recognized as such. He is a fine
executive. He has done a fine work
In the Washington schools, for which
he should be commended. He is a
fine patriotic American citizen of
whom we should all be proud. I am
glad to say this publicly
Applause Greets Remarks.
Both the statements were greeted
by applause from the small group
present, but Mrs. Marion Wade Doyle,
president, raped for order. George
e. Sullivan, chairman of the fedora
tion's committee, left the meeting
Immediately after the vote was taken,
but not until he had given news re-
porters a statement prepared IN
advance
when the people of any COM
munity," his statement said, "are de-
prived OF all voice In the selection
of its board of education, no one
should be surprised at the introduc-
ton into the schools, under such
un-American conditions, of un-
American propaganda. In fact, with
the constant importation from afar
of officers and teachers about whom
the citizens can know nothing, and
the well-known fact that un-Ameri-
can teaching has invaded many OF
our largest and most influential
universities, no one should be amazed
to find it firmly intrenched in a
place where the people are rendered
helpless to prevent 1t.
"There is, however, one really
astounding aspect of the matter,
namely, that a board of education
which feels at perfect liberty to treat
the rights of pupils. teachers and the
citizens generally with such indiffer-
ence should think that 1t can success
fully defy the express mandate of
the Congress and to even disregard
the opinion Of the corporation coun-
sel as to the purpose and meaning OF
said mandate of Congress"
Quinn Withholds Vote.
When the committees report was
adopted, Henry I. Quinn asked to be
recorded as not voting. He explained
that ne still believes the interpreta-
zion of the law by the corporation
counsel to be wrong and for that
reason alone declined to approve the
report.
IT believe" he said. "that the mean
ing of teach as contained in the
amendment against communism mears
the same thing as to teach about.
Consequently I can not 60 along with
the premise that the corporation coun-
Gel Is correct.
"But want to place the board on
notice now that at the next meeting
Z am going to move that this whole
matter be given back to Congress
either for Qualification or for repeal.
II believe we should teach all facts
About communism, fasciSm and al
the other isms, but so long as the law
reads as 1t does it is the fault Of Con-
Rress, not ours. Let them take che
responsibility.
"I have made my own investigation
pf the effect of this law ON the teach
ers. have learned that teachers who
hook inquiries about communism as an
opportunity to stress the good things
about our own democratic form of
government have ceased to do that
for fear Of having their salaries held
up. They say now, in answer to the
children, We can't talk about that
An inquiry for information on the
communism controversy from Mrs