Evening star., 1937-02-14
RED RIDER REPEAL
VOTE TOMORROW
STARTED IN SENATE
Conference With House will
Be Next Step if Mo.
ton Passes.
D. c. TEACHERS PRAISE
KENNEDY FOR FIGHT
Express Appreciation to Mary.
land Representative for Spon-
soring Bill to End Ban.

The Senate is slated to act tomor-
row on the motion of Senator Wheeler.
Democrat, of Montana, for outright
repeal of the red rider" as a substi-
tute for the House plan TO modify the
ban on discussion of communism in
District public schools.
If the motion is adopted the whole
subject then will go to conference be-
tween the two branches for final de-
termination. The Senate has already
voted for outright repeal, but further
action is necessary before the question
can go to conference, because the
House passed a separate measure in
stead of amending the Senate bill.
The House plan would permit the
teaching of communism. but would
continue to provide that no salary
could be paid any one who advocated
communism or other un-American
doctrine, or who presented such doc
trines in a favorable light. The House
bill also would do away with the pres
ent requirement that teachers file
statements every pay day that they
have not transgressed the rule.
Wheeler Fears Complications.
In continuing to fight for outright
repeal, Senator Wheeler fears that
under the House amendment teaching
might be misinterpreted and miscon-
strued as advocacy. He regards the
rider as an unnecessary reflection on
the teaching force.
Representative Kennedy, Democrat,
of Maryland, who sponsored the red
rider" repeal bill which was defeated
in the House, received a letter of
appreciation yesterday from the
Teachers Union of Washington.
The Teachers Union of Washing
ton, D. c." said the letter, wishes to
thank you for your support Of true
American principles.
The Teachers Union, however. Is
much disappointed by the action taken
by the House of Representatives in
approving the amendment of the re-
peal bill.
What is meant by treating any
such doctrine. (as communism) with
favor or supp6rt9"
The letter was signed by Mary c.
Dent, president of the union.
Repeal Urged in Record.
An echo of the red rider" battls
in the House also found its way into
the latest issue Of the Congressional
Record which contained, under 'ex-
tension of remarks" statements advo.
eating its outright repeal by Repre-
sentatives Lewis, Democrat, of Mary
land, and Honeyman, Democrat Of
Oregon.
Mrs. Honeyman particularly criti.
cized the Mccormack amendment at.
tached to Kennedy's bill by the House.
There are members here who feel.
as do" she said, that this (the
red rider), is unfair and blundering
legislation, but who are willing to
accepS half a loaf by supporting the
amendment of the gentleman from
Massachusetts, CMcCormack) to strike
out the word teaching from the
clause and leaving its application to
those advocating un-American doc
trines I do not agree that this is
a question Of compromise, but one for
outright repeal.
"As the amendment reads, it OBJ.
viously brings up the question Of
what definition will be applied to
the term advocate, and who is to
apply the definition. In other words,
it is very possible that a teacher
might be commenting on Russia,
that these comments might be re-
layed by a child to his parents with
the child's Interpretation and ampli.
fications, and, as result, the teacher
would stand unjustly accused Of ad.
vocating communism.
Says Amendment Ambiguous.
Merely eliminating the word
teaching does not clarity the situa-
ton, and will not vote for this ans
biguous amendment. agree with
the gentleman from New York (Rep-
resentative O'Connor) that the only
way to end it is to wipe it of the
statute books
II expect and hope to be found on
the side of progressive education,
whether 1t is in the District Of Co.
lumbia or elsewhere"
Lewis extension of remarks con-
sisted Of his testimony before the
Education Subcommittee of the House
District. Committee at the last session
of Congress during hearings on the
former Sisson bill for outright repeal
of the rider.
I'VE have here in Washington q
very excellent high school system"
he said, "and since no evils have
developed in the administration of
that system under the existing laws
and regulations, it does seem to me
that unless this committee were to
find a very definite abuse that it
ought not to lend its approval to one
sentence of statutory regulation that
related simply to one phase. know
Of only. one wise law that can be
stated in single sentence, and that
was by the Master of the world Him.
self: Love ye one another This
red rider is taken from another kind