Evening star., 1937-02-18


misunderstand what q teacher tells
them.
Comment Of Wheeler.
The Senator from Virginia says
testimony before the committee was TO
the effect some school teachers taught
communism" Wheeler continued. IF
q Senator on this floor will stand up
and tell me what is communism /
should like to have him do it. 1t is
one thing under Stain, another thing
under Trotzky and another thing
under somebody else. The difficulty is
that when this hysteria sweeps the
country, as it does at times. people
completely lose their sense of balance
and come forward and say this man
Is a Communist"
To illustrate further his point.
Wheeler pointed out many people in
the United States today are de
nouncing the President of the United
States because of his advocacy of a
proposal to put six additional judges
on the Supreme Court, and suggest
ing that that Is communism. What
is communism"
Earlier in the debate Senator Rob-
inson had declared that we do not
say no salary shall be paid any Sena-
tor or Congressman who teaches or
advocates communism"
View ef Borah.
Senator Borah, taking the view that
nothing would be accomplished BY the
House modification plan. said that the
best way to get rid of communism Is
TO let the children know what it is.
After declaring children sometimes
misunderstand what teachers are tell
ing them, Senator Wheeler said:
They come home and tell their
parents, who then become hysterical
and pass it on TO somebody else, and
somebody else passes 1t on to some
body else. and finally some of these
so-called crack pots around the city
of Washington who are always trying
10 look after the patriotism of the
people of the United States-and
think they carry all of the patriotism
in the world in their own breasts
come to Congress and ask Congress
solemnly to pass law to the effect
that the teachers in the District shall
be forbidden to teach or advocate
communism, Notwithstanding that
they have already taken an oath to
uphold the Constitution"
Lee Defends Teachers.
Senator Josh Lee OF Oklahoma. q
former school teacher. defended the
patriotism Of teachers generally. He
said he does not favor communism.
but added he does not believe Congress
can legislate patriotism or morality
into anybody.
Senator Glass began by announcing
he would not object to substitution of
the Senate repeal clause for tn, House
bill. believing 1t desirable to let the
whole question 60 20 conference. He
said he wanted to make \ statement,
however. before action was taken.
Il think" Glass declared, that no
problem that has ever been consid-
cred by either branch OF Congress. has
had expended on 1t more nonsense
than this so-cslled red rider What
Is the red rider? 1t Is simply q pro-
hibition against the teaching or ad-
vocacy OF the miserable doctrine of
communism In the public schools, thus
poisoning the minds Of immature chill
dren about . problem that very few
grown-up people know anything about.
The trouble about the whole matter
has been the most astonishing malad-
ministration OF q very simple statute
Of which have ever had any knowl-
edge. and for the one time in Is years
of service the controller general gave
the most incredible opinion that any
public ofiicer ever gave. and that was
that every school teacher should each
month take an oath that he or she
had not taught or advocated commu-
nism in the public schools"
Agrees on Controller.
Later Wheeler agreed with Glass In
opposing the controller generals rul-
ing. but declared that the only solu-
ton of the situation now Is to repeal
the rider.
Yes. Mr.. President, there was .
way to correct it." Glass replied. Had
the superintendent OF public instruc-
ton. the man in charge, done his
duty he would have notified the school
teachers not to teach or advocate
communism. and that would have
ended it. However, he does not do
that"
wheeler denied the burden rested
on the superintendent to tell the
teachers anything of the kind. 1t
only involves the superintendent In .
controversy in which he should not
have been involved. ! think the con-
troller was wrong"