Evening star., 1940-12-14
Study Of Social
Diseases Urged
In D. +. Schools
City Education System
Declared Headed
By odd Guard

college and high school students to-
day at the second session of a con-
ference on school affairs which
opened last night in Pierce Hall
j. l.. Kaukonen of the Social Sc
curity Board cited statistics on the
incidence Of the two diseases among
students Of high school age and
older. and urged that the schools in
clude some preventive education in
the health education curriculum.
Ray H. Everett of the District
Social Hygiene Society character
lied the present District school ad-
ministration as being made up of
"the old guard" indicating that this
was impeding the introduction Of
such education into the local system.
1--WE may have to wait for newer
guard" Mr.. Everett observed.
DIR. Howard Dawson Speaks.
Discussion at the session also re-
volved around the method of ap-
pointment and composition of
boards of education. 1t was de-
clared that the District Board of
Education is named in IAN undemo-
cratic way in being appointed by
the justices of District Court.
DR.. Howard A. Dawson of the
National Education Association re-
viewed the history and procedures
Of Federal aid TO education. He said
he believed that the bulk of funds
for education should come from
State and local sources, with per-
haps one-flfth of the cost coming
from the Federal Government.
Southern Directors Cited.
He objected to distribution Of
Federal funds to the States on a
population basis and recommended
distribution based on ability to pay.
He said Southerners in Congress,
who have everything to gain and
nothing to lose, are often the prin-
cipal impediments to the passage of
Federal aid legislation.
Charges that World War intoler-
ance for freedom of education is
being renewed in the present emer-
gency were made last night by sew
eral speakers at the opening session
of the Conference.
Among those who supported this
contention were DR.. Harry Elmer
Barnes. historian, sociologist, lee
turer and former college professor;
Prof. Doxey Wilkerson of Howard
University and Howard Ennes,
chairman of the conference Steer
ing Committee.
Last nights meeting was attended
by about 100 young persons. white
and colored, who gathered in Pierce
Hall. In the audience were num-
ber of young people interested in
anti-draft and pacifist movements
here.
1t was announced from the plat
form Of the three-day conference
that Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt will
participate in the discussions. to-
morrow.
After describing "the general
spirit of repression and intimidation
to which education was subjected in
the World War" DR.. Barnes said
there are growing indications of a
return of this spirit. He cited as an
example Nicholas Murray Butler,
president of Columbia University.
whom he accused of suppressing
freedom of speech at Columbia dur
ing the World War. He declared DR..
Butler is now repeating his former
action.
DR.. Dawson. one of today's speak
.ers, also spoke last night.
ol tntr
tion in the cost of education in
backward States, DR.. Dawson
warned that citizens of better
favored communities must realize
that they may be called upon to
furnish the bulk of the draft army.
since selective service is rejecting
illiterates.
The speaker advised youths with
a leaning toward pacifism not to
disregard the fact that the Nation
as whole has decided upon a
policy of total defense" in a world
which seems threatened by total
war. He said such program must
mean arms and the enrolment of
men to bear them.
A longtime program of defepse,
he added. cannot overlook the edu-
from the cradle up. He warned that
I'VE cannot wait until a child is
18 to make useful citizen of him"
Another threat to the national well
fare, he said, ARE elements which
undertake to destroy faith in our
democratic forms"
Prof. Wilkerson cited instances
where teachers and students at
various universities had been ex-
PEELED because of liberal" views,
and where textbooks had been cen
sored In his opinion this intoler-
ance is approaching that of the
World War. He warned against a
"blackout" of freedom of speech
and thought in the country's edu-
cational institutions. He declared
the witch hunt" in New York
State for teachers with liberal"
views is merely a budget-cutting
attempt by legislators defeated in
their previous economy efforts by
well-organized teachers lobby.
In the opinion of Mr. .Ennes, 9Th
war spirit in this country is endan-
gering the freedom of thought" in
educational fields Student activi-
ties" he added, ARE coming more
and more under the scrutiny of the
authorities"
Mr.. Ennes expressed the opinion
that "the only bottleneck we need
fear in our defense program is the
curb on our freedom of expression"
Mrs. Lowe Expresses Sympathy.
Mrs. c. D. Lowe, president Of the
District Congress of Parents and
Teachers. told the gathering that "in
my day we wouldn't have been al
lowed to hold a meeting like this"
She said she was convinced that
young people should be allowed a
free discussion OF their problems,
and that in the end they would work