The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-06-14

John Studebaker kid Later I
lived for sever
al years away below the Equator
in our own hemisphere, which gave
me a chance to check up on the
erroneous dope I'd had pumped In
TO me in my childhood days.
The worst OF it is that lot OF
the South American bunk our lads
are taught is OF a character calcu-
lated to be offensive 10 our Latin
New World brethren.
It's true that we're getting bet
ter acquainted with 'em now,
though it didn't start until recent
ly, but our school books still rec
ord the same old stuff as Of yore.
DR.. Studebaker, however, at last is
having 'em overhauled. He has
group Of well-qualified experts on
the job, editing out rank mistakes
and unjustified dirty cracks at the
sub-Equatorial nationalities and
their governments, and editing in
all the favorable comment that
they're entitled to, with every
promise Of making 'em our BETTER
friends.
In the interests both OF accuracy
and improved Pan-American re-
lationships, nobody can or tries to
dispute that this text book revision
programs purpose is admirable.
Yet there's some complaint that
It's being too federally handled.
State Control Only?
We've a formidable nucleus Of
opinion throughout the United
States Il incline to believe that it's
in a big majority TO the effect
that public education properly
should be under the respective
states independent management,
with no central governmental con-
troll at all.
I once had an interview on the
subject with DR.. John ]. Tigert
(now president Of the University
of F1orida) when he was United
States education commissioner
DR.. Studebaker's present post.
DR.. Tigerts thesis was that To-
calities know best how they want
their local institutions Clike the
public schools) run; that, so con-
Quoting 'em, they adapt 'em to
their local needs; that they're not
so locally satisfactory, interfered
with from outside. Consequently
he was 100 percent for purely
state-controlled schools, and, as
federal commissioner, he conceived
It to be his essential duty to keep
EN- that way.
Such critics are rather leery Of
Or. Studebaker's purge and cor
rection Of our Latin American text
books.
But DR.. studebaker doesn't pro-
pose to force his revision upon the
states schools. He simply plans
10 submit his revision to the states.
10 take or leave his recommended
lions, as they variously see fit. II
hey prefer to remain inaccurate,
is their privilege.
There's no doubt. though. that
hes correct concerning the mac
:uracies.
An inaccuracy can be accurate
in a limited sense and yet inaccur-
ate in a broad sense.
For instance (although this ism /
a matter Of education), news came
from Buenos Aires a bit ago that
Yankee-made but locally-shot
movie had been presented there,
which created a riot Of resentment
in the audience and had to be sup
pressed by the authorities. in be-
half Of public order.
Unfair TO Many
Now. I didn't see that film and
don't know what it was, but, in my
time in the Argentine capital, I did
see pre-view Of one that had
been Yankeely shot (it never got
beyond the pre-view stage) right
III Nllt al btlllli4t, anu Hau llO III
hculty in understanding why it
was a specimen to make the Ar
gentinos sore.
The Latin Americans have their
own peculiar faults and immorali-
ties, Just as we have here, but
they're not all addicted TO EN-, any
more than We are to ours.
This film l mention concen-
trated on EN-, giving the imptes-
sion that Latin Americans ALL
were that way-not a decent man
or woman in their midst.
It was as IL they'd shot a film
Of US, showing us at nothing but
our worst, and giving the idea that
it was representative Of the whole
! United States.
Perhaps we wouldn't particular
ly care-we're so big. But it hurts
] THEIR feelings.