Evening star., 1942-10-31
Hearing Opens
On High School
Alcohol Study
Church Federation
Leader Sees Attempt
To 'Glorify' Drinking

A charge of careless use of the
truth" was laid to the new revised
Aigh school course on alcohol and
narcotics today by Wilbur La Roe,
Jr., chairman of civic affairs for the
Washington Federation of Churches
Mr.. La Roe led off a group of 81
speakers appearing at special COM
mlttee In the Thomson School tn
protest a proposed revision of the
course by DR.. James A. Cannon.
physician member of the Board of
Education.
inclusion in the course of the
chemical properties of several types
OF alcohol and emphasis on its for
mer use as an anesthetic, Mr.. La Roe
SAID, tends to "glorify" the use of
alcohol.
Sees Drinking Encouraged.
The law doesn't mention teach
Ing the chemistry of alcohol" Mr..
La Roe said, only its properties in
alcohol beverages. think this course
gives the students the idea that al
cohol is a pretty good sort of thing"
Alcohol is not characterized as a
drug and poison until page 9 of the
new course, which is too "inconspicu-
Gus" a place for this important
statement" he said.
Mr.. La Roe summarized the whole
course as encouraging" rather than
"dlscouraging" consumption of al
cohollc drinks. He charged that the
new approach to the subject of al
cohol beverages was highly danger
GUS"
Reads Committee Report.
Reading the conclusion of a seven
page document filed with the COM
rrlittee after it had been unanimous
ly adopted by the Board of Direc-
tors OF the Washington Federation
OF Churches, Mr.. La Roe said:
Parents are not in the least in
terested in the academic and techni-
cal phases of this matter. y
Our parents want the children
taught the truth about the dangers
of alcohol and they want those
dangers stressed.
Our suggestion that the report be
completely rewritten so as to oc-
compllsh the purpose intended by
Congress. This will require much
more emphasis on the dangers in
volved in the drinking of alcohol
and will require a subordination or
elimination of the highly technical
details which now occupy such a
prominent place in the report.
o.. Purpose of Statute.
THE whole purpose of the statute
will be defeated unless there is re-
arrangement of the subject matter.
We must agree, of course, that any
statements in the present curriculum
which are not in accord with modern
scientific truth should be modified to
reflect the best information now
available. But the slight inaccura-
cies should not be used as a lever
to upset the whole curriculum and
substitute the teaching of irrelevant
technicaities for the teaching of the
dangers of alcohol as contemplated
by the statute."'
The testimony given at todays
hearing will be considered by his
committee at meeting on Monday,
DR.. Cannon said. The committee
will decide then what it may do
about any revisions in the course"
He said he was uncertain" if he
would submit a report to the next
Board of Education meeting Wednes-
day.
E. S. Brossard of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
said his organization was in COM
plete agreement with the Federation
of Churches that the new course
should be completely revised.
This present document" he
charged, lis an attempt to justify
the use of alcoholic beverages in
moderation, and attempt to ration
alize its use by adults. This course
is wholly and totally inadequate and
In no way suitable to be taught in
the public schools"
Audience of 300 Applauds.
This declaration was created with
an outburst of applause by the group
Of about 300 people present.
Objecting to the revision as pre-
sented by the committee, August
Gutheim appearing as a citizen, u
said he had been raised in German
home where the use of alcoholic
beverages was taken for granted
But, he added, Il learned that the
best thing for me to do is to abstain
and usually do"
Comparing alcoholic beverages to
lions in the ZOO. DR.. Ellsworth Car
penter, vice president of the Anti
Cigarette Alliance, Inc, charged
"these lions have broken loose every
where to destroy our children and
our adults, not only by the scores
but by the millions. 1t is time tc
capture them, put them back in
cages, kill them"
These lions are everywhere, he
warned, some of them may be right
here in this room right now. They
are in the grocery stores right where
you send your children for loaf o1
bread and a bottle of milk"
Sitting with DR.. Cannon were tive
other members of his committee, Dr.
Joseph A. Murphy of the D. c
Health Department, and DR.. Carol
r. Reed, First Assistant Superin
tendent of Schools. Other member
of the School Board also we're pres
ent to sit in on the hearing, includ
ing Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, boart
president.
Twenty-one persons had requested
permission to speak. although th
list had not been specifically closed
DR.. Cannon had requested that onl,
persons directly concerned" shoult
attend to prevent overcrowding o
the auditorium. The United DR.,
Forces had circularized many citi
zens. however. inviting them tt
''attend this public hearing"
The United Drys had character
ized the revised course as "thi
reactionary proposal to weaken
compromise and confuse this teach
ing In our public schools, misleat
students and violate the intent o
our anti-narcotic instruction law.
DR.. Cannon was prepared to de