Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-04-17
American History
Should Be Taught
Competent|y, Faithfully

\OmPCtCntIyI o'l'''uHy
THE attention of the American people must be directed
in time of great mental and physical concentration on the
WAL to the appalling delinquency and deterioration of American
educational processes they relate to teaching and knowledge
of American history.
Adult Americans whose personal contact with the schools
If the country was made during youthful remote have
little conception of what insdous CHANGE has occurred
They remember that the story of America was revealed
to their school days by teachers VINO loved e STORY ana
were proud to tell it.
Thev derived their own knowledge of American history and
their consequent for America and pride its achievements
and respect for its traditions, from such teaching.
Il has never occurred them that American children today
are taught anything ELSE with less wholesome results
1t comes to them as a shock therefore, that American history
Is taught nadequaey at all in than so cent
of the nations colleges and universities fact disclosed
recently by Ncw York Times survey
TT COMES to them as greater shock that result of this
gross neglectwh proof afforded by later survey pre-
ponderant proportion OF college freshmen nave striking ghor
ance of even elementary aspects of United States history
almost nothing about important phases OF this
country's growth and development
comes them equal shock that the board OF educa-
ton of the great American city of San Francisco has been
PEELED purge from its public schools series of textbooks which
pu1ported teach American history but which in reality tended
weaken the students love Tor his country respect fo us past
and confidence in its future.
What happened to the American schools that they have
fallen far short of their fundamental responsibility to the
American people?
How do subvesive textbooks of the type properly and
periodically but BELATEDLY purged from San Fanccos
schools, find their into American schools!
Particularly WHO guilty of this peverson of Ameri
can system of education?
QASICAIY of course the American people themselves
u at fault and are guilty
They neglected their patriotic duty to the Schools
and have left supervision of the schools radicals and theorists
who have respect for American history and faith Amer
lean tradition.
the actual perversion has been accomplished by social
stc and communsc who have conspred
dsparage American history and to American children
distorted conception of the principles which inspired the found
ers of their country.
Illustrative of this menacng conspiracy is the viewpoint
Of Miss Fannia NJ Conn., secretary Of the educational depart
of the international Ladies Garment Workers Union The
able coumnist of the York George Sokoky quotes
the following from pamphlet written by Miss Cohn advocating
revision of textbooks
"The workers real school his union But how much
effective will be younger workers practical union
if is supplemented by knowledge of the history and theory
Of social movements"
Regarding this, Mr. Sokolsky wrote ironically
IF the workers real school his why should the tax
the of providing unreal school? Certainly
with all have out these days. it would be saving to let
the very rich labor unions those with running mil
lions of dollars provide the real schools and then might ben
eft by tax reduction"
Of &c