Evening star., 1945-07-22
Educators Seek Program
To Refrain ALI Germans
Plan to Rid Schools of All Taint of Naziism and
Resenerate Nation, Using Liberal Natives
and Allies Where Needed
By David Taylor Marke

NEW YORK.-The re-education of a
whole people is without precedent in
history; get United Nations educators
and statesmen say almost unanimously
that that is precisely what must be
done with Germany.
The demand is insistent, from indi-
viduals and from groups.
"The reform of the German educa-
tional system '' is necessary" That
Is the collective opinion of members
of the faculties of 100 American COL
leges and universities, voiced through
the Universities Committee on Postwar
International Problems
"a nation that breaks out twice in
a single generation cannot be trusted
to keep itself under control" Those
are the words of DR.. George D. Stod-
dard, president of the University of
the State of New York and commits
sioner of education.
"The problem is not that of teach
ing an ignorant or untutored people.
1t is rather that of redirecting the
energies and reforming the attitudes
of highly trained people who suffer
from the effects of a perverted edu-
cation" That is the view of the In
Stitute on Re-education of the Axis
Countries, composed of prominent edu-
Gators meeting at New York University.
Difficult Problem to Solve.
How re-education is to be achieved
is another matter. No official express
sion has come from the councils of
the United Nations. 1t has not been
decided even whether the regeneration
should come from within or without.
The problem is as complex as it is
immense. For centuries, pan-German-
ism has been the dominant note in the
education and tradition of the German
people. For more than II years Hitler
completely dictated the education of
all Germans. The influence of Naziism
on this "lost generation" cannot be
undereStimated.
Racial, political and religious science
have been taught in schools which
segregated or expelled the Jew. The
cult Of the super race has been prac-
ticed in school and outside it. No
civilized nation ever before has placed
IN its text books the obscenities, mis-
representations and hate that form the
backbone of Nazi ideology.
In all of the discussions 1t generally
Is agreed that some control to include
non-German elements must be set UP.
DR.. Stoddard, writing in the annals OF
the American Academy, advocated IAN
international agency, competent in
education and deeply aware of the
wedgelike beginnings of war" to under
take school supervision "on the same
professional basis as the development
of international law"
Differs in One Particular.
At least two general plans have been
advanced. One comes from the Insti-
tute on Re-education of the Axis Coun-
tries; the other from a joint commission
composed of the Council of Education
on World Citizenship and the London
International Assembly. The latter
group is led by Viscount Cecil of Chel-
wood, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and
has a membership representative of
the national life of each of the United
Nations.
The two plans differ in one important
particular: Where the institute would
set up a military control, the joint COM
mission proposes supervision by repre-
3entatives of Allied and neutral nations
operating under high commissioner.
The function would be negative-to for
bid education for dictatorship and war
while Germans themselves undertake
re-education for democracy.
The joint commission believes reform
must start from the cradle and work
up through every facet of German life.
The high commissioner should be en-
lowered to root out the Hitler youth,
Nazi party schools, teachers and ad-
illustrators identified with the Nazis.
The high commissioner" the report