Evening star., 1947-12-06
House Unit Ends
.2-Day Hearing
On Civics Text
Georgetown Priest
Defends School Book
On Religious Bosis

The House District Subcommittee
on Education today concluded a
two-day hearing on a controversy
which for months has centered on a
civics textbook, Building Citizen
ship" used in the ninth grade of
public schools.
The committee, headed by Repre-
sentative Miller, Republican. of
Nebraska plans to take the matter
under consideration but there was
no indication as to when q report
would be forthcoming.
A new defense of the book on q
religious question came today from a
Georgetown University professor,
who differed with the Veterans of
Foreign Wars which had branded
the book as "irreligious.
Letter Put in Record.
This testimony came from the
Rev. Eugene Gallagher, S. j., chair
man of the department of religion
of Georgetown University. His letter
to Representative Youngblood, Re-
publican, of Michigan was read into
the record
Attack on the volume was resumed
by Charles S. Sullivan, jr., of the
VFW, and the volume was stoutly
defended by DR.. Hobart M. Corning,
superintendent of schools.
Mr.. Sullivan listed IA points on
which his organization based its ar
gument that the book should be
banned from the schools.
This is not a constructive book
for the building of American cit
izenship," he concluded, land should
be suspended Immediately from the
schools of the District"
Book Used for 20 Years.
The VFW has branded the book as
irreligious. un-American and pro-
Communist.
DR.. Corning told the committee
that the book had been used in the
public schools for 20 years without
any criticism having been raised
prior to that of the VFW. He
praised the character, career, and
background Of the author, r. o.
Hughes of Pittsburgh, who had tes-
titled earlier this week.
Admitting there was some unfortu-
nate phraseology in some of the
text criticized by VFW, DR., Corning
told the committee that he was not
concerned about the use of the
book in the schools because its gen.
eral tenor was good and because the
teachers in the public schools had
character, loyalty and ability which
cannot be questioned"
The action of the Board of Educa-
ton in approving the textbook after
extensive Investigations was filed
with the committee in the form Of
comprehensive documents contain
ing both the charges and replies.
Negative" Attitude Criticized.
DR.. Corning called for a more
constructive approach to the prob
lens Of the schools, charging that
too often, here and throughout the
country, there was a negative"
attitude on the part of the public.
almost never" he said, "do the
teachers get the praise they de.
serve"
Father Gallagher, in his letter,
pointed out that he had read not
only the specific short quotations
from the book objected to by the
VFW as "irreligious" but also, had
studied whole chapters dealing with
religion.
While stating that in some places
the authors choice of words was
unfortunate he said that his
statement to which the VFW OBJ
jected was mot effectively irreli-
gious" The priest pointed out that
in one chapter the author succeeds
in being quite reverent and reii-
gious"
Maynard De Witt of the American
Veterans Committee asked the COM
mittee not to ban the book.