Evening star., 1947-05-22
Corning Probes
Un-Anleriican
TexfbooksHe
Lee Gets Promise
OF Action After
Quoting Publications
By Colt HendIey, Jr.


School supt. Hobart M. Corninl
today began an investigation of thu
textbooks used In the public school.
here, following charges by ont
Board Of Education member tina
un-American publications are beini
used by the teachers.
This member, Adelbert w. Lee
started a lively squabble when h
began his attack on the textbook
yesterday at the regular board meet
ing. After listening for a while, DR.
Corning finally jumped to his fee
and declared:
"If we are using subversive ma
terial there will have to be action
I'll guarantee you action
Mr.. Lee named textbook used II
the social studies classes in the higl
schools entitled Building Citizen
ship" by r. O. Hughes. and week..
news sheet distributed through th'
school system called the American
Observer, which has an Office a
1883 K street NV.
Articles Cited.
He said the book presented sub
ject matter critical of "our Govern
ment and its functions and Leaves
much doubt In the minds Of stu
dents as to the wisdom of our pres.
ent Government" The American
Observer. in its May II issue, make!
attacks upon two institutions prac'
tically the foundation OF our Gov.
ernment, West Point and Annapolis,
Mr.. Lee contended.
The article in question was . con.
densation of story which appeared
in Look Magazine which said tn,
military schools do not teach stu.
dents to think and criticized tn.
men 1t turned out. Another article
referred to by Mr.. Lee was taker
. from the New York Times magazine
section. It was entitled why Rus.
sia Keeps the Iron Curtain" by
H. E. Salisbury.
Didn't you vote approval Of that
textbook" Mrs. Velma G. Williams
another board member, asked.
r did and I am chagrined," Mr.
Lee answered. Il will never vote
Tor another textbook list until I SET
what 7 am doing"
Asks for Action.
When members began to question
Mr.. Lee about how he happened t.
pick out this particular textbook
he answered testify:
II don't intend to be cross-exam.
ined by members of the board. I'vs
found something. I've proved m,
point. I'm asking for action"
DR.. Robert A. Maurer then joined
the argument.
When I first became a member
Of the board IL years ago, we tae
Gen. Fries (Maj. Gen. Amos A
Fries, retired chief of the Arm,
Chemical Warfare Service) her,
before us making attacks on Amer.
lean history books" he declared
He did exactly the same thing Mr.
Lee is doing. He picked out phrase.
and sentences here and there ane
did not use the context which NIGH
indicate very different meaning.
I'VE gave weeks and weeks O
careful study at that time and founc
no substantial support of the allega
tions," DR.. Maurer said.
ANY implication that member
Of the board, the head of the socia
studies department or any teacher
in our high schools have any dis
loyalty to our American institutions
is an unfair statement" DR.. Maurel
stated.
DR.. James A. Cannon said ht
ir1dorsed DR.. Maurer's comments.
The board took no official actor
on the matter pending the outcome
of DR.. Corningis investigation.
Passages Quoted.
Mr.. Lee, in summing up his case
against the textbook, quoted pas.
sages to members of the board.
He said this question from the
book attacked the American home
Just how much authority and con.
troll should the father have in the
family?" Others which he adjudgee
Every improper questions" asked
DO children appreciate the benefit.
Of good home? Do children in 6
humble home love their parents a!
well as children in a rich homer"
There is an attack on religion
which certainly has no place In ,
school textbook" Mr.. Lee said
This statement. he said, read
Another phase of religious belle
which we find among a great man.
people is the thought of a spiri
world or a future life. If there i
another world in which man will
be punished or rewarded for the way
he lives here, there is a strong fore,
to make him live better than h,
otherwise would. Perhaps this Is Z
comparatively low motive, but i
works with great many people
a Stain Pictured.
TT is rather significant" Mr.. LIE,
pointed out. that although othel
countries had outstanding Worlc
War leaders, the only picture O
SuCQ ledueTS III the cIltlTe te8GDOOl
Is that of Stain"
Mr.. Lee said the book attacked tn,
legal profession in this way:
"A law which is hard to under
stand or is capable of being inter
preted In more than one way i
another poor sort of law. Some
firms, whose standard of honor il
none too high, employ attorney
whose only business Is to see hov
the firm can evade the law"
Mr.. Lee quoted another state
ment from the book as saying
Americans do not have first-clas
reputation for either obeying o
enforcing laws"
= Members of Congress are ridicule,
by this passage from the book. MI
Lee stated: Expenses for publi
improvements have sometimes beef
a joke. though serious one. Bill
for improving rivers and harbor
or putting up public buildings wer
often referred to as the pork barrel
out Of which many Congressmel
tried to get their share of pork TO
their own districts"
Jews to Mark Holiday
In Baptist Building