Evening star., 1947-11-06
School Officials Again
Clear Textbook Held
Un-American by VFW

A reportof school officials clearing
the civic textbook, Building Citi-
2nship" by R. o. Hughes. of charges
made by the District department
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
that it teaches m-American ideas
was in the hands of the Board of
Education today
School Supt. Hobart M. Corning
yesterday submitted to the board a
report defending the book. The
text had been cleared in a similar
report to the board last June 4 after
charges by Board Member Adelbert
W. Lee. The board accepted the
report.
VFW Fails to Appear.
The report was prepared for DR..
Corning by George J. Jones and Will
liam M. Brewer, heads of the history
department in the public schools.
1T is an excellent and wholesome
text" they said.
Members of the VFW Un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee, headed by
Charles S. Sullivan, jr.. had re-
quested time to present their charges
before the board. But. when the
board told the committee they could
have 20 minutes to present its case
orally and submit any written docu-
ments it desired, the VFW refused
to appear.
DR.. Corning's report was based
on the contention that the VFW
committee had taken from the text
certain passages. which alone gave
wrong impression of the purpose
of the book.
II Pages Involved.
"A careful search reveals II pages
of the book on which Russia, Rus
slams or communism is mentioned.
We do not think that looms very
large in book Of over TOO pages,
especially when the majority of
those references are of such a minor
and incidental character that they
are not even cited in the index of
the book" the report said.
The report said that several sug-
gestions for changes in sentences
have been forwarded to the author.
But the majority of the criticisms
do not need even that much action
since further analysis does not sup
port them as valid criticisms when
the context of the quoted passages
or their prospective in the book as
whole is considered, the report
continued.
IL Passages Cited.
The VFW cited 13 passages in
making their un-American charges
Each is answered in the report.
Two quotations from immigrants
unfavorable in their reaction to their
experience in America caused the
VFW to say: There are no state
mentS in the book from immigrants
praising our country" The school
report answered, saying that the
VFW comment gave an erroneous
impression that this portion of the
book is lacking in balance. To the
contrary, most of the section gives
4 picture of immigrants who were
successfully Americanized, and the
quotations were included to warn
that some of these immigrants have
been mistreated.
The VFW said a section compar-
ing the cost of battleships to the
costs of schools was calculated to
prejudice pupils against national
defense" The report answered
There is nothing to suggest
that the question was calculated for
any such purpose. The high cost of
war and the preparation for war as
compared with what we currently
spend on many constructive works
of peace is a fact we cannot escape. -
Religious Issue Raised.
Two sentences referring to belief
in future punishment or reward as
a motive for good living on earth
were called contrary to the teachings
of the Christian and Jewish faith
by the VFW. The school report said
1t was unfortunate" these sentences
were included because they touch on
religious subject on which people
would differ strongly but any bad
effect is overshadowed by the whole
some tone of the rest of the 10 pages
about religious topics.
The VFW said they failed te
understand why so much emphasis
is laid on Russia and why a child OF
IA years of age is asked if he would
like to live under Communist form
of government, bearing in mind this
last question is not answered in the
text but is to be discussed in the
classroom.
Lack of Confidence Seen.
The report answered: I'VE have
already referred to the unwillingness,
shown in other criticisms, to let the
pupils think about and discuss under
the guidance of teachers something
which does not have its authorita-
tive answer given in the book. 1t
shows strange lack of confidence
ip our own way of life, as we'll as in
the teachers and pupils in our
schools, when criticisms so often
recur to the inference that our
pupils are in serious danger ef
arriving at an n-American answer
to such questions as part of their
school work.
We have enough confidence in
our institutions and our people tc