Evening star., 1951-04-19
Thot Aide Story

There appeared recently in The Star
an account of a letter by a 14-year-old
boy, addressed to Admiral McIntire
about rumor as to how the late
President Roosevelt died. The name of
Bridegwater College was given as
source Of this rumor, but the teacher
in that college was not mentioned.
Here are the exact facts. Some stu
dents had heard In their local COM
munity rumor that the President had
committed suicide. When they came
to class. they asked me: "Have you
heard such a rumor?" I replied that /
had. at different times and in different
communities, with different versions
Another student asked: What do you
think about it?" My answer was that
1t was only rumor, and must be dis
cussed in that light.
Your account quoted the boys civics
teacher-my former student Welden
Reeves-as saying the matter was we'll.
documented. This is not correct. In
my nearly 40 years teaching experience,
have never attempted to document
rumor, for it is hard enough at times
to document facts. did give the cir
cumstances which probably caused the
rumor to get started. I also discussed,
at the same time, the mysterious things
surrounding the death Of President
Warren q. Harding.
The published account may have
given wrong impression In its possible
implication that the rtlrnor discussed
in my class was discrediting to the late
President. Nothing could be farther
from the truth. In fact, took the oc-
casion to call attention to the fact that
President Roosevelt was, at the time Of
his death, the most popular man in the
world. and would be recorded in history
as one Of our greatest Presidents.
I want to commend this young lad Of
il for his red-blooded interest in public
affairs. even though he seems to have
misquoted Mr.. Reeves in reporting that
the matter was presented to the class
as fact rather than as rllmor.
J. Maurice Henry.
Bridgewater College. Bridgewater, Va.
More on Mr.. Lee
The Star should hang its head in
shame for the editorial of Friday. April
6, entitled "The Board Acts Wisely"
Surely you will agree that Mr.. Lee is
entitled to his opinion. That the other
members Of the Board of Education
disagreed with him still does not de-
tract from his dutiful action in bring
ing before the Board for discussion ma
terial in textbooks which he believes
deleterious to our public school system.
more especially when the superintend-
ent shows no disposition to cooperate
in needing protests of citizens. There
is more to this than meets the eye.
Yet the writer Of this editorial. who
bases his opinion upon the dubious pre-
sumption that the members Of the
Board have studied the controversial
texts, launches personal attack upon
Mr.. Lee for exercising what he, as
vice president of the Board, believed
to be his duty.
Parents of children in District schools
owe a debt of gratitude to the few men
left in public life like Adelbert Lee
-conformists, who have the courage
of their convictions.
Taxpaying Parent.
AS a citizen Of the Southeast Area
I think Mr.. Lee has a lot Of nerve to
feel that he is speaking for us on schoo,
issues. Who appointed Mr.. Lee to speak
for me? I speak for myself. and I am
not one of his followers, as I am not
in accord with his opinions.
Mr.. Lee thinks that the book on
american Government" by Frank
Abbott Magruder. is socialistic. have
read the book, and the only thing that