Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-22
Gen. Lanes Latest

Is UilG LII 81 buL OF VI SOi1AAAAOAA
sense in regard to the school
system which has come to my
attention in a long time.
Nothing like it has been heard
from any of our school Off
Gals or the Commissioners
within my recollection. 1t is
like a breath of fresh air in
the foul atmosphere of a
closed room.
l have watched the progress
sive deterioration of the ef-
fectiveness of our school sys-
tenn for 80 years or more. with
increasing dismay. Since the
formulation of the educational
programs, and development Of
the program of detectives Of
the public school syst m
passed into the hands of the
faddists, the do-gooderS, the
welfare zealots and the social
services, the primary objec-
tive of graduating a pupil with
what used to be known as a
public school education has
apparently been lost along the,
way. .
have had a good deal Of
experience in the last Is years
or more in observing the Ell
forts Of the successive crops OF
high school graduates in en-
ployment, in the clerical, Sec
retarial and related fields.
Their abilities in handling the
English language, in b a sic
spelling, in primary arithme-
tic, in handwriting. are so
feeble as to be practically nom
existent. AS a taxpayer. I am
resentful that any portion OF
my taxes should have been
used in support of the system
with which we are burdened.
The sooner our school sys-
tenn gets down to a brass tacks
status and adopts the type OF
methods outlined broadly by
Gen. Lane, the sooner will the
children of this area have a
real opportunity to acquire a
basic education, with all that
would mean to their future
an opportunity of which they
are now deprived.
w. w. Eldridge, Jr., MD.
Gen. Lanes explosive memo
randum to civic leaders is an
attempt to West Pointize our
recently integrated public
school system. His Prusslan
concept of social values and
mechaniSms is disappointing.
Apparently Gen. Lane believes
social problems can be solved
with a slide rule. Why our
Engineer Commissioner pre-
sumes to intrude his authori-
tartan West Point pedagogy to
revolutionize a public school
system his own son does not
patronize, is a riddle for the
Sphinx. AS a Commissioner Of
the Nations voteless Capital.
Gen. Lane is accountable only
to the President. But if the
President properly understands
how Gen. Lane is usurping
White House leadership in an
area of it's finest success. he
might send a memorandum
commanding the general to
stick to his proper province
sewers and highways.
Public school indignation in
this quasi-Southern community
has proceeded with a minimum
of racial conflict. Now, almost
a year after our Supreme Court
decided that segregated educa-
ton was a denial of equal
protection" we have found
certain inevitable social debts.
Depending upon the Negro
white ratio, these debts have
been found in varying degrees
in every area where dutiful
school authorities have at
tempted to obey the Supreme
Courts implementing direc-
tive of May 81, 1855. The sub
stance of a New York Times
study and survey was: The
inevitable incidence of dis
ciplinary and moral problems
resulting from racial inter-
mingling was minimal The
lower educational standards
and inferior school facilities
of the generally less privileged
Negro has placed him about a
year behind the white student
of the same age.
The effect of Gen Lanes
engineering program would be
to substitute demolition for
healing. None of us deny that
this tragic social illness is an
ugly accomplished fact. No
illness yields to force or fiat.
Surely we will delay integra-
ton more than the year the
general suggests if we segre-
gate children who are scholas-
tic problems. For the most
mart. DIR failure to obey the