The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1957-11-28

You can introduce poisonous ideas
into novel, poem, a play oil
most serious of all, into school
book.
When un-American ideas are
slyly introduced into a novel OF
any book of general circulation, nc
one is forced to read such a book
But in the case of school book-a
text dealing with history or govern
ment or economic ideas-the stu
dent is compelled to read and
study such book. In order to get
the right marks in his examinations
he must give the answers the book
calls for. And if such books are
infected with socialist or commu-
mist or other anti-American philoso-
phies, the teacher is obliged to
teach and promote their dangerous
and even subversive theories.
AS an example, in one widely
used high-school textbook, we find
running throughout the volume the
so-called liberal Interpretation of
history which, in reality, is moth
ing more nor less than the inter-
probation of history in terms of a
pseudo-Marxian philosophy.
In many textbooks a shrewd use
is made of the practice of direct
ing the student to what is called
required or supplemental" read
ing. This, of course, is an excellent
medium for introducing the stu
dent to historical, economic and
current books to supplement the
more rigid studies of the textbook.
The practiced observer (which the
student is not while readily de-
tecting the presence of one or two
harmless volumes, will have no
difficulty in identifying the greater
portion of the recommended books
as slick vehicles for additionally
poisoning the students mind with
various brands of un-American
PHILOSOPHERS, usually slanted along
MARKHAM lines.
Another device in this shrewd
attack on the student mind takes
the form of urging students to
read a certain group of widely
distributed pamphlets. These pam
phlets are edited by a man who
has been charged with being a
member of the Communist party.
though he stoutly denied this. Of
course, he may not have been a
dues-paying member, but he has
been listed by the House un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee as a
member of at least two dozen COM
munist-front organizations. 1t is
not possible here to do more than
call attention to the extent to
which various organizations, COM
mitteeS and institutions, interested
III promoting socialist theories,
have managed to bring their I'M
American PHILOSOPHERS into the
homework of the students.
What can be done to counteract
this dangerous warfare on the STU
dent mind? The answer is quite
simple. For every communist, So
cialist or left-wing dupe in America
there are hundreds of patriotic
Americans. If this handful of social
list and communist revolutionists
can Wreak so much mischief in our
schools and publishing houses,
why cannot patriotic Americans.
who outnumber the reds and pinks
and their dupes hundred to one,
make their influence felt? They
are just as bright, just as well edu-
Gated in the general sense of that
word as the revolutionary ele-
ments. What they lack is, first,
clear knowledge of the danger of
the socialist assault on the mind
and, second, an organized effort as
extensive and as well armed as the
enemy's. The real trouble lies in
the failure of American leaders to
alert citizens and especially edu-
Gated parents to the menace.
There is little danger to be ex-
pected from the angry soap-box
spouting Red. He is understood
and dismissed. The enemy to be
feared is that well-dressed, we'll
educated and oily revolutionist
who denies he is a socialist or a
Red, who moves in the best cir
cles, calls himself a Staunch Demo-
crat or Republican, and who gets
into the Schoolroom, the publish
ing house, the newspapers and even
into many pulpits with his hidden |
and thus infinitely more dangerous
poison.
z. |. Wright were Mr.. and Mrs. |
Paul Burkholder, Darwin and jim