The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-10-21
AID TO PAROCHLAL SCHOOLS?
Nixon: 'Up To States
Kennedy: Public Schools Only

eral funds to aid private
and parochial schools or
their pupils has popped
into the presidential cam
paign.
The Democratic nominee
again declared against such
aid; the Republican nominee
said he would let the states
decide; the Republican vice
presidential nominee opposed
discrimination in the matter;
and a Cabinet member said
the proposal makes no
sense"
After the exchanges, an
anti-C Catholic group and a
fundamentals church organ
i1ation denounced those who
would propose such aid.
IT ALL BEGAN when Henry
Cabot Lodge, the Republican
vice presidential contender,
told a nationwide radio and
TV audience C"M the
Press" Oct. 81, he would draw
no line between aiding pub
lie and private school boys.
Then came a press confer
erce statement by Arthur S.
Flemming, U. S. Secretary of
Health, Education and We'll
fare, who said Mr.. Lodges
proposal makes no sense
He told (Oct. 10Y Sacra-
n1ento, Calf, newsmen, the
proposal to aid private and
parochial schools is an "idle
gesture" because gress
would not approve such a
plan.
This was followed by the re-
lease of an interview by a
school teachers publication in
which both Vice President
Richard M. Nixon, the Repub-
1ican candidate, and Sen.
John F. Kennedy, the Demo-
cratic nominee, stated their
positions.
The two were asked by
Scholastic Teachers (Oct. 10
issue): "Do you believe that
Federal aid should go to pub
lie schools only?"
SEN. KENNEDY, who has
repeatedly taken a stand
against support of private or
parochial schools by FEEDER
al funds, replied with one
word: "Yes."
VICE PRESIDENT NIXON
said he would let each state
decide whether the Federal
funds they get should be used
for both private and public
grade and high schools.
He noted that additionally
Federal funds have been pro-
vided to higher education
without regard to whether
the schools are public and
private.
"In the field of elemen-
tary and secondary educa-
tion," he said, "such limited
Federal aid as has been vot-
ed in the past has not gone
to private schools because of
our tradition of free public
elementary and Diary
education"
Then he added: 'In con-
nection with the major pro-
gram of assistance that | have
proposed, this money would
60 to the states for distribu-
ton as they see fit.
THENCE, 1T WOULD be up
to each state to decide wheth-
err Federal funds given to
each state should be used for
both public and private
schools"
Turning then to higher
education, he repeated his
stand for expanding the pre-
sent Federal program of loans
to all colleges and universities
for dormitories to include
classrooms in both loans and
matching grants.
"In addition" he said, 81
have proposed a broad pro-
gram of loans, scholarships
and f~ellowships to encourage
students at both public and
private institutions to finance
their educations and qualifica-
tons for teaching"
Catholic colleges and stu
dents presently participate
in the loan program of the
1853 National Defense Edu-
cation Act.
IN ADDITION, Cathol lie
grade and high schools have
shared in $1,721,5 11 distrib-
uted under a provision of that
act to lend funds to private
schools for the financing of
laboratory remodeling a
the acquisition of equipment
for improved h ing of
science, mathe mates and
modern foreign 6 uages.