Evening star., 1961-03-12
LETTERS. TO THE STAR
Scope of Federal Aid to Schools Is Debated

81 Ob ABO ~ S&EBOOB
benefits would arise not from
the bill itself, as the church
mistakenly asserts. but from
those parents and church
authorities who insist that
their children attend only
parochial schools.
It makes no difference
that the church Is willing,
in this case to settle for
long term, low interest
loans. Such aid, as any bor-
rover or lender knows, is
always equivalent to q GER
tain amount Of cash on the
barrel. Furthermore, the
fact that there can be no
publicly acceptable means Of
foreclosing on such loans
may mean that some por-
ton Of them will ultimately
be converted to grants or re-
financed indefinitely. In any
case, non-Catholics will be
paying, at least in part, for
Catholic schools, and a prec-
edent for more explicit aid
will be established.
Apparently, organised
Catholics are prepared TO OPP
pose all Federal aid to
schools as their price for not
destroying American princi-
Piles. We suggest that one
other alternative be given
some consideration: to join
with the rest of the Nation
in a democratic effort to i'll
crease the capacity and edu-
cational effectiveness Of the
existing public school Sys-
tenn, to which all their chill
dren are (and always have
been) welcome.
We applaud the Presi-
dents courageous stand on
this question. We hope that
all Americans, Catholic as
well as non-Catholic, will
express their feelings with
equal clarity and objectivity.
Robert p. Smith,
President, Southeast Fellow
ship for Social Justice.
Ralph McGill stated that
the Baptists and Seventh-day
Adventists had shown even
greater and commendable
consistency in refusing to
accept Federal oney
through the popular Hill
Burton law. to build hos
pitals." The Directory Of
Protestant Hospitals and
Institutions shows that, as
Of June 30, 1857, 20 per cent
Of the Sc Baptist-affiliated
hospitals had received Hill
Burton money totaling So
282.455 AS Of December 80,
1858. the figure stood at
$9.451. 1903.
Under a law passed in 1852,
Federal funds went to stu
dents who used them in 474
Protestant, 265 Catholic and
S Jewish institutions.
Previously, Catholics not
only paid taxes to support
public schools but made
great sacrifices to give their
children what Mr.. McGill
terms extra" because we
felt that-"religion is a rud-
der Of knowledge giving di-
rection to human life" We
are fighting for the survival
Of our schools, and I don't
feel that the power to tax
should be used to make the
teaching Of religion-''in ele-
mentary grades"--accessible
only to the rich. When reli-
gion becomes a handicap
and is Disseminated against
when the Federal Govern
ment takes over, 1t is high
time we face facts.
I don't know how progress
sive our leaders will prove to
be but, to date. they have
made us look unique"
among most countries of the
world by declaring it would
be unconstitutional to use
taxes, paid by parents, in
support Of their own church,
related schools. But, why
complain: how many nations
have their progressive lead
ers' newscastS broadcast in
Russia? I don't feel, how
ever. that the Interpretation
Of the Constitution should be
handed over only to Presi-
dent Kennedy.
Eileen O'DonnelI Morgan.
y 4 Il y
Since the advent of the
New Deal, our Federal Gov-
ernment has imposed on US
all the taxes, direct and
devious, with which the
Roman Empire burdened its
people: and it has employed
oil tho daVyiNoc ovnavNf o{,.