Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-29
BY DANA BULLEN
Star staff Writer

Guar othiA WrlIer
Justice Douglas of the Su-
preme Court last night charged
American education with dis
pensing racial, religious and
theological propaganda.
Free inquiries into today's
world rather than educational
binders are needed in the pub
lie schools. he asserted at a Ma
tional Civil Liberties Clearing
House dinner.
There is. I fear, more prop
uganda in our education than
we appreciate" he said. There
is often q failure in our edu-
cation to acquaint the students
with the world as it It.
Many texts subtly down.
grade the Negroes in favor of
the whites. Some proclaim
Professionalism over Catholicism
and Christianity over Judaism
by failing to describe the his
tory Of religious liberty In a
fair way"
Hits Communism Teaching
Teaching communism is be-
coming a fad" he said. But
we found that In spite Of our
preoccupation in denouneing It
we had few teachers qualified
to teach 1t.
Moreover, the tendency has
been to serve a political rather
than an educational need. Is
there enough courage and In
dependence left to disclose
what features Of the Soviet
system are not evil?"
"AmericanisTn, Justice Doug
las continued, lis often taught
as a brief for whatever Ameri-
can foreign policy may be in
effect, no matter how defeating
1t may be-"
The other side of the propa-
ganda coin, he indicated, Is
censorship.
Justice Douglas said that
Many groups would restrict
education to those materials
which reflect that image Of
America they espouse. Such
groups. he said, have a pas
sion for sitting books in school
libraries to find theological
.strays."
The "sifters," he indicated,
include economic theroists, pur-
itanS. religious groups, isola-
.tionists and segregationists.
Education by (their) stand
ards is largely propaganda for
one point Of view or one school
of thought" he said. adding
that this is the approach en-
ployed by the Communists.
: In listing publications pro-
scribed in various school dis
ltricts. Justice Douglas said one
group had banned a brochure
entitled THE Rule of Law in
World Affairs" by "a Justice
Douglas"
What Is needed in place Of
propaganda and censorship, the
widely Travelled Justice said, is
courage to face competing ideas
and confidence that they will
not best us.
THE Communists are such
miserable merchants of dreary
ideas that they have difficulty
getting recruits" he said. Bet
ter that they be forced into
open debate and exposed than
driven underground.
Injustice to Youth
American youth is highly
critical and discerning. It does
our youth an injustice to as
sumo that many Of their minds
can be corrupted by blandish-
ments either from the extreme
Left or extreme Right.
I'VE need task forces" he
said, which make as sure as
possible that the literature in
our schools is adequate for the
multi = racial, multi religious
and multi-ideological groups
that make up our Nation"
And that is not all, he said.
There is more to the free
society than the maintenance
OF free and open discussion, I"
said Justice Douglas, long a
champion Of civil liberties in
all areas of American life.
Departing from the educa-
tional field, he said:
l. q. The power Of gov
eminent becomes more and
more awesome and the capa-
bility Of the individual 10 stand
his own against 1t becomes
more and more dubious.
2. THE District of Columbia
-. Chas) put an end to ar