Evening star. [volume], May 24, 1936, Page B-1, Image 21

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
If i-; i
c
\ . • ; . .* __
WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 24, 1936. » , PAGE B—1
Battle on “Red Rider” Repeal Is Due to Open in House Tomorrow
EDUCATION GROUP
OPPOSES BLANTON
SCHOOL REVISION
Six Reasons Are Presented
for Opposition to Re
organization.
CHARACTER TRAINING
EXPERIMENT INDORSED
Dual Control Proposal Is Termed
Inimical to Efficiency in
Operation.
Unanimous opposition to Represent
ative Blanton's proposal to reorganize
the Board of Education and the pub
lic school system was voted by the
Education Association of the District
at its annual meeting yesterday at the
Raleigh Hotel. The association, com
. posed of teachers from all colleges and
schools in Washington, set up six rea
sons for opposing the measure.
At the same time, the organization
Indorsed the character education ex
periment in the public schools and
voted tits unqualified support of the
present Board of Education and Dr.
Frank W. Ballou, superintendent of
schools.
••The best interests of the school
children of Washington cannot be
served and will not be served if a dual
board of control over the public
schools is set up,” the resolution said,
• for it would result most certainly in
» the District Commissioners and the
Board of Education attempting to op
erate the schools.
Dual Control Efficient.
• Dual control of education is inimi
cal to efficient operation—the most
effective systems are absolutely inde
pendent of other departments or
executive administration.
•"The plan proposed by Mr. Blanton
would give the Commissioners power
to control, countermand, revise, alter,
• veto and otherwise interfere with the
legal orders of the present Board of
Education, thereby subjecting the
school system to complete political
control, which needs no proofs of its
evil effects.
“The District Commissioners al
ready have their strongest weapon—
financial control.
“The present law specifying that
the justices of the Supreme Court of
the District appoint the members of
the board gives full assurance of the
desire to keep out political appoint
ment and control.
‘•Further Injustice.
"The enactment into law of the
proposal would appear to the people
of the entire country as a further
injustice to a group of public-spirited
citizens already smarting and suffer
ing from the injustices imposed upon
them by the unfortunate passage by
the Congress of the United States of
the red rider In the 1915 District
appropriation bill."
. The resolution was offered by a
committee headed by Miss Helen E.
Samuel as chairman and including
Chester W. Holmes. S. M. Ely, Mrs.
Julia Lawless. Dr. Prances Butts and
Miss Julia Taliafero.
Miss A. Grace Lind, principal of the
Bancroft Elementary School, was elect
ed president of the association to
succeed Dr. E. C. Higbie, who was
elected a member of the Executive
1 Committee. Other new officers chosen
were Hugh Stewart Smith, principal.
Jefferson Junior High School, vice
president: Karl Moser, teacher, Eliot
Junior High School, secretary-treas
urer.
Constitution Revised.
The association also revised its con
stitution to separate the offices of
secretary and treasurer, to create a
delegate assembly and to change the
procedure in the annual election of
officers.
The new delegate assembly will be
composed of one member from each
public school building, one member
from each private school organization
In the city and one from each educa
tional association in the District.
The association also opposed the
proposed revision of the system of
rating teachers recently presented by
a. special committee of public school
teachers. The proposed new plan
Would create only four classifications
tor teachers and the Education Asso
ciation prefers five. The addition
would be to classify "excellent" teach
ers and 'superior" teachers separately,
Instead of having them grouped to
gether as "better than average" as
recommended.
Preceding the business session, brief
._ addresses were made by Stephen
James, director of the Highway Edu
cation Board, and Dr. Clyde M. Huber
ef the faculty of Wilson Teachers’
College.
GAS OVERCOMES THREE
IN HAIRDRESSING SHOP
$ m m. -
Two Employes and Customer Col
lapse When Fumes Fill
Building.
A colored hairdressing shop at 403
First street southeast was nearly de
populated of employes and customers
last night before a gas leak was dis
covered as the source of the trouble.
Lillian Jackson, 19, colored, 2100
block of Twelfth street southwest,
was giving Beatrice Smith, 40, colored,
308 East Capitol street, a wave, when
both became dreamy.
Passing through the room, Ethel
Wiggins. 27, who lives at the shop,
thought her fellow employe was about
to have a fainting spell, so she took
.'her place.
The Jackson girl left the room and
lapsed into unconsciousness. Soon
the other two did the same.
The gas came from a hot-water
heater with a fouled pipe. At Cas
* uwlty Hospital It was said the trio
w ould recover.
:■ r-—
Receives Congratulations i
Mrs. Lyddane Says She Hopes to Return
To Her Husband.
^■—..■■■.I I . —- -- ■■
! —
Mrs. Lyddane reading one of several congratulatory tele
grams she received. —Star Staff Photo.
James McLaughlin, father of Mrs. Anne Lyddane, shown
yesterday at his home with Skippy, his coffee-drinking terrier,
while Mussolini. Anne's new Scottie pup. looks on. McLaughlin,
70 and Irish-born, is a Rockville landscape gardener.
By a Stan correspondent ot The star.
Rockville, Md.. May 23
Back in the home of her
father, Mrs. Anne M. Lyddane
was receiving congratulations
today on being cleared of charges
that she conspired to do away with
her husband.
Throughout the day, neighbors
called to shake the hand of the
comely blond matron and to exchange
greetings with her father, James Mc
Laughlin. well-known landscape gar
dener. Beaming, the father declared
1 that at 70 he was sure the declining
years of his life would be brightened by
the not guilty verdict which the
Hagerstown jury returned last night
after deliberating only about an hour.
| He is convinced his daughter was
j "persecuted.”
"Scotty” Among Gifts.
i
While Mrs. Lyddane was poring
i over congratulatory telegrams and
; letters, her father spend considerable
time with a "Scotty” puppy which was
among the presents brought to the
home during the day.
The puppy, dubbed ‘‘Mussolini” by
Mr. McLaughlin, romped at the home
I with Skippy, a terrier which is the
landscape gardeners favorite pet. He
told reporters how the terrier had a
i weakness for coffee with sugar, and
; Skippy was summoned to show how
; it was done.
First, the dog mounted a chair
l with a great show of eagerness. Next
] McLaughlin produced a cup of coffee
and offered it to Skippy, but the
I terrier continued to ignore it until
! sugar was spooned into the cup. Then
he drank greedily while photographers
— "
focused their cameras and Mrs. Lyd
dane stood by smiling
Shortly after the conclusion of the
trial in Hagerstown. Mrs. Lyddane
came here with her sisters, Mae and
Helen McLaughlin, who, with their
father, had attended every session of
the five-day trial. Francis (Slom)
Lyddane. the restaurant manager
whose life his wife was accused of
plotting against, did not return from
Hagerstown with the family group.
Hopes to Return to Husband.
Asked today if she and her husband
would go back to live together, Mrs
Lyddane replied. ‘‘I hope so.”
Throughout the trial in Hagerstown,
which opened Monday. Mrs. Lyddane
appeared in the same yellow silk dress.
Reporters today asked why she wore
this one dress during an entire trial
since at the first hearing she had many
changes of costume.
“I wanted to give you reporters a
break." Mrs .Lyddane said. "You had
quite a struggle at the first trial at
tempting to describe what I was wear
ing.”
Meanwhile. State's Attorney James
H. Pugh of Montgomery County says
he will seek a pardon for John Mar
tin Boland, now serving a four-year
sentence after being convicted by three
judges of plotting with Mrs. Lyddane
to murder her husband. Boland was
convicted on testimony by John
(Googyt Camell. Rockville bartender,
who turned State's witness against
him and Mrs. Lyddane.
Boland, a Washington police char
acter, was convicted at the time of
Mrs. L.vddane’s first trial last year.
A jury disagreed in her case and her
attorneys secured the change of venue
for the second trial.
MECHANICS’ STRIKE
SPREADS TOMORROW
Union Agent Predicts More to
Go Out as Men Are Called
Out From 11th Shop.
The strike of automobile mechan
ics which so far has taken more than
200 men out of 11 shops in the Dis
trict of Columbia probably will
spread tomorrow, it was predicted yes
terday by Oliver N. Garrison, business
agent for the Mechanics’ Union. Gar
rison called out his union men from
the eleventh shop yesterday at the
Anacostia Motor Co.
This strike of mechanics for a new
working agreement has been spread
ing day by day from one shop to an
other as Garrison has asked for adop
tion of the uniform agreement and
been rejected by the automobile deal
ers.
The striking mechanics are asking
for a 44-hour week, 90 cents an hour
for mechanics, 50 cents for helpers
and time-and-a-half pay for overtime.
They insist the question of an open
shop or a closed shop is not an issue.
The Washington Automotive Trade
Association, however, has reiterated
that it will continue to maintain an
open shop. No dealers have signed
the new agreement asked by the me
chanics.
*
RAIL GROUP DENIED
DELIVERY SERVICE
I. C. C. Reconsiders Permit for
Free Pick-Up Plan by
6-to-5 Vote.
By the Associated Press.
Splitting six to five, the Interstate
Opmmerce Commission yesterday
changed its mind about two previous
decisions and prohibited a group of
Eastern railroads from instituting free
pick-up and delivery service May 25.
The commission originally had au
thorized the 'service and then had
declined to reconsider its ruling. A
new petition for reconsideration was
filed late Friday by American Truck
ing Associations, Inc., and on this the
commission suspended the proposed
service until November 1.
In the meantime it will conduct
an investigation to determine whether
the service would serve the public
interest or whether it would be an
illegal invasion of the field of motor
carrier operations. Hearings will be
gin here June 16.
More than a score of Eastern roads
planned to inaugurate the service to
morrow, including the Baltimore Ac
Ohio, the Erie, Grand Trunk and the
Pennsylvania.
. w*
D. C. Bill IMPASSE
MAY BE BROKEN BY
HOUSE THIS WEEK
Negotiations to Be Resumed
When Thomas Returns
to City.
NEW RULING IS CITED
TO END LONG FIGHT
Blanton Charge* ‘ Smokescreen’’
by Oklahoma Senator “Stand
ing by Budget.”
House leaders may force a break
this week in the deadlock between
conferees on the 1937 District appro
priation bill if an amicable agree
ment cannot be reached on the
amount the Federal Government
should contribute toward the expenses
of the District.
Senate conferees are holding out
for a lump-sum payment of *5.700,
000. Equally adamant is the House
group that the figure be fixed at
*2.700,000.
Negotiations between the House and
Senate conferees are to be resumed
upon the return of Senator Thomas.
Democrat, of Oklahoma, who went
to Iowa to keep a political engage
ment. He is expected back Tuesday.
House's Probable Course.
If an agreement is not reached then
it is believed steps will be taken by the
House either to discharge or instruct
its conferees in an effort to break
the impasse. House leaders have
pointed out that such a move can be
made under a comparatively new rule,
which allows such a motion as a mat
ter of highest privilege when a re
port is not filed within 20 calendar
days after the conferees are named.
The House conferees were appointed
April 24.
In the meantime. Representative
Blanton, Democr.it, of Texas, acting
chairman of the House Conference
group, indicated in a statement yes
terday which he challenged the Wash
ington newspapers to print, that he
had no intention of yielding to the
Senate conferees.
nianmn suiemeni.
Blanton’s statement, labeled "a
Senator Thomas smoke screen,” fol
lows :
"Whoever, before, ever heard of
Senator Thomas prating about, or
preaching the doctrine of standing by
the Presidents budget?
"If the House were to call his bluff,
to adopt the President's budget, it
would eliminate about 86 of the 8”
1 Senate amendments. It would prevent
| appropriating for the new Eastern
j High School, the new Chain Bridge,
; the new badly needed fire trucks and
flre-flghting apparatus, the new Police
Court Building and a lot of other new
projects, all of which were put into
the House bill by the House Subcom
mittee and passed by the House, but
not one of which were authorized by
I the President's budget.
"If the cry of ‘stand by the Presi
dent's budget' is not Just a sham and
a subterfuge, then Senator Thomas
should likewise demand that all new
construction items and projects not
approved by the President's budget,
should be eliminated from the bill.
“There is not a newspaper in Wash
ington, that pretends to give all news
items to Its readers, that will dare
print the above statement without
emasculating it, because the Washing
| ton newspapers don't want the Wash
! ington people to know the facts as
| they exist."
--•
REALTY TAX LAW
MAY BE REVISED
Effort to Bar Professional ‘‘Bro
kers'’ From Making Profit
to Be Made.
Revision of the law dealing with
District realty tax delinquencies, to
bar professional “tax brokers” from
making profits at the expense of
property owners who are late in pay
ing taxes, will be recommended to
the Commissioners by their Tax De
linquency Committee, it was forecast
yesterday.
The committee is said to be giving
favorable consideration to a proposal
that only the District government be
allowed to buy "tax deeds” which
now are purchased each January by
brokers who pay delinquent taxes
and thereby obtain a lien against pri
vate properties.
Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, District
auditor, who was named chairman
of the special committee, said its
study likely would not be concluded
for several months.
PETITIONS FOR PAROLE
OF 20 TO BE WEIGHED
Board Will Meet Tuesday to Con
sider Cases of Lorton
Prisoners.
Petitions for release on parole of 20
prisoners at the District Reformatory
at Lorton, Va., will be considered by
the Parole Board Tuesday.
Hugh Rivers, secretary to the board,
announced petitions from the follow
ing had been scheduled for action:
Harry N. McNeill, Henry Moton,
Samuel Thompson, C. Lucien Skin
ner, William West, William P. Bur
ton, John W. Hardgrove, Milton
Smith, Edward Morris. Isaac Jones,
John Edward Goetz, Wilmer Milton
Long. Bruce Underwood, John P.
Wood. James Linbury, Lee Andrew
Whitehead. Francis J. Walsh. Willie
J. McClendon, John T. Beets and
Gabe Pearson.
Bitterroot Forest Large.
The Bitterroot National Forest in
Idaho and Montana has the greatest
net area of the Nation's timber
reserves.
*
r ---<
“Sousometer” Tests Degree of Intoxication
New Device Provides Scientific Data Showing “Dry and Decent”
to “Dead Drunk.”
Uii than 1 m.
'
/2±Lat
Dry k Decent.
2*5
Delighted 4 Devilish.
Delinquent
4 Disgusting.
Dizzy 4 Delirious.
Hore than 5 mg.
042Ad * Dejected.
Dead Drunk.
The effects of both a sip and a guzzle are shown at opposite extremes of this chart, illus
trating the “Sousometer” test to determine degrees of intoxication. —A. P. Photo.
By the Associated Press.
A* SOUSOMETER" test to pro
vide scientific data on degrees
of Intoxication, ranging from
“dry and decent" to “dead
drunk." was outlined yesterday by
Lieut. Comdr. W. W. Hall.
In the United States Naval Medical
Bulletin he reviewed clinical evidence
by which Intoxication might be de
termined and described methods for
chemical determination of the con
centration of alcohol in the blood,
breath or other body fluids.
The chemical findings of the tests
! were classified as:
Less than one milligram of alcohol
I per cubic centimeter—Dry and decent.
| One to two mlligrams—Delighted !
and devilish.
Two to three milligrams—Delin- !
quern and disgusting.
One to two milligrams—Delinquent
and disgusting.
Three to four milligrams—Dizzy and
delirious.
Pour to five milligrams—Dazed and
dejected.
More than five milligrams—Dead
drunk.
“It is an established fact," Dr. Hall
wrote, “that the intoxicating effsct
of alcohol is proportional to the
amount present in the tissues * * *
in this case the brain. It is obviously
Impossible to analyze brain tissue rou
j tinely and as the concentration in the
blood bears a direct relation to that
in the brain, the examination of the
blood offers an accurate index of the
brain's alcoholic content.
"The breath also, as every one can
testify, is heavily laden with alcoholic
vapor, directly proportional to that
of the blood.
"The susceptibility of the brain to
alcohol varies little between one nor
mal individual and another. The ap
parent variation In susceptibility in
different individuals is thought to be
governed more by the rate of absorp
tion. on one hand, and oxidation, ex
halation, and excretion on the other,
than to any inherent resistance of
the cell protoplasm to the toxic ef
fects of alcohol.”
OUT OF NAVY BILL
Hospital Repair Funds Alsc
Dropped by Conferees
on Appropriation.
Fund? for repair? to Naval Hospital
and to start construction of a new
, ship model basin near Washington
; were dropped from the $526,546,532
naval appropriation bill yeaterdav a?
conferees worked out an agreement
on the measure.
The conferees also killed the Senate
amendment which would have giver
Dr. George W. Calver. naval physician
assigned to the Capitol, the pay and
allowances of a rear admiral of the
lower half. It also would have fixed
hi? retirement allowance on that basis,
when he retired. Dr. Calver at present
is a captain.
Fund* Must Ga Over.
The bill authorizing the new ship
model basin, at a cost of $3,500,000.
became a law recently and the Senate
then wrote Into the naval bill a pro
vision allowing the department to
make a start on the project during
the coming year. The action of the
conferees mean that funds to begin
the project will wait until next
session.
It is understood the conferees struck
out the $295,000 propoeed by the
House for repairs to Naval Hospital
buildings on the ground it would be
inadvisable to make the expenditure
on the old structure. In view of a law
authorizing a new hospital building.
The final agreement calls for a total
of $526,546,000 for the naval estab
lishment for the coming year, which
is less than either the House or Senate
previously had approved. It still ex
ceeds current appropriations, however
by $44,000,000. The original House
bill called for $531,068,707 and the
Senate cut that figure to $529,125,806
Two Snipe Are Replacements.
One of the conferees emphasised
yesterday that the two capital ship:
mentioned in the bill are replacements
and that under the final language ol
the bill they are to be started only il
the President finds that capital ship
replacement la commenced by anj
other signatory to the London naval
treaty of 1930.
The conferees approved the SenaU
amendment allowing S300.000 for im
provement of the water front at th<
Norfolk naval operating base.
The Item for dredging at the Pearl
Harbor naval base In the Pacific was
retained, but with changes reducing
it from $3,000,000 to $1,500,000.
HOME BUILDING GAINS
96.8 PCT. OVER APRIL ’35
Mias Perkins Reports Non-Reai
dential Increase at 51.7
Per Cent for Month.
By the Associated Press.
Secretary Perkin* reported yester
day that home building during April
increased *6.8 per cent over the
same month a year ago and that new
non-resldential building Increased 51.1
per cent.
"Reports on building permits indi
cate that the total value Issued during
the month,” said the Secretary, “was
10 per cent above the March level
The Improvement was shared by all
types of construction.”
Judge Bailey Due
To Turn Witness
In Police Court
“Obstructing Justice” should be thi
title of this little tale.
It concerns Justice Jennings Ballej
of District Supreme Court and Augus
F. Bender, owner of a truck used foi
deliveries by the Hillside Market, 4711
Fourteenth street.
The jurist, it seems, left his home
at. 4713 Colorado avenue. Friday an<
; went to get his automobile from thi
! garage behind the house. There, hi
said, he found Bender's truck parket
in such a way as to block the path
way to the garage. The truck driver
a colored man, did not move will
alacrity and the jurist didn't like it
So Justice Bailey was a caller a
the office of the corporation counse
in Police Court. After hearing thi
facts in the case, Assistant Corpora
tion Counsel James W. Lauderdal
issued a warrant for Bender.
When the latter appears in Polio
Court tomorrow. Justice Bailey wil
: And himself in a strange role—sittini
| in the witness chair instead of or
the bench.
BILL 10 BE URGED
—
Ramspeck and Celler Seel
Privilege Rule at Hear
ing Tomorrow.
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.
Chairman Ramspeck of the Hous
Civil Service Committee and Repre
sentative Celler of New York, aulhoi
of the bill to correct the "marrie!
persons” clause in the Civil Servtci
law, are to have a hearing tomorrow
before the House Rules Commlttei
In quest of a rule to give the bil
privileged consideration in the House
They hope to get the measure passec
before Congress adjourns!
The "married persons clause” ha:
been the occasion of such bitter pro
test during the past four years tha
it has had extensive publicity in mag
azine articles and formed the themi
of several novels. It Is the last im
portant remnant of the famou;
"economy act,” passed when a driv<
was being made to "balance the budg
et.” It has worked a hardship or
hundreds of Government workers
and many instances of human diatres:
resulting from operation of this pro
vision have been cited at hearing:
before Congressional committees.
The law provides that when Gov
ernment workers are being dismlsse!
in reduction of force, the slash firs'
shall be applied to husband or Wif<
when both are employed by the Gov
ernment.
The proposed bill would not prevenl
any husband or wife receiving ar
appointment If his or her Joint sal
aries did not amount to more thar
$4,000, and would relieve any alreadj
in the service from fear of being dis
missed.
It is proposed to repeal the nov
famous "section 313” of the act oi
June 30, 1933, and to amend aectloc
• of the civil service act of Jtnutrj
16, 1663, so no original appointmeni
to the classified civil service may be
consummated In a case of a sec one
member of a family If the combine!
salaries of the members of the familj
after such appointment would equa
or exceed $4,000 per annum.
A
: HOEPPaS CHARGE
JURY WAS ILLEGAL
• -
Base Appeal on Ruling Bar
ring Federal Workers
From Duty.
Charging that the jury which tried
' i them was illegally constituted. Repre
’ I sentative John H. Hoeppel of Cali*
1 i fornia and his von, Charles J. Hoep
| pel. convicted several months ago of
conspiring to solicit $1,000 for a West
1 Point appointment, yesterday asked
■ the United States Court of Appeals for
• a rehearing of their case.
| They based their plea on the ap
; pellate court's recent decision that
| persons employed by the Government,
1 receiving compensation from or hold
ing contracts with the Government,
are ineligible for service on criminal
| juries.
Ai Liberty on Bail.
La.Mt Monday the Court of Appeals
; affirmed their conviction. Father and
! son are under sentences of im prison
' j ment for four months to a year, but
i now are at liberty on bail pending
I conclusion of the legal proceedings.
The Hoeppels admitted in their pe
tition yesterday that they did not
raise the question of the eligibility of
the jurors at the trial, but offered the
excuse that the courts then were
ruling such objections to be not well
taken.
It was contended that four members
of the trial panel should not have been
allowed to serve. One held a soldier's
bonus certificate; one was an employe
of the Potomac Electric Power Co.,
which supplies the Government with
electricity; another worked for an of
> flee supply firm dealing with the Gov
ernment, while the fourth was associ
ated with a firm which had the ac
counts of several Army officers.
The defendants were required to use
“their valuable and constitutional
: right to peremptory challenges to re
1 move these classes of people,” while
their challenges should have been
, available for their usual use, the Hoep
pels maintained.
only uno r our mauenges.
Chief Assistant United States At
torney David A. Pine, who headed the
prosecution, said the defendants exer
cised only 4 of their 10 peremptory
challenges. He stated also that he
i did not think the question of eligibility
: of jurors could be raised at so late a
date and doubted in any case that
there was sufficient showing of identi
fication of interest with the Govern
i ment to disqualify the four veniremen
challenged.
Motions for leave to amplify the
record so as to include questions to
jurors and their replies, and for a
stay of the Court of Appeals' mandate
also were entered. Representing the
member of Congress were Attorneys
Samuel A. King. Arthur O. Brodie
and Kenneth N. Parkinson.
PLAN MAY FESTIVAL
Exercises Closing: Brookland
Home School to Be Triday.
Exercises closing the scholastic year
will be held at the Brookland Home
School next Friday, when Russell
BUhop and his sister, Dorothy, 351 V
street northeast, will be crowned king
and queen of the May festival.
The school, for children of kinder
garten age, was founded five years ago
by Miss Eva Ann McNeil. 1333 Monroe
street northeast. A first grade will
be added next Tall.
LIBERALS 10 LEAD
FIGHT TO RESTORE
SCHOOL ‘FREEDOM’
Sisson Bill Foes to Adopt
Parliamentary Moves to
Forestall Vote.
AUTHOR OF MEASURE
OPPOSED BY BLANTON
• ■
Ban on Teachers Condemned in
Statement by Civic. School
and Church Leaders.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.
The battle over the Sisson bill to
repeal the so-called “red rider” to
the 1936 District appropriation act is
scheduled to break in the House to
morrow on what probably will be the
last “District day” of the current ses
sion of Congress.
House liberals will lead the fight—a
fight for restoration of academic free
dom in the class rooms of the public
schools, where teachers now are
muzzled with respect to everythng
that pertains to Communism and red
Russia.
Representative Sisson. Democrat, of
New York, author of the bill, wifi
direct the battle for its approval.
Members of the District Committee
who have indorsed the measure will
aid him. The opposition will follow
the lead of Representative Blanton,
Oemocrat, of Texas, who was instru
mental In having the rider attached
to the appropriation act.
The Impending scrap has attracted
Nation-wide attention, largely as a
result of activities, of educators and
educational organizations in all parts
of the country who regard the “red
rider” as an unjust reflection on the
teaching profession.
Fate of Measure in Doubt.
The ultimate fate of the measure,
however, is in doubt. Sisson is con
fident of victory. The opponents—
all of them except Blanton, who said
he doesn't make predictions—are
equally confident of its defeat.
‘•Behind-the-scenes" prep&rationi
have been going on for several days
by both opponents and proponents of
the bill in an effort to outwit one an
other with parliamentary strategy. It
is a foregone conclusion that the op
ponents will adopt every parliamen
tary move permitted under Housa
rules to forestall a vote.
As a prelude to the battle. Richard
i W. Hogue, director of the Independent
Legislative Bureau; Mrs. Henry Grat
tan Doyle, president of the Board of
Education, and Msgr. John A. Ryan
of the National Catholic Welfare
Council and a professor at Catholic
University, issued statements con
demning the "red rider” and its effects
on teachers and pupils.
Blanton also Inserted in the appen
dix of the Congressional Record yes
| terday 17 pages reviewing the history
I of the "red rider,” in which he denied
I it was “slipped” into the conference
| report on the appropriation bill last
year. He concluded with this state
! mervt:
“I hope and pray that whenever the
'Sissy bill,’ which seeks to repeal the
law against Communism is taken up
in the House. It will be snowed under
oy an overwhelming vote, in protection
to the 99.000 school children in this
Nation's Capital."
Dr. Ryan Cite* ‘’Insult.’*
Dr. Ryan described the rider as “a
gratuitous insult to the patriotism of
I the entire body of teachers in the
i Dublic schools of the District of Co
lumbia."
“Why should hey be required to
I swear that they have not taught Com
! munlsm when, so far as can be ascer
I tained, few if anv of them have taught
! Communism?” he asked.
Mrs. Doyle explained that the results
of the "red rider" have been "unfortu
nate in more ways than one."
"As a parent," she said, “the most
unfortunate result has been that chil
dren are not getting the benefits of
the conrast between he methods of
communism and the ideals of Amer
ican democracy."
Hogue said the rider was adopted
without the knowledge of nearly every
member of Congress. He pointed out
that a number of issues are at stake,
including "the undoing of a serious,
though inadvertent, wrong that places
members of Congress in a false light
before the country, the lifting of an
unjust ban of legislative coercion in
the field of school administration, and
the removal from the National Capital
of a dangerous precedent for the rest
of the country.”
Blanton claimed in his remarks ia
the Record that "more deliberate,
spiteful, malicious falsehoods have
been broadcast over the United States
about the ‘red rider’ than about any
other law ever passed by Congress"
He cited 12 alleged "false” assertions.
Walsh to Confer With King.
Chairman Walsh of the Senate Edu
cation and Labor Committee expects
to confer tomorrow with Senator King,
Democrat, of Utah, to ascertain the
latter's views on the bill approved last
week by Walsh's committee, to repeal
the "red rider.”
The Education and Labor Commit
tee Is ready to report the bill to the
Senate, but decided to consult Sena
tor King, as chairman of the District
Committee, before making a report.
Senator King said yesterday he
plans to consult his colleagues on the
District Committee to find out what
their wishes are regarding the bill.
The repeal measure is being sponsored
in the Senate by Senator Wheeler,
Democrat, of Montana.
Representative Maverick, also a
Texas Democrat, in a radio address
last nirht predicted that the Sisson
bill will pass the House. He ridi
culed the red rider and called it "a
hideous form of persecution” of the
teachers.
“It Is a piece of tyranny to have
such a law,” he said, "and the teach
ers of this country, as well as the
mothers and fathers who have any
children to educate, should resent
this.”