Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1918 — APPROVES DROPPING OF GERMAN [ARTICLE]

APPROVES DROPPING OF GERMAN

The Marion County Council of Defense has adopted resolutions approving the action of the Indianapolis board of school commissioners in discontinuing the teaching'AY German in the public grade schools of Indianapolis. The? resolutions follows : Whereas, The German language, to the exclusion of all other languages and at great expense to the taxpayers, has for many years been taught in the grade, schools of the city of Indianapolis, the teachers requesting the children to secure the signature of the parent or guardian to a blank form therefor which was printed and circulated by the board of school commissioners, and Whereas, In an article in the February number of the World s Work (exposing German plots and intrigues against the United States) it is shown with great clearness that, For nearly a generation German influence on American school boards had been insidiously shaping public sentiment here through our school books and histories and library books. Exchange professors, liberally sprinkled with imperial decorations, had maintained and increased a constant propaganda of reverence for Germany and German institutions through many of the eductional centers of the United States, and the great German commercial houses which had secured a foothold in this country* and which were virtually outposts for the German foreign office, had gained strong positions in many vitally important elements in our commercial life. “In was, therefore, on known ground that Ambassador von Bernstorff and his associates bpgan their work of intensive cultivation of Prussianized doctrines in this country. With every path apparently wide open to their feet, they proceeded, at first without any thought of serious opposition, to mould the United States to their will, to stultify our national ideals, and so drug our national conscience that, regardless of what might happen in Europe, we would stand by, a disinterested spectator, except for the growth of a keenuiesire to see Germany triumphant.” Whereas, This German propaganda working in bur schools through German influence and in some cases under the direction of very pro-Ger-men teachers, and under management of commissioners of German extraction, who sought office for the special purpose of pushing German propaganda, has been harmful and injurious to our schools. It resultedin a condition of affairs whereby our children were discouraged in that patriotism they should bear to their country and given false ideas as to the German government Jind kaiser, and Whereas K ,\he new school board elected since this country was forced to declare war, on Germany in protection of Amercian rights has heeded the public, demand ignored by the previous board, the majority of the members of which were of German nativity, the hew board having wisely and patriotically ordered the discontinuance of the teaching of the German language in the grade schools, including the position of director of languages in the grade schools; therefore be it Resolved, By the Marion County Council of Defense that the action of the board of commissioners of the Indianapolis public schools in so ordering the discontinuance of .the. teaching of German in the grade schools, including the discontinuance of the position of director of foreign languages, is hereby emphatically approved, and be it further, Resolved, That the Marion County Council of Defense feels that the school commissioners and the principals and teachers of our public schools have an important duty to discharge in training pupils and parents in patriotism and loyalty to our government, in destroying and eradicating the effect of German propaganda literature and teaching, and in training of our boys and girls in war‘services, and be it further, j

Resolved, That the Marion County Council of Defense feels that the public schools carefully teach'hoys and girls the thought of one nation, one language and one flag, and that the great amounts of money heretofore expended in teaching German for the benefit of a foreign imperialism would have been more wisely expended in teaching the. men and women, who come from other countries, the English language and the duties of American citizenship and how to be good and patriotic citizens.