SPECIAL CONVENTION ISSUE JUL 78 1 The President Says: | AFT Must Launch Organization Drive American democracy is entering the most troubled and critical period of its history. Of this there can no longer be any doubt. Due to various causes our democracy is being threatened on all sides. New forms of despotism of great vigor and aggressiveness, deriving from both domes- tic and world conditions, are challenging the ways of free men everywhere. As its contribution to the defense of democracy, the American Federation of Teachers must do two things. It must do all in its power to defend the public school and prevent the slashing of the educational budget. Also it must strive increasingly to make the public school program serve the cause of American democracy more | effectively than ever before. In order to discharge this double responsibility the American Federation of Teachers must greatly increase its strength. This requires first of all the launching of a vigorous organizational campaign and the attraction to the Federation of a much larger proportion of the progressive teachers of the Nation. It requires at the same time the development of a spirit of mutual confidence and coopera- tion with all local, state and national bodies of the Amer- ican Federation of Labor. Only as we succeed in bringing together the forces naturally devoted to the defense of education and democracy can we hope to be victorious in the bitter struggles ahead. Perhaps the surest way of | bringing these forces together is to take the leadership in | fighting for those things which the American people want. GEORGE 8S. COUNTS. | Speakers Urge Delegates Plan’ Fight Against sudeet Cuts Democratic Edu cation ition of the facts dark age” during ment was in full hool system be- drain put upon ces by the Fed- d many ‘rnoon lucational in idelphia retrenc! in the the huge iational 1 ‘ | ( ‘4 * ol sour jolt iovernment at a crowded alt ‘SSion, With Miss Robenia Anthony presiding, the meeting heard talks by Dr. Robert Speer, of New York ident of the Michigan State Fed-| University; Martin Rugg, who told eration of Teachers. |the story behind the Philadelphia Dr. Baker. in his talk, “Vitality | retrenchment during the first and Weakness of our Educational} world war; and George Faxon, Achievements: Analysis of Public) president of Local 441, who dis- Lethargy,” that the schools|cussed Boston’s retrenchment had three responsibilities —refusal | struggle. to become hysterical; to develop| Samuel Greenfield, Local 5, told a understanding of the! the delegates of some of the meth- world; and to serve democ-/ os used by corporations to dodge racy the tax laws. He said that such The primary s} lay ions amount to more than more cmphasis on citi and | $200,000,000 year. ( ittanooga-Nanill i Professor W. ol the uunty Fede H. Maurer of the Department Journalism, Ann Arbor, and pres- on: Cc 7 Said social > pre — , 12 SCcnoo!l would evas renship per the operatt rstan \ Millsaps to an unde ung ol democracy, Mr delegate faults is thé students their ¢ resp mSipil little need to spend a speech i sm,” he “for » all agree in opposing it. And we cannot stamp out Fascism, , namely the _ concentration of | Leadership, D laurer sert=| wealth in the hands of a { who the function of the unl- | 4, te the matter by their tax- which shoutd teach 1ts dodging.” to tak he initiative in He also said th the schools lay the ground- work for lun inding the planned econon which would be economic the luture. tussell Wise and Harry Tate, | both of Chicago, i the re- sponsibility of the schools to deal with the problem of “gangster” political control which infests | many cities and nations. —® Proceedings Available The proceedings of the nation- al convention which are based on a summary of the stenotyp- ist’s report of the convention are available at the cost of $1.00. They can be secured by writing to the National Office at 506 S. “There is ime of ld the MAtwr teach il making vitriolic hools’ 10 1 anda ol the S¢ nst iS said, > failure ivic So "WwW cd ve students was Sity —_— = society. if 73 should Council Authorizes $400 Contributions Contributions to regional labor schools and others amounting to $400 were authorized by the Exec- utive Council at the Convention. The organizations and the AFT contributions they will receive are: American Labor and Education Service, $100. Southern Summer School Workers, $100. Highlander Folk School, $100. National Religion and Labor Foundation, $50. League fox Industrial Democ- lersti ‘ms ol ySt stressce for behind | 1917-1918 | Wabash, Chicago, IIL racy, $50. ‘The AMERICAN TEACHER OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS VOLUME XXV September, 1940 ae |, cee No. | Convention Condemns All Dictatorships The two most important resolu- tions passed by the AFT Conven- tion were “A Resolution for a Unanimous Declaration for Demo- cracy diation of Totalitarian Tendencies,” introduced by Local 280, New Rochelle, N. Y., and “A Resolution on the Present Emergency in Edu- cation” introduced the Con- vention by the Executive Council after being passed by them unani- mously. The first resolution stating that “we unequivocally condemn and utterly oppose all whether of Nazi, Fascist or Com- into munist origin, whether in Ger-| many, Italy or Russia,” is pub- lished in full on page 2, and the resolution dealing with the emer- gency in education which calls for the appointment of a special com- mittee by the Executive Council to meet the problem is published on page ov. Axtelle Heads Committee Appointed by the Executive Council to this Emergency Com- mittee were George E. Axtelle, nairman, ». Ameha (Madison) and Ruth (Philadelphia). The committee instructed by the resolution “the effects of war its of war ic Is . 9 ynsider the thre our national constant vigilance upon With welfare, for against any tic, (c) future welfare and and free commonwealth.” Chairman Axtelle called a spe- cial meeting of the Committee on September 14 and may present a statement on this mecting in the October issue of the AMERICAN and an Unequivocal Repu- | dictatorships, | Yeager Wanger | to and upon public | education, upon civil liberties and | (a) | na- tional safety, (b) With necessary | | safeguards totalitarianism, foreign or domes- | With due regard for the advancement | of human rights in a responsible | form of Counts Re-elected for Second Term New Executive Council Plans Organizational Drive For the second consecutive year delegates to the Amer- ‘ican Federation of Teachers Convention chose Dr. George S Counts, Teachers College, Columbia University, and member of Local 537, to head the AFT. Defeated in the election were nine members of the 1930-40 Executive Council. Pres- ident Counts won over Dr. John J. DeBoer, Local 1. Setting an attendance at approximately ticipated in all-time-high for AFT conventions, 500 delegates par- the work of the Convention. Overcoming a confu- sion caused by changing the Convention headquarters from the Hotel Statler to the Hotel Buffalo, delegates turned immediately to |business on Monday, August 19. |\Convention sessions, committee | Gertrude Luehning (442) | meetings and caucuses left little |] Wisconsin, Minnesota Area: ee S. Amelia Yeager (35) | time for sleep |] Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Elected to the Council for the | first time were Ruth Dodds, Sac- Election Results Ne. of Votes PRESIDENT George S. Counts (537) Joha J. DeBoer (1) VICK PRESIDENTS Northwest Area: Lila A. Hunter Robert Iglehart Southwest Area: Ruth Dodds (31) 4108 238 (200) (401) ] | } sas, Missouri, Oklahoma / Paul Preisler (420) John Woodruff (462) Michigan Area: Arthur Flder Iilinois-Indiana Area: Mildred Berleman (1) 571 Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi Area: Stanton Smith Ohie, Kentucky, Area: Ray Abercrombie (179) Michael J. Kek (279) New Eneland Area: Robenia Anthony John DPD. Connors New York Area: Charles J. Hendley (5) Jane Souba (230) Pennsylvania, New Jersey, land, Delaware Area: Mary Foley Grossman Rath Wanger (19?) : Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Seuth Carolina, Vircinia Area: Charles M_ Etheredge (422) College Section: George F.. Axtelle (635) W.P.A., Adult Fdacation tion: Ned HW. Dearborn (537) Mark Starr (189) At Large: Tayle Lane (5) Doxey Wilkerson (ae yy Haynes, Podemski "Shoot" Convention All photographs of the AFT convention which appear in this issue of the AMERICAN TEACHER were taken by George Podemski, member of Chicago, and Leon Haynes, member of Local 377, Buffalo. These men donated their services and were paid only for the expenses. (246) 53 West Virginia 267 379 (184) (263) 258 BSS.) 268 “7 of Local 1, Mary- (192)... 250 ° 995 193 see- ramento, Cal: Mildred Berleman, Chicago; Jane Souba, New Ro- chelle, N. Y.; Layle Lane, New York City; Mark Starr, New York City; and Ruth Wanger, Phila- |\delphia, Pa. Former members of (140) TEACHER. the Council returned this year Election Results President’s Statement Convention Condemns All Dictatorships — Speakers Urge Demo- cratic Education Fight Budget Cuts Boas, Voorhis Greet Delegates Totalitarian Resolu- tion a 24 Years of Service.— Candidates’ Platforms Problems Beset Youth Convention in Action.. New Standing Com- mittee Chairmen —— College Section a Local 5 Awarded Leg- islative Prize In This Issue were Lila Hunter, Seattle; Paul Preisler, St. Louis; Michael Eck, Cleveland: and John Connors, New Bedford, Mass. Re-elected to the Council were Stanton Smith, Chattanooga; George Ax- telle, Evanston, Il}.: S. Amelia Yeager, Madison; Arthur Elder, Detroit; and Charles Etheredge, Aug Ga Leading Emergency Resolution 1940-41 Executive Council _— ista President Green's Ad iress ruest speakers at the President Wil- Federation Convention im n, American Labor; Thomas J. Lyons, pres- ident of the New York State Fed- eration of Labor; Wiiliam Geller- mann, Northwestern University; G. L. Maxwell, NEA Policies Com- mittee; and Lynn Emerson, Cor- nell University. The new Council in a two day session after the convention planned an organizing drive to help meet the threats against educational budgets. Many delegates to the Conven- ‘tion signed the two programs on which the various candidates ran. “The Statement of Principles” |which President Counts and many of the victorious vice pres- idents supported published in | full the statement of the |“Educational Defense Program” ; jon which Dr. DeBoer and many Guernsey Reappointed ‘of the defeated vice presidents ran Editor . | were il Gree ol President Counts’ Address Report Treasurer Appeal for Teachers by Secretary- Kuenzli _11 Refugee 14 Report Proposes Year-Round Pro- eram. ....... 15 Labor Fights Educa- tion’s Enemies 15 Freedom Pro- 16 Academic Committee gram S as 18 (Continued on page 2) 2 THE AMERICAN TEACHER September, 1940 Ses ee Candidates Review 1940 Platforms (Continued from page 1) | “a Statement of Principtes” | The American Federation of Teachers is entering upon its twenty-fourth annual Convention. The Union has a record of many fine accomplishments and has ad- hered to a forward looking pro- gram throughout its history. How- ever, in recent years there have appeared within our organization certain influences which have ob- structed our progress and growth and which threaten the very life of the Union. Many delegates who are attend- ing this convention for the first time, and some who have attend- | ed previous conventions, desire an understanding of the basic issues which confront us. So that the issues may be plain and the del- egates have clearly before them our stand on the questions arising from new world developments and on the central question within our own organization, we desire to state our position on these ques- | tions. First. The European war and developments in the Far East have produced a threat to our na- tional safety. We stand, there- fore, for an adequate program of | national defense with which we can preserve and extend our dem- ocratic institutions. (a) In the defense program we are opposed to any move to destroy or curtail the labor standards which have _ been achieved by the unions through their economic strength or through legislation. These must be safeguarded and advanced. (b) Labor must be given ade- quate representation and recogni- | tion in whatever defense plans the Congress may formulate. (c) The unemployed must be returned to jobs and the produc- | tive canacity of the nation re- leased from the _ shackles _ that bind it. (d) Social security laws must be preserved and extended. (e) Educational standards and services must be protected and expanded; the tenure and academ- ic freedom of teachers defended. (f) There must be no abroga- tion of the civil liberties of any person regardless of race, religion, | creed, or political belief. All of these are integral factors in adequate defense and are es- sential to the preservatjon- and upbuilding of the morale of the people of the nation. Second: the fundamental concepts of de- mocracy and we condemn _ the wars of aggression for imperial- ist ends by the totalitarian na- tions be they Fascist, Nazi, or Communist. These are destruc- tive of the idea of a society of free men for which we stand, proudly and with a determination to defend. Third: In relation to our own Union, we stand unequivocally for the right of any citizen, including members of the American Feder- ation of Teachers, to hold any view on political and social ques- tions and to membership in any legal political party, but we strongly condemn and oppose any attempt at manipulation of the American Federation of Teachers, or its program or policies, by a Communist group or any other in the group whose activities We are opposed to to- talitarian ideologies which negate | ties; | American The following resolution conde of Nazi, Fascist or Communist « “WHEREAS, Recent world events “WHEREAS, The constitution Teachers states that ‘we believe “WHEREAS, The American dencies and groups at home and “Be It Resolved, people, and freedom of public “4, The civil liberties guaranteed “> “6 Free trade unions; or advocates people; aery recourse to law; “4. The repudiation and denial hold fair trials, the “5S. The suppression or extermin while forced to vote, are given side, party, etc; Fascist or Communist origin, whe within the confines of our count “Be It Further Resolved, Thi and immediate publicity.” On Totalitarianism rigin, whether in Germany, Italy or Russia,” was passed at the AFT Convention in Buffalo. than ever before the dangers inherent in the policies and practices of totalitarianism and the benefits and blessings of democracy; of Federation be more definite, both in advocating the democratic way unequivocally opposing totalitarianism and all totalitarian ten- That We Reaffirm and Su and foundation of democratic government “1. The continuation for all people of ‘certain inalienable right with which they are endowed—life, lib 1 the | t of happiness’; “2. The principle and practice that governments derive ‘their just powers from the consent of the governed’; “3. Freedom of the press and radio, freedom of speech to all and the extension of such liberties; . A multiple party system whereby the wishes of the people are expressed and carried into action; “And That We Unequivocally Condemn and Utterly Oppose Any government abroad or any group in our midst which Jn “1. The denia] of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ to all Dictatorship and a condition of life wherein the individual subject to the will of the state “3. Government controlled and dictated press and radio, and the denial of free speech and free public assembly; use of violence, propaganda, concentration camps and firing squads; ation of free trade unions; “6. One-party rule where the people do not have free choice, but “Be It Further Resolved, That we support people, by the people, and for the people,’ and will work that such government, ‘shall not perish from the earth’ while we unequivocally condemn and utterly oppose all dictatorships, whether of ‘ther in Gern and the transplanting or practice of their ideas and their methods t these resolu mning “all dictatorships, whether have brought into sharper focus and the American Federation cl in democracy’; and of Teachers to wishes and abroad; port as 1 objects assembly; to individuals by our government actices or the dictator thereof without of civil liberties, and refusal to secret police, bureaus of opportunity to vote but for one ‘rovernment of the Nazi, lany, Italy or Russia, Ty ry or our profession; and tions be iven Wide Ten Retirin g V ice Presidents Serve Total of 24 Years Borchardt New Legislative Head Selma Borchardt, Local No. 8, Washington, D. C., was elected Legislative Representa- tive for the AFT by a unani- mous vote of the Executive Council. It was suggested by the Council that Miss Bor- chardt should have assistants who would be trained to assist in legislative work. This action was also approved, . . Greetings to Union the greetings to the Federation of Teach- ers Convention were those from A. T. A. Bricker, general presi- dent of the United Garment Workers of America; Rev. Owen A. Knox, chairman, National Fed- eration for Constitutional Liber- United Office and Profes- sional Workers of America; the Workers Defense League and the National Union of Teachers of Among | England. Union are directed primarily to- | ward furthering the ends of agen- cies, foreign or domestic, external to the Union and its policies. We stand for election of an Ex- ecutive Council whose loyalty to y) (Continued on page Twenty-four years of service the AFT is represented by the ten retiring national vice Veterans in Council work are Mary Foley Grossman, Philadel- phia, Mary Herrick, Chicago, and Charles Hendley, New York, who to presidents. served five consecutive years apiece. Next in line is Doxey Wilkerson. Howard Unive rsity, who served three years. Serving one year on the Coun- cil were Ray Abercrombie, Ohio: Robenia Anthony, Massachusetts: Ned Dearborn, New York: Robert Iglehart, Washington: Gertrude Luehning, California, and John Woodruff, Texas. Mary Herrick has been man of the Editorial Board the AMERICAN TEACHER for the last two years and chairman of the Personnel Committee dur- ing the last year. Mrs. Gross- man served as national legislative representative until January, 1940. Doxey Wilkerson was chairman of the committee to draw up a report on the AFL and CIO. Miss Anthony was chairman of the Convention Committee this year, a capacity filled by Charles Hend- ‘ley last year. chair- of Dispute Causes Hotel Change Although the AFT Convention | was scheduled to be held at the | Hotel .Statler-in. Buffalo, it was | changed, at the last minute, to the Hotel Buffalo. The Central | Labor Union of Buffalo and vi- cinity placed the hotel on the unfair list betause of°a dispute between the building trades and the owners of the Hotel Statler. A letter from the CLU, thanking the AFT for its co-operation, ap- pears elsewhere in this issue. BOAS, VOORHIS SEND GREETINGS TO AFT See Important Role of AFT in Edueation Among the many greetings to the 500 delegates to the 1940 American Federation of Teachers Convention came two from prominent members of the Union: Congressman from California, a tive Jerry Voorhis, U. S. tepresenta- member at large, and Dr. Franz Boas, celebrated anthrop- ologist, and a member of Local 537, New York College Teachers Union. The statements in full follow: Franz Boas } Jerry Voorhis t I t attend cony To t} e Ameri but I wish ings. rhe danger izations my regi inn ntion ration of Teachet end you my greet- coming an F de to difficult times en of all organ- strictly present the welfare that not fine their activities and discussions to their own field. sharp political conflicts of our days have been a hindrance to the useful activities of many organizations, because unnecessarily irrelevant and acrimonious political conflicts have interfered with attention di- rected to the actual field of work The more the political problems day interfere do con- The deeply of the with our peaceful life, the more difficult it is to avoid emotional reactions that interfere with rea- sonable judgment. Just at present the problem of ‘national defense and the possibil- ity of an extension of the war create conditions that endanger the well-being of the schools General conscription would dis- organize the schools, not only by withdrawing male teachers, and careful attention should be given so the schools igains such as hap- oO probdiems 10 cor sid ered eventualities over merican Feder: tion no control but ch a definite poli ted It will be the diffi« t tas or \ r con Yr T¢ ( I ~~ y \ t Ss 1 ( so] 1h \ \ ( f n tmos} ( ( ed DV A Sé s of thy ortancs ot voiding a break educatio f our youth to clear and_ inde- pendent thinking and to con- sciousness of their obligations to sociely- FRANZ BOAS Columbia University, August 10, 1940 T 1 et that my duties at the Capitol at this time prevent my attendan at American Federa- tion of Teachers Convention. lease extend my greetings to the delegates as a member of their organization and as one of their spokesmen in Congress. I am deeply appreciative of the tremendously important role which the American Federation of Teachers can play today because it is an integral part of the Amere ican Federation of Labor and be- cause through its parent organ- ization, well in its own locals, it can so richly contribute to making its slogan “Education for Democracy and Democracy in Education” a living fact. as as I hope that I may through the American Federation of Teachers continue to my part in the struggle to preserve our demoe¢ cratic institutions and to fight all do forms of totalitarianism be they Nazi, Communist &r Fascist. I shall continue to work in Cone gress for adequate Federal aid for our schools and for all phases of schooling upon which the true social growth and development of nation depends. Ir a ternally yours, JERRY VOORHIS. Change of Address I am a member in good stand- ing of Local of AFT. Please change my address on your records to (please print): | Name Address City State OIN tion of Labor. Federation of Teachers. Name. eee eeeeeeeeeeeee the American Federation affiliated with the W rite for Vore Information Please send me more information about the (All inquiries confidential.) I. 6 cencdndneeadéesebeseenee- Penssecaseeen Mail to Irwin R. Kuenzli, American Federation of Teachers, 506 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill. of Teachers, American Federa- NOW (merican “ee eee eeeeeeee City ember, 1940 pi THE AMERICAN TEACHER gg —— ~ —— We. SOE Three action shots from the Buffalo Convention of the left, Dr. Bella Dodd, legislative representative of the New York State Federa- Robert English, 1, who served as parliamentarian at the Convention; center photo, Dr. George S. Counts and Dr. John J. DeBoer, candidates for the national about to cast their ballots; right photo, Arnold Shukotoff, former chairman of the National Academic Freedom Commit- tee, has just introduced W. D. Boyd, president of AFT of schools American Federation of Teachers: rival presidency, Local 516, who was elected superintendent Local of Jacksonville, Fla., last May. tion of Teachers, confers with | of the New York State Labor Re- Problems Beset Youth, Schools, Labor AFT Discussion Shows —— . —~ . . . : : vo Educational. vocational and ; Rights—L y ONS of the local Convention commit Do you want to Save social problems faced by modern Four to Atterda tee, Buffalo, presided over the Mone y on the pur- youth were discussed in a= full . . ; ' opening session of the AFT Con- chase of Furniture 45 . AFL Convention Pointing out that the welfare “ 5 we R Radi d il afternoon session of the Conven- . blic sc mm 3 vention which was addressed by ugs, Nadios and a = : . , of the public school system and : tion when several noted teachers The American Federation of in : , other Household Nec- poe : progress of the labor movement Mayor Thomas Holling of the City engaged in a panel on Relation- Teachers will be represented se a 4 \ eities? I j ; ss : are tied tocether., Thomas J. f Buffal P 1 Norbert Berger essities: ship Betw the School and at the coming AFL Conven- 5 ; : as Oo 2UlTaloO and Norber erger, i = son at Mew Geteees ter Bee! Lyons, president of the New York ions of @ ae Of course you do, so send a card Societ i “ ans *si- 2 © 1% and Professor G. I Maxwell, ol in the recent retrenchment drive A pe ( ta SSUE $ the research staft of the Educa- by the New York State Economic / tl} . { 7 2. T " | . tional Policies Committ ol tt rds in certain fields were Tising. Council. which he chat sed, rep- oO lé 4 Tile ric ari é ac i¢€ r NEA, who ive his views on More complex relationships within resent the corporations of the ners “Training Youth for Citizenship.” industry itself were responsibile, state. FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION The heart of the present youth he said We need a closer con- 64 pages containing the following articles problem with its unemployment tact in our schools with our work a — —— Contributions of the WPA to Education lack ¢ c ‘ jirection, is the life, and we need more attention mocracyv functions best in ; ym- Foreword — Florence Kerr lack of skill and indirect con Magy Se ied ms nocracy functions best in a com Seastinn te Afelt Miesetien hd wy o outgrowth of a maladjusted eco- tot ve integration ot the industrial munity when the schools are so ton Want 2 Know Hilda W. Smith ; F } : yr Gellerman arts.” erate . -ratically : Schools for the Youngest Grace Langdon worn machine, D1 7 1 an . . os 4 ated democratic Al 4 th - t Rediscovering Recreation G. Ott Romney said He pointed out that the The introduction of labor-saving effective citizenship-education Art as Social Growth Russell C. Parr } are st ‘xploited machinery and the consequent in- + : str o ¥, r j > Music for America Farl Vincent Moore youth are the mo exploites en b ‘ jue leads to strong leadersh p. He Feeding Undernourished Children Margaret Batjer group in the country because they crease in leisure time was de- referred to some of the findings Educating for Health Margaret W. Stephenson wm . ] er te ake clared by Mr. Woodruff to be the . : appear j ‘ ‘a : 7 Displays That Teach Lawrence W. Morris Jack the political powe1 » mak i , -“) ‘ . . € which will appear in a report of Rooks for Uncle Sam's Childrea Kdward A. Chapman their needs felt. basis for the real need for youth an intensive investigation, ‘‘Learn- Finding the Facts Milton C. Forster ‘riticisine the er-emphasis on training in the intelligent and ing the Ways of Democracy,” s New School Buildings for Old Alice Barrows Criticising the over-emphasis 0 ro ding the Ways of Democracy,” soon The Joads’ Kids Get a Break Virginia Cocalis vocational education D1 Geller- constructive use of leisure time to be publish d in book form. Implementing Consumer Education Reign Ss. Hadsell tae oe . the asurati l evete He ureed that the ‘hools con- Teachers Ask About Housing William H, Cary, Jr. ma said the educational 5 n 1 . ; ’ on v0 . n - - —— —_—. Jobs for Unemployed Youth Aubrey Williams has been shaped »y teach students nue to teach the so-called The CCC Program for Youth James J. Mek ntee } | frills’ } hy j e}) Population and Financial Trends Newton Edwards ‘ | ) Oo he ext é s whicl Ti aid, wer to wo! lely tor 1 external Aru . ‘ said RR a D U Cc E Expanding the Office of Education John H. Lloyd reward \ h a cash value 1s ssential in WU modern scheme History of Federal Aid to Education Lleyd BF. Blauch 1 i ‘ without. of { the The Advisory Committee Recommends M. M. Chambers hal on Or Ww —s da Education and Economic Well-being suflicient , ' wol Dr. Maxwell sounded a k ynote MELLQUIST WAY John K, Norton and W, W. Wattenberg wl 1 h i cla not itlor of the Convention when he d 4 Pit . ' : ~| This issue also features a cover from a Lvnd Ward wood- > ky 1 1 i clared ir S k on Trainin o . cut and statements on the “Problem of Federal Aid" by i : - . Stoo Charles H Thompson, Flovd W. Reeves, Carleton Wash- tik il tt t wai \ } I Y< ( ship that de- a trial treatment, only burne, Willard 1 Givens, Spencer Miller, Jr., Donald Du- ‘ , ] Shane, Doak S. Campbell, Max Lerner and John Dale Russell, cha I , << $ .00 10 or more copies, 20c¢ apiece Sek, cae eat voi A. F. T. MEMBERS z single copy, 25¢ \V New { Hle i 1 . + s that spec ition alon certall trade lines does not have ill SAVE UP TO 50°. on REG. SPECIAL TOLERANCE ISSUE nee raids ; : $3.00 : effect on pel Sona ts ind t unin Nationally Advertised containing tl I |] Wing articles he r that personnel stand | by showin that p mninel Products Ml Americans All John W. Studebaker = wit Lithograph Julius Bloch h I ! no An Anthropologist’'s View of Race Fay-Cooper Cole for your home, car or persona a tome in ~~ The Responsibility of the Schools Franz Boas = ee . use. ‘ Newark Racial Differences and Intelligence Martin D. Jenkins SPECIAL ARTI ICLES, RE- M \ . Let's Tackle the Race Question Annette Smith »} t tis ( & fers you real pu : Developing Attitudes of Tolerance Jenny L. Mayer search papers, speeches, trea tr ng ao tad ns oF ” to Teaching Good Will sx James M. Yard ises, on educational literary, so- || iil to you a Selections from ‘‘The People, Yes Carl Sandburg apt iis . ay \ if you are interested Intolerance by Radio I. Keith Tyler ciological, economic, etc., topics. || sasured b . shle ra in learning the fa- Movies and Tolerance Alice V. Keliher ° f nanut ers and ours mous Metlauist - - Outlines, excerpts, footnotes. || ms method of Swedish 10 or more copies, 10c apiece oe ‘ — . assage, writ r bibliographies. Definite require- Save on Radios, Cameras, Type- aeons 7. Ge single copy, 15e . . writers, Electrical Appliances, State St., Chicago i : ments of patrons fulfilled in over | Automobile Accessories, Refrig- twent ears’ service. Moderate erators, House Furnishings, , lose me . y y Sucrting Geode, Silverware, ote. MELLQUIST Send orders and enclose pay nt to charges. Write for literature and prices. REDUCING 4 T h SEARC | SALONS, Inc. e merican teacner AUTHORS RESEARCH & S RP 996 N. MICHIGAN iN. 2 ~ . . ° . BUREAU G. . RADIO CO . Cent. 5300 506 S. Wabash Chicago, Il. 516 Fifth Ave, New York City 84 Fifth Ave. New York, N.Y. CHICAGG, ILLINOIS 19 SALONS—Chicago, New York, Newark, Miami Must Maintain Mayor, President of Buffalo CLU Board his ability to accept an invitation to lations regretting in- Greet Teachers Anthony J. address the Convention. 3ernard, chairman '4 September, 1940 Candidates Review 1940 Platforms | 2) (Continued from American democratic and to the American Federation of Teachers comes before every other consideration. In conclusion we would like to say that the above statement of principles is not intended to be all inclusive. We are in agree- ment with the educational policies of the American Federation Teachers on tenure, salaries, tirement, academic freedom, eral aid, equalization of educa- tional opportunity, adult educa- tion, and vocational education. We have tried only to deal in general terms with two _ issues arising out of the world and with the fundamental issue which the American Federation page fed- principles | of | re- | crisis | THE AMERICAN TEACHER With the extension of committee work in the American Federation of Teachers one of the primary aims of the recent conven- tion, fifteen standing committees and their chairmen were named to carry forward that work for the coming year. Each committee will be headed by a chairman aided by a CC also be set bers The NAME OF COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN No. 334. New AFT Standing Committees tees, centered in the chairman's area, will up tails and to correspond with other mem- throughout committees, council advise ADDRESS National Educational Miss Lillian Herstein, 5429 S. Greenwood, George Axtelle Policies No. 1 Chicago. Tenure Miss Flora Philley, 411 W. 18th St., S. Amelia Yeager No. 4. Gary, Ind. Education by Radio ~— Hadley Cantril, Eno Hall, Princeton, Stanton Smith jo. 552. N. J. Insurance and Credit Mr. Maurice Crew, 618 N_ Ridgeland Ave., Lila Hunter Unions No. 1. Oak Park, Hl. Pensions and Retirement Miss Florence Rood, 372 St. Peter St., Ruth Dodds No. 28. St. Paul, Minn. Academic Freedom -< Alice Hanson, Moylan, Pa. Ruth Wanger No. 1972. Public Relations and Miss Hazel Murray, 8015 Decker Ave., Michael Eck Publicity No, 279. Cleveland, Ohio. State Federations Mr. E. Glenn Baxter, 336 12th St., Arthur Elder wuncil adviser. Core commiuit- to follow through on de- the country. their chairmen and rs are: COUNCIL ADVISER Elyria, — Readers Urged to Patronize Advertisers The advertisers listed below have cooperated with the Amer- ICAN TEACHER. Because it is vit- ‘ally important that our readers patronize our advertisers, read- ers are urged to take every op- portunity to help carry out this program. Write to these firms, | and be sure to mention the AMer- ICAN TEACHER in your letters. Send | American the carbon copies to the AMer- ICAN TEACHER, 506 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois. American Education Press, Ine., 400 S. Front st., Columbus, Ohio: Investors Union, Inc., 10 E. 40th st., New York, N. Y.; | Association Press, 347 Madison ave., New York, N. Y Authors Research Bureau, 516 Fifth ave., New York, N. Y.; Conference on i > .* » 7 - . - of Teachers must resolve if it is : J ; Ohio. Education and Race Relations, 710 . Vocational Education Mr. Sam Barth, No. 1 “Ol Surf S ‘hina e >. — . . “ay . to continue to grow and to defend of a urf St., Chicago, Paul Preisler Standard Bldg., Atlanta, Ga. ; rics nila nevs — " ‘ , ‘ ’ ; . Consumers Uni 7 J and adv ance American education Social and Economic Miss Frances Com- 1604 Burlingame, Layle Lane Pactra ee rh . — and American democracy. Trends fort, No. 231. Detroit. Mich. . Square We st, New York, N. Y.: Taxation and School Mr. Sam'l Greenfield, 882 E_ 10th St., Jane Souba Cooperative Books, Norman, Ok- 2 wane —. # , y lahoma: Educational Trends Educational ucmar tint B aX Brooklyn, N. Y. “ | : s, Defense Prosra € nterest Mrs. Winifred Higgins, 1418 Berwyn Ave., Mildred Berleman Northwestern University, Evans- ” _ , . _ No. 224. Chicago, HI. ton, Ill: Equality Magazine, 220 The hope of democracy in our Working Conditions Mr. Roy Davis, Gi8 Peoples St., S. W., Charles Etheredge Fifth ave New York, N. Y.: In- : ’ No. &9 Atlanta, Ga tule I , I imes »S : Pog - _— . : . Anta, Wa. titute for Propaganda Analvysis " rs Ly ly seen ind gga Workers’ Education and Miss Eleanor Coit. 129 E. 10th St. Mark Starr and 10 FE. 49th st “4 ~~ aa s s, ——— > oy Maw on W.P.A. and Adult Edu- No, 5, New York City. John D. Connors ns og peditget principles with emphasis in the cation : The John Day Company, 2 W. conviction that only in this way Sth st., New York, N. Y.; Joseph can we rally the forces of prog- O. Dornich, Inc 05 E ) “2 any » prog to their problems and opinions as New 'Yy | .. y ; os a mony — SS. ‘ OrkK ~ > Atelaregor a- . . » sa hy ha A rye : . . as m hog Public education for more than Thanks from | Fecommmende d by tne - rican Maurer Shows per Companys J1O SS Wells st ’ a century has been basic to the Youth Commission. ° ° Chi I Michael B. Scheler American way of life: the founda- Buffalo Labor | (15) Recognition of the rights Federal Aid Film Bookse lle 1Io97 =Bedford ave., tion of a democratic society Dear Sir and Brother: lunder the Constitution. of racial. One of the highlights of the Brooklyn, N. Y. However, organized opposition to Would you be kind enough to religious and political minorities AFT Convention was the show- Modern Age Boo] 132 Fourth the free public schools has _in- express our sincere apprecia- 16 Vicor pee vil ing of a sound film strip, “Fed- ive., New Ye N. Y.; Overseas ase ‘ing > ars »>mbershi (16) igorous defense of ¢i : aad _ es ; a creased during the last few year tion to your membership for Rest A he - ‘ "eral Aid te Edueation.” by Dr. el § ce W. 42nd st., . = . = . _ . » 1 gag rv ‘ ’ = LDe] e@Ss ana acaaqaemic Ireeaom 1n — ae » > -_ 9 This opposition 1s directed by sele cng Buffalo for yous Con t} 1 of ae wt 4'eten - Wes-ey Maurer, University of yew Ye i. 2 Progressive powerful minority groups. The vention (¢ ity agrin this year, MS period of widespread hy steria Michigan and president ot Ge Educat ‘ 7 Shams 1 W most sinister aspect of this de- and for moving your Conven- | rhese positive convictions place | Michigan State Federation of o7th st., N Yu N. Y. velopment lies in the fact that tion headquarters from the (US in sharp opposition to all Teachers. The film which Dr Publie A ( mittee. Ine ader : . : Sts > ote a : rms »f talitar stern A+ . : . ipa ; ; asL UEC, ny leadership of this opposition is Statler Hotel. We are sure | Fe rms of totalitarianism. a Maurer made in co-operation Roel r | New York ; . e f ilfic rec ‘ i « > i » ¢ me hen or abr } < S¢ Ac ‘ — : * . - ’ ° in the hands of selfish interests that it was expensive and no || time when war al road = Usee & with the AFT will be ready for 2.3 8 f, Foresman and Com- ‘he extension of education and end of trouble to move your a pretext for attacks upon democ- use by locals this fall. Plans ’ 6232 s WW A ug Chi ‘ ; b a ; a all. ‘ ,. 1 ave. Chi- the advance of democracy ar Convention headquarters’ on racy at home, we reaflirm our are being worked out so that ‘ Wl: St lard Research As- necessary corollaries. We, there- such short notice, and we want (basis for organizational existence.| jt may be possible for a local ciate Oo Vv 12nd st., New ae an eid 4 call : , ‘ . . : les ] alloy . — eae 1 =. d . some ssh = we ye Ss fore. as teachers address our- you and your membership to | We will allow no manula tured to receive the film, record and | Yor! Y. selves to the defense and exten- know that we are deeply grate- |hysteria to divert us from these projection machine by mail l « : : ] OE é re : ‘ A ap . Ve OC IALE ne | 40 sion of our American hes hool — - faiths. and return it to the national 191) “New York. NW. ¥: Themes ayavem ns the certainty tha a e. ae ae oe cigs to We support without question | office after the showing. Y. Crowell Company, 432 Fourth this way can we contribute mos gp ss our thankfulness, but j}measures designed to adequately The film was shown both to ve., New York, N. ¥ The Vik- to the defense of democracy and vate true ee oe yy sag ong |defend our shores against any ag- the Convention and a special ing Press, 18 E. 48th st., New our great tradition of freedom that your organization has dis- gression, but we join the great session of the Executive Coun- y k. N. Y¥.: World Fede ‘ n of y 4 > ; < > > in , 4 : . . : e ' | 7 - OLR, 4 9 Vi reacrath ) We propose the following pro- played will always be ” mem mass of our people Who Oppose | cil. Education Acc tions Travel gram: : bered by the Federation oe altogethe r any involvement in the Bureau, Inc. 1201 16th st. NW, (1) Continuous expansion of Labor of Buffalo and vicinity. present European conflict We Wachinot _ A > “ee : ’ : vee oe ° : Vasningte 1) : our educational facilities Sincerely and Frate rnally cannot defend freedom by regi- | rathe! ‘ ‘ - + ~ (2) Equalization of education- yours, |mentation. nor democracy by mil- | form. r - al opportunity for all children by Federation of Labor of | jtaricm. We oppose peace time| We oppose vigorously a defense | Back Numbers Free ‘ = ‘ Su ff: F icinity at ‘ciel A, means of federal aid and in- a ilo ~s Vic “— conscription and all measures de- | policy which demands great sac- Folded copies of back issues of eee ied aad eorge Sturge Sec- |.. ; . L Da i creased state aid. oe Be a . | Signe d to curtail and disrupt our |rifices from men, but which at the | the American TEACHER are avail- (3) Defense of the_ public | sOuney icivil procedure and to divert at- |same time yields great profits for > ¢ e I J I able and will be sent free to schools against the unwarranted & =< tention from glaring social and property. We believe that teach- | jocals requesting them. These iticis € ‘ati which is , ‘eee - te om ane , : : aa an ae : <> gammy of ~- — n : on sound educational principles | Conemic problems. We oppose a jers must re sist every attempt tO | are copies which have been re- lak a. SUE TOE FOLFERCIINENE | Oe on youth or student groups to | national economy based and de-jutilize the educational system as | turned through the mail. in education. — lan rather than for ulterior propa- | Pt ndent upon military expansion. |an agent of military propaganda | _ (4) Democratic organization | | nda purposes. | We point to the warring nations of |and we believe that we have no —= and administration of our schools. : ; |Europe as examples of the futility |higher obligation to our people (5) The establishment of a (11) Militant defense of teach- ; ree ' 2 . stad : ~ : : of attempting to achieve peace|than to teach the truth as we : ee ee neuen f child | ers rights to adequate salaries, to | comprehensive program of child , or security through armaments see it. welfare. including free dental, | tenure and to fair conditions of | , ’ b , a. ; — oe —_ SS = = health and psychiatric services. work. |= - — - of the SEPTEMBER (6) A sound system of pro- (12) Improvement in the pub- gressive taxation based upon abil- | lic relations of our profession by NEWSPAPER oe a means of cooperation with ve | FP AQGHERS UNION LITERATURE || ::: 2:02:05, 0¢ open mee . - > ‘ ‘ ’ ' ‘ i ai pt t - (7) Strengthening our system | and labor groups. ings of vour Union. state or of vocational education along (13) Joint co-operation with y ar . local meetings of state teach- meee afucstional Imes with safe- ; What every member should eee ee cee oe sound educationa ines With Sa e- labor in defense of our common ers organizations, or to teach- guards against the exploitation of | right to organize and bargain col- know about the A kK He ers in your city school system this field for the mere training of | Jectively. 7 . cee os 8 may be purchased at the fol- e aha: ‘ , | i a — ioOwing prices: a che ap labor supply. : | (14) Recognition of the mnght 1. Information about the A. F. T. 12. A Golden Opportunity (8) Complete separation of organize and give free expression per hundred (irvin R. hue ) ; Less than 500 le apiece the church ¢-1d the state which | — — _—__— 2. Six Major Purposes_ ed 2 has so fostered religious freedom | ii tea , ay } ed 13. Facts 4 00 . $4.50 i ate : 3. Can Teachers Unions Be . : ta and tol ranc e. ; é Called Out on Strike? 14. | a rege I ~~ one the Publix 1.000 (« r more). $9.00 per 1.000 (9) Keeping militarism out of HAVE YOU 25e per } ed Schools (Irvin tenizIi) 2 the schools in time of war and “ 4. dan Ae am a Member of the os Rabon 2 —_ 5 O d T d . a ‘rs Unio 5. Labor's Part in American Educa- preparation of war as well as in YOUR AFT PIN: mie Ct Sem (Geerne L. Gosee) — raer oO ay times of peace. — S. Questions and Answers Se per hundred untins Gini Geen Una eam ees Gene eee eau Sestis (10) Revision of curricula Gs): 35¢ per hu ed 16. The Function of Teachers Unions j The American Teache i | 6 What 17c Will Do in A. F. T. in Colleges (Jerome Davis) rhe . AS Bye Dues 35c per hundred 50c per hundred 906 S. Wabash Ave., | , Whine | 7. Why I Am Glad to Be a Member 17. The National Union of Teachers Chicago, III. i S, : ——" of the A. F. T. (Goodwin Watson) of England (Elsie V. Parker) ; “Give me a Library of Pam- Small, simple, attractive. | 35¢ per hundred $1.00 per hundred Enclosed please find $........-—~ . . It will indicate to others %. The Constitution of the A. F. T. 18. Millions of Workers iets and 0 wit ard wena your concern for “Education || : $2.00 per hundred Uc per hundred I] for copies of the Reference Question. for Democracy and Democracy Dy a ! o., anne a 19. Address by George S. Counts LT s pteml I per ° ~ anil ” " o le rogram o ction tor ass- (A, - ol -j Convention )939) . } Moe! we paper, EACH MONTH || in Education.” Order it now. || room Teachers $2.00 per hundred ” §Oe per hundred . 50c each, $5 per dozen, 10. A Critical Evaluation of the 20. Why I Belong to A. F. T. Name THE PAMPHLETEER || $38 per hundred J] os Ave Te Chiteen W. Robinson) tay’ chamies Wourkig Doulas and ||? ) _ — = | We per copy ake 25e per hundred MONTHLY In order to avoid detailed 43. Teachers Should Oreanine 2. A Chalienes te Chesewenmn Venshere Te cccncsameuinial || bookkeeping cash must accom- |) (Frank Baker) $2.00 per ed (Desk Blotter) 25e per hundred pany your order, Mail i : ' lists over 300 new pamphlets (supple- I y 3 . t to fay |. ™ ing, icul ruides, : - . } child and adul cdecation, current | The American Federation of || Order by sumber from | problems). Subscription $2. 10% sub- | Teachers ~ ~ . State ...... a Sithers discount en pamghlct orders. || RO gs | American Federation of Teachers | Sample copy 20c 8, Dept. BU 506 S. Wabash Ave. : * —_ é r , 2.2 i ~ ° - T Times Square Station, N.Y. | Chicago, 1. | 506 S. Wabash Chicago, Hl. PS 2 eee _—- September, 1940 THE AMERICAN TEACHER Report by College Section Outlines "40-41 —EEEE With a large group in atten- dance, the College Section of the AFT discussed some of the prob- lems facing college teachers. The held AFT those session Was preliminary to the Among recent Convention. who submitted Alban Win- the Organiz- reports were of major spear, chairman ing Committee; Mrs. Helen Lewis; David C. Williams, chairman of the Midwest Subcommittee of the organization committee; George T. Guernsey, director of the sum- mer session program and Arnold Shukotoff, chairman of the Na tional Academic Freedom Com- mittee. Watson Reports Watson, chairman of a special committee appointed by the College Goodwin ge Section, presented a report, for 1940-41 Proposed by the College Section.” which was later presented to the Executive Council, “| Ibiectives The report follows: During this coming year, deep- ening concern over the war may tend to aggravate old problems, to introduce new difficulties, and to distract us from our central tasks as a union of workers in education. We recommend that the organ- izational progeam of college teach- ers du ing the coming year should take account of the following demands: 1. Vigorous defense of civil lib- erties and academic freedom in a period of widespread hysteria 2. Support of organized labor against attempts to use the sense of “national emergency” in order to repress and to cripple labor unions, ”~ , 3. Development of the implica- tions of democracy. We want to defend democracy, but the best defense will be an actual exten- sion of democratic ways of living in areas of our society Which have not functioned democratically. We warn particularly a that upon democracy. tion of teach ization attacks being made in the name It is the special func- rs to prevent public gainst are increasingly democracy ol victim- the th rou rh ae misuse abstract terms Maintain Professional] Standards 4. Emphasis upon maintaining Standards in technical fields, and support of the continuing values in liberal education. ‘No mora- torium on culture!” 5. War hysteria has prompted Suggestions that college curricula must be adapted to defense needs While industrial and other lay leaders may be qualified to recom- mend needed changes, particularly in technical fields, it should b thoroughly understood that curri cular changes the offerings of the in prote ssional colleges should be Objectives the province of the professional staff of the colleges themselves. 6. Attention to the problem of | continuing the financial support of education. Attempts must be an- ticipated to cut educational budg- ets in order money for We maintain that full opportunities for youth repre- our first line of defense. Further we must act to prevent | the placing of increasing tax bur- | to save defense. must sent | dens on low-income groups. 7. We face now conscription, the threat of which would be likely, if enacted, sharply to re- duce colle 7e enrollment, to curtail drastically the work of the gradu- | ate schools to cause insecur- for who might be considered “dispensable.” The pro- tection of educational opportunity | and of teacher rights in this case will become even and ity teachers more urgent, Situation Offers Opportunity 8. This situation, fraught with | peril as it is, presents us never- | theless with unusual opportunity. | All retrenchments, and declining enrollments increase individual insecurity. This is our opportunity drive home the point that security can be achieved through organized action. 9. Finally, the probability that our union activities will be resisted misrepresented by opposing these attacks, to only and forces, places on us a special ob- ligation for education of the pub- lic. Through bulletins, forums, and in many other ways, the entire teaching force in our schools and public opinion in our be brought and to communities, must understand our in our objectives participate eflorts. Local 5 Awarded Legislative Prize for Budget Fight Local 5, New York City, awarded the Dr. Ross Thalheimer of $25 at the AFT Conven- or its organization work in combatting New York State's retrenchment. drive. Dr. Thal- former national legisla- representative, offered the nual award the AFT doing outstanding work in the legislative field. The made was prize tion hemmer, tive local an to of Local 5 the selection was because and material distributed; varticipating; intensity of campaign: general excellence material published; gained despite a ot: mass variety of numbers of prestige strenuous oppo- sition; delegation petitions: ra- dio publicity delegations; lobby- ing and financing Other Locals considered for the ward wer Philadelphia; Springfield, Ill Kenosha, Wis Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Pater- son, N. J. The AMERICAN 'TEACHER | Tublished Federation of Monthly Teachers, except June, 506 OS, July Wabash by the American Hit. | and August Ave., Chicago, Vol. XXV September, 1940 | No. 1 George T, Guernsey, Editor Kermit Eby, Consulting Editor Members of the Executive Council GEORGE S. COUNTS. Pre ent IRVIN R. KUENZLI. Se vt] 120 Riverside Drive 506 S. Wabash Avenue New York Mm. we qc} izo, J nois National Vice Presidents | GEORGE AXTELLE ARTHUR A. ELDER STANTON FE. SMITH 1118 Colfax SOL Bu ! ime > Ferger Bldg Evanston, Ill. Detroit, Mich, Chattanooga, Tenn, MILDRED BERLEMAN CHAS. M. ETHEREDGE TANE SOUBA 8020 F vans Avenue 202 Forest Ave, 15 Leflingwell Pl Chicago, Ill. Augusta, Ga, New Rochelle x. JOHN D. CONNORS LILA A. HUNTER MARK STARR 51 So. Sixth Street 2403 N. 41st St. ,W. 16th St New Bedford, Mass, Seattle, Wash, New York, N. Y RUTH DODDS LAYLE LANE RUTH WANGER 1614 26th Street 226 W. 150th St... 2J 119 N. Mole St Sacramento, Calif, New York, N. Y. Philadelphia, Pa, MICHAEL J. ECK PAUL W. PREISLER S. AMELIA YEAGER 312 Auditorium Bldg. Cleveland, Ohio St. Louis —— Chicago, Miinois, authorized November 3, 1976 Subseription: $2.50 per year— 4420 Longfellow under the act eof March 3, special rate ef postage provided fer in Section Fereica, Bivd. 1523 Madison St. Mo. Madison, Wis. | 1879 1103, Acceptance fer mailing at Act ef February 28, 1925, $2.48. | to | SOR aay *) ". | eer nade BYe Bis . 4 iaeten ct , w& nm Ny sett ha * ot o ae Py yy ; - " * . \ Sn Ad, SEIT Or trrenie Go tns ai eRe hee ee Cores { Public Schools Bulwark of Democracy in National Crisis, Says AFT Resolution The by the Convention is to be the basis for the work of a special the Executive Council. committee are George E. Avtelle and Ruth Wanger. following vesolution passed unanimously committee appointed by new of the chairman, S. Amelia Yeager Members “WHEREAS, Public education as a primary social agency faces the most grave and complicated situ- ation since its inception; and “WHerEAS, Public education is the front line de- fense of American democracy, both in terms of our national solidarity and of democratic society; and “Whereas, American public education has before it the great task of training citizens for democ- racy; and “Wiereas, American public education is being attacked in the name of economy, religion, morals and patriotism—each of which is as sacred to teachers as to all other Joyal Americans--by forces in our society who fear an enlightened | public; and “WereAS, Necessary public services have been established and extended in recent years, socially justifiable and requiring public financial support; and “WHEREAS, Economic insecurity and the threat of war with their attendant hysterias endanger the stability and expansion of our American system of ion; free public educat “Be It Therefore Resolved: That the Executive Council of the American Federation of Teachers recommends to this Convention: 1. That immediate and vigorous action be taken to | expand the facilities of public education and to protect it against any and all forces destructive to its welfare so that: (a) American youth may be yuaranteed in- creasing educational opportunities tor training in citizenship, skills and culture Amerk their fundamental democracy through an expanded program and that American teachers may play a tive role during this period by building sound (b) an teachers may continue work of training citizens for construc- judgment, intelligent loyalties and devotion to the expanding democracy and thereby promote the democratic principles and practices of an morale of the American people in this time of national crisis. (c) American democracy may persist and thrive in providing for a truly free people those tradi- tional human rights and liberties, of which we are so justly proud. (d) American self iree defense relate the national to may appropriately survival of a —— society whatever the exigencies of the present situation may require and that it may not be the welfare of public education. including the American Federation of Teachers, may continue to pros- used against (e) American labor, per as a constructive and integral part of our social structure. “To this end, be it further recommended: 1. That this Convention direct the Executive Coun- cil to appoint or designate a committee to develop a detailed plan subject to the approval of the Executive Council and to administer it under tie Supervision of the Executive Council for the pur- pose ot: (a) Meeting the needs of the present crisis in the for the training of our people as citizens in a our culture through expanding facilities democracy and repelling any attacks against our fundamental democratic structure. (b) Insuring that any vocational education pro- gram be so organized that it will promote edu- cation in democracy and culture as well as vocational skills; that no program of vocational education ignore the fundamental principles established by labor for such training; and that such a program be under the control of leaders of education and labor. (c) Affecting a basis for co-ordinating our work in the American Federation of Teachers with all educational and other essential social agencies thus affecting a unity of purpose among the progressive forces of the country. (d) Establishing a positive position which will strengthen the spirit of Cemocracy among our people and place the American teacher in a role of leadership in preparing citizens for a democracy. 2. That this Committee consult with and use the resources of the Educational Policies Committee, the Committee on Vocational Educaticn, the Com- mittee on Academic Freedom and any other re- sources ol our organization 3. That the Committee help inform the teachers and, through them, the public by means of pam- phlets, bibliographies, bulletins, articles, films and radio “Be It Further 1. That the Committee be urged to consider the effects of war and the threats of war upon public Recommended: education, upon civil liberties and upon our national wellare (a) With constant vigilance for national safety. With against any form of totalitarianism, foreign or domestic. With due regard the future welfare and advancement of human rights in a respon- (b) necessary safeguards lor sible and free commonwealth.” THE AMERICAN TEACHER September, 1940 a) Here They Are—'40-'41 Executive Council RUTH WANGER Vice president from Pennsyl- vania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware . member of executive board, Local 192, for two terms as well as other com- mittee work. Miss Wanger has her A.B. from Vassar and her M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and has also done graduate work at Columbia has been a teacher of history, then served as head of the de- partment of social studies and is now principal of the South Phila- delphia High School for Girls. MICHAEL J, ECK Vice president from Ohio, Ken- tucky, West Virginia was one of the organizers of Local 279 and has been vice president and president of the local execu- tive and legislative representative, Ohio Federation of Teachers, 1937-40 . has been a member of the Cleveland Typo- secretary graphical Union for twenty-two years. .. Received his B.S. in Education from Western Reserve and LI.B. from Lake Erie Law School licensed to practice law in Ohio was a print- ing instructor in the Cleveland schools from 1923-39 and _ has been assistant supervisor of print- ing since 1939 in the Cleveland schools. RUTH DODDS Vice president from Southwest Area, West Coast ber since 1932 and executive committee since 1956 - president Local 31, 1939-41 . chairman of sabbatical leav. committee which succeeded in 0» taining sabbatical leaves for Sac- AFT mein member f LaF ramento teachers. . teceived A.B. and M.A. from the Univer- sity of California - has done graduate work at Columbia, Stan- ford, the College of the Pacific, U.C.L.A. . .. member of the Stanford Language Arts Inves- tigation and the Califcsnia Cur- on Develop- now chairman De- Senior California. riculum Committee mental Reading. . of English and Orientation partments, McClatchy High in Sacramento, CHARLES M. ETHEREDGE Vice president from Florid: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia president of Local 422 for the past thre: years ... served as secretam and is now chairman of th Board of Trustees of the August Central Labor Union begin- ning second year as vice presi- dent of this area. Received his A.B. from Newberry College and did graduate work at the .. Wanger I'nive rsity of South Carolin hoo) P i Dew \ S fron Be ton I tv and id- served as princi of three rut id =e ‘ the 1 ‘ 1} uate wor - rd has schools and for the past thirteer oe ( hve \ ( ‘ DCC! } ‘ ‘ Bf assroom vears has 1 mathematies at EAC Ur cher of er Education The Academy ¢ Richmond ¢ t\ \\ or \ . ! New B i High § hool ty I A rusta 1s iSo 1 | ‘ Haw ait ( | t ils. director there p DI supel ntendent in Oregor 920-24; head ; " lOO! ( enperi > - P > EES ‘D> JANE SOUBA nental school in Hon j-| PAUL W. PREISLER : : ‘ ( ‘ Vice president for the New v princi] ‘ Vice pre er rom the Ar- . . N« we lr t\ York Area ... has carried ; , . ; > | kansas, Texas, I ina, Kansas, ‘ 2 SS ( f } or ) Teachers Union card for twenty ' , . Mis ! at irea — vears ... charter member and organize. pre nt of Local member of he executive com 120, St. I S organized mittee of Le 59 cni ter —_ onN , - . RY 4 ‘ ] lin and 1 . STANTON E. SMITH mace se nember and president of Le WPA S I s d S has been writer ¢ . ! ( I ell St. we lv colur or educatior ol \ ( I | I I I re- thy Mi CRs " Da Nto in \ 1 I ed ot the I Ve I or NI] re polis tit t , T¢ ) ! ] i ! a n-} in Li 159 to M esota State Fed ‘ ( i members eration of Labor B.A iron I s< Su- Carleton College and M.A fro ] ( S ( ‘ the iv achers Coll ve Summet! ‘ ive . ( ] emile re- sessions at the Unive ties f oO w LE] \ | receive his Vienna and Prague ... has been George S. Counts ( Ss } LD. fre \ ington Uni- a teacher and principal in small be ities ‘ \ School Na- towns in Minnesota and a teacher ( l or | ! Re l low 1927-29 » : . f } iin 2 in the junior ard senior high | President « Local 1936 « Denis Univ 1\ S structor in schools in New Rochelle, New ani mart I ang secre ry . tiie ve Mr. S 1 his A.l ad he Biol ( Washington York. Board ol Dir 3 Ol the Cn © took er work at the | vel Ur tv Mee School, since Union Teachers Credit Union sities of Wisconsin and ( tta ‘ secretary ol tive 11} ( S1 noc , . i S ‘ ‘ . 7 A 7; hl . ratio yf Teachers mas S. AMELIA YEAGER — ion of Teacl ia, matics in the Chattane : een aA delegate to thre llinois . i< Vice president from Minnesot 7 ot since 1y f 1 ] a.lg or ley? ‘ . TYE ED Wisenmain. Towa. North Dakota . oer Federa ( I Do! os LILA A, Ht NTER 3 ventions «¢ 40 times ‘ South Dakota, Nebraska Vice —— { \ | lent AFT ; } ceived her Ph.B. from Chi Vie ( ne orth- resident AF and member ot i . ' , > ’ > . rT 4 Seacted Gaesd of Che’ Aameeecan: | Se Oi4 Graduate w ' IRVIN R. KUENZLI we ea, West Coas she “ditoria sOard Ol n MERICAN . . ib ) oart ( é I Phi Beta K - . cle | I ‘ ( le Seate- TEACHER 1939-40 . . has been hiol :' SECT ; . = le J S rs’ | . secretary-treasurer and president |. > 1). wri the dent ¢ ne s Oni ‘ ha te : : in Illinois « \ sevent 1. ’ >) whe ed ht gainst of Local 35 and president of the . Cc <<" ‘ os , ‘ ¢ . t} , a : pe ears i , } ( , ( s en nts in he Wisconsin Federation of Teachers | ° . ‘ e Ohio | ' } ; , an > , } Ladies Garment W s Unlor ley f ~ ( on UK 1 e State “ed- Phi Beta Kappa taught Latin on ee . oe | : es ;' . = ' : O27 .2@ Decor: 1 Dp president. Li } 189 Associatiol : . P ‘ - s n 19 S In ecorah, lowa, and Riverside ° t . . poon ‘ de ] jent {} . } y 5 ,f Wwicnt . wat ; : ( ‘ esident of the High School, Milwaukee, Wis chairman ol aq » § ; * c , ; » -— | al 928.29 B 4 ‘ —- » ) sy] . ‘ " - ae | ! >.4 aqeeree now teaching Latin and Ancient |! the national WPA Workers’ of e AFI member ¢ . m th lr rf W . . ; : eo Pp wan and mon f ties , , n ( ! y ashing- History in Central High School, | Service Progra! ind member of | International Ci ee ¢ edu wine ' , Seattle hick ‘ ; - . ‘ } Vg Madison, Wis. the Advisory Council of the WPA cation, Paris Exposition Mi — on — Profession and Service Projects Kuenzl received his A.B . — author of pamphlets, “Edu-| M.A. from Wittenberg Coll ARTHUR ELDER cation: Why and for Whom?" and was ead of the La ce d 4 J} ; “Training for Unior Service,’ artment of tl Springfield | ) “> Vice president from the Mich- |, ; — sist . - LAYLE LANE 7 n : Nat Cc and Labor and Consume! Edu S¢ oOoIs te ( rieen Ve . ga area ... svationa onven- * . . &< apes : nven- | cation Mr. Starr attended Vice president large tion Committee ‘ formerly oe ; 2 Peale pI id of e 4h Mt E ; A the London Labor College ir nember of Le al or seventeen esiae ol re ichigan Feder- 191° : F =n 1915-16 or scl irship fron ( : . wy . Vi nd se ‘ secretary for ation of Teathers and now its . yy . JOHN D. ( ON NORS ‘ South Wales M s’ Federatior three vears ted as teacher executive secretary ... delegate . : : pita a ‘ f G S “ we \ ( “OW Ful ounsel bet rd of Edu- to the Mic} n Federation oO . 7 ers Ses , Labor Conventior 1937-4 , em be of ¢ ( eX ‘ ‘ New ‘ ‘ ‘ t; thy oO promoted the Michigan ‘ 16 : ; ; Board a - S1OT l¢ ‘ b law lobbied on tenure le ris] ion } . ‘ . Hd Q27 , " tne allo! i ( Ls b ‘ ( , ind | du- in 1937 and did more to get it Colle: fake | i I ' Sint through than iInvone els olleges ( ( T I ‘ i¢ S } no} , . ‘or a the nM gn an an ) ‘ ‘ . 4 . 71.3 ¥ st L©sS It IS ( teach | \} I \ t I I | Se thnern Pes nt I rmers nion M1 Elder is at present teaching . 4 } : labor histo Brookw o¢ l ( Se St e Fede on « | ‘ New York in the Detroit schools. bor Colles , 4 MI OHeCEE, Ol s i \.1 om Howard me Be of | tor Unive tv and A.M. from Co'!um- , , > ‘ . . a hl . . : “ . aa i : GEORGE E. AXTELLE of the Bedt« ( ‘ New School MILDRED BERLEMAN Vice president fr the C Coo} l I n ro! Ope ( ‘ ( “ j 4 Ss now a Vice president from the Illinois- | lege S« or ch te ) ‘ orgal , ; on the Indiana Area secretary, re- and former } sident « I first president of 1 New Bed Benjamin Frat n High School gional vice president and vice 160 editor of ¢ 440 Ye ford | Sch Degr n New Ye ( | | | Etheredge Axtelle Kuenzli Souba a a Connors Elder rc Preisler Hunter Lane September, 1940 —~ — THE AMERICAN TEACHER _ Green Pledges Full Support to rganize Nation’s Teachers by WILLIAM GREEN, President American Federation of Labor AM PLEASE anda t Dring American Federation ol tion The field which you exercise jurisdiction broad and comprehensive You function in the field of education organizing those employed in the schools and in the tions sociation and thts public educational institu- of our Nation. Because of this as- environment, you are privileged to understand to a greater aecree the question ol cconomics of economic philosophy, of social and in- For that reason I am fact dustrial probiems that [ am address- cons¢ ious ot tne ing this men and women who are students morning of economics, of social prob- lems and of industrial development I am indeed proud of the fact that your splendid organization is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor And it seems quite appropriate and most fitting that should refer to this his- toric movement at this moment. We re- gard the American Federation of Labo as the labor movement in the United Siates and Canada. It is the instrumen- tality through which men and women express their point of view and it is the macninery tnrougt whic they seck t achieve social and economic betterment statement bec the abroad I make that iuse or- paralleling American Federation ol ganizations Labor are being Wiped out through the march of totali- tarian dictatorships. But it is the Ameri- can Federation of Labor that has stood and stands today in defense of democ- racy, freedom and liberty. It will always stand there MUTTON ble iainst i1itacks Which may be made upon It Experience and Training Form Basis of AFL Organization Histor shows that those wh on to Lhe f i | itior ) oO mo nen n % experience and training wat rf | Al [ i, , D to be here with you at the opening of your Convention you a word of greeting and, in addition, to assure vou of the deep interest of myself and the officers and members of the Labor in the welfare of your splendid organiza- left us to return and to become a part of the American Federation of Labor. In response to appeals made by the the committees President of United for States, we the ap- pointed purpose of meeting with committees representing the rebel movemert, those who left us: and these commiitees have participated in nurnerous conferences but, unfortu- nately. no definite results were accom- plishel until after they had met for quite a length of time. Finally an agree- was reached, an agreement which the solution of our diffi- culties and for a return of these prodi- gals who left us bacl- home to the house of labor and to the of Labor. ment prov ided for American Federation Sought to Bring Divided Labor Together for Unity The committees duly appointed by both sides agreed unanimously upon a plan of settlement and of procedure, but un- fortunafely the one man at the head of the dual movement vetoed the agree- ment, rejected it, repudiated it, and threw it aside. Consequently, all that had been done had come to naught That is a fact, and I am wondering whether all those you represent are actually acquainted with that fact, that an agreement had been reached provid- ing for a fair solution of our problems and a fair settlement of our difficulties. We have responded 1o that was made to every appeal and endeavor to the ference table. We were not the original offenders. We o the labor. It united m« meet our differences around con- house of cupied Was a house Amer erected by a vement in ica. We always regard those who leave home as the ones whoo h ive S cod d. and it was those who lead this rival movement that left nome, marched out of the house of labor, out of the rooms oc ‘upied living im a } relationship with thes fraternal millions yf other workers Could it be expected that the Ameri- ‘an. Federation of Labor would vacate the built, march and say to Take it. It is home of labor it had out and leave it, those who first left “There it is yours.” No sensible person would ac- quiesce in such a policy. But occupying the home as we have, we have asked those who left to come back, assuring them that a hand of welcome would be that would be accorded all the rights and privileges of members extended they and if turn, that no penalties would be imposed, of organized labor when they re- no commitments required, but simply a willingness to come back home and fight the a the believed in the than to stand out- if they wish for ceptance of principles they within rather force point ol t family of labor ind try to and ther side men women to accept view, Will Never Abandon Democratic Procedures or Yield to Force The American Federation of Labor will respond to the appeal of reason, of facts, ut the Am cat I leration of Labor will ne vicld to force applied to it y \ »S i ) npel it to t l- I ( 1 du ina I ) i- l rincip i icld » fore i if 1 eat ) msice T of ' s of this on wit! the ral kx » ] } oO in- d t I b } Lior 1 n ) ear litter of 1 » ri i | y” nm < ibor dur he \ e } of xister But } \ , 1 ff Labor v : . imest ind ippl i both f S f ? eo tion in U yursuit 1dmit itive pol We have 1 the building- trade ) nizations the craft form of a it { a t} rt Is William Green (center), president of the his rddress to the American Federation Counts; right, Irvin R. Kuenzli, wes of Teachers Convention. American Federation of Labor, following Left, George 5S. We have given to the printing-trades or- ganization the craft form of because who organiza- tion those were members of the printing-trade unions alleged and that it suited their argued economic needs best of all 1935 AFL Convention Voted “No” on Industrial Unionism In 1935 in Federation of at the convention of the Ameri- Labor held in Atlantic City, the question was submitted to the SO eign delegates in attendance at that convention for final decision. And it was debated just as you will debate ques- tions here. It was considered just as vou will consider questions here at this convention Full opportunity for all to engage in debate and present their point of view was accorded to every delegate in attendance Finally, after hours and hours of de- and a decision two-thirds majority. That ought to have settled the question. bate, a vote was taken was made by a the rule But decided to That was democratic procedure registered and of the majority honestly “No,” the minority said, withdraw. That is that the dual, formed. It the and about There is story why how it come rebel, rival movement was grew out of a stubborn refusal to obey the will that minority that the issue to a final of the majority alter refused had submitted jury of their peers for decision. Whenever we abandon democratic the movement, we pro- cedure, in affairs of our organized labor cannot defend dem- ocratic procedure in the administration of governmental affairs. I would rather preserve the prin iples of democracy even though I was de- feated in a fair test than to lead a mo nt t t struck at the very heart i 1 \ \ Vil ils ot aen racy and ( proced [I hope I shall al- ways be a good |] is well as a good “ ! If in debate I can Win a maior- ity ) ide, I | be happy. But if I ! e vi i ! then it I orem l t\ > ¥ i t I will 0 I i rity Al ] \ ? \ ] p rt | ) i pli ) | 1 t principie I ior ol il adi ren “A \ lica t ie f { I ) \ 1 1 1 lit I ] Cl ti COp ) Lin VO a ow I want to | h ] lid con- \ ion this mornin follow yr these irkS on that it) ct 1 hat tiv door ) A Weico Will in cx nded to those who left us when they are ready to return. No penalties will be imposed. No requirements must be met. Simply come back home to the house of the American Federation of Labor. Some have already come. A splendid big union that left with the CIO, numbering 250,000, became disillusioned and came back to the American Federation of the Ladies’ Garment Workers’ International Union, They are home with us now, happy, contented, as a part of the five million the Amcri- can Labor, members of of Labor. There is one other matter that is dis- turbing us all very greatly. We are living Federation here in America in the shadow of a great tragedy. We are shocked the de- velopments that have taken place abroad. We have made sad as we have seen the march of dictatorships dominat- ing and controlling, subduing free dem- ocratic nations and free democratic peo- ple, and we have arrived at the conclu- now that the conflict is between the two philosophies of government, the totalitarian form of government and the democratic form of government as we have it here. over been Sion Should Help Britain with Ali Aid Possible Short of Actual War As the leaders of these totalitarian nations have invaded free democratic like Czechoslovakia, Poland, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, our hearts have been made We realize after all that the leaders fine democratic countries were ideologists. They could not believe that this designing leader of dictatorships in europe would go so far as he has gone. Now our hearts go out to these people deeply concerned because now it seems that Great Britain is stand- countries sad of these and we are ing alone in defense of democratic prin- ciples and our democratic form of gov- ernment. I that the majority of United States of Ameri- hourly and daily that stand the attack and will win in this uneven believe the people in th ca earnestly pray Great Britain can that ultimately it conflict. For ason I believe that a cord to thos: that ré of those government should who are making the fight in the front line trenches, am one who oul for democ! icy figurately speaking, all the support we can gi them short of war. I know the officers and members of of Labor page 8) the American Federation are (Continued on THE AMERICAN TEACHER September, 1940 AFT to Grow to Half Million Members, AFL Leader Predicts (Continued from page 7) opposed to our Nation being involved in the European conflict. We shall never favor the sending of one American son to a battlefield in Europe. The American Federation of Labor is a mighty economic life of America. AS a great in- fluential force, promisingly against eur involvement in the European war. But there are many without force in the political and it will stand uncom- ihings we can do resort to war. There is much help we can extend. There is much as- sistance we can give to those who after all are really fighting our b2ttles. I am one of those who believe that we should go to the limit, whatever that may be, in giving support to those who are so gallantly and heroically fighting to save democracy in the world. Defense Program Is Designed to Protect American Continent Because nation after nation has sur- rendered in Europe and they have _ be- come vassals and subjects of the totali- tarian rulers in totalitarian nations, we have become alarmed, here on the North American continent. Because we want to protect our homes, our homelands, our stitutions and our democratic form of government, we have embarked upon a preparedness program, preparedness, de- fense, a program designed to defend America from the invasion of a foreign foe. I know that the heart of labor re- sponds wholeheartedly to such a_ policy. We are in hearty accord with the de- velopment and formation of a program wholly designed to protect our homeland, our homes, our firesides, our freedom, our liberty and our democratic form of gov- ernment. No one would be worthy of the right to be an American citizen if he or she was not willing to defend our homes and our govenment in distress. In these days we are evaluating free- dom, liberty and justice. We are learn- ing to place a true meaning and a new value upon these sacred fundamentals. Our trade unions are being wiped out abroad. Organized labor cannot meet in conventions as free democratic institu- tions in Germany, Soviet Russia or Italy as you are meeting here today. The first thing Hitler did when he established him- self as the autocrat in control of Gere many was to wipe out the free demo- cratic trade unions that had been set up. He confiscated tne their sent the leaders of the free democratic property it ized meeting places and their halls, movement to these camps Where they were interned as prisoners Ot the auto- cratic nation, Fought for Right to Form Free Voluntary Organizations Thousands of them are in those con- centration.camps. Some have disappeared forever, and we know not where. but their locate them. The friends have asked us to try to State Department and our Government have diligently tried to have failed. The only answer is that they have gone, gone forever. Why? Simply because they locate them, but thus far believed in democracy and for the rea- son they were officers and leaders of democratic trade unions in Germany. In all those countries I have named, including Russia, the economic life of the workers is controlled by the govern- ment, and if there is one thing we have fought for in America, it is for freedom, freedom of action, liberty for the in- dividual and the right to form our own free voluntary organizations among the working men and women of our country. Now plans are being formulated for the purpose of building up a defense pro- grain, and we are endeavoring to co- operate with the Government in every possible trade unions devotion to our Government. That prin- ciple is fundamental. It is a primary requirement that members of organized Jabor shall also be members of a govern- ment, supporters of the government and our democratic institutions. Our workers in the navy yards and in the arsenals and the airplane manu- way, because loyalty to our presupposes loyalty and facturing plants have been giving of their time and service and we have advised them to give of it freely and fully. The made s this: one stipulation we have that in giving freely and fully, we in- sist that the labor standards we have set up, such as the minimum rates oi pay and maximum hours of employment, the fundamental principles of the Wag- ner Labor Relations Act and all the social justice legislation we have secured during the last few years shall be main- tained and none of it wiped out or modi- fied We are of the opinion that even over- time with overtime pay should not be required until the nine or ten million of unemployed are absorbed and given jobs where they can earn a decent living for themselves and their families. Now comes the question of man power. We have maintained that it would be useless, senseless, and contradictory for us to build a navy adequate, build tanks suflicient in number so that we could resist any invasion from a foreign foe, build thousands of airplanes sufficient to meet any attack that might be made upon us unless we equipped all of it with an adequate man power. That is necessary. For airplanes mean nothing, tanks mean nothing, ships mean nothing, unless all of them are manned by patri- otic, devoted, capable men. Organized Canadian Labor Expects United States Aid IT am one of those who believe that if the Dominion of Canada would be at- foreign foe, then our American Government should regard that as equal to an attack upon America it- self and rally to the support of Canada in defense of the Canadian homeland. I associate Canada and the members of organized labor in Canada today with us here in America, for if we have them in our unions, they are our brothers and sisters, and they have a right to expect tacked by any from us the same support that we would give to those who live on this side of the line. Lastly, I want to talk to you about yourselves and about your organization part of the Federation of Labor since 1916 American A charter You have been a Was granted to you in May, 1916 tw ty-four years ago. Our central bodies and our state fed- erations of re in « ~ r the I ad ,e have i tho d ce bow » thou d cities. VW h \ | state Lec tions ] fe t states. All of t rallied ) ny pI ] 1 } ever made to em, to s or I Jegislation designed to promote their economic and social welfare, or to pro- tect social and economic legislation writ- ten on the statutes designed to protect your interests, When city councils in the differe: cities announce that because of economic reasons it becomes necessary to modif) the salaries paid to teachers, where do you go for help? The first place you go is to your friends. And who are your friends? The Chamber of Commerce? The Manufacturers Association? Or do you go to some uplifting gunization? The first political or- place you go is to the strong, economic organization in your city, the central body. Locals Receive Assistance from Central Labor Bodies I know the great service the Chicago Federation of Labor has rendered the teachers in Chicago. I know the great Atlanta central body ha Atlanta. And in other cities I could name the same service the rendered the teachers of thing has occurred. We are render you that support continuously. In national legislation, the American Federation of failed you. Only during the last session of Congress we made a determined fight anxious to Labor has never to secure adequate appropriations of fed- eral funds in order to help the weaker school districts of the country so that decent wages would be paid to those ——— who teach in the public schools and on a high plane, and you have to make colleges of the country a declaration of to American I want to tell you that if you forget institutions and America against all and devotion everything else I have said to you, any other place in the world before you whether it pleases you or displeases you, are going to win them to your side, remember that the American Federa- I told you I was going to speak frank- tion of Labor will stand in Washington, lv to vou. I want to say to you. my immovable and uncompromising, in sup- friends, that the membership of the or- port of the appropriations of adequate ganized labor movement can neither feder unds to help finance the 0) t with nor tolerate any “ism” jn of the Nation Any other 1 n Americanism And v attemp id to lowe! Tus think « it. In the greatest city your standards, to modify standards of the country, New York City, our reared and set up anywhere or anve splendid labor movement, Supported by place, our great powerful and economic healthy public opinion, Was compelled movement will be with you, helping to expel your teachers’ union from mem- you and assisting you bership in that central body because of But I am not satisfied with al) that is flirtation with these foreign “isms.” vou hav done. nor am | satisfied with ‘h it is outside the labor movement, all that you are doing. I think 1 should no relation to it. Imagine what the be frank and tell you so, in words thi tei ers of the country whom you are vou cannot misunderstand. First rf trving to organize in your union think. ll, vou have a membership now ol Do you think you will ever get them thirty thousand paid up membcr- through such procedur Never ina ships in the American Federation of million vears Labor. You started out with a thousand, I urge you to put your house in order, twenty-four years ago. You have flue- If there is one union that ought to make tuated between that thousand and thirty a declaration on Americanism, that is thousand during the years that have in- susceptible of but one interpretation, and iervened. But what is the potential mem- that is loyalty and devotion to our pub- bership in the United States? lic schools, to our free democratic ine What is vour field? The records show stitutions, to the Declaration of that in public elementary schools there Inde- pendence and to our own country are 594.793 teachers. In the public against all others, it is this Union here, igh schools there are 282,473 teachers. rhe position you occupy in the intellee- In the colle ges, state and private. there tua! educational social and industrial are 97,566. In the teachers’ training in- life of the Nation makes that absolute- stitutions, there are 11,295. That makes ly necessary. a total of 986,127, almost one million Here are tion is not some more, where jurisdic- Ask Help of AFL to Launch Organizing Drives for Union ; W have been clear, but 1 think it should | tion. At least, clear: In the private ele- } ary ‘hools there are 67,000. That : _. ntary schools there i 4 asked repeatedly by rot quite : ° iS not q ' ‘ aders to help and assist in launch- ‘ome ider ye urisdi : +s : come under your juris ine oreanizing drives We have helped I give them to you. In the private high a . Opinion of °7 96 > college 27,964. In the colleg our executive council and the Jeaders 2,740. ‘ of our movement that it will only be a waste of effort and waste extent but it is the to some schools, there are preparatory department, there are In the commercial private, 3,251. In the , , - . of money to residential institutions for delinquents or , try until vou first make Nation§ that you are an stitution ta edi clear to the deficients, 5,700. In the state schools for , American in- Indians and native Al: Total 108,072. And that makes a total of 1,094,199. skans, 1.200, Following up what I said, we are ready and willing to give support to Broad Field of Jurisdiction SO ee ee : ‘ rati shion d in conformity with Warrants Membership of 500,000 demectatia wiles nbd teeta Ge There is your potential membership. » and otherwise to the extent of our Now, can anyone of you tell me why ability whenever you put your house in vou have only 30,000 out of this million? order as I have suggested here. When We think vou ought to have at least vou do, and if you do, and we launch 500,000 in vour organization. As TI say the arin carry it on aggressively and vour field of jurisdiction is broad and successfully with the support of the comprehensive. I know of no otner ore strone public opinion, vou will have not ganization chartered by the American t! y th sand members out of a million Federation of Labor h has | } rm 1 member but vou will have a ziven mo. ompreher on, v t time, de- urisd ( rir a | rer mer Y- ve { ( ( , endid oreani- ship, t) s the A 1 Fed on : ( of Teachers To i] opportunity of coneratulat- My = nac t} re ; ’ thine x — : vou ipon we : oF “ to the New ( ire i IS, ¥V¢ wi 1 York ( t .) | il bor Council. the field that is very tive to public ] t te \ vord in onclusion opinion. American pul opinion ree i a ve a high of the t rs who ti 1 the youth of r d for Dr Counts, the president of the land maintenance of the } t tl lid organiz n. H worked sort of patriotic standards. They ire hard ng of |] nergy and his teaching the coming generation. sti h to your move t all during These school teache have definite the past year. I conferred with him fre opinions. They are trained to think along quently and we have counseled and ad- definite lines. The impression, rightfully vised together. I want to pay him this or wrongfully, has gone abroad that your tribut« not only a a great educator, Union is controlled by those who are but as a great American. And he is a flirting, at least, with an economic splendid executive as well. philosophy that is contradictory to It has been my privilege to meet American ideals and public opinion in Brother Kuenzli quite often in Chicago, the United States of America. because we have had a number of mat- I have been disappointed over certain ters up in Chicago. I classify him the actions you have taken myself, and particularly by some of your local unions in some cities of the country. It is my opinion that before you can make an appeal to these million teachers that you have to place this movement way up same as I do your distinguished Presi- dent, Dr. Counts. I have never seen or met with such evidences of de- votion to a great cause, the cause of or- George } ganized labor, as these men have shown during my acquaintanceship with them. Studebaker's Message to AFT Convention At no time in the world’s history has it been clearer than it is today that equality of opportunity can be assured only by universal education. Competition between nations as well as competition between individ- uals can be conirolled in the interests of the public only as the people, through education, come to realize that the general welfare rests upon the socialization of individuals. Teachers have, therefore, an unusual task dur- ing these times of world crisis. Upon their shoulders, in the last analysis, aided by other social leaders, rests the reponsibility of planting in the minds of this generation the idea that in lifting the idealities and living standards of all people resides the only assurance of the highest welfare of each individual. John W. Studebaker, VU. S. Commissioner of Education September, 1940 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 9 America Faces a F ast-Changing World at War by GRORGE 8S. COl NTS, President American Federation of Teachers YEAR AGO we met in convention A in this city. The intervening twelve have been the months longest in his- 4 tory Already last August seems to be- long tc another epoch The world as we knew it moral contoul has been profoundly al- then, in both its political and tered. Many of the premises on which we did our thinking then have dissolved be- neath our feet. We are entering a new age. both in the Old World and in the New, whose outlines, whose conditions, whose controlling purposes no one can discern. We all have our hopes, we all made our resolves; but perhaps have whether those hopes or resolves shall prevail, we do not know, Hitler's Political Methods Broke Resistance of Democratic Nations The league of dictators, consummated at the very time our convention met, has achieved cataclysmic and unanticipated successes The spiritual and material de- democratic states on the continent of Europe proved utterly fenses ol ine liberal and incapable of opposing the political methods and the mechanizec legions of Hitler. assisted as he was by the national and international resources of his partners in aggression. Except for Sweden, Switz- erland, and mutilated Finland, tiny is- lands in a vast totalitarian sea, and the Chinese Republic, beleaguered in its west- ern defenses, dictatorship and aggression stand triumphant from the Straits of Gibralter to the Bering Sea. Nowhere intellectual black- outs would this convention of ours. or in that vast region of anything resembling it, be tolerated; no- where is a free labor movement possible. Court France, sitting in session at As we meet here the of Fascist Supreme Riom and under the eves of Hitler. is proceed ne ingloriou lv to udge the last Inglorious acts and inter the inglorious remains of the J R ublic. At this fate thie ] ] I island fe inity th: e I- sh: nat } re- sources OL ineir ¢ } to meet 1 Nazi assault If this st on ol Iman freedo! beyond § the \tlantic and with all her faults 1 tain is su a bas- tion for us, Ameri will stand alone in a world deeply nd n tantly hostile to the central ij 3 nd values of her tradition. If Britai alls, one of the maddest and most sinister geniuses ever to appear in history will hold the Old World in thrall and cast his malign shad- ow over the entire earth. If Britain falls America a wave of popular fear and hysteria that quickly, we may Witness in will surpass anything of its kind in our history. Dictators May Prove Incapable of Riding Storm They Created The worst of course may not happen. Someone may perform the miracle which Weygand failed to perform on the battle- fields of France; the dictators may fall out among themselves and proceed to quarrel over the plunder; enslaved peo- ples, armed in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century manner with axes and pitch-forks, a few horse-pistols and cel- lar-made bombs, may overcome the Nazi air pilots and tank operators in their Sleep; the economy of the Third Reich may be laid low by the “contradictions of capitalism”; the architects of the “new order in Europe,” men who have shown delight in torture and persecution, may grow tender-minded and starve their own peoples in order to feed the members 2f “inferior races’; Hitler may just tire of it all and go away to Berchtesgaden to paint pictures for the rest of his life; or we may wake up some morning to Events Today \ ——oe- oe ~— faa find that the events of the past ten years are but a nightmare. More seri- ously, the dictators may prove wholly incapable of riding the storm they have helped to call forth; the basic patterns of civilized life may be so firmly estab- lished in the cultures of Europe that they will reassert themselves after the fury of the present gale has spent it- self; or Fascism, Naziism, and the “dicta- torship of the proletariat” may be but the surface and fleeting phenomena of a world in revolution. Leaders Have Prized Their Class Privileges Above Ideals and Values Let us hope that some happy outcome of the present tragedy is in the stars. Let us hope that some sudden and favor- able turn in the fortunes o. democracy will come. Let us hope that Hitler and the regime which he has founded will pass away as quickly as they came into being. Let us all hope for the best, but let us not act on such hopes. To do so would be folly. It is one of the tragedies of these years that the leaders of the ar s ha solutely and consist- € ed 1 yes and their con- s ces to un] sant truths Prizing their comforts and their class privileges al e values in which they have pro- fess to be e, again and again they h: I red for the best when they s} » prepared for the worst. They have assumed that certain things would not happen merely because those things were unpleasant. They have assumed that Hitler did not mean what he said merely because what he said was horrify- ing. They have assumed that unrelieved catastrophe, though visiting other peoples and other times, would pass them by. We in America, the very symbol of democracy in the modern world, cannot permit ourselves the luxury of such com- forting optimism. We must realize that the tables have already been _ turned, that twelve months packed with revolu- tionary have passec since last August, that seven very long years have come and gone since Hitler came to power in 1933. We must catch up with history. We must face the fact that, at least for a period, the great hopes that inspired us all but yesterday are gone. Gone is the hope that the Russian Revo- lution would extend the domain of human freedom on the earth; gone is the hope that the peoples of Europe would recon- cile their differences and devote their matchless energies and talents to cul- tural advance; gone is the hope that the League of Nations would bring a just and lasting peace to mankind; gone also is the hope that the world was one time made safe for democracy. To all who derive their values from the great liberal, hu- manistic, and democratic heritage of Western culture the future is dark and forbidding. The American people must prepare themselves to defend this heri- events Se President Counts and Florence C. Hanson, secretary-treasurer of the AFT from 1926 to 1935, at an Executive Council luncheon at Buffalo which was given in honor of Mrs. Hanson. She spoke briefly to the Council and its guests, tage in a world dominated by totalitarian philosophy and organized hy *he physi- cal might of a few great mi. -ary states. In such a world a nation musc be strong or perish. In meeting this challenge of the dicta- tors, in guarding the spiritual heritage of the Western World against the resur- gence of calculated barbarism, in building and manning the defenses of American democracy, the teachers of the country, and particularly the American Federation of Teachers, have a heavy and special responsibility. But before we consider the nature of that responsib,lity, before we are in a position to ask the confidence of the American people, we must take our stand without hesitation or equivoca- tion on two crucial questions. First, we must recognize the necessity of powertul military defenses capable of defenses protecting our independence and our institutions from any possible attack by foreign arms. The experience of the Old World demonstrates that in I S age no peopl however peaceful ind ent < res an entrust safety to another, to y system of inces, or to any international order. That experience demonstrates further that modern technology, its full logic by a great to the waging of war, is a truly terrify- when applied in industrial people weapon, capable of performing mir- acles, capable of cutting to ribbons in an incredibly short time the “best army in Europe,” capable of de ig in ick succession new engines of wartare that make possible the impossible. To com- plete the picture, it is necessary to add that there is abroad in the world today a spirit of violent and unabashed aggres- sion that recognizes no bounds and bows only to superior physical might. To meet this threat the American people must and will Regarding and principles of defense we shall dis- agree and dispute for some time. But prepare. methods regarding the necessity for such defense, there is and there will be in opinion. little variance Must Refute Totalitarian Spirit Masquerading as Americanism Second, we must make clear beyond any doubt that we are utterly opposed to every form of and doctrine, including both those that have been imported from abroad and go by the names of Communism, Fascism, totalitarian movement and Naziism and those that grow out of our own soil and cloak the totalitarian spirit under the garb of Americanism— those domestic movements that encour- age resort to violence and harbor the idea of dictatorship or divine mission of any class, order, race or person. Every one of the current forms of totalitarianism has some merit or appeal, otherwise un- der no circumstances could it rally mil- lions to its standard and set a world in ——————eee = ——w Test Democracy — Counts Youth’s Hopes in a Democracy Must Be Revived flames. Yet, whatever its claims to de- mocracy, we must recognize that each is hostile, with an implacable hostility, to the essential spirit and the general pat- tern of democracy, to the spirit of a Jeff- erson or a Lincoln, to the very idea of a society of free men. Moreover, if anyone thinks for a moment that the American people, American American teachers, in the light of recent develop- ments in the world, will accept the leader- labor, or ship of any organization that equivocates on this issue, he is unfamiliar with the elements of social psychology and the mind of his own countrymen. Also, if anyone thinks that he can play a game of hide and seek on this issue, pursuing the course of secrecy, anonymity, evasion and conspiracy, he is only deceiving him- self and betraying the Federation. Democracy Should Offer Positive “Social Faith” But our central task is neither to build the military defenses of the nation nor to dictatorships. We know that the disasters which have befall- en the democracies of belabor the Europe can by no means be attributed entirely or even largely to the designs of evil-men. We know thet the peoples of these democra- cies weighed the professed leaders and programs of democracy and found them wanting. We know further that, if Amer- ican democracy has no adequate positive program to offer, if it great holds out no promise of a better world, if it allows itself to become the symbol of special privilege, if it is unable to put the unemployed to work and release the productive energies of our country, it can- not meet threat. presses, defends and advances a_ social successfully the totalitarian Each of the dictatorships ex- faith which, however hideous to us, in the eyes of its followers is a great and chal- lenging faith. It may be faith in the charisma or divine mission of some sup- posed superman, whether he goes by the name of I! Duce, Der Fuehrer, or Veliki body f { ] of mystical doctrine organized about the Vojzd, or it may be faith in some proletariat, ancient Rome, or Homo Teu- tonicus. Each presents to its devotees a great hope, a great cause, a great destiny. Each promises, not quiet and comfort, but, ir. the manne leaders of men and spirit of the great from the beginning 6f time, sacrifice, hardship, and even death. The dictators have held out to the youth of their lands the challenge of the con- quest ol continents of the building of And they period in. history new heavens and new earths } have done this at a when continents can be conquered and when new heavens and new earths are possible indeed when they are inevitable, Youth Has Repudiated False Promises for Delusion of Action In the face of this challenge, what has democracy offered youth? In some cases the dole or a job |; roffered in the spirit of the dole, a bit of charity grudgingly given and carrying the stigma of incom- petence and failure, a gesture calculated to generate a sense of inferiority and of bitter frustration. In other cases we have counselled the youth to be wait for the watch the patient, to return of better times, to ship by in Little wonder sensitive and years, their years, futility and helplessness that some of our most idealistic young men and women, either deprived of their own birthright or moved by the deprivations of others, have joined the totalitarian camps. And they have deep- seated hostility to the values of democ- done this, not because of any racy, but because they felt that apologists Indeed, many are so deeply committed to democ- racy that they have followed the dicta- tors, nourishing the delusion that in some of democracy had failed them. (Continued on page 10) 10 | entineniees THE AMERICAN TEACHER September, 191 Armies, Navies Not Sufficient for U. S. Defense (Continued from page 9) curious way the, cause of human liberation The nature of the democratic failure however, has been widely misunderstood. Some of the critics are fond of chiding youth for their “softness,” for their in- ability to “take it,’ as did their fore- bears who fought and died in the cause of liberty and who explored and quered a continent. American youth, no less than their fathers and mothers or their brothers and sisters in the totali- tarian states, are capable of taking pun- ishment, of toiling long and hard, of post- poning marriage and children, of themselves completely. faltered, deprived youth of the things of the flesh, but be- cause it has denied them the things of the spirit. Many of the youth of today, besides being materially are spiritually restless and starved. These young people crave the one thing the dic- were battling in the con- giving Democracy not because it has has insecure, tators have offered in abundance—the opportunity to toil and sacrifice for a cause—the opportunity to make their lives significant “Leaders of Democracy Must Believe in It Themselves” The defense of our democracy may ~e- quire powerful armies and navies, but armies and navies are not enough. If our democracy is to save itself, it must do far more than appropriate billions of dollars fcr arms, build tanks, airplanes, and battleships, master the correlated military skills and knowledges. It must remove all sense of bitterness, cynicism and frustration from the hearts of youth and arouse hope, conviction and enthu- siasm. It must assert itself as a positive and aggressive social faith, prepared to battle with every form of totalitarianism for the loyalties of men. This means that the leaders of democracy must believe in it themselves and commands above all else. This means also that the democratic faith must be translated into programs that deal with the present reali- ties and assure the more complete ful- fillment of the great promises of democ- into place its racy programs that bring oppor- tunity and justice to all. In view of the incomparable ethical superiority of the democratic faith the task of leadership here should be far easier than that of the dictators. After all, each of the totalitarian faiths is false and spurious at the core; each violates something that is greatest and finest in the human heart. This part of the job of defense be- longs to us. At any rate our major re- sponsibility lies here. At no time in our history, however, have we done this job well. On the one hand, in the traditional school, in an effort to teach patriotism, we have generally pursued the blind, for- mal, and uninspiring course of putting the intellect and all the creative facul- ties to sleep. We have developed super- ficial loyalties, conveyed understanding of meither past nor present, and culti- vated the disposition to follow the stereo- types and not the spirit of democracy. On the other hand, in the progressive move- ment, aS a reaction and in a spirit of tion, we have ofter against tradition intellectual emancipa- delighted in shaking old loyalties, but have failed to arouse new one: We have known all of the questions, but none of the answers. Or rather, we have known that there are no answers. We have given to the young all of the doubts, but nore of the affirma- tions of life. Both the loyalty to stereo- types of the traditional school and the scorn ol loyalty ol the progressive move- ment, both the neglect of understanding of the one and th yne-sided intellectual emphasis of the other constitute an urg- ent invitation to ‘he dictator to take over. In both the traditional and pro- gressive schools our work has la 1 lif Vision, seriousness, deep moral purpt It was said long ago, and ily, that where there is no vision the people perish Our first obligation in repairing the spiritual defenses of our democracy is to identify ourselves with the democratic More than 500 delegates representing 35,000 Union teachers on gathered at the Hotel Buffalo, Buffalo, a Us OS National Convention of the American Federation of Teachers. The Convention, which met from August 19-23, heard reports the attend the Convention faith, frankly and positively, and without reservation. This faith, product of cen- turies of struggle by many and diverse peoples in different parts of the world, has a number of articles. The first and most fundamental of all is the aflirma- tion that the human heritage of earth and culture belong, not to any particular class, caste, or race, but to all men—the aflirmation that all men are created equal. The second, which serves to guard and fulfill the first, is the declaration that ordinary men and women, farmers, carpenters, mechanics, housewives, and even teachers, can and should rule them- selves. These two articles taken together constitute the faith of the common man-— the faith that the individual human being :s the measure of all things and is both deserving and capable of freedom. Throughout most of history the very idea that the undistinguished rank and file of mankind, the “hewers of wood and draw- ers of water,” power and status treason. Nay, is today should aspire to such has been regarded as as blasphemy. And totalitarian phil- the protagonists even wherever When of such philosophy do formal homage to so it osophy prevails. these great articles of the democratic faith, they do so only for propaganda purposes and in order the more utterly to destroy them. Fierce Assertion of Equality Is Tremendous Defense Resource In conformity with the ideals of Federation from the beginning, we must identify vigorously with the democratic faith of our people, with our our ourselves great tradition of liberty and equality. Although our life has been marked by grievous exploitation of certain elements of our population at every period of our colonial and national existence, the long and sustained struggle on the part of the ordinary American citizen to attain the full status of manhood constitutes the most impressive record of its kind in history. No one of the dictators of the Old World, who now daily pronounce the doom of ever breathed the spirit of personal independence and democracy, dignity that has characterized the ordi- nary American community for genera- tions. This spirit, this fierce assertion of equality, remarked by so many for- eign visitors tc our shores, has given to our history whatever distinction it has. It is the most precious thing We pcssess and should be converted into a tremen- dous resource in our defense of the dem- ocratic faith. The fact that we read daily in our newspapers of outrages com- mitted against this tradition, outrages that make us weep, gives us no grounds for the repudiation of our heritage and for the vindication of totalitarian doc- trine or aggression in any form whatso- ever. It merely means that the threat to our liberties comes from at home as well as from abroad With all of our deficiencies, the hope that democracy will survive in the world rests profoundly Witt! Democratic Education Is Designed to Set Men Free, to Guard Freedom Our central and peculiar r in the sponsibility American defense of democracy today and tomorrow is to work everlast- ingly to bring our entire system of public education into the service of democracy— to wipe out the educational inequalities between occupations and regions, to conceive and launch a program races, classes, of vocational education designed to raise the technical qualifications and enlarge the opportunities of the entire younger generation, to conceive and launch a pro- gram of youth education devoted to the interests and problems of youth in a free Society, to conceive and launch a program of adult education dealing ably and cour- ageously with the issues of the present crisis of democracy, to bring the entire educational undertaking into close rela- tion with the life and needs of the com- munity, to resist with all our power efforts on the part of privileged or mis- guided groups to take advantage of these critical times to reduce tke educational services and impair the quality of the educative process, to achieve a wholly just and equitable system of school taxa- tion and support commensurate with the program required, to enlarge the sibilities of the teacher the democratic elements on All of instrumental to the respon- in the school, and other edu- to increase labor and boards of this is to be regarded as role of cation. systematic rearing of the young in the democratic faith education is of other Qualitatively, democratic unlike the . education and faiths. It is an to set men free and equip them to guard their freedom through the gencrations. It is an education designed deliberately to give to the young the loyalties, the knowledge and understanding, the disci- pline of free men. It is an education designed to develop loyalty to the princi- ple of the dignity and worth of the individual human being, to the principle of human equality and brotherhood, to the process of untraminelled criticism, discussion, and majority decision, to the ideal of honesty, fair-mindedness, and scientific spirit in the conduct of this process, to the idea of the obligation and the right to work, to the idea of the supremacy of the common good, to the obligation to be intelligent. It is an education designed to give to the young at appropriate levels of maturity and without any desire mislead the social knowledge, insight, and under- societies education designed to deceive or standing that will equip the individual most thoroughly to guard and advance both personal and_ social interests— knowledge of the nature of man and society, of the long effort to liberate the human mind and civilize the human heart, of the history of our own people and their struggle for liberty and justice, of the efforts of working men and wom- en to organize and enlarge their powers ind opportunities, of the origins and character of the present crisis in world society and American democracy, of the conditions and forces leading to the col- lapse of free institutions in the Old World, of the promises, the methods, the doctrines, and the consequences of the totalitarian movements, of the weak- nesses and resources of American democ- rned to dis- knowledge education desi young, racy. It is an the understanding, in cipline and through the mocracy, in the temperate ways of de- and responsi- achievements of was moved from labor dispute. Above, a portion of the delegates assembled in the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Bullalo, ree the of a minute because its locals. At the last the Hotel Statler ble use of political processes, in the sub- ordination of individual to social welfare, in the the present to the long-time interests of individual and so- ciety. It is an prepare the young to live by, to labor for, and, if taith. sacrifice of education designed to need be, to die for the democratic Vision of Political Freedom Indispensable to Our Defense The crowning responsibility of our pro- fession is to assist and guide the young in fashioning a great vision of the future of our country——-the of guarding here in North America the human gains of the Vision centuries during a possible age of darkness, of devoting the resources of science and technology to the creation of justice and ancient City of God where no man exploits his brother— that tions of the a civilization founded on mercy, of building that a vision is as universal as the aflirm- Declaration of Independence, as American as the spirit of the Gettys- burg Address, as liberal as the Bill of Rights, as realistic and practical as the Federal Constitution. Through our own example we should lead children and youth not only to contemplate this vision but also to strive to give it substance, {o devote thei ind enthusiasms task of n doing all of this we they let fall instrument energies to the But tion ‘ulfilling its provisions. should cau- their which trom with then. lest hands the only issure the future of their rights the political Such a vision is indispensable they can and liberties method of freedom to the defense of our democracy against the corrupting totalitarian doc- trine. The crux of our problem is the teacher. Democratic education requires two con- of the teacher, loyalty to democracy; of for the and community. free and secure a generation of is the respon- sweep ol t ditions here the society, securiuy teacher in both Only democratic teachers in their free men sibility and the opportunity of the Amer- ican Federation of Teachers in this crisis values ol and essential freedom school can posts real and women. It to work for the establishment of these conditions, to put a free, secure, and responsible teacher into every classroom in America, to put and keep him there. ask the co-opera- our great parent “ rhe ‘OuUNLIY AFT y mu pith baly members ol Greetings to I am very glad to Wisl rood is and the American Federation of Teachers. At this time teachers have a great responsibility that of teaching the children the val democracy and what their responsibility will be when they arrive at the age of participa- tion in their govern t ours ul >» ROOSEVELT. September, 1940 oo THE AMERICAN TEACHER 11 Kuenzli Attacks on A F of T Tribute to Growth by IRVIN R. KUENZLI, Sec'’y-Treas, American Federation of Teachers HE 1940 CONVENTION of the Amere- ican Federation of Teachers marks the close of the greatest year of achievee ment in the history of the organization. It is a sienificant fact that at a time when the orid nvolved in chaotic tur- ind cataclysmic destruction, and at when educational freedom has vire x t ' rea nations of the world, the AFT |} won far more au cle ( ( aqaemocracy in education 1 n at any time in its twenty- ( of | ory. ] probable that er teachers’ o1 nization in Amer- ( has ever won 1n so nort a time as many portant victories as the AFT has won during the past yvear. In a sense it seems that the vear 1939-40 represents a consummation of accomplishment of the objectives for wnich AFT was organ- jzed twenty-four years agu by a group of courageous tors. The coming vear will forward-looking educa- mark the silver anniversary ol the ive! founding of the AFT, and the accompiishmenis ol our international union and the individual lo- cals during the past year will constitute a happy prelude to the celebration next 3 Let us be thankful that we meet today in a country Where democratic governe- ment and a Bill of Rights make possible i free assembly of this kind. Regardless of what our biases may be, we cannot help feeling deepest for the tho who have raternal sympathy isands of eachers of F irope become the innocent victims of a war for which they were in no way responsible. It has been my _ pleasure in recent vears to meet with teachers from nearly all the nations of Europe and to know many oft the sonally I have leaders per- learned at first hand something of the fearful conditions under which many of them work. I have talked wit? some who pointed out Ssples watch- ing their everv move and who were well aware 1 vy would soon b confined in ( ] I Say e- ( the orld ; ; ce . _ ] s ‘ al worl | é Wi | r< ‘ rs v¢ Mex OV he ¢ dren whose cs we |} e nur- tured d international brotherhood of man ws d be a reality British Urion Head Describes Condition; of Teachers another European teachers associations have been swept way rhe secretary ot the National Union of Teach- rs of England, the president of which has visited our last two conventions, recently described the pathetic condition of the teachers of Europe as follows: “For nearly twenty years I have been closely connec ted with the teachers’ asso- ciations on the continent of Europe. Dur- ing the last ten years I have seen these associations, one alter another, swept away by the very forces which now con- front us. I have seen colleagues, often valued personal friends, fall beneath the yoke of intellectual and physical oppres- sion. I have seen the schools prostituted to the basest of political purposes. I re- call the time, but a few years since, when it was possible for anything from a lozen to twenty free teachers’ associa- tions to meet together, free to discuss their craft, their aims, their their aspirations, achievements. A few weeks ago when I reached the ap- policies, their pointed meeting place for this year only the French and British teachers were left —and the French have now gone— Whither no one knows.” A recent radiogram from Mrs. Elsie Parker, past president of the National Union of Teachers of England and known to many of you, begs for assistance for 140 refugee teachers who wish to flee to America. ‘Reports Victories of Union President George S. over the meeting as Secretary-Treasurer Kuenzli adjusts the microphone. Counts presides In the 18th of May issue of the official publication of the French Teachers’ Un- ion, L’'Ecole Liberatrice, which will prob- ably be the last to be published, the secretary of the Union writes as follows: “Every village, every city, every home feels the same anguish that every other one feels in this dreadful time. ‘To instruct, to train, to safeguard and to protect the children is our first duty. It is not only our first, it is our supreme duty.” Let us be thankful, then, that we are teachers in America and may the sad fate of European teachers’ organizations inspire us the intellectual more zealously to guard America and more deeply to appreciate the accom- freedom in plishments of our international union in recent years, Recent Attacks Are Tribute to Growing Strength of Union The fact that the AFT has, during the past four years, emerged from a small struggling international union approach- ing bankruptey—-with accumulated debts o! everal thousands of dollars—to a powerful international union in sound fi- nancial condition, is one of the outstand- ing accomplishments not only in the field of education but in the whole or- ganized labor movement. In fact, the growth of the membership, power, and prestige of the SO alarmed the AFT in recent years has enemies of free public education in America that the union has during the past year been subjected to the most bitter attack and the most in- cessant barrage since the concerted drive against the Union in 1919 and 1920 which reduced the membership from 10,000 to 3,500 within a few months. There is no greater tribute to the grow- ing strength of the AFT than the fact that the most powerful weapons of the foes of education have been turned against the Union. The Sat- labor and free urday Evening Post, with a circulation of more than three million copies, de- voted leading space in the issue of Sep- tember 2 to an attack on the AFT. In many places throughout the nation, the American Legion has mistakenly attacked the AFT through its citizenship program. Yet what organization in America has done more for the defense of true citizenship than AFT? In various sections throughout the country the radio educational has been used by prominent individuals to hurl broadcasts against the Union. One Chicago paper devoted two inch head- lines on the front page to testimony regarding AFT before the Dies Commit- tee. The fact that AFT has maintained its membership with comparatively small losses and its lines unbroken in the face of such a powerful Blitzkrieg is one of the outstanding achievements in the his- tory of the Union. In spite of the vigorous opposition dur- ing the past year thirteen new locals have been chartered and several re-es- utstanding During 1939-40 Ohio Local Signs 90% of Teachers tablished where locals had previously 2x- isted. Because of the bitter attacks upon the Union the efforts of our vice presi- dents in charge of organization work in the various areas have been largely de- fensive. During the year we have suffered the loss of a large part of our WPA mem- bership due to dverse federal legisla- tion. Of forty-six WPA locals chartered ce 1936 only twelve remained in good WPA membership has decreased from a maxi- Standing on August 1. 1940. The mum paid up membership of over 2,000 to approximat« ly 500. However, losses in public school locals have been small and the total paid up membership in the last report was more than 90 per cent of Since AFT varies from hour to hour and from day to the membership of one year ago the paid up membership of the day it is impossible to quote statistics which are reliable for any period of time, It is also true that the paid up member- ip of the Union for various reasons lags considerably behind the total member- ship of the organization. Due to a situation described later in this report there has been a loss of more than 300 members in the State of Flor- ida. Recent accomplishments, however, in this area should open up this whole southeastern territory for organization during the coming year. Outside of Florida the membership of the south- eastern area is approximately the same as last year. The loss of several hun- dred members in the State of Pennsyl- vania is accounted for largely by the demise of a number of WPA locals and the failure of many of the small locals Which were chartered during the organ- ization drive of 1937 and 1938. This loss has been offset to some extent by the splendid new public school local in Coal County, Pennsylvania. The charter ap- plication for this local was signed by ninety-two teachers representing one of the largest charter memberships in the history of the Union. State of New York also has suf- red a loss of several hundred members this loss represents less than 10 per cent of the total membership of the State. More than one-half of this loss is in the WPA section. Building Union in the West Is Important AFT Problem There has also been some loss of mem- bership in the areas west of the Missis- sippi River. This whole area is as yet largely unorganized and represents less than 10 per cent of the total member- ship of the Union. The total member- ship west of the Rocky Mountains is less 1,000 and represents approximately per cent of the total membership of the Union. Building the Union west’ of the Mississippi is one of the important problems facing the AFT, Probably the most difficult territory of all is the south-central area consist- ing of six large states: Missouri, Arkan- Oklahoma and Texas. This whole area has approxi- sas, Louisiana, Kansas, mately 200 members widely scattered among nine locals. In spite of these facts the area offers excellent opportunities for further organization work. The new locals established at St. Joseph, Missouri, and the University of Oklahoma (Nor- man) should serve as important outposts in our westward expansion. At the end of the fiscal year the New England territory, strangely enough, had rained exactly 102 members and lost 102 members so that the membership of the area remains the same. The Ohio-West Virginia-Kentucky area also experienced a loss of nearly 300 members, one-half of which was in the State of West Virginia. According to the labor press two of our locals in West Virginia, Mingo County Teachers Union, = — a —ay No. 289 and ation of McDowell County Feder- Teachers, No. 367, were taken over by the CIO during the present year. So far as we are able to learn these are the only locals which have gone over to the CIO, The largest gain of the year is in the State of Michigan where the membership of the Union has increased more than o0 per cent. The Illinois-Indiana area is approxi- mately the same as last year. This area with more than 10,000 paid-up members represents approximately one-third of the total membership of the Union, In the north-central area, made up of Wisconsin, Minnesota, lowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, the membérship of slightly less than 2,000 is approximately the same as that of last year. The south-central area, consisting of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama, has made a gain over last year of 11'2 per cent. A number of have experienced unusual growth during the Local 231, Detroit Federation of Teachers, individual locals past year. represents the outstanding growth of the year. The organization of teachers in the suburban Hamtramck area together with progress within the local has increased the membership from 156 in September to 436 in June. In Toledo, Ohio, Local 250 has added more than 300 members since October, 1939. Ohio Local 296 Demonstrates Work of Organized Teachers Local 296, Springfield, Ohio, which was chartered in 1934 with the largest char- ter membership in the history of the AFT, now has the largest membership in its history and represents more than 90 per cent of the teachers in the city of 80,000. National officers freely pre- dicted in 1934 that a local with such mushroom growth would not hold its membership. This local has an excel- lent record of achievement and actually has demonstrated what can be accom- plished in an average American city with nearly all of the teachers organized with- in the labor movement. The Central Labor Union of this city has contributed $25,000 to provide scholarships to assist deserving high-school students in secur- ing a college education. Atlanta Local 89 is now practically 100 per cent organized in the labor movement. This is one of the oldest locals in the AFT and has made an ex- cellent contribution to education not only in Atlanta but in the nation as a whole, Miss Allie B. Mann, former vice president of AFT and former president of Atlanta Local, was elected { f treasurer of the Georgia Federation of recently secretary- Labor, one of the outstanding labor bod- jes in the South. The local at established in Birmingham, Alabama, April, 1938, has nearly doubled its membership since September, 1939. The local now has 100 paid-up members. In spite of concerted opposition, Chi- cago Local 1 has held its membership and remains the largest teachers’ union in the world. The membership of our large locals in New York and Cleveland remain essen- tially the same as last year. Local 4 of Gary, Indiana, chartered in April, 1937, has gained approximately 100 members during the present year and now has a membership of nearly 300. A new local has been chartered at Calumet City as an addition to the locals already existing in the suburban area south of Chicago—Gary, East Chicago, Hammond, and Michigan City. These neighboring south suburban locals have a combined membership of more than 500. Local 571, West Suburban Local, near Chicago, chartered in June, 1938, now has more than 400 members. It is impossible in this brief report to describe all of the accomplishments of locals during the past year. There are, however, a number of victories in locals which should be briefly mentioned here. Two tenure cases were of sufficient action by the Convention of the American Federation of Labor at Cincinnati, Ohio—those at Jacksonville, Florida, and the University of Montana. importance to warrant At Jacksonville forty teachers, includ- (Continued on page 12) c b> THE AMERICAN TEACHER September, 1940 AFT (Continued from page 11) fine many of the Union leaders, were dismissed there were rumors that the teachers were discharged because they had worked for the enactment of a local tenure law without charges, although which was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by the Governor. All efforts to- ward negotiation of the situation were Board stubbornly refused to review the cases. in vain. The tenaciously and On March 3, 1940, representatives of the Jacksonville Local, the AFT and the Florida Federation of Atlanta, Georgia, to plan a program of action for the Jacksonville fight A con- tribution of $500 was granted from the AFT defense fund and an appeal sent to AFT locals for financial assistance. It Labor met in was decided that the only solution was the election of a new Board of Educa- tion and Superintendent of Schools. Thousands of dollars poured into the campaign by the opposition had to be met with hundreds of labor dollars and the votes of thousands of workers. After a hot campaign the local wired the Na- tional Office: “Our candidates have won. Thanks for your wholehearted co-opera- tion.” (May 29, 1940). The president of the Union was elected Superintendent of Schools and a major- ity of the school board was elected by the labor forces. Thus ended one of the greatest tenure fights in the history of American education with labor and the AFT, victory for Successfully Negotiate Case of Dismissed Montana Professors The successful negotiation of the cases of the five professors who were unfairly dismissed at the University of Montana by the Montana State Federation of Labor and by the National Convention of the American Federation of Labor is history of education in America. For the first time it has been demonstrated that organized labor may be a powerful factor in defending professors in public institu- tions from the clutches of political mon- sters and pressure groups. Five profes- sors were notified of the termination of their contracts at the University. The Montana Federation of Labor took up the fight with the result that eventually the charges were withdrawn. It is prob- able that all labor support of the uni- versity would have been withdrawn had a satisfactory settlement of these cases not been granted At the last convention a report was made regarding the dismissal of two union officers of Local 571 at Maywood, Illinois—Miss Wheeler and Ralph Mar- shall. After eight months of bitter con- troversy the case was _ satisfactorily negotiated by representatives of the Board of Education and representatives of the local union, the National Office of AFT, the Chicago Federation of Labor and the president of Local 1. The ulti- mate outcome of several meetings with attorneys representing both sides was not only the reinstatement of Miss Wheeler and Mr. Marshall but also the first real collective bargaining contract in the history of American Education. President Katek of Local 571 and his associates are highly to be congratu- lated on their sagacity in handling this case. It is interesting to note that the salaries of Miss Wheeler and Mr. Mar- shall were paid by the members of the local union assisted by the Chicago Teachers Union and other neighboring locals. The State of Indiana has been the scene of several important union activi- ties during the past year. Immediately following the last convention it was my pleasure to give the Labor Day address at Seymour, Indiana, where Mr. Judd, president of our new local in that city, had been notified of dismissal. With the support of the local labor movement the case was negotiated and Mr. Judd re- mained in his position. Early in the school year Mr. Carl Mullen, presidert of the Indiana Feder- Union Signs 1st Collective Bargaining Contract in History of U.S. Education ation of Labor, conferred with the Na- tional Office regarding the possibility and desirability of establishing a free teachers’ placement service under the unemployment division in Indiana. The majority of the board is felicitously com- posed of two labor men including Mr. Mullen and a retired college professor The service was placed in operation in February of this year and in two months time had placed some fifty teachers and saved the teachers of Indiana sufficient funds in placement fees to pay for the operation of the department for a whole year, tecently an important decision was rendered in the case of Vernon Sig! (Local 511) against che Board of Educa- tion of East Chicago, Indiana The Board adopted an ex post facto ruling after Mr. Sigler announced his can- didacy for the state legislature that teachers must take leave of absen without pay if they became candidates for public oflice. In a judgment grant- ing Mr. Sigler $220 in back pay, Judge B. C. Jenkins of Gary Superior Court declared: “This rule of the schoo! board in a free and enlightened government would defeat the very object which it sought to accomplish. In order to make ard enact laws for the government of the people, we must in the first instance have men and women in the legislatu who are capable, by reason of training, education and experience, of performing the function of law-makers, “The court has no hesitancy in saying that our school teachers, as a_ body, possess these qualities in a high de gree and the public, the people, ought not to be deprived of their services in the legislature—the law-making power of the commonwealth, by any act of a school board or school corporation.” This decision involving civil liberties is one of the important judgments in favor of the rights of teachers and rep- resents one of the outstanding victories of the American Federation of Teacher In Peru, Indiana, where a new local was chartered May 15, 1939, a valiant fight has been waged to defend the In- diana Tenure Law and the rights cf married teachers. The threatened dis- missal of married teachers and the adop- tion of a salary schedule making pos- sible the reduction of the salaries of tenure teachers resulted in the charter- ing of Local 634. The salary schedule was designed to circumvent the Indiana Tenure Law by means of a_ notorious “Class E” of teachers assigned to this Class should be automatically reduced to a minimum salary permitted by the laws of the providing that the salaries State Although this case has not been sat- isfactorily negotiated, some progress has been made. The married teachers have not been dismissed. The salaries of three teachers assigned to “Class E”’ have been restored in part; no other teachers have been assigned to “Class FE There is evidence that the superintendent and Board do not desire to extend the use schedule. Important as of the “Class Ek” iccomplishments in Peru are, it e “Class F threat to these should be remembered that t! schedule will be a constant tenure in Indiana and the nation as long as it remains, and every effort should be made to eliminate it entirely. The legality of the schedule is now being tested in the local courts with the sup- port of our National Academic Freedom Committee State of Ohio Has Been Scene of Important Union Activities The State of Ohio has also been the scene ot important Union activities during the past year. rhe closing otf the public schools in Toledo, Ohto fol- lowing the defeat of a necessary schoo levy, was publicized in the press from coast to coast After the schools closed the same groups which we responsib! for the deteat of the ] V¥ Geman led that salaries of teachers and other school employees be cut and servi sufliciently to “live within the income A resolution had been introduced to cut the pay from 88 per cent to 80 per cent of the salary schedule for the remainder of the present school term and all of the next school year. After a conference with representatives of the National Oflice of AFT, the Toledo Central Labor Union, and Local 250, the resolution to cut salaries was withdrawn and the pre- vailing rate set for the present school year. It is interesting to note that in this one transaction the teachers and other school employees of Toledo were saved approximately a quarter of a million dollars—nearly three times the total budget of the American Federation of Teachers. Local 411, Newark, Ohio, reports that a local tenure agreement has been adopt- ed providing for dismissal only according to establishment procedure. This achieve- Noted educators who took part in the panel discussion on “Relationships between School and Society.” Left to right: John Woodruff, former national vice president of AFT; G. L. Maxwell, Educational Policies Committee of NEA; Florence Sweeney, president of AFT in Detroit, chairman: Lynn A. Emerson, Cornell University and William Gellermann, School of Education, Northwestern University, ee ae WINS IN FLORIDA AND MONTANA ment is emphasized by the fact that New. ark teachers were threatened with dis. missal in 1934 if they joined AFT. Em. erson Fishbaugh, President of Local 411 (Newark, Ohio), is also president of the Central Labor Council. One of the worst tenure cases, which has developed during the past year, Twenty-eight teach- ers were notified of dismissal under a is at Akron, Ohio questionable rating system, eighty-two married women teachers were to be placed on half time, and a large number of apprentices were to be assigned to regular teaching work. Thus three vital educational problems are involved in the Akron situation. The Akron system of rating is espe- unprofessional since cially unfair and teachers may be dismissed On such in- tangible and ambiguous criteria as Civic activities and community relationships, personal appearance, professional adapta- bility, professional interest and relation- ships, and so forth. To judge a teacher on this basis a principal must necessarily inquire into the personal life of a teacher in order to determine how active he is in church work, to what organizations he belongs, with whom he associates, what magazines he reads, and whether or not the clothing he wears is in accord with the stvle approved by the administration, While it is reported that the number of married teachers to be placed on half time has been reduced and that a smaller number of teachers are to be dismissed, the battle is still on in Akron around these three vital professional problems, As an educational experiment the Na- tional Office sent copies of the Akron number of the Akron teachers with a request that the Super ntendent and Assistant tendent be rated by the same manner in which the teachers are rated by t reasons it is rating system to a larg Superin- teachers In the » administrators. For obvious impossible to announce the this study at the present time. results of Small Local with Strong Labor Backing Sends Interesting Report One of the most remarkable and inter- esting reports comes from a small local, No. 569, at Bogalusa, Louisiana, and ex- emplifies what can be accomplished by a small local which has strong labor back- ing. The following is taken from a recent letter from the secretary of the local “Our little loeal 569) of about ten really active members has accomplished during its two and a half vears existence much more than most of us hoped to achieve in five or ten years. One of our first major successes was to put through a bill in our state legislature making our school board elective instead of ap- pointive by the governor. “Another successful undertaking was getting salaries paid according to a regue lar schedule which is based on teachere training and experience and not on favore itism and political pull as it had been before our activities. “We successfully elected a Commission- er of Education. he signed before his election have been fulfilled. “In addition to this there was one A few of the promises major success attained by us during the past year. But that one goal, we be- lieved and still do, was the most ime portant we have yet reached. Through the Central Labor Union we elected 3a school board of our choosing. Three of the four members signed what we call our “Program of Progress” before they were elected, and since we have met with them as a school board, we have every reason to believe they will keep their promises. “We are at present working with them on a sick-leave plan whereby the teacher will receive full pay for the first five days of absences due to sickness (i.¢., for any five days of absences during & school year) and will thereafter receive the difference between his own salary and the substitute’s for any additional absences due to sickness, the word ad- ditional not to mean more than 25. The new board practically assured us that the plan would materialize.” Local 519, Anderson, Indiana, reports a victory in the case of a teacher who (Continued on page 13) as ~ — y ; Sept mber, 1940 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 13 = — Butte Local Organizes 95% of Teaching Staff Continued from page 12) was refused a contract because of mari- tal status A member of the Union has been appointed to the tax adjustment board which passes on the school budget. The president of the Union, who lives in a neighboring city, was recently ap- pointed a member of the Board of Edu- cation in that city. Mr. John M. Fewkes, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, No. 1, sum- marizes the activities of the local during the past year as follows: “Since September, 1939, the Chicago Teachers Union has completed negotia- tions on many subjects which affect the welfare of its members as well as all the teachers of Chicago. Other matters have been brought before the Superintendent and are under advisement. Still others have been agreed upon by the repre- sentative bodies of the Union and are ready for negotiation and decision.” In Chicago the school term has been restored to 40 weeks, salaries have been restored to 92.5 per cent of the 1929 level and a vigorous battle has been carried out against spoils politics in the public rhe present salary situation in p Chicago is a wholesome contrast to the ‘payless-paydays” of 1933-34 The Educational Secretaries Union 2f Chicago, No. 224, which is the only sep- arate local for educational secretaries in the Union, reports that the local has beer ranted participation in adminis- 1 | \ i? extent that examinations for plicants for positions are prepared b\ L'nior The manuscripts re @X- ‘ ed by committe of the | on, S tne! have been lew s nces v teachers oreanizations have actue ally articipated in the process of eme- pl new teachers, th program of Le { S ¢ ¢ < ST dy ( ( pati ( ful lox Is is t I { l ( Ni 2, a } ‘ OO nbers In a ‘ ] ( ] 1 recent lette ine T t ¢ ? \ es S I¢ ows \\ te our |] e membership primarily to the betterment of working ce If Line che he Union has ccomplished this bv the sin le Sale ] the restoration of one week to oul ene 1 le ~ re ry come per < n ¢ ot absence I n the Ve { which 1 ( 1 and I ( ( S ( pc ‘ l . ] co t I i- tion for our retirement yvstem. New York Teachers, Labor Stop School Budget Cuts “Only twelve teachers engaged in Butte still remain out of the Union, so we are almost 95 per cent organized.” The local at the University of Colorado (Boulder), chartered in April, 1938, in the very heart of a large unorganized are has developed into one of the most active unions in the colle ge field The local has assisted materially in laying groundwork for organization in the West In the State of New York AFT locals backed by the labor movement were largely responsible for preventing 4 heavy slash in state aid for public schools. Several millions of dollars were saved from the economy groups for the children of New York. Mr. Thomas J. Lyons, president of the New York State Federation of Labor writes as follows: rhe magnificent demonstration of loyalty and support which the Federa- tion received from the trade union move- ment was in my opinion the driving force Which prevented the drastic cuts in wages and elimination of teachers. We must be on our guard in order that the education of our children is protected and this can only be done if the teachers re- ceive decent wages.” The Philadelphia Local 192 has led in a fight to prevent a salary reduction under the tenure law. The legal status of the case is being tested in the courts to determine whether salaries can legally be cut under the Pennsylvania tenure contracts. Local 557, at Kenosha, Wisconsin, which was chartered in 1938 has adopted the policy of building its membership carefully and consistently. The Local which now has a membership of 72 in a city of 50,000 recently established womens auxiliary. a In Milwaukee the Union negotiated a satisfactory settlement in the case of a union principal who teaches near Mil- waukee and who was threatened with a large reduction in salary for political reasons. It is interesting to note that the American Federation of Teachers has carried out its extensive program of action and contributed considerable sums to other organizations without receiving financial help from any source other than the extremely small national dues of the members. These dues of less than 2 cents per week per member are the lowest of all unions affiliated with the AFL and only one-fourth the average. In fact, the dues of the individual mem- ber are considerably less than the price of the AMERICAN TEACHER magazine, $2.50. Many progressive educational or- ganizations and movements, including the American Council on Education, the Policies Committee of the NEA and the Social Frontier, have been financed in part by grants from the general edu- cation board or other foundations, in one instance to the extent of nearly one million dollars. The AFT has financed its own program completely and at no time has received contribu- tions from any social organization, polit- ical party or educational foundation. National Office Installs Modern Business Methods As pointed out last year the business methods of the National Office have been gradually modernized, a new accounting tem installed, our credit established, and sufficient balance maintained in the treasury to purchase in quantity and discount bills. The revision of this book- keeping system has been a tedious and gigantic clerical task which is now near- ing completion. The workers at the Na- tional Office are to be highly commend- ed for their faithful service in complet- ing this difficult task while performing the routine duties at the National Office Few people in the teaching profession can fully appreciate the tremendous amount of clerical and technical work involved in serving more than 200 locals and more than 30,000 members. It should be noted that improved business methods have made possible an annual saving of more than $2,000 which may be devoted to the services of the Union. This is more than one-half the total amount set aside each year from nation- al per capita for defense against unjust dismissals and equal to two-thirds of the total amount allocated to various acad- emic freedom cases during the present year. In fact, the AFT is attracting national attention in the labor movement because of the efficient operation of our Inter- national Union on extremely small dues. As indicated elsewhere in this report each member actually pays in annual dues less than five cents per week. Ap- proximately 7,000 of our members pay dues of only 10 cents a month, $1.20 a year, for which the national organiza- tion furnishes a monthly magazine which is priced at $2.50, pays 24 cents in AFL dues, sets aside 12 cents for defense purposes, provides representa- tion in Congress, and furnishes all the other services of the International Union. Certainly this is the greatest bargain in trade unionism in America. (Continued on page 14) Four pictures of the 1940 Conven- tion. From top to bottom: top photo, sign at the Hotel Buffalo welcoming delegates; second photo, seated at the registration table, John Costello, Freda Hunt and Anthony J. Bernard, all Buffalo AFT members; third pho- to, Mary Herrick, former national vice president, and John Fewkes, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, look over the local’s Convention exhibit; bottom photo, looking at the exhibit of the New York State Federation of Teachers are Dr. Bella Dodd, state legislative representative, and Charles Hendley, president of Local 5 and former national vice president. WESTE | UNION SRY) 1p yg: Wepre Wing wy fe ACMICEM Crone le vm ON 14 EEE THE AMERICAN TEACHER September, 1919 —~- me July 11th, 1940 Dear Mr I have you on July 7th and want to point out in detail the matter there I am writing this letter anxious the Refugee Association for the sake of the members of the R. T. A., teachers, kindergarten-teachers tionists, pedagogical psychologists, who had to their refugees from Nazi-Oppression Counts: sent a cablegram to nentioned Teachers educa- leave native country as The conditions under which our refu- gee-fellow-teachers had to live here were never good. But the internment of all German and Austrian male refu- altered entirely More than ever they are now a burden to the The opinion of HM Government stated by Mr. Churchill in his speech on June 4th, 1940 as follows: “I know there are a great many people affected by the orders we have made who are the passionate ene- mies of Nazi Germany. I am sorry for them, but we cannot at the present time and under the present stress draw all the distinctions which we should like to do. If parachute landings at- tempted and fierce fighting attendant upon them followed, the unfortunate people would be far better out of the way for their own sakes as well as for ours.” (The Times—June Sth, 1940) On June 12th, 1940, the Duke of Devonshire stated in the House of Lords: “The Duke of Devonshire, Un- gees their situation country. was were dersecretary for India, said, that the policy of the Government was that public security must come first. While the Government hesitated to cause hardships they would not be deterred Lv any fear of doing so from taking measures which they felt were de- to help The following letter written by Elsie Parker, former president of the National Union of Teachers, England, to President George S. Counts is printed at the request of the executive council of the AFT. Mrs. Parker addressed the national convention of the AFT in 1938 at Cedar Point, Ohio. manded in the interest of public secur- ity. The Government were in touch with America on the question of refu- gees being sent there, but it would be realized that shipping problems were involved, and we might very well need our shipping for other purposes than sending refugees out of the country “It would be impossible to have at present a general review of of the aliens who were the cases now interned in this country. No doubt a great number of these people were genuine refugees who were hundred percent with us, but it could not be doubted that there were some “wrong ones” among them, and such people were very difficult to spot. In some cases the safety of the alicns themselves required that they should be interned. One could well the plight in which some of these people would find themselves when public feel- imagine ing had been acerbated by heavy air raids.” (The Times—June 13th, 1940) Both these statements suggest that it would be best to have the refugees “out of the way” in times like these. The problem became even more urgent now after thousands of refugees, who came over from France, had to be in- terned too. The fact that the refugees looked no longer as an asset, but as a liability to this coun- try. There is no about it, that the best solution would be to possibilities of immigration to the U.S A. remains are upon doubt organize for whole grouns of reluge Public opinion as well as the administration in the U.S.A. seems to be already in favour of giving some practical help to England in taking over not only children but refugees too, I could read in newspapers that Mr. Roosevelt asked the Congress for money for this purpose “Though the scheme ol gees, particularly taking refu- Amert- clubs advocated children, into can homes, camps and by many influentia] citizens has not yet been endorsed by the administration, the President today took a long step in the direction of refugee aid by ask- ing the Congress to appropriate l mill. to aid the Red Cross in its work in Europe.” (The Daily Teleqraph—- June 12th, 1940) “Further steps towards appropriating $50,000,000 Europe were taken by Congress today, for helping refugees in It is expected, that the money will be available within a few days.” Man- chester Guardian—June 15th, 1940) According to the press of June 28th, the Congress granted $50,000,000 for refugees from Europe. The difficulty is to overcome the obstacles of Ameri- can Immigration Law. The following Way seems to be possible: (1) An American citizen offers hospitality to a refugee for the duration of the war and signs the statement, Which makes him responsible for the maintenance ol British Union Head Appeals for Refugee Aid the refugee; (2) The relugee granted in this way gets the British Traveller Papet is defined under the Geneva Convention of February, 1939, concern. ing special groups of refugees. This Traveller Paper normally allows the return to England within a year. A special stamp should be added to it, allowing the owner of the Paper to return to England in a limited period after the war; (3) A refugee with the guarantee and such a Traveller Pape should get a visitor visa for the U.S.A. limited for the duration of the war. A great deal of the refugee problem in England would be solved especially for the endangered refugees for the duration of the wat It would not create a liability to England after the war, as 99 per cent of these people will FO back to then it th sh veCesS in handed over to Article I th help us to H m in pr Authorities to iti ac di lo home Hitler the country after e downfall oft which we all ink will be at end of the war. The same procedure as_ proposed ould be applied to endangered reftu- France, threatened with being the armistice Gestapo under 19 of the terms Alter want I have explained all the things you to know, may I suggest would (1) Funds e following proposals, which settle these matters: ospitalities must be found; (2) ust be raised; (3) Strongest possible used on the American American the immigration: fluence must be iblic and the Immigration force grant of facil- es Lor and (4) Shipping ‘commodations must be provided I hope I did not forget any important ‘tail May I help at isk you again to help, once and without hesitation. ELSIE PARKER Kuenzli Reports Outstanding AFT Victories During 1939-40 (Continued from page 13%) Many officials of other international unions have pointed out that it lutely impossible to is abso- inter- national union on such meagre dues and furnish a free professional trade journal. The recovery of AFT from its bankrupt condition of financial national operate an four years ago to a sound condition without increase in dues has commenda- the labor brought tion from movement. It should be noted, however, that our international union merely recovered from its financial crisis but has greatly enlarged the services of the Union to the dividual member dues. many sources in has not and to the in- without locals increasing American Teacher Published Monthly During School Year During the last two years the AMErR- ICAN TEACHER has been published month- ly during the rather than two months as in previous years. school year every In additicn a full time editor and sec- retary have been employed to produce a much better professional journal. The cost of the magazine has been increased from $4,000 in 1936 to $8,500 in 1937 to $12,700 in 1938, to $19,500 in 1939 and to nearly $23,000 during the pres- ent year. In other words $19,000 more was invested in the magazine this year than in 1936 without a single penny of additional cost to the individual mem- ber. In addition $3,600 per year has been set aside during the last three years for the defense of union teachers who were unjustly dismissed. Previous to 1937 the Union had struggled for years to create a defense fund from voluntary contributions outside the na- tional dues. The funds received in this fashion were almost negligible and the total amount collected never reached $500. During the last three years our improved financial condition has made it possible to set aside more than $10,000 for defense purposes. Several thousands of dollars have been contributed to locals for the defense of members who were unjustly dismissed and many sig- nificant the support ol im- battles have been won with the fund. This portant and successful service, the bene- fit of which may apply to member of the Union, has been established with- defense any out any increase in the meagre dues paid by the individual member. In fact, the enlarged service of the Union to locals and to individual mem- bers has been affected in spite ot a de- crease in the average monthly per capita for each member. The records at the National Office show that the average per capita has decreased approximately 25 per cent since the beginning of the depression. This decrease was the natu- ral result of reduced salaries and the influx of in the the large number of members 10 cents and 15 cents categories During the the labor of America has done a notable piece of work past year press in implementing American educa- the ized workers of Pi ‘ss ASSOK release on the education 1939 Ameri minds of the lation ol tion in millions of The America organe- Labor issued a nation, program Or the in Federation of Labor Con- vention. The A. F. of L. Weekly News Se ice carried a series of releases on the same subject. Numerous local labor papers printed not only these stories but also the education program of the Per- manent Committee on Education of the American Federation of Labor which was sent to all central labor unions and state federations throughout the nation. Labor, official publication of fifteen stand- ard railway organizations, carried this program as a front page story. Almost without exception local labor papers have devoted generous space to combating re- trenchment programs and attempts to curtail the financial support of the schools. In like manner local labor pa- pers have valuable assistance in giving publicity to unjust rendered dismissals of teachers, The American F official journal of the Federation of Labor, has carried a number of editorials derationist, American on various phases of education In a recent communication Mr. George Meany, newly elected secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Labor, offers to the the proceedings give us free space in the journal for publication of a digest of of this convention. The journal is now and more Labo Info monthly published with a new attrac- tive format. The Bulletin. official pration publication of the United States Department of Labor, in the July issue devotes leading space to a story about the history, growth, and program of the AFT. At the time of our 1939 convention the Workers Education Bureau, co-oper- ating with the Permanent Committee on Education of the AFL, had just pub- lished a booklet, Labor and Education, giving a summary of the education the principles and the 1939. movement in 1881 to practices of labor field of from This study was immediately recognized as an important contribution to educa- tional literature of the nation. As a result of many requests from teachers colleges, libraries. labor unions, and stu- dents of labor, the first edition of 5,000 copies was quickly exhausted and more than 2000 copies of a second edition have already been distributed This booklet has been distributed by the Na- tional Office during the past year to libraries of all colleges and universities throughout the nation Five International Unions Represented on Committee Ollicers of the of the Bureau and Education AFL ( ipplement, Labor and Educa- tion ? 1959. Committee in ence at the ‘onvention publist a si tealizing that much of the splendid program of the labor buried ‘n move- ment is the voluminous con- vention proceedings, it was thought ad- visable to reprint the education program along with certain pertinent addresses. It is hoped that this plan may be fol- lowed in future years and that a living record labor's may be established of continued The tion of interest in education. Educa- Federation of Permanent Committee on the composed of American Labor is representatives unions including the American During the past has from five international the secretary-treasurer of Federation of Teachers year the Committee given consid- erable time to a study of the controver- Sial study of education and bill for duction to Congress in an difticulties vocational has prepared a tentative intro- attempt to ron out certain have Smith- which the Acts, existed in th Hughes e operation ol and Dean George Perhaps the most. significant contri- bution to our own international union was the publication under date of Feb- ruary 1, 1940, of an education program for 1940 This program which’ was mailed to all central labor unions and all state federations throughout the na- tion is undoubtedly the most emphatic and comprehensive statement in = favor of public education and rights of teach- ers cver issued by any powerful lay group in America. The statement urges labor bodies actively to support adequate tederal aid, to oppose organized groups seeking to crush school finance including the public schools, and to assist teach- ers in securing better salaries, tenure of oftice, sick leave smaller classes, and so torth. The 1940 ( Federa there onvention of the American tion of Teachers brings to a close, tore the greatest vear of achieve- ment in the history of tl Jnion, It Is probable that the past year will go down in history as one of t most important years In our total history and that the Victories of } aS yea will be ene hanced w passing of the years. It has beer banner year of accom- plishment at tin when the Union has S| rea U! powertul opposition in its history It has been a year of dynamie suppo om forces of or- ganized labor. It has been a year of growing prest ind power in American education It has been a year of battle with the forces of retrenchment—-to the end that millions of dollars have been saved for the education of the nation’s children. No man can say what the immediate future has in store for us. It is a time of chaos uncertainty. Whatever the future may be, let us battle courageously education and educa- Upon the founda- tion of our accomplishments of the past year, let us build a stronger AFT. May this Convention serve united committee of the whole to carry forward the AFT banner during the com- ing year! and for democracy in tion for democracy. greater, as a —— Ceptember, 1940 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 15 —_—— — a Report Proposes Year-Round Program mo Building New Locals, Aiding Others, Main Aim The following report on organizational proble ms of the American Federation of Teachers was presented by Arthur Elder on behalf of the the Convention. It was adopted by the Evecutive Council to Conve ntion. HE PROBLEM of organization is fun- ane ntal to the growth, health of our Union. It is obvious from Mr. Kuenzli's report that we have a two-fold program immediately. One is to organize new locals in areas not yet touched, especially west of the Missis- to work out sippi and in those areas in which there are active state organizations; the other is to keep newly organized and estab- lished locals intact and to stimulate them While the organiza- tion of new important it is absolutely essential that established lo- cals continue to grow both in terms of membership and increased local prestige. In the general organization program, it is important to emphasize the distinc- tive service which our Union provides, Our association with labor is the out- standing benefit that accrues to any body to healthy growth. locals is of teachers ready to join our forces. The support of powerful state and local labor organizations, which in many instances have well-established machinery for in- fluencing politics, is the most obvious benefit that accrues. The free public school system, Which organized labor instituted in this country, can best be served by organized labor if labor union members can depend upon an active group in the faculties to acquaint them with those problems in which they would have a natural concern. Another benee fit, less obvious but of inestimable value to our organization, is the opportunity this affiliation gives the prehending the problems of teacher in come a large and important sector of the community pop- ulation—labor. Both these benefits should be effectively presented in our organiza- tion meetings New Methods of Organizing Advocated by Membership Your Council believes that a twelve- months program and service based on awareness of problems affecting the schools in itself will result in organiza- tional Whereas most teacher Organizations disintegrate at the end of Vital local and state organizations in our Union should stand ready to guard the interests of the class- growth, the school vear, room teachers whenever they are threat- ened. In many instances, where school boards have seen fit to announce dis- have left summer missals after schoolteachers their studies, communities for their Vacations, our collect organize community groups which later proved successful in reinstating teachers and in crystallizing conventions or been able to information and to organization has sentiment for tenure and academic free- dom. In the past, the use of the organizers under the supervision of the regional Vice presidents and the National Office cannot be said to have been successful. At our convention a year ago, it ap- peared to be the feeling of the member- ship that new methods of organizing be developed. This was evidenced by the report which was adopted by the Federa- tion recommending the allotment of organization funds to state federations. While the Council endorses this principle of extending organization through state federations, it does not wish to forestall the use of field-service representatives. tather it is expected that when funds become available the natural outgrowth through organization of new locals and Stimulation of existing locals and state federations will be the employment of national, state and local field-service employees working in the interest of The Convention committee on organization thrashes out some of the perplexing problems faced by the AFT. The October issue of the “American Teacher” will be organized around the reports of Convention committees and will include short statements by the new committee chairmen on the work of the standing committees. an integrated program. During the past year the National Office has matched state-federation ap- propriations up to a maximum of $300 to extend organization within the states. Eleven of the thirteen existing state federations availed themselves of nation- al funds under this new plan. We be- lieve this policy should be ‘ continued since it gives the national organization the benefit of the most equitable and effective use of organizational funds. The state organization, which should be most cognizant of its own situations and ac- companying given the psychological problems, is responsibility of determining where, when and how to organize in new localities. The National Office is prepar- ing auditor’s report blanks for the use of the state federations which take ad- vantage of the matching features of our present organization program. These forms together with statements outlin- ing the organizational activity within the state are to be submitted to the Na- tional Office Your recommends that such reports and state- ments be annually. Council submitted at least thirty days before the convention in accordance with the practice established for the submis- sion of reports of vice presidents. Publicity is an important phase of the organization program nationally, through state federations and the issuance of local publications and _ bulletins. The Council recommends that locals be ad- vised to have systematic programs of publicity. Proper emphasis should be given to educational as well as to pro- fessional welfare problems. Such pub- licity tends to offset a public miscon- ception that members of the Teachers’ Union are mercenary and engaged prin- cipally in community conflicts. When issues of salaries and tenure arise, the local publicity should have already set the character of Union objectives. In all cases emphasis should be placed on qual- ity and timeliness rather than on quan- lity in issuing publicity material. No local can long exist where there has been.only haphazard and slip-shod preparation of programs. The new local, Which is timid in its program formula- tion, might be encouraged at the outset to present in its programs the national public social and school political implications. They should be encouraged also to affili- ate immediately with central labor bodies uspect of problems and their and to send delegates to the state labor federation conventions. Such experience should impress them with the effective- ness of a well-defined local program, and their observation of the tactics and tech- niques of related groups should school them in techniques for working out solu- tions of local problems. The Council recommends that locals be impressed with the necessity for electing a treasurer who collects promptly and regularly the monthly dues of each mem- ber. Delay in collection gives weaker members opportunity to rationalize “T am aware of the fact that a con- certed attack is being made upon the public schools throughout the coun- try. An attack is being promoted by the very same reactionary interests and groups that have consistently op- posed the advance of organized labor and the improvement of the lot of our working men and women. “These people can always find the money to support the causes and un- dertakings which they believe in, but not being dependent upon the public school for the education of their chil- dren, they insist that we are spend- ing too much on public schools and that the educational services should be reduced. “Here in the State of New York we have met these people during the past year. The New York State Economic Council, representing the great corporations of the state, has taken a lead in the attack upon our schools. The New York State Federa- tion of Labor, with its 1,400,000 mem- bers, distributed over the entire state, Labor Fights Education's Enemies representing 28 per cent of the mem- bership of the American Federation of Labor, is here in this great State of New York as a very powerful factor in this fight. “We have co-operated with the New York State and other teachers’ organizations, and with all the forces interested in de- fending the cause of public education. On the whole, we have been able to turn back the attack. We know the fight is not over. There are who oppose education, as they oppose the advaiice of working men and wo- men. Federation of Teachers those “We must be continually vigilant. It has been said that vigilance is the price of liberty. It is also the price that must be paid for public educa- tion. And unless all signs fail, this price is going to be particularly heavy ” during the coming years. THOMAS J. LYONS, President, New York State Federation of Labor at the AFT Convention, Full Co-operation of All Members Vital to Growth themselves into dropping their member- ship. It is not difficult to understand how this tends to destroy the morale of new unions which might otherwise enjoy a natural and healthy growth. On the basis of the secretary’s report it is rea- sonable to assume that if proper collec- tion procedures were in force in all locals our active membership list would indi- cate four to six thousand more members than it actually does. Payment of per capita on full membership monthly and collection of dues in advance either at quarterly or half-yearly intervals as the secretary has pointed out in a bulletin will undoubtedly be reflected in increased effectiveness of our national organization. Considerable thought and preparation should be made for the expansion of the American Federation of Teachers during the summer months. The gathering to- gether of teachers from all over the nation into universities and _ teacher- training colleges makes for an_ ideal opportunity to bring the AFT before teachers when they can be free to attend Union-sponsored meetings. It likewise gives Union members from all over the United States a chance to meet and talk with other teachers about their Union and its programs. Where state federa- tions are in existence summer session programs should be arranged in univer- sities and colleges wherever possible in cooperation with local unions. Must Try and Test Various Methods of Expanding AFT Various methods of expanding the AFT must be tried and tested. In _ places where locals of the AFT are not strong and where the schools of education and teacher-training departments are opposed to the Union in principle, two or three representatives who stand high in our profession might be secured to deliver addresses to the students of the summer sessions. It is essential in such situa- tions that the programs be prepared with ingenuity and tact. Speakers who have the respect of teachers all over the na- tion should be engaged for such meetings. On campuses where there exist locals with good representation in the teacher- training departments, such as at North- western University and Teachers College, the policy of having a planned weekly meeting for Union members and friends has been successful. In such situations it is possible to make the AFT program an integral part of the summer school Sessions, The sending of representatives from the National Office is also helpful in pro- viding information about the activities of the national organization, its publica- tions and the activities of various locals throughout the country. This practice should be extended and continued. Mr. Guernsey's report* of his visits with col- lege groups throughout the country dur- ing the summer suggests the direction in which our summer school program may be expanded and made most effec- tive. Your Council recommends a care- ful reading of this report. No program of organization, whether through the National Office, state fed- erations or locals, can be successfully implemented without the fullest co-op- eration of the individual members who in the last analysis represent the great- est organizing influence in the AFT. Your Executive therefore recommends finally that, in addition to earnest consideration of the brief sug- here outlined for you, every member attending this Convention will consider himself a member of an organe« ization committee of the whole, Council gestions *Coples of the report on AFT work In summer schools may be secured by writing to George I. Guernsey, 506 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill,