Show THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE SUNDAY MORNING C II MAY 17 1030 TEACHING FACTS ON uestion Headed for Bitter Debate In Chambers of Congress V oters Support Liberty t Should Schools Teach the Facts About r In Educational Matters By Total of 62 Per Cent Communism Fascism and Socialism? v Issue Arises on Whether Instructors Might Teach Facts About Government of Russia in District of Columbia Repeal of Rider Being Sought Divergence in Sentiment Noted Between Various Sections of Nation State Heads Are Watching District of Columbia’s Measure for Leadership 5 ! s f J By DR GEORGE GALLUP Director American Institute of Public Opinion TY1EW YORK May 16 — When your daughter asks " her teacher about the Russian five-yeplan or when your son wants information about fascism or Karl Marx what should the school teacher say? In other words should schools teach the facts about all forms of government including communism fascism and socialism? That question is rapidly becoming a national one Many Americans answer it unequivocally ‘‘yes” Most of them believe that freedom of education — and eventually freedom of speech — are at stake r (AIPO) — Can President Roosevelt escape for whatever action congress takes regarding the District of Columbia anticommunism rider? “red rider” Congress of course can either retain the when it passes the district appropriations bill shortly or it can pass the Sisson bill repealing the rider If congress keeps the rider Washington school teachers and other employes including janitors will continue for at &ast another year to affirm — every time they draw a salary check — that they have not ‘‘taught or advocated” communism either in or out of the classroom since the last pay day If congress passes the Sisson bill teachers will still be bound NEW YORK May 16 ed ar by an oath of loyalty to the consti- -' tutlon but they will be permitted in Blanton spread his reasons why his the proper courses to teach the anticommunism ‘‘red rider" should be retained facts about all forms of governCongressman Blanton recorded ment including the Soviet union that his rider has put an end to Majority sentiment throughout the indoctrination of communism I' in the Disthe United States today’s institute wh'ch he charges existed trict of Columbia schools the favors the condition shows poll At his back he said is the FedSisson bill would set up eration of Citizens’ Associations “which embraces 63 different assoHearst Heads Opposition ciations of citizens here in WashingBut the minority opposition to the ton” g Risson bill is' led by the Supporters qf the repeal bill line Fred J behind Congressman up Hearst newspapers Congressman While seekSisson of New York Thomas L Blanton of Texas Con- ing permission for Washington gresswoman Virginia E Jenckes of school teachers to teach “the facts” Indiana and a number of District about Russia and other countries they make clear they expect no groups indoctrination or advocacy of com adWhichever way the Roosevelt munism ministration casts its influence Plain Majority some fat will slip into the fire The Sisson foroes claim a maIn sentiment the president is jority in congress as well as the probably for the repeal of the ‘‘red support of Washington teachers and rider” It was passed last year as parents The fight is by no means a secpart of the appropriations bill with- tional one out discussion and after having been Blanton leading congressional ex"slipped into the bill" other con- ponent of the anticommunism rider comes from Texas which today gressmen charge for votes 61 per cent to 39 But the president is anxious not teaching ‘‘the facts" about foreign to give his opponents further chance theories of government So does to call him a Bolshevik Some of Congressman Maury Maverick who be found on the his advisersf believe that repeal of will undoubtedly from opposite end of the roll-ca- ll the "red rider" would give the op- Blanton if the Sisson repealer comes to vote position that chance On the other hand Sisson's home There are legions of state New York votes only 58 per Roosevelt cent to 42 per cent for “the facts” to Most of them believe such Many others answer it “no” teaching may threaten the traditions of our own form of gov- ernment Yes far-flun- per-cen- volerg refldy Associated in the public llafllS jnjnd with the District of Columbia's adventures in taking Soviet Russia out of the classroom is the nation-wid- e discussion of loyalty oatha for school teachers Nevada has required loyalty oaths from teachers ever since 1866 but he greatest number of state oath laws have been written since the Seven state legislators depression voted them last year including Massachusetts Vermont New Jersey Michigan Georgia Texas and Arizona More than a score of states now require them Today's poll shows there is ostensibly very little difference in public opinion between states with loyalty oaths and states without i them for Colorado instance first among states which Vote "yes” has had a loyalty oath law since 1921 Maryland Virginia and Kentucky which indicate the least desire for Across some 28 pages the facts about communism fascism Leaders 0f the Congressional and socialism have never had loyalRecord last month Congressman ty oath laws ' Vote Approves Giving Teachers Right to Express Their Views VfEW YORK May 16 (AIPO) — College teachers and college stu-- 1 3 dents win a vote of confidence from public opinion as the result of a supplementary poll reported today by the Institute of Public Opinion ers are almost as venerable and as In this poll the Institute asked: to 35 for votes 65 honored "Should college teachers be free free expression to express their views on all subNext in line comes the south— jects Including government and with William and Mary college and religion?" Thomas Jefferson's University of The question was asked in connec-jvirginamong the early founda tion with the Institute’s principal tions— voting 64 to 36 aurvey of the week on communism The complete vote by sections is: fascism and socialism Voles from representative Americans show: ia 59 41 "Yes" "No” "Everyone else has the right f free speech” a majority of the comments from “yes” voters read "College teachers should have the right too” The next greatest number of comment found college students ‘far enough advanced to know right from wrong” “Free discussion makes students in New think” submits Jersey “But most of the time they don't agree With their profs” New England South Lead ‘Yes’ Vote s'- ht No V V V A colleges founded are the ones which today lead the voting for freedom of expression for teachers New England whose vard college will shortly be 300 years old and where the names of Yale Bowdoin Amherst and oth-- i Hir-roon- l- 38 ? Results of Nation-wid- e Poll of American Voters America Wants to Know About— 48 The congress of the United States will become a sort of local school board within the next fortnight if it takes up the Sisson bill — now pending — to allow the facts about communism to be taught in the District of Columbia All the 48 states favor teaching the facts about communism fascism and socialism — as well as other forms of government — in the schools The nation-wid- e vote in favor of this teaching is to 38 §2 Should Srhooli Teach Facts About ‘‘Isms1’ YES NO NEW ENGLAND schools Congress voted last year to prohibit such teaching Rhode Island Massachusetts -- Maine New Hampshire Vermont Connecticut MID but many congressmen now say theydiihiT know the prohibitive clause was in the general appropriations bill they voted for ATLANTIC As shown bklow Maryland New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Delaware West Virginia EAST CENTRAL Illinois cialism Will congress repeal its legislation of last year? Ohio Indiana Michigan WEST CENTRAL Nebraska Minnesota senti- ment in all major political and economic groups favors allowing schools to teach the facts about communism fascism and so- Should Schools Teach Facta About "Isms” YES NO 63 Missouri Parties North Dakota Wisconsin Kansas South Dakota Iowa Slati Are Watching District of Columbia Today TODAY the amount of factual instruction about communism and socialism varies from state to state depending on the teacher the course and the textbooks used Twenty-tw- o of the 48 states have sought to protect themselves against teachers advocating communism fascism or socialism in the public schools by requiring loyalty oaths Not one state today prohibits by law the teaching of the facts about these forms of government however It is different in the District of Columbia There by a bill passed b congress last year schools may not teach or advocate Nervous school teachers in the district avoid mencommunism tion of the populous big soviet union because that might be interpreted as “teaching” communism If congress when iV passes 'the' District of Columbia appropriation bill shortly similar bills may appear in the various state legislatures retains-thisprovisT- on Majorities in 48 States Approve Teaching Facts If such bills were aimed at the teaching of facts however today’s poll shows that they would encounter majority opposition in all the 48 states The closest division of opinion is in Maryland to 47 which votes 53 for factual handling of the three “isms” At the other extreme in today’s poll is Colorado which favors teaching the facts by 77 to 23 The poll uncovers the strongest sentiment for freedom to teach the facts of government among the mountain states New Least in favor are the inEngland and the south tank next dustrial states of the middle Atlantic and east central sections: Should Schools Teach the Facts About “Isms”? Middle Atlantic states East central states West central states SOUTH Kentucky Virginia Oklahoma 'South Carolina Texas Georgia North Carolina Louisiana Arkansas Florida Tennessee Big cities are traditionally more urbane than the little towns —not to mention the fact that they deliver the bulk of the comthe small towns munist and socialist vote on election days--b- ut of America in today’s poll are more willing to permit the teaching of foreign theories than (ipe the big cities Voters in small towns are 63 in favor of “the facts" whereas the 10 largest cities average only 58 in favor This same small-tow- n America was shown last week to be but today its position is nearer the slightly Democrats than the Republicans as shown in the following analysis of the vote by parties: Should Schools Teach the Facts About “isms”? Mississippi Alabama MOUNTAINS Arizona Montana New Mexico Wyoming Idaho Utah Nevada anti-Roosev- elt Colorado PACIFIC COAST ""’California Oregon Washington Small Towns AVERAGE 68 Opinions Clash as Voters Write Their Comments on ‘Isms 87 9 Democrats Republicans Socialists 59 85 73 Third parties Even the Socialists it is clear from the above figures are not with every one of these presump- - ? 1 Students don’t need the facts unanimous about' what facts should be Presumably taught tions They offer three other about other governments Amerto but — 15 of socialism facts have are taught willing they thg need is all icanism beliefs: they — both or of not or of facts communism fascism them the 2 Such teaching may be a chance is you are somewhat more In favor of freedom of expression NEW YORK May 16 (AIPOl— ? dent's ruriosity In school thaq on a street corner American students know th If for your teachers than are the memBut the opposition take issue bers of the ordinary teaching pro- truth about all forms of govern’the will them "truth make ment fession themselves menace to democracy Are Reliefers Ripe The institute of Public Opinion free” or will it make them rad3 Let them learn when they’re sought out representatives of both icals? older For Radicalism? these classes of voters A tabulaAmerican voters Indicate 62 to Even among college students tion Of their opinions shows: 38 in today’s Institute poll that Many of the NRA ' codes forbade employers to hire children sides to two the there are ques“W1ILL radicalism spread among persons on relief?” anxious are willing to take the work for i Express Views? they tion chance seven-mont- h was NRA abolished a YES the NO after conservatives sometimes ask If willingness to have the During period A University of Toledo student Those who favor teaching the there was an increase of 58 per cent in employment of children 14 facts 88 taught regarding all forms of government is a sign of radCollege Students comment: with the votes ‘yes” facts about communism fascism and 15 years old in 129 cities according to a recent survey 79 Teachers icalism the course teach "Of should socialism and other forms of govtoday's poll shows persons on relief are not so radical they Various wordings of the issue were used on the ballots in this other facts about governments as the Behind most of the negative votes ernment repeat in one phrasing on Republicans One labor of the child first popular referendum questions was Schools should make clear the from students and schoolmen is the or another the three following of the voters on relief vote for “the facts” today based pn the wording of the child labor amendment which was Only 55 faults of the past and seek every belief that “a teacher may have his ideas: to the states for ratification-tsubmitted wit: 59 all Republicans do so whereas of Free education and free possible solution for the future” own opinion but not in the class- “Do you favor an amendment to the Constitution giving Dame a Notre A Rut comment from a relief voter in North Carolina may the facts youth deimnd typical speech congress the power to limit regulate and prohibit tile labor counters: “A schools purpose is Island for the hopes and aims of most of this group today: 2 The more students learn Others college students and per- of persons under 18?” to teach what is right Why dally other governments the Rons on relief alike echo t tie old about We want plain Results of the poll will appear in next Sunday’s Tribune “We don't believe in Russia or socialism with idras that might instill false American refrain: "Why not? It’s a more they will think of their own American fair deal” belief?" 8 It’s better to satisfy a stjjfree country ain’t it?” 1986 Institute of Public Opinion All rights reserved Reproduction In whole or in part is strictly forbidden except with the written consent of the copyright owners American Entire page copyright by Next—Child Toil ffy-tor- saw the first THE atates which 62 t uke their cue from President Roosevelt on a question like teaching the facts about communism In today’s institute poll asking whether the schools should teach the facts about all forms of government a Missouri voter sends his ballot back with the words: "Anything Franklin D Roosevelt says is O K with me and I don’t know whether he is for it or not” If the Sisson bill reaches the floor of the house within a few days as It is tentatively scheduled to do the Missouri voter can make up his mind that F D R is "for it” If the administration prefers to withhold the bill because of possible election repercussions it may never reach the floor Freedom versus the traditional scheme Those are the opposite objectives which voters indorse in today’s poll by the American Institute of Public Opinion Freedom wins Sixty-tw- o per cent of the voters say the schools should teach the facts about all forms of government including communism fascism and socialism Thirty-eigper cent say the schools should not teach those facts The Institute poll sampled sentiment from Maine to California Ballots were distributed by mail— and by 230 staff interviewers wherever mail ballots were impracticable — to more than 100000 representative Americans Maine and California differ in their responses Farmers differ from city people and there is an even greater difference of opinion between rich and poor But for the country aj a whole for every three Americans who vote “yes” two other Americans vote “no” America Speaks |