An accusation that "treasonable propaganda" was being taught in the schools, brought by Mrs. William Gold on Wednesday, was not taken seriously at the Board of Education yesterday.
Furthermore, the Philadelphia Peace Council denied that the name of Haiti was directly or indirectly mentioned at the demonstration of the Dalton plan by the pupils of the South Philadelphia High School for Girls on April 17.
On that day the Conference on the Teaching of History with a View to International Understanding was held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. The Council backed its denial with a stenographic report.
At the Wednesday luncheon of the Pennsylvania Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom at the Germantown Women's Club. Mrs. Gold, a member of the club, charged that these pupils were told that the present treatment of Haiti by the United States was comparable to the treatment of the Colonies by England in 1776.
Dr. George Wheeler, associate superintendent of public schools, in the absence of Dr. Edwin C. Broome, the superintendent, was reluctant to enter into a controversy over the matter, although he did deny that treasonable matter was taught in the schools.
Dr. Wheeler indicated that where pupils do independent research in connection with their school work the acquisition of opinions and theories from questionable sources should not be charged to the school system.
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