ALIEN ENEMY TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2578, 28 September 1915, Page 6

ALIEN ENEMY TEACHERS

••'V (To the Editor.) ' Sir,—ln your report of my remarks at the deputation, on the Alien Enemy Teachers' Bill in this morning's paper you l sayj'jin; reference, to the inculcation of pSiriptism, that. I believe' "that the College Council would be justified iii t sacking any teacher who wasted his time on anything of tho sort." That is absolutely ; misleading. I referred to llie, Prime. Minister's statements in Hansard, that in his opinion it is the duty of every teacher "to do everything he possibly could to inculcate patriotism on the part of his pupils," and said if that means teaching the students to sing "Rule Britannia" and wave flags, I think the College Council would be justified in sacking a professor for so wasting his students' timo. _ But if he meant the inculcation of patriotism by the influence of action and character, there can be few citizens who have done more or- succeeded, better than .Professor von Zedlitz. As proofs I instanced" his practical encouragement : of the Victoria College Training Corps bj; joining as a private, and on tho testimony of one of - his officers', serving with zeal and cheerfulness. Also the fact that: of his senior French class all the men, save two who are under age, are. at the front. And last, that, he has omitted from: the-list of books in French this year -one that would? ordinarily ■■ have Wen because it contains an unfavourable historical criticism of tho English Army. Such inculcation of patriotism as this is the glory and duty of any citizen,_ and I quite agree with the Primo Minister that no enemy subject could do it. Therefore the Professor is no enemy.—l am, etc., .. , . . _ L. M. ATKINSON. •- : Wa'destown, Setpember 25, 1915. "