IMarch. 1929 



E \' O L U T I O K 



I 'age Nine 



Scientists Act for Freedom 



Lmversily professors and co-operating rcsearcli 



Fundamentalists. 

 By BARROW LYONS. 



THE first steps have been taken by They have 

 men of science toward combatting 

 the influence of anti-evolutionists, who 

 have virtually succeeded in eliminating 

 the mention of evolution from the bio- 

 logy text books used in the elementary 

 schools of the country. At the fiftieth 

 annual m-eeting of the American Asso- 

 ciation of University Professors held 

 in New York over the Christmas holi- 

 days action was taken authorizing the 

 appointment of a special committee to 

 co-operate with the American Ass'n 

 for the Advancement of Science to fight 

 anti-evolution legislation and other ef- 

 forts to restrict the freedom of the 

 teaching of science. Whether this effort 

 will get far beyond the resolution stage 

 remains to be seen. 



Meanwhile the World's Christian Fun- 

 damentals -Association continues to 

 circulate its .list of books considered safe 

 for young Americans and to bring in- 

 fluence to bear upon text book com- 

 missions throughout the country in ef- 

 fectively preventing the publication 

 of comprehensive biology text books. 

 At least, enough commissions have re- 

 jected book> mentioning evolution to 

 influence publishers. 



The appointment of the university pro- 

 fessors' committee was authorized in a 

 resolution strongly "deploring"' all re- 

 strictions on the freedom of teaching 

 scientific subjects. It urged the prepara- 

 tion of a circular to battk for the free- 

 dom of teaching and to point out clearly 

 the "great harm" of all anti-evolntion 

 laws and regulations. 



The American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science also "took action" 

 by passing as a committee of the whole 

 a resolution which declared : 



"We are convinced that any legislation 

 attempting to limit the teaching of any 

 widely accepted scientific doctrine is a 

 profound mistake which cannot fail to 

 retard the advancement of knowledge of 

 human welfare. It is only by the main- 

 tenance of freedom of teaching that we 

 can create conditions under which truth 

 comes most rapidly to prevail. There- 

 fore, we wish to make our most earnest 

 protest against all legislation and ad- 

 ministrative interference with the presen- 

 tation of tlie facts and theories of 

 science." 



That is a good beginning, but it is not 

 likely to be taken as a serious menace to 

 the morals and welfare of American 

 youth by th« Fundamentalists. It does 

 not breathe militant determination on 

 the part of scientists. 



There is no question, however, about 

 the Fundamentalists forming a militant, 

 fighting group. Small as the number of 

 their leader.s is. they have made matters 

 sufficiently uncomfortable for those 

 concerned with the production and dis- 

 tribution of text books. They are un- 

 usually dangerous .gentlemen to tackle. 



li'orkcrs flan action a,iiaiiist 



caused the fall of more 

 than one university professor, workin.t; 

 quietly and under cover as often as by 

 public ballyhoo. 



Their strength lies in that tliey are 

 moved by high moral endeavor, by the 

 fervor which holds the glory of God 

 above all else and leads tnem to heroic 

 elTorts to accomplish their ends. They 

 believe themselves allied with the Deity 

 and invincible. What school boards, 

 what text book commissions, what pub- 

 lishers can stand before aroused right- 

 eousness of this sort? 



And what have the school teachers 

 of the country to offer against an on- 

 slaught of this nature? How can they 

 bring the teaching of evolution back 

 into the biology text books of the ele- 

 mentary schools? By what means can 

 they make the judgment of science felt 

 as against judgments colored by an- 

 cient superstitions? 



That must be for teachers them- 

 selves to decide. I shall merely attempt 

 to suggest some of the fundamental 

 principles they must carefully think 

 out, which must be generally agreed 

 upon before there can be effective con- 

 certed action. 



Thoughtful teachers for a long time 

 liave been asking who should be the 

 authority as to what they should teacli 

 and where that authority should begin 

 and end. On the one hand, it is evident 

 that Ia\-men unversed m science are in- 

 competent to pass judgment upon fine- 

 points of scientific fact and theory. 

 More and more the world relies upon 

 the judgment of authorities and ex- 

 perts. But it is also evident that there 

 must be some order and system in the 

 curricula of public schools, where 

 teachers are changing and pupils are 

 being prepared for standardized courses 

 of advanced education, the gateways to 

 which are college entrance examina- 

 tions. 



Although requirements for secondary 

 schools must be met in the elementary 

 schools, and requirements for college 

 must be met in the secondary schools, 

 there is still considerable latitude for 

 the teacher, if not interfered with by 

 legislation or meddlesome school boards. 

 Is it, then, sufficient to select the most 

 competent teacher available and then 

 leave it to him or her what to teach, 

 or is the layman ever justified in pre- 

 scribing details in the curriculum? 



Another problem which teachers 

 must face very seriously — and if they 

 are not concerned there is no one else 

 who will be — is that of the preparation 

 of text books. As I pointed out in ear- 

 lier articles of this series, some of the 

 largest text book publishers admit that 

 they print books for sale and not prim- 

 arily for education or uplift. They are 

 running large business: they are re- 



sponsible to stockholders and must 

 show profits. If they permit competi- 

 tors to push them aside, they will show- 

 losses. Hence, they cannot afford to 

 antagonise any considerable element 

 of the community. 



The principle is wrong. Text books 

 should be printed for use and not for 

 profit, for education and not to bring 

 emolument to the shareholders of cor- 

 porations. 



It would be quite within the range 

 of possibility for teachers to organize 

 and operate a co-operative text book 

 publishing house which -would print 

 science text books untainted by the in- 

 fluence of fundamentalism, history 

 text books whose authors were free to 

 tell the truth about the medieval church 

 or the actions of our own forefathers 

 which did not sidestep the rottenness 

 iti America, political science texts 

 of American politics and economics, 

 text books facing fearlessly the con- 

 flicts in contemporary productive or- 

 .ganization. 



The vitiation of science text books 

 is merely the result of a thoroughly bad 

 system which affects us in a thousand 

 ways. It is through the perversion of 

 the minds of young people, or at the 

 best, keeping them in ignorance of a 

 true picture of the world about them, 

 that the system fastens itself most 

 firmly upon the community. 



Bigotry and intolerance flourish only 

 w-here science is suppressed. Set free 

 the teachers, put text books in their 

 liands that tell the truth, and you have 

 made a long step forward to a world 

 rid of ancient superstitions and pre- 

 iudices. 



EVOLUTIOX AXNIVER.SARY 

 DINNER SATURDAY, 

 APRIL THIRTEENTH 



The charter of 'the EVOLUTION 

 PUBLISHING CORPORATION is 

 dated April 13, 1927. Last year this oc- 

 casion was celebrated in New York and 

 several other cities by Evolution 

 dinners. This year we hope that Evolu- 

 tion dinners will be arranged in every 

 city where EVOLUTION has readers, to 

 celebrate the birthday of this champion 

 of intellectual freedom and gather in- 

 spiration to carry to victory the struggle 

 against fundamentalisiu. 



Every reader with the necessary 

 energy- is invited to make arrangements 

 in his community. Notify us of your 

 intentions, and we'll wire you if some 

 one has already started in your city. 



Details, addresses where dinners will 

 take place, hour and price, names of 

 responsible managers, speakers etc. 

 should reach us before March 20th for 

 publication in April EVOLUTION. 



.All who arrange in time will receive 

 message from New York dinner, and 

 should send a message to be read at 

 the dinner in New York. Let us make 

 these simultaneous dinners a tremendous 

 nation-wide demonstration in favor of 

 The Open Mind. 



