ative proportion of the national income for the education of future American citizens. We earnestly urge the Congress speedily to enact legislation to provide adequate Federal aid to education.

I have one further observation that I should like to refer to and it has to do with S. 472, and in the formula with respect to need, page 4,

it says:

When the percentage ratio thus determined in "D" for any State is less than 2.5, the amount of Federal aid due each such State, as computed under "C" shall be proportionately reduced.

We would like to recommend that the 2.5 be reduced to, say, 1.8. Now, currently, that is to say, the last available figures, which were 1945, compiled by the Office of Education, there is only one State, that is to say, New Mexico, which is currently spending 2.61 percent of its annual income for education and we believe that 2.5 is much too high because an average of all of your State expenditures would probably average something like 1.8.

We feel that later, as the act gets under way, and as you approach a much larger formula, that that figure can be reduced to 2.2 of the expenditures.

Senator AIKEN. I am sure the committee will take the suggestion under consideration when we get down to writing the bill.

Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Perry.

The next witness is Fred W. Young, representing the National Americanism Commission of the American Legion.

Col. JOHN THOMAS TAYLOR. I am Colonel Taylor of the national legislative committee and I want to present Fred W. Young of the National Americanism Commission and who has devoted a great deal of time and study to this committee.

Senator AIKEN. Mr. Young, will you proceed with your testimony? STATEMENT OF FRED W. YOUNG, NATIONAL AMERICANISM COMMISSION OF THE AMERICAN LEGION

Mr. YOUNG. I am glad to have this opportunity to appear before this committee to discuss legislation providing for Federal aid to education. I shall address myself to the general question of Federal aid and its importance to the welfare of our Nation rather than to the specific features of any bill.

I would like to read the resolution which was passed by the national convention of the American Legion at San Francisco in October 1946.

Whereas, the critical situation in American education caused by the shortage of teachers is undermining the educational opportunity of millions of children and constitutes a threat to the individual competence which is a cornerstone of national defense. The reason for present exodus from the teaching profession is primarily an economic one. We therefore reiterate the action taken by the national executive committee of the American Legion in 1945 adopting the following resolution:

"We recommend the consideration of legislation before the United States Congress providing for Federal participation in school support, and urge that legislation which adequately protects the schools from Federal domination and secures the continued existence of local control of schools receive the support of the American Legion.

"The American Legion now resolves that, in view of the present serious situation, its support will be vigorous and continuous."

The American Legion has, therefore, by convention mandate pledged its vigorous and continuous support to legislation providing

for Federal participation in school support which secures the continued and permanent existence of local controls of schools. It has, however, pledged its vigorous and continuous opposition to legislation which would permit Federal domination or control of or interference with the schools.

The American Legion, composed of millions of American citizens from all walks of life, is vitally interested in all questions which affect the welfare of our Nation. The American Legion is, therefore, vitally interested in education and subscribes to the following principles: One. Education is the foundation for national security.

Two. Equality of opportunity is the fundamental basis of democracy.

Three. Health education with correction of defects of early life will produce a more virile people.

Four. Universal education with equal opportunity for all is a unique contribution so far as the American way of life is concerned.

Five. Education generally has never been satisfactorily supported throughout the Nation.

Education is the foundation for national security. A representative republic cannot hope to endure with an illiterate citizenship. Dicttors and totalitarian regimes are the inevitable results of lack of education. Our State legislators, our Governors, our Representatives in Congress, and in fact, all of our public officials cannot rise far above the general level of our citizenship because those officials were chosen by our citizenship in free elections. Selective service statistics in World War II revealed an alarming situation in our Nation with reference to illiteracy. The selective service was forced to reject enough men because of illiteracy to have provided several divisions of our Army. Ignorance and illiteracy are natural allies to the many isms which threaten the American way of life. Therefore, illiteracy is one of our greatest threats to national security.

Equality of opportunity is the fundamental basis of democracy. Equality of opportunity cannot exist without equality of educational opportunities. Equality of educational opportunity cannot be achieved in our Nation under present conditions. A study of the wide range which exists between the States in their ability to finance an educational program reveals an alarming situation. A comparison of the amount of wealth available per child in Mississippi for education with that in California, New York, New Jersey, and many other States provides convincing evidence that Mississippi can never provide the educational opportunities to her children by her own resources which the other States mentioned can provide with little effort. In 1944-45 New Jersey, by expending 1.74 percent of its peoples' income, provided $198 per child in school. Mississippi in the same year provided only $44 per child in school by using 1.64 percent of its total income. The poorer States can never hope to provide that broad curricula which will adequately take care of the needs of ther children or pay adequate salaries to their teachers on a basis comparable to wealthier States without assistance.

The fact should be emphasized that the youth of our country, irrespective of where they are born or educated, are the future citizens of the entire Nation. They will determine the way of life and the type of government which our country will have. Another fact is most significant: Ours is a mobile population. There has been con

stant movement of our people from one part of the Nation to another. This is true of all races and has been particularly noticeable with reference to illiterate and poorly trained people. Southerners have moved in large numbers to the West, the Middle West, and the East. These people will either become good law-abiding citizens in their new homes or will become problems. In either instance, as voters, they will help select the officials of these areas.

Health education with correction of defects in early life will produce a more virile people. Health education must receive more emphasis than formerly, particularly in those areas which have not been financially able to provide competent instructors and satisfactory courses of instruction. The annual economic loss to our Nation due to diseases which could have been prevented is a factor which can be no longer ignored.

Universal education with equal opportunities for all is a unique contribution as far as the American way of life is concerned. No other nation in the world has produced a system of free schools like ours. The masses of our people now going to high school secure not only general education but training in skills which will enable them to attain economic security and happiness. and success in life. The difference between the outlook on life of the American farm boy and the peasant in Europe is not due to a difference in the nature of work which each performs but to the difference in their attitudes toward their responsibilities as citizens. That type of education which produced the social classes in Europe has never found a place in America. Education generally has never been satisfactorily supported throughout the Nation. There should be a sound broad support of State and local funds to provide for community control as well as community differences in educational needs. It is our studied opinion that the school districts of the Nation should support themselves so far as they are able to do so but that impoverished districts wherever located should have additional aid, provided that such assistance can be given without Federal domination of or interference with local control to any degree whatsoever.

Senator SMITH. You statement, Mr. Young, presents the views of the American Legion, as I understand it?

Mr. YOUNG. Yes, sir. This was prepared by the American Legion Legislative Committee.

Senator SMITH. Thank you very much, Mr. Young. Are there any questions? If not, our next witness is Dr. Samuel McC. Cavert, General Secretary of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America.

STATEMENT OF SAMUEL McC. CAVERT, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE FEDERAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN AMERICA, NEW YORK, N. Y.

Dr. CAVERT. Mr. Chairman, I am going to help your time schedule by compressing my prepared statement into about 7 minutes. The official position of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America is set forth in a statement adopted by its executive committee on January 28, 1947. In accordance with the regular practice of the council it does not endorse any specific bill. It does, however, set forth certain pertinent principles which it is convinced are generally

held by the overwhelming majority of its constituency, which consists of 25 national denominations with a combined membership of about 27,000,000 persons. The statement of the council is as follows:

The executive committee of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America feels deep concern over the emergency in public education in the United States. Depletion in the ranks of teachers, incident upon their turning to more remunerative occupations, and continued lack of resources for the equalization of educational opportunity throughout the Nation place our public schools in urgent need. We

To allow educational standards to deteriorate is to invite social disaster. therefore urge the appropriation of sufficient Federal funds in subsidy to prevent a lowering of standards in the teaching profession, and to remove, at least in substantial measure, the educational handicaps under which many children and youths suffer because of the relatively low economic level of the communities in which they reside. We urge such appropriations on condition:

A. That no Federal funds shall be made available to States to be used in such a way as to discriminate against any minority racial group.

B. That the administration of Federal funds made available to States shall be safeguarded against the imposition of Federal control in matters of educational policy and,

C. That Federal funds shall be used only for such schools as the constitution or statutes of the several States make eligible for State support.

We affirm our continued adherence to the American principle of separation of church and state, and to the principle that public funds should not be used for sectarian purposes.

That is the end of the official statement. This resolution reflects two concerns with regard to Federal aid to education.

First, we believe that the present crisis in education_requires the granting of Federal funds in aid to some of the States. We hold that the failure of education in any part of the country or for any group is a threat to democracy and a loss to the Nation as a whole. We therefore favor Federal aid to education through the States, to insure a greater equalization of educational opportunities, but on condition that its administration be under proper safeguards against Federal control of educational policy in the States.

Second, we are concerned that Federal aid under the proposed legislation should not be given in such a way as to impair the public school system or to infringe upon our constitutional and traditional principle that public funds should not be used for sectarian institutions or purposes. We share with adherents of other religious groups the concern that secular education is not enough, and that religious education is essential for sound democracy. However, we do not admit that an increase in sectarian schools as an alternative to the public schools is the best or only solution of the difficulty. We believe that our American democracy would be impaired by increasing the fragmentation of education, and that State support for sectarian schools would promote too great a cultural segregation.

I conclude with an editorial in the current issue of the Federal Council bulletin interpreting the council's position, with special reference to its concern for the public school system of our country. This editorial says in part:

Our democracy is our most cherished heritage from earlier generations of Americans. It is a form of government, a set of freedoms and a corresponding set of responsibilities, but most basically it is a type and pattern of community life. One of the bases, and at the same time one of the products, of this pattern of life is the public school. We therefore defend it against unfair attacks and criticize anything that tends to impair it. Certainly, those who would change it fundamentally carry the burden of proof in any discussion of it.

We believe that this system needs Federal financial aid at this time of crisis, in order that it may be strengthened in those States where it is now dangerously weak. Such Federal aid must not involve control of policy, which is left to the States by constitutional provision, but in connection with the current proposal to grant Federal aid it is now insisted in some quarters that a general policy be established of including aid to parochial schools. If this were to be done, we should not only depart from the traditional American policy that public funds should not be given for sectarian purposes, but we would also impair our public schools and our democratic community life. To provide Federal funds for parochial schools would be to encourage segregated educational systems, and thereby threaten our democracy by fragmentizing our culture.

Senator SMITH. Does that conclude your statement, Dr. Cavert? Dr. CAVERT. Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH. Are there any questions by the committee? If not, we thank you very much, doctor. We appreciate your cooperation.

(Dr. Cavert's brief is as follows:)

STATEMENT OF DR. SAMUEL MCCREA CAVERT AT HEARING ON FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION, SUBCOMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE, APRIL 28, 1947

I appear in behalf of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, of which I am the general secretary, to express the point of view held by the council with reference to Federal aid to education.

The official position of the council is set forth in a statement adopted by its executive committee on January 28, 1947. In accordance with the established practice of the council, it does not endorse any specific bill. It does, however, set forth certain clear-cut principles which it is convinced are generally held by the overwhelming majority of its constituency, which consists of 25 national denominations with a combined membership of 27,000,000 persons. The statement of the

council is as follows:

"The executive committee of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America feels deep concern over the emergency in public education in the United States. Depletion in the ranks of teachers incident upon their turning to more remunerative occupations and continued lack of resources for the equalization of educational opportunity throughout the Nation place our public schools in urgent need. To allow educational standards to deteriorate is to invite social disaster. "We, therefore, urge the appropriation of sufficient Federal funds in subsidy to prevent a lowering of standards in the teaching profession and to remove, at least in substantial measure, the educational handicap under which many children and youth suffer because of the relatively low economic level of the communities in which they reside. We urge such appropriations on condition (a) that no Federal funds shall be made available to States to be used in such a way as to discriminate against any minority racial group; (b) that the administration of Federal funds made available to States shall be safeguarded against the imposition of Federal control in matters of educational policy; and (c) that Federal funds shall be used only for such schools as the constitutions or statutes of the several States make eligible for State support.

We affirm our continued adherence to the American principle of the separation of church and state, and to the principle that public funds should not be used for sectarian purposes.

This resolution reflects two concerns of Protestants generally with regard to Federal aid to education:

(1) They believe that the present crisis in education requires the granting of Federal funds in aid to some of the States. They realize that the failure of education in any part of the country or for any group is a threat to democracy and a loss to the Nation as a whole. They, therefore, favor Federal aid to education through the States to insure a greater equalization of educational opportunities, but on condition that its administration be under proper safeguards against Federal control of educational policy in the States.

(2) They are concerned that Federal aid under proposed legislation should not be given is such a way as to impair the public school system or to infringe upon our constitutional and traditional principle that public funds should not be used