Cushing Blasts Conant's Views About Education

Easter Sunday morning brought a vigorous attack on President Conant for his recently stated views on private and parochial school education. Archbishop Richard J. Cushing, speaking from the pulpit of the Holy Cross Cathedral, labelled such views Fascistic.

Conant had no comment when contacted by the CRIMSON last night.

The sermon referred to Conant's speech last week before the American Association of School Administrators, when he lashed out at private school education of all kinds as "a threat to our democratic unity."

The Catholic prelate stated that views of a "single public school education for all youth" were basically totalitarian, desiring uniformity of opinion within the State. There is no chance for individuality, he charges.

Advocating tax support of parochial schools, Cushing's speech offered the analogy of Harvard being run by the state or federal government as a Citizens' College. He said Conant would probably call any such regimentation on the University level "Fascism," although that is what be recommends for the lower grades.

Cushing pointed out that in early Puritan days democracy included the principle of spiritual education at state expense. "It took a long time to have a university president announce that private religious schools are inconsistent with American democracy.

"Secularism has waged an exceedingly effective campaign here in the United States during the past few years."