PROF. HART DEFENDS HIS HISTORICAL WRITINGS

"I wrote one history book about 35 years ago, and have revised it 20 times to satisfy people who misinterpreted it," declared Professor Albert Bushnell Hart 'So before the legislative committee on education yesterday, in a spirited defence of his history text books.

Professor Hart was speaking against a bill sponsored by William H. O'Brien to bar from Massachusetts schools histories and other books alleged to contain anti-American propaganda Yesterday's hearing centred about the contention of O'Brien that certain of Professor Hart's textbooks contain uncomplimentary references to Thomas Jefferson.

"In Professor Hart's history,"O'Brien charged, "dealing with Jefferson's administration. he said that the Federalists looked upon Jefferson as an atheist, a liar, and a demagogue" Professor Hart, in reply , stated that Jefferson's opponents did make such charges, and maintained that similar charges have been made in later days about Roosevelt and Wilson, the former of whom was his classmate at Harvard and a personal friend.

"I stand only for the teaching of plain Americanism," O'Brien said "This bill is anti nothing. The founders of the American Republic were great men, but I am not one of those who will not concede that they had their failings just as men of today."

In opposition to O'Brien's bill were a number of members of the Boston school committee. Superintendent Jeremiath E. Burke and Edward M. sullivan I 03 testified that text books for Boston schools are carefully selected and are free from prejudice.

"If you can't let students know of the dissension in the time of Jefferson, exclaimed Professor Hart in his concluding speech. "how in thunder can you expect them to understand the polities of today' I shall stand on the proposition that our aucestors in the Revolution did a mightly good job even if they were act all good men and allowing for their mistakes as we make mistakes following the splendid story of their endeavor and is result of conquering a continent and assimilating millions of those who have come her.