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A.d.l. Leader Urges Southern Support of Federal Education Bill Now Before Congress

July 5, 1949
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Southwide support for the federal aid-to-education bill now before Congress was urged here by Benjamin R. Epstein, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. Addressing 1,000 delegates at the annual convention of B’nai B’rith District Grand Lodge No. 7, Mr. Epstein declared that although "public education is largely the problem of state governments," many states are not able financially to maintain school systems "commensurate with the needs."

The A.D.L. official said it was "unfortunate" that the proposed legislation has been subjected to demands that would include private and denominational schools in the federal assistance program. He expressed the opposition of the Anti-Defamation League to aid outside the public school. "Government contributions to one or more religious sects by the support of their schools would represent a violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution and the principle of separation of church and state," he declared. District 7 of B’nai B’rith comprises seven states–Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

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