Education: Straight-Arm Salute

Some U. S. patriots have been disturbed by a similarity between U. S. school children’s straight-arm salute to their flag and Nazis’ salute to their Führer. Last week New York City’s School Superintendent Harold George Campbell put a stop to arm raising, directed pupils to salute by holding their fingers at their forehead, soldier-fashion.

Fourth-of-July firecrackers began exploding. Major Charles A. DuBois, U.S.A. retired, New York secretary of the Sons of the American Revolution, shrilled that only soldiers and sailors in uniform were permitted to use the military salute. Colonel James A. Moss, U.S.A. retired, president of the United States Flag Association, declared that under the flag code, as modified by the Second National Flag Conference in 1924, the old straight-arm salute was mandatory for school children. Meanwhile New York Post cartoonist Stan MacGovern pointed out other uses of the gesture (see cut).

Snorted indignant Patriot Campbell: “I’m not going to have any of the kids stand here giving a Nazi salute.”