The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-01-19
BY OTIS PEABODY SWIFT
United Press stan Correspondent

NEW YORK, Jan. ia bare
little three room suite that looks
out upon the uproar of Fifth ave-
nue. and Forty-second street is
headquarters for the continental
committee Of democracy.
To this newly-created group the
working scientists of democracy
send 400 to 500 letters received py
them daily from all parts of the
world.
Requests for further data on
democracy that come from bust
ness clubs, economic societies, UNI
versity groups, requests for maya
zine articles and radio talks, mash
notes and plans to solve the prob
lens of the world.
Letters Abuse and Praise
Here also come letters of abuse
and notes of fulsome praise.
So far there have been six letters
from persons who claim to have in
vented the word "technocracy.
Two threatened suit.
Today's mail included a plan,
worked out in complete detail, TO
end depression by electrifying the
world.
All these are answered here,
briefly by a staff whose business
1t is to see that the time of the re-
search workers and group directors
Is not wasted.
The newly installed telephone
was ringing frequently when a cor
respondent visited the headquarters
of the continental committee today
Referred to the number by this or
that working member of the group
insistent voices were asking APP
pOintments to discuss publica-
lions Of books on Technocracy, or
to create Technocracy magazines
dhere are six so far, all unau-
thorized.
Many Request Lectures
Other voices, more insistent,
urged that Howard Scott lecture
before this or that civic, social or
economic group.
Told that Scott, the directing
spirit behind Technocracy, was re-
fusing further speaking engage
ments, urgent promoters bid $1,000
for a lecture, and were amazed to
be told that Technocracy was not
interested in price and wanted no
revenue.
In the Office files, many written
requests for speaking engagements
are laid away. The Federal Council
Of the Churches of Christ in
America, the Yale Economics Club,
the Harvard Engineering School,
group from the metal trades, indus
tries, the Advertising Women's Club
Of New York, liberal clubs of both
Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
ogy and Johns Hopkins, are among
the groups seeking lectures.
World Writer for Data
Equally interesting was the file
of letters requesting information
written on letter heads of SUCH
institutions as the University of
California, the indianapolis Public
library, the Los Angeles county pro-
hibition board of strategy, the Ii
brary Of the department of labor
at Washington.
There also was request from
Funk q Wagnalls for a definition
OF Technocracy for a dictionary.
Other letters came from Antioch
college, the Ullstein Press Service of
Germany, the Manchester eng
land Guardian, a dentist in York
town, Sask., and the department of
agriculture at Ottawa, Canada.
But it is in a quiet laboratory at
Columbia university. plant No. l."
and in the shaded silence Of the
drafting boards OF plant No. that
the real work goes on. the steady
drive of research, check and coun-
ter-check. with which the technO-
Gratis hope to show how the lower
age, properly controlled, might tend
to eliminate toll from the world.