Evening star., 1934-05-08
SOCIAL CONTROL
FOR RADIO URGED
DR.. Morgan Also Would In
CIude Press and Motion
Pictures.

Operation of the press, moving pic
lures and radio under some form of
social control that would represent
trusteeship in the best interest of all
the people was advocated today by
DR.. Arthur E. Morgan, chairman of
the Tennessee Valley Authority, in
addressing the final sessions of the
conference called to consider the edu
cation uses of radio.
DR.. Morgan, who is president of
Antioch College. declared the heart
of the new deal" prescribes that Who
ever has control over things of vital
interest to the public must exercise
that control as a trusteeship. This
same principle, he declared, should
apply to the operation of radio as well
as the press and movies, as three
great mediums for transmitting culture
to the Nation.
Social Control Urged.
Some form of social control rather
than government control of radio to
prevent commercial exploitation was
suggested by Dr. Morgan as the an
swer to attempts of national leaders
to solve the question of the use of
radio as cultural agency in democ-
racy. He took his cue from re-
mark made by the presiding officer,
DR.. Edmund A. Walsh, S. j., vice
president of Georgetown. University,
who had declared education was fac
ing a crisis in this country with COM
mercial exploitation of newspapers,
moving pictures and radio.
Radio education could become a
great force in the Tennessee Valley
region. he said, but doubted whether
government authority over it would
be wise in view of possible political
entanglements.
New Channels Opened.
Miss Heloise Brainerd, chief of the
division of intellectual cooperation,
Pan-American Union, was another
principal speaker at the conference.
Development of educational broad
casting between the American repub-
lies, she said, is assured by the fact
that President Roosevelt has allotted
five short-wave channels for the ex-
elusive use of these republics.
The conference. which closes late
today is being held under the auspices
of the National Committee on Educa-
ton by Radio. Following adjourn
ment. the approximately 100 delegates
q
Mrs. Chester c. Boltan at her home,
2301 Wyoming avenue.
Libaries Play Part.
The part libraries are playing in
advancing radio programs along edu-
cational lines was told briefly yes
terday by Dr. George F. Bowerman.
librarian of the Washington Public
Library A committee of the Amer
ican Library Association, he said, is
making a special study of this whole
question, and will report at the an
nual meeting in Montreal next month.
Dr. Bowerman said the Washing
ton Public Library had concentrated
on children's radio programs and had
met with fair success. He said he
had found the interests of the broad
casting companies were not solely de-
voted to dollar profits.
He believed the libraries of the
country could serve the educational
cause of air programs better by CO.
operation. At the Montreal meeting,
he explained, the committee would
report on the question of Federal con-
troll or cooperation.
The Washington Library has ex-
perimerted successfully with book re-
views on the air, DR.. BoWerman said,
but had not been SO successful in
getting a very suitable hour on pro-
grams.
Dickinson Also Speaks.
John Dickinson, Assistant Secretary
of Commerce, and Hector Charles
worth, chairman of the Canadian
Radio Broadcasting Commission, were
among the speakers.
Radio is particularly valuable as a
cultural agency in countries Of vast
areas and sparce, diversified popula-
tions like Canada, Mr.. Charlesworth
declared.
DR.. Maurice T. Price. formerly con-
nected with the Walter Hines Page
School of International Relations at
Johns Hopkins University, predicted
universities of the air" soon may
precipitate "the most fundamental
crisis in higher education THAT this
country has ever faced" He warned
the time has come when colleges and
universities must face 1.-The revolu-
tionary implications of radio"
The session last night was devoted
to round table discussions on such
subjects as Government regulation,
the responsibility for radio broad
casting, protection of the rights and
provisions for the needs of minorities
s5s and Gu cultural lues and freedom of