Evening star., 1937-11-04
|PO0L|NGOF BRAINS
ADVISED BY WELLS
Washington Forum Audience
Told World Salvation
Lies in knowledge.


pedia" or universal brain organiza-
ton is necessary if the world is to
escape social dissolution and the posi-
BILE decay and extinction of the human
species, H. G. Wells, world famous
British author-p philosopher, told a ca
pacity audience in Constitution Hall
last night.
Il do not know any other way out for
mankind than vast. liberal reorgani-
zation of our intellectual life," Mr..
Wells declared, addressing the first Of
a series of meetings Of the Washington
Forum.
BY the term world encyclopedias" 4"
Mr.. Wells said, he did not mean pri-
marily book or collection of books SO
much as a permanent, worldwide or
ganization which would keep in con-
slant contact with intellectual and SCI
entific developments in every part of
the world and which would collect, ar
range. digest and disseminate knowl-
edge for the use of mankind.
Such an organization would co-ordi-
nate human thought and would create
a common background of knowledge
for the whole species. It's fund Of Or
ganized knowledge eventually would
become the basis for unified world
education, literature and thought.
Two-Fold Duties.
The world encyclopedia, he ex-
planned, would have to be double
based organization, collecting and di-
gesting knowledge on the one hand
and disseminating and publishing it
on the other"
He predicted that in the not far
distant future there will be available
to students in every part of the world
great, permanent libraries, recorded
upon microfllm, of every document,
book, paper. picture, map or diagram
possessing permanent value. The Brit
ish Museum now is making great prog
ress in the recording of printed records
on Photographic film of microscopic
size, he explained, and similar activi-
ties are under way in other parts Of
the world.
Requires Liberal Editing"
He said he realized there would be
need for some condensation and edit
ing of knowledge before it can be made
useful He said that it would be in
dispensable to make certain that such
editing would be what is called
LIBERAL; that jealous guard would be
maintained against any trace of propa-
ganda or of nationalism, sectarianism
or sectionalism.
He said the question most frequently
asked him during his American tour
is whether, in case there should be
another World War, the United States
should take part.
II would not ask that a single
American should shoulder a rifle for
the British Empire or any other
country as it exists today" MIR. Wells
said. Il think that instead of becom-
ing involved in any conflict, the United
States should take advantage of its
opportunity to work on the still un-
solved problems of civilization. So en-
gagged, it would be justified in staying
aloof as long as possible from the
world confusion"
War Lessons Unlearned.
The time for an intellectual awaken
ing is ripe, MIR. Wells said, adding that
the world failed to heed the lessons of
the World War; the Nations all settled
down within their national boundaries
to enjoy all the good things they could
wrest from the world; the threat of
war looms daily "uglier and more
menacing"
Consciousness of this menace in the
mind of the world becomes constantly
more apparent and is evidenced by the
increasing number of proposals, such
as the League of Nations, international
arbitration, courts of international
justice and world socialism, which are
advanced ito prevent men from de-
stroying themselves"
There are many and varied expert
ments in progress, he said, pointing
out that Communism and Fascism
have experimental with the seizure Of
power, but have produced no solution
and can make no use of the power
they have seized except to plunder and
destroy"
May Avoid Disaster.
Mr.. Wells said he does not believe
that world disaster is unavoidable
There is, he explained, tendency to
exaggerate "the staying powers Of the
warning nationalities. He described
this as IAN age of confusion and an