Evening star., 1939-11-29
End Cultural
Log Janns,' Says
MacLeish
Library Session
Told Propaganda
Is Not Solution

Breaking "a cultural log jam" is
the principal problem to be solved
In establishing better understanding
among the nations of the Western
Hemisphere, Librarian of Congress
Archibald MacLeish declared today
in an address to the opening session
of the Conference on Inter-Ameri-
can Relations in the Field of Pub
lications and Libraries, held in the
Coolidge auditorium of the Library
of Congress.
Mr.. MacLeish said "the problem is
not propaganda problem unless
all cultural interchange is propa-
ganda." He added that an inter>
change of the cultural treasures of
the American republics was essen
tial to "the fullest realization of the
good neighbor policy"
The librarian said that the con-
ception of. South America as a
Journalistic lemon" shared by most
American newspapers, has existed
too long, but had been understand
able, in view of the absence of any
appreciable free exchange of culture.
Private Initiative Needed.
Sounding the keynote of the con-
ference, on behalf of the conference,
Henry F. Grady told the session
cultural activity in this country
rests primarily with private initia-
tive, with the Government playing
a secondary role
Mr.. Grady outlined the effects of
cultural interchange upon the de-
velopment of nations through the
ages, and said such flow of
thought is recognized by the State
Department as necessary to the
further Towering of good relations
In the Western Hemisphere.
Establishment of American
university, with a rotating faculty
assembled from among the greatest
minds of all American countries,
was proposed by Jose Balseiro, for
merly professor of Spanish htera-
ture at the University of Illinois,
who undertook to answer the ques-
tion, What of special interest to
the United States have the other
American republics contributed?"
Important Work for U. S.
The current European war, dimin-
1shlng the cultural influences of
European nations upon Latin Amer
lea, places an important respon-
sibility upon the United States, John
A. Mackay, president of the Prince
ton Theological Seminary, said in
talk on this Nations possible worth
while contributions to its neighbors.
He pointed out citizens of Latin
America have had less knowledge
Of. the English language and less
contact with the culture of the
United States than persons living in
many more removed parts of the
world.
He advocated extensive dissemina-
tion in Central and South America
of literature that will tend to
produce spiritual integration" and
said this is the wish of Latin Amer
ican men of letters as we'll.
Dr.. L. S. Rowe, director general
OF the American Union, out
lined briefly the functions of the
unions Columbus Memorial Library
and invited those attending the
conference to make full use of 1t.
Discussion From Floor.
Presiding at the morning session
were Stanley K. Hornbeck, adviser
in political relations, Department of
State, and DR.. Ben M. Cherrington,
chief of the Division of Cultural
Relations of the department.
Following the prepared address
DR.. Cherrington opened the meet
ing to discussion from the floor.
Facilities for Interchange" was to
be the subject for the afternoon
session. with the speakers including
r. O. Rivera, director of the Duke
University Press; Henry M. Snyder,
book publisher; Charles F. Gosnell.
chairman of the Committee on Lii
brary Cooperation With Latin
America of the American Library
Association; Alma C. Mitchill, pres
ident of the Special Libraries Asso-
ciation; Samuel Guy Inman of the
University of Pennsylvania; Nor
timer Graves, administrative secre-
tary of the American Council of
Learned Societies; Wilbur j. Cross,
editor of the Yale Review; Edward
c. Johnston, vice president of the
Eastern Newspaper Union; Joshua
Powers of Editors Press Service,
Inc, and John Abbink, president Of
the Business Publishers Interna-
tional Corp. Lewis Hanke, director
Of the Hispanic Foundation of the
Library of Congress-, was to pre-
side.
The Rev. Edmund A. Walsh, vice
president of Georgetown University
will be the presiding officer tonight
at a dinner meeting in the May
flower Hotel, scheduled to begin at