The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-05-05
BY PETER EDSOk
honitor-leoder Washington
CORRESPONDENT

WASHING ] ON, May ; -
Not much fuss has been made
about it, but the Office Of Co
Ordinotor Of Inter-Americon
Affairs, otherwise known as
Nelson RockefeIIer's outfit,
has soft-pedoIIed almost to the
point Of completely silencins
the cultural" phases Of its &C
tiVities, and that marks q mile
stone.
When the Rockefeller octiV-
tiles first got going, much was
made Of the "cuIturoI program.
The name Of the organization
was originally the Office for
Co-ordinotine the Commercial
ord { ulturo Relations Be-
tween the American Repub-
lies. Culture was then on q par
with commerce, and even if it
might prove impossible to wed
North American culture with
that Of Central and South Am
erica, at cost it was hoped that
the two cultures might better
be able TO live together in
peach and love.
There followed the amazing
goodwill mission which you
read about, Of artists, musici-
ans, writer's, ballet dancers,
congressman, professors, STU
dents and yes, even movie &C
tors, all armed with trunkfuIs
Of brotherIy cooperation, onx-
ious to teach, eager to learn.
People who couldn't get gov
eminent sanction for such mis-
sionory work, went on their
own. Among whom we're Doug
los Fairbanks, Jr., though to
soy that name around the
Rockefeller headquarters now
IS TO cause an acute attack Of
shudders to seize everyone
within hearing for the Foir-
banks junket, and some Of the
others went exceedingly sour.
Surprisingly enough, some Of
the others went much better
than was predicted. The tour
Of the American ballet was &C.
tuoIIy q WOW. And 10 Davidson,
the sculptor who was sent tour
ing around the chain Of Latin
American copitoIs 10 make
busts Of all the current presi-
dents Of the Lotin republics,
is supposed to have built up q
tremendous amount Of good
will.
RUDE AWAKENING
But came Pearl Horbor, and
the Rockefeller office woke up
with q hangover Of realism
which caused one and oil to
swear off dreaming, An unof-
tiCjo| 5G1 went out on the word
culture. Cultural projects al
ready under way which could
net be stopped short we're al
lowed to continue until they
died q natural peaceful death.
But oil the friIls we're abolished
and the outfit got down TO q
much more practical basis Of
doing things TO win the war.
The few successful projects
remaining we're then grouped
into q Division Of Science and
Education, now headed by John
M. Clark, on ex-newspoper-
man who had done some work
for the international Labor Or
flee in South America and who
had been John @. Winont's as
sistont when the ambassador
was head Of |. L. 0. Under
Clark, the emphasis now is on
doing good but common sense
deeds.
There are still exchanges Of
Leading people, but with on
aim Of contributing something
constructive TO the sum totoI Of
civilizations. M ISIS on sent
down south now aren't so much
interested in spreading good
will as they ore in spreading
health and sanitation.
The people brought up from
Lotin America don't come ust
to eowk and be impressed and
90 home and rave, but TO learn
something useful - nursing,
for exompIe, or road building
or ruroI education or scientific
agriculture. All such enter
prises poy good will dividends,
unQuestionobIy.
WEllES vows EN-