Evening star., 1944-02-24
State, Control Urged
For Veterans. s'.PostwaI
Education Programs
Conunt and SoItonstuII
Speak at Bouquet
Of Harvard Club Here

The program for educating re-
turning veterans should be admins
tered by State authorities rather
than by the Federal Government,
President James B. Conant of Har-
ward University and Gov. Leverett
Saltonstall of Massachusetts said
last night in speeches at the Goth
annual banquet of the Harvard
Club Of Washington, held in the
Mayflower Hotel.
Passage by Congress of the So
called Omnibus Bill" which would
centralize control Of the aducation
program for veterans in the hands
of the Veterans, Administration,
would be disaster" Mr.. Conant
declared.
On the other hand, Mr.. Conant
expressed approval Of the Thomas
bill, under which the various States
would administer the program, with
the Federal ONCE of Education
exercising limited authority. Adop-
ton Of this measure would be a
boon to education" and long step
forward in obtaining q greater re-
turn of responsibilities to State and
local governments, he said.
Both Bills Pending.
Both bills now are pending, 50
that the issue is squarely before
Congress, he pointed out. Funds
for the education program, as well
as for the disqualification and re-
habilitation of veterans, should be
supplied by the Federal Govern
ment, Mr.. Conant and Mr.. Salton-
stall agreed.
Gov. Saltonstall broadened his
remarks on the education of vet
Grams into a plea for greater State
rights, which he termed State re-
sponsibilities.
He criticized not only the centrali-
zation of power, but also the Govern
ment action in dropping certain pro-
grams in which it was collaborat-
ing with State Governments. States
have found it difficult to drop these
programs, which they might not
have started had it not been for
the Federal aid, and the result has
been added financial burdens on
State Governments, Mr.. Saltonstall
said.
Campbell Also Speaks.
When the war is over States
should be made to carry on many
of their activities without Federal
assistance, he maintained. To make
this possible, he said, the Govern
ment must set aside for the States
certain sources of tax revenue on
which they can depend.
Sir Gerald Campbell, British Min
lister and special assistant to the
British Ambassador, also was a
featured speaker at the banquet.
He warned that a battle of ideas
lies ahead, to determine which
philosophy shall control devel-
opment Of the postwar world. AS
believers in democracy, we must an
swer the appeal of the isms in mems
minds with counter appeal of our
own, he said.
We are now in the testing time of
democracy and international CO.
operation, Sir Gerald emphasized.
If democracy fails, he warned, we
shall become prey to all the isrns
you ever heard Of" If international
cooperation fails, I'VE shall have
another war"
Sir Gerald called attention to an
increasing understanding between
British and Americans. The British
are anxious to learn about America,
and American history has become a
compulsory study in England's ele-
mentary and secondary schools, he
said.
War Hits Harvard.
Effects of the war on Harvard
were reviewed by Mr.. Conant, who
said the university now has fewer
than 1000 civilian students, as COM
pared with a normal peacetime en-
|rollment of about 5000. Mr.. Consnt
said, however, that he approved of
its specialized training program in
its specialized training program in
the colleges, ''if the men are needed
elsewhere, which evidently is the
case."
The banquet, at which the class
OF 1904 marked its 40th anniversary,
was attended by approximately 400
persons. President Roosevelt, a 1904
graduate of Harvard, sent mes
sage OF best wishes for the future"
to his classmates.
Ralph Hallett, president of the
Harvard Club here and also q 1904
graduate. served rs toastzhaster.