Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1945-03-09

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story Of the United Nations some 20
years into the future. showing how
1t Is hoped that the organization will
fit into the world Of tomorrow.
Communications
Broaden Interest
BY the time the San Francisco
meeting begins It's deliberations
1t would be fair to assume that the
general public will have heard
enough about its purpose to have
considerable curiosity concerning
what goes on at the negotiations. In
other words, 1t will become must"
news and press and radio will ham,
mer loudly on any doors that are
closed too long. Mr.. MacLeish's
theories will have an excellent op.
portunity for a very thorough test.
II the doors don't open he will be
decidedly on the spot.
The reason he insists on this bold.
frontal attack on the "open COW
enants" problem is because he be.
lieves the world is confronted with
a condition and not a theory.
Modern electrical communica-
tion." he says, has in fact created
the Parliament Of Man about which
Tennyson dreamed"
at Is possible to dislike the Par.
lament Of man." he explains.
There are those who do dislike it
who would like to return to the old
system Of foreign relations conduct
ed exclusively through the chancel-
leries In secret codes. But it is i'm
possible to ignore that the Parlia-
ment Of Man is now convened in
continuous session, thanks to public
channels Of communications, without
rules Of order. limitations of de-
bate. or privileges Of the house and
those who refuse to take account Of
its proceedings may wake and find
that those proceedings have taken
no account of them"
OF course, the press has been
fighting to achieve just such kind Of
free news sources as MacLeish is
talking about. They almost had to
push back bayonets to get within
shouting distance of the information
al food conference at Hot Springs
which produced UNRRA; they have
fought and occasionally won, for a
slackening of the censorship on war
news. But l attended a luncheon
not long ago when MacLeish out.
lined his theories and | saw more
than one mouth 60 down In cynical
doubt Of his possible success.
He is aware Of this feeling, aware
of the pressure OF tradition and Of
habit, but he intends to 60 ahead.
And one thing that gives him more
aid and comfort than anything else
is the widespread and happy admis-
sion that the report on the Yalta
conference was so much more frank
and detailed than anybody had
! dared hope.
Perhaps MacLeish's neck is not
out too far, after all.
One Of the greatest difficulties
which any governmental institution
meets In deciding on a course Of
action which doesn't have to be sub.
mitted to an actual vote either Of
the people or of congress, is an abil-
ity to Judge public opinion. Ere
quently, the tendency is when In
doubt leave out"
The army pursued that policy In
regard to the acceptance Of Negro
nurses for a long time. Finally, ei
Their by force Of necessity or good
guessing, II ruled that Negro nurse,
were eligible. A few weeks latel
along came the results Of a poll TAX
en- by the National Opinion Research
Center Of the University OF Denver
a nonpartisan. noncommercial or
ganization whose reputation Is high
among the professional poll-takers.
II confirmed the army's judgment
by revealing that the majority o.
those white, civilian adults, men and
women, young and old, rich and
poor, in cities, towns and rura
areas, questioned. said yes to thu
following question:
III you we're sick In q hospital
would 1t be all right with you II yol
had a negro nurse, or wouldn't yol
like it?"
The majority-57 per cent sale
yes" per cent was undecided.
OF the ''yessers," per cent said 1
they had a choice, they would TAX,
white woman. Only 4 out Of II
southerners said yes" which SEEM
strange since so many Of them hat
"mammies."