Evening star., 1947-12-14
e Slump UNESCOs Program Brings Ray of Hope
Assignment to Achieve
Better UNDERSTANDING
Takes Shape
By james Deone

by jones Oeone
To a world sick Of international
strife, a ray Of hope is offered by
the report Of DR.. Luther H. Evans.
Librarian Of Congress, on the second
conference of the United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization which closed in Mexico
City December 3.
A principal adviser to the Ameri-
can delegation, DR.. Evans also was
in on the beginnings of UNESCO in
London two years ago. From a Ii
brarian and political scientist-he
has taught political science at
Princeton and Dartmouth-one ex-
poets a sober evaluation. DIR. Evans
Is sober, but not gloomy. What he
reports concerning the Mexico City
Conference is encouraging.
UNESCO claimed relatively little
attention in the press. Little about
the five-week affair was spectacular
An anti-warmongering campaign by
the Polish delegates brought no
larger headlines than a skirmish be-
tween the United States delegation
and Director General Julian Huxley
Of England over the free flow of in
formation.
Nonpolitical Role
Nonetheless, real progress was
made, DR.. Evans believes. This he
reports not only in his own field
which occupies an important place
in UNESCO's program, but in re-
spect to the organizations role in
world affairs.
That role, he emphasizes, Is
strictly nonpolitical. UNESCO's
purpose is to foster international
understanding and peace through
educational and cultural channels.
UNESCO renounces any part in
power politics.
This spirit marked the Mexico
City deliberations, according to DR..
Evans. He considers this one of the
outstanding facts about the confer
ence and major reason for its sue
cess.
What this meant, specifically, was
that the Russian question was ig-
nored. This was in distinct contrast
to previous UNESCO meetings, last
year in Paris and at its organization
in London the previous year, Dr..
Evans stated, when this question
overshadowed all else.
"The question of the impact OF
Russian-American rivalry on the
work of UNESCO was not faced at
Mexico City" he said. I'VE pur-
posely left that to the diplomats.
Il think the delegates all felt this
was too large problem for UNESCO
to discuss" he continued, although
they hoped the organizations work
would have beneficial effect in the
course of time
Split on War Mongering
THE feeling was that we must
60 ahead despite the United States
Soviet conflict and definitely not be
preoccupied with it. i. The deter
mination of the delegates was to
work constructively and hope for the
best"
Actually, he noted, Poland and
Czechoslovakia, were active and on
the whole pretty cooperative. More
over, Hungary was formally admitted
to UNEsCO membership at this
meeting.
He regards these as hopeful signs
Of the Soviet attitude should Russia
(Which has not Joined UNESCO)
decide to enter. Meanwhile. we
are doing the best we can without
them" DR.. Evans observed.
Occasion for the main hareup of
diplomatic-style rivalry was the reso-
luton proposed by Poland to pro-
hibit warmongering by legal meas
ures. DR.. Evans pointed out the
United States refused to agree on
the ground that such controls could
not be imposed in this country in
time of peace.
In evaluating achievements OF the
conference, DR.. Evans emphasized
the long-range character of UNES-
cos objectives and cautioned that
they will not be accomplished over
night. To those who look for spec
tacular programs of action, he cau-
toned that in the educational and
cultural field slow progress Is in
evitable.
Goal Takes Years
1--WE cannot be impatient" he
declared. II don't look for decisive
results from UNESCO's work for
perhaps a decade. We have not
thought through, yet, a very con-
crete program of action To pro-
mote the free flow of ideas, reduce
educational tensions, encourage edu-
cational advances and take sim
liar steps that ultimately will under
mine the forces leading to war
these things take years.
1.-The United States view has been
to proceed gradually, but this does
not alter the fact that this country
is among the most enthusiastic of
GeOrqe , th