Evening star., 1947-05-11

by inadequacy Of veterans grants,
delay in getting funds to the stu
dents, shortages Of transportation,
food and housing and unsettled con-
ditions generally.
Funds Hard to Get.
The State Departments activities
in the field have been limited by
lack Of funds and chances are not
bright for obtaining the necessary
money from this Congress. Many
European countries have made re-
quests for American professors, who
cannot now be sent with Govern
ment funds. These requests have
come largely from nations where
progressive ideas still are discussed.
The department is making an eff
fort to welcome incoming students,
enable them to polish up their Eng
ush and teach them something Of
America. Orientation centers. with
tuition grants Of $1o0 student up
to a maximum Of rs, are being set
up this summer at Bucknel1 Uni
versity at Lewisburg, Pa; the Uni
versity of Indiana at Bloomington.
Louisiana State University at Baton
Rouge, Mills College at Oakland.
Calf, and Wellesley college at We'll
lesley, Mass.
Programs on a somewhat similar
basis are planned at about 20 other
educational institutions. The de-
partment also has small reception
centers at New York, Miami, New
Orleans, San Francisco and Chi
cago, which act as a sort Of travel
ers' aid society for scholarly visitors.
For several years the department,
in cooperation with the United
States Once Of Education and the
Institute Of international Educa-
ton Of New York, has maintained
a program of exchange Of students,
scholars and educational leaders
with the other American republics.
It is this program the department
wants to expand to include other
countries.
Teachers Figure In Plans.
The Government programs in
clude bringing teachers from South
America to study such subjects as
vocational, agriculture and manual
arts, a Spanish language seminar
in Mexico City to which 100 Amer
lean teachers are sent each summer
and lecture courses in the United
States for Latin American teachers
of English, exchange Of graduate
students with the Is countries that
have ratified the Buenos Aires Con-
vention of 1896 and travel and main
tenance grants for students engaged
in projects that will contribute to
understanding in the hemisphere.
There are many private programs
for exchanging students or granting
fellowships in addition to the Rhodes
Scholarships. Some Of these are
handled through the Institute OF In
ternational Education, which oper-
ates on Carnegie grant and acts
as a sort Of Haison body between
American universities and foreign
students who want to come here.
Few persons interested in world
understanding have anything but
praise for the promotion Of student
exchanges. Assistant Secretary Of
State William Benton. who has been
fighting for the departments cul-
tural relations program In an econ-
omy- minded Congress. has said that,
over the decades, 1t Is the one sure
road to peace.
Gen. Eisenhower has said he is
convinced the world cannot stand
another global war, as I see it; the
thing to prevent such a tragedy
happening IS education
Certainly it would seem there Ii
nothing to be lost by the vigorous
prosecution of an educational pro-
gram. Assuming Americans believe
In their form of Government, they
should be deeply interested In SELL
ing It to the rest OF the world.
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