Evening star., 1948-05-30
Voice Fan Mail From Germany
Distributed by Woman Here
Dr.. Helen Reid Sends
Letters to Persons
Who Will Reply
By ChorIes J. Yorbrouqh

A former German SOiQler VINO
prescribed an antidote for war has
a champion in DR.. Helen Dwight
Reid, chief OF European Education
al Relations of the United States
Office of Education.
The prescription: that
all the hatred and many wars be-
tween nations are principally caus-
ed by want OF mutual contact and
understanding.
That is not only DR.. Reid's dog
mats her business. She receives
between 100 and 200 letters a day
from Germans and Austrians seek
ing contact with Americans for an
Interchange of ideas.
She wants no part Of the current
controversy over the Voice of Amer
lea broadcasts to Europe and South
America. AS far as she is concern
led, the Voice merely supplies listen
|ers with her Office address and the
idea of letter exchanges. American
licensed newspapers in occupied
zones also carry small advertise
ments giving the address.
Letters Are Fan Mail.
To her, the former German SOL
dier's letter was fan mail. 1t ex-
pressed what many others attempt
ed to say-sometimes in German,
sometimes in a stumbling effort at
English.
Il have learned by my own ex-
perience," he wrote, that mostly
those men are fanatics being capa-
BILE of feeling hatred toward other
nations, who have no knowledge of
foreign languages and no idea of
other peoples characters and man.
ners."
He said he was Thoroughly con-
vinced that a general furtherance
of mutual contact between members
of different nations will consider
ably contribute to avoid wars in
the future"
His letter went to one Of the
many student groups over the
United States to be given to an
American mechanical engineer for
correspondence.
DR.. Reid's files are bulging. The
European letters-some of them
! from the British and Russian zones
of occupation-are indexed as to
age groups, occupations or profess
sions; even as to interests. She has
the answer to Interpretation in an
efficient secretary, Mrs. Elizabeth
Bullock, 600 A street NE.
Volunteer Workers Help.
The mail has so taxed her small
staff that volunteer workers are
helping.
Letters are screened closely.
Some of them think we're a mat
rimonial bureau" DR.. Reid smiled.
Those. of course, we do not dis
tribute
The European mail goes principal
ly to schools because the ma ajority of
it is from children. Colleges over
the Nation have established a dis
tribution system for answering the
letters.
DR.. Reid's biggest distribution
problem is establishing contact with
business groups and adults. Were
thinking of appealing to business
clubs, the Rotary, Lions and XII
wants and perhaps to parent-teach-
er organizations she says.
THE teachers and students of
America have a challenging op-
portunity to build an understanding
of democracy in the minds and
hearts of whole generation of Ger
MANS" she adds.
Her letters come from students,
BARRIERS, surveyors, lawyers. doc
tors, dentists, ministers and geo.
logist. In the United States, they
eventually find their way to like
professions.
The interchange idea developed
about a year ago in response to
a flood of letters from the German
occupied zones.
Examples Of Letters.
Samples:
I'm the American licensed news
paper Der Tagesspiegel-the Daily
Mirror-I read your address. Per-
haps you only call with this adver-
tisement young people to an age of
10 years. But also feel young
man for 1 am 27. Isn't it? I
would like to correspond with any
American young man who has the
same age, the same job and with
whom one could take conversations
over all problems belonging to our