Evening star., 1948-08-29
New Advisory Board
For Voice Programs
To Meet Next Month
By Gornett D. Horner

The State Department expects to
get some expert advice next month
on how to make the Voice Of
America a more potent weapon In
the cold war"
A five man United States Advisory
Commission on Information, set up
under the Smith-Mundt Act to work
with the State Department in de-
veloping an effective program to
tall the world the truth about
America and its policies, will hold
It's first meeting here during the
last week in September, it was dis
closed last night.
Off1cials count on the commits
sion's work to be stabilizing in
f1uence to help keep foreign infor-
nation policies on an even keel
without periodic critical raking over
in Congress. The commission, which
will make reports directly to Cong
ress, will keep a careful watch on
the program to see that 1t Is truly
representative of the American
people.
Headed by Ethridge.
Headed by Mark Ethridge, pUbli-
sher of the Louisville Courier
Journal, the advisory group is made
up of professional experts whose
ad'1ce will be welcomed, department
officials say.
Other members OF the commission
are Erwin D. Canham, editor Of the
Christian Science Monitor and presi-
dent of the American Society Of
Newspaper Editors; Justin Miller,
president Of the National Associ-
alton of Broadcasters; Mark A. May,
director Of the Yale University In
stitute of Human Relations, and
Philip D. Reed, chairman of the
General Electric Co.
The groups first meeting is
planned in the midst Of efforts to
expand and improve the Voice OF
America which already Is pouring
out fuller, faster and harder hitting
short-wave broadcasts than 1t was
few months ago.
off1cials expect the commission TO
review policies developed under the
direction of George V. Allen, As
sistant Secretary of State for Pub
lie Affairs. and recommend ways to
strengthen the program designed TO
promote better understanding of
the United States in other coun-
tries.
Expansion Outlined.
Expansion plans now include the
addition of several new Languages
to the % tongues in which Voice
Of America broadcasts now reach
people around the world. Among
the projected new programs is a
Commute daily broadcast direct to
the Soviet Ukraine, considered as
probably the most nationalist
minded Of the republics" making
up the Soviet Union.
The State Departments Interna-
tional Broadcasting Division also is
preparing to take over on october
direct charge of all Voice of
America newscasts and commen-
taries, some of which have been
handled under contract by the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. and the
Columbia Broadcasting System.
For the last several months the
Voice of America has been develop
ing stronger line in what Mr..
Allen calls shirt sleeve" struggle
between democratic and totalitarian
concepts for influence in the world.
Major Point Pressed.
A major point that the Voice of
America constantly tries to get
across is that the cold war" is not
simply contest between the United
States and the Soviet Union.
THE struggle in the world today"
Mr.. Allen emphasized in a recent
speech. is not a struggle between
two powerful nations. 1t is struggle
between two concepts or ideas. l
do not hesitate to place it on the
level of a struggle between good
and evil. the good represented by
human liberty and the evil by the
totalitarian police state =.
"In the struggle between the
Voice of Democracy and the Voice
Of Totalitarianism, every human