Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-09

tliC 1ilc4 Ilotlolldl LdUul OIIlCeS. eLC.,
were founded for a broad common
betterment. One
OF the most important detectives
needed to better mankind, at the
moment is to achieve a lasting
peace. Peace is not the only I'M
provement needed, but it is the
most pressing one at present and
all of the United Nations agencies
must concentrate their ajor atten-
ton on peace for the time being.
Unfortunately, they may have 10
do so for some years to come. but
we may hope that some day peace
will be as firmly established amung
nations as it is now, for example,
inside the United States When
that good day arrives, the govern
mental machinery of the world can
then devote its undivided attention
to other problems of human better
ment, such as health, education, liv-
ing standards, etc, just as sour
Federal Government is able to d.
now.
At present, therefore, UNFSCOs
primary mot sole) preCccupation is
to contribute to lasting peace. 1t
seeks to do so through creating
human sympathy and understanding
among peoples. UNESCO is not
concerned with economic CT military
sanctions to enforce peace. 1t seeks
to persuade people to be peaceful.
Those who call themselves tough
realistS" often declare that no Or
ganization which seeks to achieve
human understanding can make an
appreciable contribution toward
peace, and that therefore the So
100000 spent by UNESCO each
year is largely waste of energy
and money. Such people believe,
or at least say they believe, that
human beings are SO far apart In
their views, so divided by commu-
nistic or fascist or netionalistic
ideologies, that it is no use trying
to get them to understand or SYM
pathize with each other that
UNESCO will fail just as the church
has failed, and just as any other
force except physical force will fail.
They say, The only practical and
realistic thing to do is ito build q
strong international police force
which can knock peoples heads to-
gether and make them keep peace.
Any other approach is dreamy
eyed"
Basis for World Rule
Such people actually resent
UNESCO because, they say, it lulls
the public into thinking that maybe
peace can be achieved merely by
preaching about it. ,UNESCO, they
believe, distracts attention from the
only direction in which the U. N.
can make genuine progress toward
effective world government
I reject that thesis f1atly. believe
UNI5CO, or something like it, is
necessary not only for a successful
United Nations structure today but
also for any eventual world govern
ment.
Let us compare the building of
world government to the creation
of government for town or mu-
nicipality. Suppose we are faced
with creating the political organiza-
ton of new town of 10000 people
which Americans have built at, say,
Oak Ridge, Tenn, or Dhahran, Saul
di Arabia. The founding fathers are
called on to draw up the best city
charter they know how. Suppose
they provide the best political ma
chinery they can devise for e
mayor ard city council and estao-
lieh the best police force aTsilab.e,
but Fay no attention to the schools,
social club, churches or Other Ia
cilities which make people want 20
live together in peace and social
harmony.
If they old this, they would be
like carpenter who built a stool
but left off one of the three legs.
Every effective political structure
must be predicated on the assump-
ton that at least 80 per cent Of the
people can be persuaded to live to-
gether peacefully and to respect
their neighbours rights. If the per-
centage of people in any community
who must be forced to obey the law
the thieves, murderers and gang
sters-rises above 10 per cent, law
and order break down. Enough po-
licemen cannot be found to main
tain security unless most of the peo-
pie are law-abiding.
Concerned With Sympathy
UNESCO is concerned with in
creasing the number of people in the
world who understand and sympa-
thize with each other. II enough
people want to behave decently,
their Governments will have to.
The chief reason the United States
is experiencing such difficulties today
is that UNESCO has not yet been
successful enough in its field. No
international governmental can sue
coed if it is too far in advance Of
the degree of human understanding
achieved.
In it's appeal to the better instincts
of mankind, UNESCO works through
three primary fields Of human en-
deavor-e education, science and cul-
ture.
The individuals in any nation
who are most likely to be thorough
going internationalists are the edu-
Gators, the scientists and the cul-
tural leaders religious leaders are
included in the latter category.
Educators should seek social and