Evening star., 1950-04-20
Text of Truman Address Before Editors

'EO1CEUBGUS
can labor, told by American trad'
unionistS, is better weapor
against Communist propagands
among workers IN other countrie'
than any number of speeches b!
government officials.
! The same principle applies Il
other groups. The best way fol
farmers in other countries to fin.
out about us is to talk directly
with our own farmers. Our business
men can speak directly to business
men abroad. We need to promot,
much more direct contact between
our people and those of othel
countries.
Should Encourage Visitors.
We should encourage many more
people from other countries to visi
us here, to see for themselves what
| is true and what is not true abou
our history. We should find more
opportunities for foreign students Il
study in our schools and univerSi.
ties. They will learn here the skill'
and techniques needed in their owr
countries. They will also see at frs
hand the rights and duties of citi.
zens in our land of democratic in.
stitutionS.
Our colleges should train more
Americans to go abroad as teachers
especially to teach modern methods
of farming, industry, and public
health-and, by example, to teach
our concepts of democracy. The
notable record of our many charit-
able and religious organizations who
send teachers abroad is proof Of
what can be done.
Another major part Of our effort
must be carried out through ou1
great public information channels
newspapers and magazines, radio
and motion pictures. We must strive
constantly to break down or LEAP
over barriers to free communication
wherever they exist. We must make
full use of every effective means OF
communicating information, in SIM
pie, understandable form, to people
whose backgrounds and cultures are
different from ours.
This poses an enormous challenge
to groups such as yours, challenge
which can be met only by extra
ordinary inventiveness and enter
prise. I am confident that the
American press can and will make a
tremendously useful contribution
toward finding new solutions.
"VOice" Getting Results.
The Government programs for
telling the truth about the United
States to the peoples of the worle'
also need constant improvement
Our present overseas information
and educational exchange program
is getting results. For example, the
Voice of America" has been carry
ing to people behind the iron cur
tain the true story of world events
1t has been so successful that the
Soviet government is using a vast
amount of costly equipment in an
attempt to drown out our broad
casts by jamming. We must devise
ways to break through that JAM
ming and get our message across
And we must improve and strength
en- our whole range of information
and educational services.
This is not a conclusion reached
by Government officials alone. We
have had the valuable aid of the
United States Advisory Commission
on Information created by the
Congress. Your own society is ably
represented on that commission by
Mr. Mark Ethridge and Mr.. Err
win D. Canham. The members o1
the commission have given inten.
sive study to the overseas informa.
tion program and have made re.
peated recommendations that it be
substantially expanded. Similar
recommendations for the exchange
program have been made by the
Advisory CommiSson on Education
headed by DR.. Harvie Branscomb.
have been glad to seen that many
members of the Congress have
urged an improved and expanded
program in these fields-as shown
for example, by the resolution in.
troduced recently by Senator Ben
ton for himself and a number of his
colleagues.
Because of the pressing need te
increase our efforts along this line
I have directed the Secretary OF
State to plan a strengthened and
more effective national effort to use
the great power of truth in work
ing for peace. This effort will re-
quire the imagination and energies
OF private individuals and groups
throughout the country. We shall
need to use fully all the private
and governmental means that have
proved successful so far-and to dis
cover and employ new ones.
Necessary Task of All.
Our task is to present the truth
to the millions of people who are
uninformed or misinformed or un-
convinced. Our task is to reach them
in their daily lives, as they work
and learn. We must be alert, in.
genious, and diligent in reaching
peoples of other countries, whatever
their educational and cultural back
grounds may be. Our task is tc
show them that freedom is the way
to economic and social advance
ment, the way to political indie
pendence, the way to strength, hap
piness, and peace.
This task is not separate anc
distinct from other elements of oul
foreign policy. It is necessary part
of all we are doing to build a peace.