Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-15
UNESC0 Doings Cause
European Grumb|ing
AT 'Crackpot Carnival
By Marcel WoIIenstein

BY Marcel Woilensfeln
PARIS. July 14.-Men and
women who have the softest jobs
in the world at good pay-and
tax free-are beginning to worry.
A fire has been lit under the
United Nations Educational, Sci
entif1c and Cultural Organization,
which has been meeting here in
plenary session.
The British, who pay one
eighth of UNESCO's expenses
and the French, who pay less. are
beginning to grumble. The United
States taxpayer, who pays twice
as much as anybody else for what
one European editor has called
the "crackpot's carnival" seems
not to be worried about the drain
on his small change.
Next year UNESCO will spend
$8.5 millions. Since 1916 it has
spent $34 millions. What have
the nations which have footed
the bill obtained for their money?
1t is doubtful if they have had
anything except the information
which the UNESCO committee
members have sought in many
parts of the world.
Employees Get Good Pay.
The chief benef1ciaries of this
organization. according to critics
in Europe, are the employees. They
get fat salaries. They are paid
travelling expenses to and from
all parts of the world and receive
a per diem of $25 day. They
pay taxes to no government. They
get whisky, wine and cigarettes
duty free and have other diplo-
matte privileges.
Investigating the finances of
UNESCO recently Viscount Simon,
former British Secretary of For
eign Affairs, complained: They
keep books in a haphaZard man
ner."
An investigator in Paris wished
to find out what the UNESCO
staff does to earn a living. This
Is what he discovered: The Or
ganization seriously put forward
a plan to take information Criti-
Ching any country out of school
books throughout the world. It
supplied cash to numerous strange
causes. including a search for
mythical Inca treasure. It sug-
gested new Garden of Eden on
the Amazon River, the funds to
be supplied by members of the
United Nations. It studied the
case of an African tribe which
extracted the front teeth of chill
dren so they could pronounce
words of the native dialect.
Explaining Customs.
He discovered that Miss Myrns
10y, the Hollywood actress. &
member of the organization, wa
concerned with explaining to thu
world certain national customs
such as why Englishmen carr.
umbrellas. John Gordon. editor o
the London Sunday Express. whit
is attacking UNESCO as a useles
and wasteful group, suggests Mis-
10y explain why Americans chew
gum.
UNESCO has sent scientists II
many parts of the world to stud.
the causes of war. 1t has pub
lished report on education ant
agriculture in remote places il
Mexico and Africa. It sent dele
cation to study newspapers il
Brussels and is said to have re
ported three newspapers wer
published in a city that has none
In the same report it praises
what it believed was a newspape
when actually the institution
concerned in the report was
lunatic asylum.
The critics list many such case
He Now Draws $500 a Month
Last year a retired English poll
tician in France found it dif1cu
to bring money from England fc
his living expenses. He knew OF
ficials of the UNESCO and sue
ceeded In having himself nomi
mated to its Paris staff. He draw
$500 a month. When he trave
he is paid expenses of $25 da,
He has been repeatedly to Ne
York. Wishing to spend holids
this summer in North Africa, /
applied for and received travelir
expenses from UNESCO.
The positions are obtained /
nomination by members with
the organization. The staff is q
international body drawn fro
most nations which are membe
of the United Nations. The dire
tor-general is Torres Bodet,
Mexican poet. who draws 5000
year and has a very large e.
pense account and other priv
leges. Secretaries, messengers al
other minor employees are pa
three times the salaries such wo
normally brings in Europe. 1
salaries are payable in Unit
States currency