Evening star., 1955-01-16
UNEsCO Relieved as Crossfire Of Criticism Lets

tion was affirmed and the commits
tee was told to do more investigat.
ing.
The VFW, on the other hand, has
in effect Joined UNESCO. It became
member last year Of the United
States National Commission for
UNESCO. an advisory citizens group
tthe same group which in 1852 the
VFW said should be investigatedI.
The vFW still reserves the right to
criticize phases Of UNESEO's work,
however. and. BY sending its most
severe UNESCO critic as delegate to
the commission. made sure that
criticism would not be toned down.
Defenders Step Up
Other groups have leaped to the
rescue of UNESCO. The Chamber or
Commerce of the United States
hardly leftist outfit--investigated
UNESCO, found charges such as
those stemming from the MacFar-
land report .'basically without sub.
stance" and continued Its represen-
tation on the national commission.
Also on the commission are such
respectable and politically hep
groups as the American Farm Bu-
reau Federation, the American So
ciety Of Newspaper Editors. the
Committee for Economic Develop
ment and the Association of Ameri-
can Law Schools. Milton Eisen-
hover was chairman OF the Ma.
tional UNESCO Commission for
three years.
BasicaIiy the defense Of UNESCO
Is this: It prepares no material for
classroom use except on invitation
Of some underdeveloped Countries
certainly not the United States. IT.
educational material Is iatended for
discussion and possible use by school
officials and curriculum planners. Il
has used such phrases as world
citizenship because other English
speaking nations prefer It to such
phrases as international under.
standing, which Is really what Ii
being talked about. tAnd nations
alism. in Booklet v refers to German
Naziism.1 1t does not advocate world
government of any kind. And an
American employees Of UNESCO now
must pass regular American loyalty
clearance.
Russio Joins
As the criticisms from the United
States have eased on, SO have the
blasts from Russia. The Soviet
Union last year changed its policy
and coined UNESco, bringing IN
those Of her satellites who are
eligible.
Things are looking up, but all IL
not clear sailing for UNESCC. For
one thing, the Communists have
shown signs that they probably
Joined the group only TO block its
activities wherever they could
And In this country, some die
hards are keeping UP the fight
against UNE5CO "subversion."
In recent weeks, in fact, woodrow
w. Bousman, chairman OF the Amer
lcanism Commission of the Mary
land American Legion has warned
nearby schools not to give children
~sANSSkA0Ae AL AAoAlCQ ny 0NE6OO
for use IN public schools,
though UNESCO has never pre-.
pared material for use In American
schools.
Sights Are Lowered
II UNEsCO has NOS been subver.
sivs. Il has had real shortcomings.
Et has had . tendency to follow Lead
eEs who want TO reform the world
along utopian lines. The result has
been that UNE5CO has spread its
limited resources too thin and often
has ignored the possible In attempts
10 achieve the desirable.
American representatives with
UNESCO have resisted this tendency,
and at the recent UNESCO confer
ence ct Monteyideo, Uruguay, they
seem 70 have won their point.
UNESCO now Is planning smaller,
more practical and more effective
projects.
TO expect that this viii silence
UNE6COs far left and far right
critics is doubtless too much to be
hoped. however. ~