Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-01
New USIA Chief Plans
Worldwide Program
By MARY McGRORY

BY MARY McGRORY
The new chief of the United
States Information Agency. Ar
thur Larson. wants to appeal to
the people of the world on their
own ground.
The former Undersecretary of
Labor. who was widely adver-
t;sed during the campaign as
living proof that the Republican
Party is big enough for intel
lectuals, does not believe in tell
ing other countries how grand
we are.
Rather" says Mr.. Larson,
1--WE should increase their own
self-respect, their devotion to
their own institutions. their own
public and private associations,
their religion. their families
everything under the sun that
makes them want to stand on
their own two feet"
The problem, as he sees it. is
mot to make them love us. but
to make them love themselves.
Instead Of quoting our most
articulate spokesman, such as
Jefferson and Lincoln, he be-
lieves we should quote the lead
ers of the countries to whom we
are telling our story. Mr.. Larson
was most impressed by a booklet
he saw for Near Eastern con-
sumption, in which a wise and
witty old Arabian demolished the
arguments of a Communist dia-
lectician. Such a presentation,
he thinks. serves the double
purpose of leaving America out
of the matter entirely and also of
COUGHING the discussion in the
readers own terms.
Wants Middle Way
AS for identification. Mr.. Lar
son thinks a middle way should
be followed. That is. we can
point out to the newly indie
pendent nations of Asia and
Africa how similar their trials
are to those we underwent in
the early years of our SOW
ereignty. At the same time, he
does not feel we should try to
tell them that if they follow our
way of life, they will become
equally rich and successful.
Mr.. Larson is of the opinion
that we must recognize and re-
spect the differences between
them and ourselves, while not
stirring up excessive nationalism
or resentment of our good for
tune.
The 46-year-old author of "a
Republican Looks at His Party"
has taken over the information
agency from former radio ex-
ecutive Theodore Streibert at a
time when Congress, having be-
come reconciled to the idea of
propaganda. has become more
generous with funds, but no less
assertive as to how they should
be spent. Most congressman APP
pear to feel about propaganda
as Zuleika DobSon did about art.
They don't know much about it,
but they know what they like
or more notably, what they
don't like. The agency has had
to back down on several pet
projects in the last few years
in the face of congressional dis
approval.
Mr.. Streibert's main work was
to reoraganize an agency which
had been jolted by the un-
friendly attentions of Senator
Mccarthy. Now that the organi-
cation is on an even keel. it faces
such knotty problems as these:
Should the artistic merit of our
expectations be prevailing fac
tor, or the convictions of the
artist. A symphony tour was cam
celed because questions had been
raised as to the loyalty of sew
eral of the players; an art ex-
hibit was recalled because some
patriotic organizations raised the
cry of subversive.
Cautious on Policy
On this delicate matter, Mr..
Larson is not yet ready to COM
nit himself. He will acquaint
himself with the present policy.
he says. But he added, Il have
many friends in the world of
arts and letters. / have no in
tention of compromising my in
tegrity."
In the art of friendly persua-
sion. Mr.. Larson has had con-
siderable grounding, having
guided through Congress changes
IN unemployment compensation
laws. In any event, he is an eve
tempered. attractive person. who
believes that full explanation to
everyone involved can produce
favorable results.
But it is Mr.. Larson's back
ground as an unabashed egg
head that has caused the I'M
common interest in his appoint
ment A graduate of Augustana
College in South Dakota and the