VOLUME III- N° 4 PRICE : 10 Cents (U. S.), 6 Pence (U. K.), or 20 Francs (FRANCE).

Ier MAY 1950

ALL WAYS ARE FOUGHT AGAINST CHILDREN

providers, the fathers who till the fields, build the homes and
IT is in war-and
the atr : of things
It IS that
In the chidren
nature can never
of things winwars
that all a are
get the fuel to keep them warm. When the shooting is over,
it is not the dead who count their dead, for it is the children
waged against children. Some weapons are aimed at them
who reckon their losses, and finally pay the tragic reckoning
directly-and children lose their lives, their eyesight. their
arms and legs and mental faculties, just as if they, were for all the wars.

soldiers. These are only some of the victims, for, finally, every While all of decent mankind is revolted by war, the

road to peace is not yet clearly marked. For stories of some

weapon has the same target. The mere existence of a tank or
a gun means there are fewer hoes and scythes and tractors- of the means whereby men and women of good will are

less food for the children. Even before the guns start firing, seeking to chart that road, and a description of some of

the arithmetic of war deprives the children of their natural the obstacles they must overcome, see Pages 5, 6 and 7.
 UNESCO COURIER-Page 2

A HUNDRED GROUPS

WITH A COMMON ATOM

A JliEW feature of Cnesco's Gencral Conference in Florence this

month will be a 1III'etiny for l'epl'I'SI>ntati/'I's of the iOO inter-
Iwtional non-got'ernmental or'lani : :. ations Ichose co-opcration with
CIU'SCO helps the accomplishment of its PI'O !/I'amll/e,
How these ol'qanizations find in Cnesc ()'s aill/s a common fielll
for their individual reSOUl'ces and knowledge the Coul'iel'will
describe in a sel'ies of speciKÛ articles, tlte fil'st of which is
published below.

be truly international in their scope, nations attach different meanings to

and that their objectives conform with the same word in translation. This
the general principles in Unesco's happened when an important inter-
Constitution. Thus one of the Com- governmental agreement on admi-
mi5sions of the Inter-Parliamentary nistration was being grawn up, when
Union is working with Unesco on the the French word mandat, meaning a
One of the non-governmental organizations helping to give form to Unesco'sobjectivesis
the International Theatre Institute (IT !) which works to encouragethe setting up of National analysis and improvement
books, which too often in the put have
of text- legal contract in which one party is
subordinated to the other, was used for
Theatre Centres in Unesco'sMember States. Next month the ITI is holding its Third Annual set mistaken grounds for national pre- the English word trusteeship.
Congressin Paris in conjunction with a conference and exhibitionon theatrearchitecturein
differentcountries.This photoshowsM. RenéThomas,secretaryof the exhibition(left) and judices.
M. Pierre Soarel. a Paris architect,inspectingtheatreplans and modelsfor this exhibition. In some cases, Unesco has promoted
the creation of over-all federative A Living, Working Peace
vice were given by the International bodies, which directly relate the work
interests of humanity have led Confederation of Societies of Authors. of independent groups to Unesco's pro-
WITHIN the last
to formationcentury
v Vthe common
of more tñan and, in the interests of composers of gramme. One of these, the Interna-
1000 international organiz- tional Council of Philosophy and THE JL the Societies-of Classical
International Studies
Federation for
music, by the International Feder- wcrks towards the accomplishs-
ations all over the world. Of these over ation of the Phonographic Industry. Humanistic Studies was founded in ment of a major Unesco project-the
900 are non-governmental. They in- With this information at its disposal, 1949. Some of its member organiz- translation of great books-by sub-
clude church and professional groups, Unesco is now prepared to hold a ations are made up of smaller groups
world conference on copyright law, to which represent special fields of cul- mitting a list of Greek and Latin texts,
philosophers and educators, scholars, with existing translations and books
lawyers, youth and women's organiz- straighten out the maze of internation- tural studies. One of the most repre- about these classics.
ations. al legal difficulties which expose sentative is the International Acade-
authors to unfair treatment and hinder mic Union, founded in 1919, with a The works of these 100 international
The United Nations is now working
the free exchange of their work. membership now of 22 countries. organizations are as varied and
closely with many of these indepen- specialized as the forms of human
dent groups through its specialized Consultative arrangements enablp Of what interest is a Dictionary of curiosity, thought and work can be.
agencies, WHO, FAO and UNESCO. independent organizations to send ob- Terminology of International Law ? If In each case, the very quality of their
At present 100 independent non- servers to Unesco General Conferences, we give this a moment's attention- interest calls for international co-
governmental organizations are work- to participate in meetings and technic- Unesco has given it the encouragement
al conferences held by Unesco on operation, and in Unesco's resolutions.
ing under consultative arrangements of a grant-its importance becomes working toward a living, working
with Unesco, bringing their specialized subjects which interest them. But the apparent. No legal agreement can be peace, which is not just an absence of
work and knowledge to help in the most important part of all the work reached when jurists of different war, they find common gro'md.
accomplishment of Unesco'a pro- accomplished between Unesco and
gramme. these non-governmental groups is the "
Architecture, women's rights, folk attainment of common objectives
music and philosophy, African affairs TRIBUTES TO TWO GREAT
and applied psychology-what com-
mon ground could there be for such Women's Access
diverse interests as these ? The answer To Education
is Unesco's objectives : INTERNATIONAlISTS
For instance, Unesco sets out to
protect the rights of the author, and
at the same time to promote the free FOR tional women's
instance, organizations
a number sub-
of interna- LÉON BLUM
mitted special reports to a Unesco HAROLD LASKI
circulation of ideas. No author conference studying problems of equal
wishes to let his work appear, un- educational opportunities for women.
protected, where it may be pirated, re- Some of these groups provided resolu-
written or translated so badly that it tions, such. as that made by the Inter-
no longer bears much resemblance to national Alliance of Women, the In-
what he created, and fails to bring him ternational Federation of University
the rewards he deserves. Women, and the Open Door Inter-
national, that Unesco encourage go-
vernments to promote the organization
Maze of World Copyright of educational and professional guid-
once for all, without prejudice to wo-
men.
EXPERT problem"was necessary
advice on world for
copyright Resolutions like these have given the
Unesco to turn its resolution into world such advances as woman surf-
actuality. The International Literary frage. The work of these organiz-
and Artistic Association was founded ations, done now with Unesco sponsor-
in France in 1878 under the honorary ship, will be extended to countries
presidency of a great author. Victor through their government, where the
Hugo. This group, with members in fight'might have been long and bitter
Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France and for a non-governmehta ! organization
more than a dozen other countries, working alone.
working with Unesco, held meetings One of the first requirements or IN a temptation to
remembering accept
Blum the sur- be best remembered forLaski
his work
of its national committees and prepar- organizations working on a basis of face picture of Léona politician there is
pre- FORas most peopleofHarold
a Professor Political will
Science
ed a report on the extension of world consultative arrangements with Unes- sented by his thirty years of publlc at the University of London, a member
copyright protection for the inform- co grants to. help them continue their life. To do so would be to forget the of the Labour Party Executive, and
ation of Unesco's member states. work Or carry through specific parts of long years of preparation which pre- the author of brilliant books on demo-
ceded it, for Blum was already 47 cracy and socialism. But by Unesco
Expert opinion and professional ad- Unesco's special projects, is that they when first elected to the Chamber of he will also be remembered as one of
Deputies in 1919. the most ardent and valued collabora-
A brilliant critic and poet, his lite- tors In several of its early projects.
rary work first brought him notice, In 1947he was consulted, with other
and his name, With those of Marcel philosophers and sociologists, on the
Proust and André Gide, appeared philosophic bases of a Universal De-
among the contributors to"Banquet" claration of Human Rights, and his
and"Revue Blanche", two public- contribution was a brilliant and cou-
ations in which young men, later to rageous essay. In It he summed up
win important places in French lite- his view on the world of the future
rature, first"tried their strength". by saying that the Declaration"woUld
After entering the ConseiId'Etat in have to take account rather of the
The UNESCO COURIER is an international periodical devoted to the work 1905,Blum pursued a twofold occup- possibilities struggling to be born than
ation of magistrate and man of let- of the traditions dying before our
of UNESCO and to activities and developments throughout the world in edu- ters. At this time a long process of
cation, science and culture. eyes".
Until now some of our readers have been receiving free copies of our thought and reasoning was leading Like others he had been struck by
him to the ideas for which he was to the sceptical Indifference bred In
periodical. In order to permit us to supply the many thousands of new readers fight hard during the rest of his life.
In almost every country in tllte world we are undertaking a special drive for It was the assassination of Jaures on peoples by a surfeit of hollow formulae
subscribers. and principles betrayed, and so he
August 1, 1914that robbed the French called for a declaration which would
A full year's subscription (12 issues) costs only $1. 00 US., or 5/-or 200 Socialist party of its leader and led be both bold In its general character
French Francs. Léon Blum to devote himself to carry- and concrete In Its detailed conduct.
SUBSCRIBE NOW! Tell your friends about the UNESCO COURIER and ing on the work of his friend and
get them to subscribe too. teacher. From 1919to 1940,Léon Blum
Write twoour agent in your country listed below, or directly to UNESCO was. both In the parliament French Declaration Must Unify
House, 19, avenue Kleber, Paris, 16', France. and in the world, an outstanding
Argentina : Editorial SudamericanaS. A. Alsina 50CBuenos-Aires. representative of Socialist thought and
Australia : H. A. Goddard Ltd., 255a.George St., Sydney. one of the most single-hearted cham- OF tut rld he
the
cumstances
wrote of:"Under
division
such asthethese,
cir-
modern
the
Belgium : Librairie encyclopedique,7, rue du Luxembourg,Bruxelles IV. pions of a more Just and peaceful issue of a Declaration of Rights would
Brazil : Livraria Agir Editora, Rua Mexico 98-B, Caixa postal 3291,Rio-de-Janeiro. society. be a grave error of judgment unless it
Canada : Mr Victor P. Seary, Manager, The RyersonPress, 299 Queen Street West. set out deliberately to unify, and not
Toronto. to separate men in their different
Chile : Libreria Lope de Vega, Moneda 924,Santiago de Chile. Accusers Became Accused political societies. It must, therefore,
Colombia : Mr Emilio Rovo Martin, Carrera 9a, 1791,Bogota. emphasize the identities, and not the
Cuba : La Casa Belga, Sr. D. René de Smedt, O'Reilly, Havana. differences, in the competing. social
Czechoslovakia: Orbis, Stalinova, 46, Praha XII. philosophies which now arouse such
Denmark : Einar Munksgaard, 6, Norregade, Copenhagen. brought him
Egypt : Librairie JamesCattan, 38, rue Kasr el Nil, Cairo. WHENcharge the Vichyto Government
trial on a
of responsibility for the
passionatediscussion."
France : UnescoSales Service, 19, av. Kleber, Paris (16'). Tel. Kleber 52.00. Later he joined the Committees of
French reverses, he sought to defend Experts convened by Unesco to study
Great Britain : H.M. StationeryOffice : London : York House,Kingsway (Retail Counter less himself than liberty and demo- the question of Human Rights, and he
Service) : P.O. Box 569, London S.E.I. (Post orders),-Manchester 2 : 39-41King cracy. He argued with such force and entered into their deliberations with
Street.-Edinburgh
* Bristol ! 2 : 13a Castle
: Tower Lane.-Belfast : 80Street.-Cardiff
ChichesterStreet.: I St Andrew's Crescent.- conviction that his trial became the the enthusiasm he brought to every-
trial of his accusersand they hastened thing.
Greece : Eleftheroudakis,Librairie Internationale, Athens. to suspend it. Militant, tenacious and combative he
Hungary :"Ibusz"Akademla-u. 10, Budapest V. Liberated from internment in Ger- was at all times, but with repeated
India : Oxford Book and Stationery Co., Scindia House, New Delhi. many In 1945 he returned to France flashes of transforming humour, and
Israel : Leo Blumstein,Book and Art Shop, 35, Allenby Road, Tel Aviv. and in 1946he served as President of the felicity of expression that was one
Italy : Messagerie Italiane, Via Lomazzo,52, Milano. the First General Conference of of his gifts was also a part of his
Lebanon and Syria : Librairie Universelle, Avenue des Francis, Beirut. Unesco, thus again associating himself own vivacity. His learning was prodi-
Mexico: Libreria Universitaria, Justo Sierra 16, Mexico DF. with work for peace and co-operation gious and ready to hand, with history
Netherlands : N.V. Martinus Nijhoff, Afd. Fondsadministratie,Lange Voorhout 9, The to which his life had been dedicated. particularly the history of thought, at
Hague.'-' Blum's life was to close with a signi- his fingertips to support his views.
Norway : AIS Bokhjornet, Stortingsplass7, Oslo. ficant act. Just before he died he set To it he joined a mercilessly critical
Peru : Libreria Internacional del Peru, S.A. Girón de ! a Uni6n. Lima. his signature to a telegram appealing spirit ; there can rarely have been a
Portugal : Uniao Portuguesade Imprensa, 198Rue de S. Bento, 3° Esq. Lisbon. for the liberation of a'group of poli- man more concerned with the clear
Sweden : C.E. Frilzes Kungl. Hovbokhandet,Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm. tical refugees. Thus the end of his definition, of terms and their proper
United Statesof America : International DocumentsService,Columbia University Press, ownlifefellintolinewiththeconclu- use. In a word, he had exactly the
2960Broadway, New York 27, N.Y. sion of his last book :"When man qualities needed in a good committee
Uruguay : Centro de CooperaciónCientifica para la América Latina, Unesco,Bulevar feels troubled and discouraged, he has man, and especially the gift of stimul-
Artigas, 1320-24,Montevideo. only to turn his thoughts to mankind." ating debate and clarifying the issues
 Page 3-UNESCO COURIER

"CAN THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND? SHALL THEY NOT BOTH FALL INTO THE DITCH?" (Luke, vi. 39) This was already an old question
in the time of Christ. The answer was obvious. In the time of Breughel, 1500years later, the question was still rhetorical, and the
answer was the same-unremitting misery, fear and solitude, well illustrated by Breughel's painting (above)"The Parable of the Blind". ... An answer !

WORLD BRAILLE-AN ADVANCE

TOWARDS ONE WORLD

spokesmen for various groups of Dassanaike, principal of the School

read with their fingertips Braille readers who, because of con- for the Blind, Mount Lavinia, Ceylon.
BLINDscores men and women
of different languages who flicting methods in adapting Braille in who made a similar offer.
in all parts of the earth are closer the past, would now have to sacrifice
what they had learned-over periods
than seeing readers to a goal of of many years-and begin all over TRADITIONS TAKE
extraordinary value for internatio- again. One example was S.T. Dajani,
nal understanding-a single SECOND PLACE
principal of the Alaiya School for the
script for the whole world. This is Blind, Ramallah, Hashemite Jordan,
the result of agreements reached at who volunteered to scrap twelve years
of hard work in order to help world ONEference
of thewas an agreement
achievements by con-
of the re- LOUIS BRAILLE
a ten-day meeting in Unesco House, presentatives of the various forms
unity. Another example was C.K. of the Perso-Arabic languages spoken
Paris, of the International Braille There was still no basic change in the lot 01
Conference attended by delegates in Hashemite Jordan. Egypt, Iraq, the blind, when the great blind Milten wrote
representing most of the world's Persia, Pakistan and MalaYa to recom- angrily."0 dark, dark. dark. amid the blaze
mend to all countries in their lin- of noon, Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse,
principal language areas. guistic group that Braille writing in Without all hope 01 Day!" (Samson Ago-
More than half of the partici- the future be read from left to right, nistes.) It remained for Louis Braille, in the
instead of from right to left as in the 19th Century, to offer the blind something
pants in the proceedings were blind better than the old question, and the old
themselves. They came from usual visual script for many centuries. and ugly answer. He gave them the script
countries as far apart as Brazil and A spokesman for modern Hebrew, Dr. which bears his name, and openedto them
Michael GeSner, of the Jewish Braille a whole new world 01 hope and happiness.
India, from Pakistan, China, Egypt, Institute of America, concurred in the
Ceylon, England, Greece, the United change. Other formidable obstacles
States. For the first time in arising from Braille codes built of tain world uniformity in punctuation
Unesco's history, a Japanese took traditional practices in visual scripts signs.
part in the gathering as an official tied to historical religious and senti- In the World Braille whose creation
member of an agency working mental backgrounds also were over- was recommended, each sign will
under the auspices of the organi- come. as far as possible be used for the
Another achievement was an agree- same or nearly the same sound as in
zation, and also for the first time . the original Braille, will represent
the same the
representatives of Hashemite Jor- ment to begin the formulation of a same letter or will fulfil or
dan and the Federation of Malaya uniform Chinese Braille based on a similar function. Except where the
were present in official capacities. Mandarin, but retaining a considerable
degree of sound relationship with tra- complexities of ideographic scripts
ditional Braille. There are four main make it impossible, a Braille symbol
The delegates decided that it was will be provided for each visual letter,
not only feasible but both desirable spoken forms of Chinese, of which the with the understanding that the
and practicable to create a broadly Pekin Braille code has 408 characters ; sound value of the symbol be identical
while Union Mandarin has only 54 with that of the visual letter of the
uniform Braille system for all lan- characters.
guages and scripts. This is to be a. lphabet of the particular language.
called World Braille and will be In addition, it was agreed to recom- The effort will be made to make World
Helen Kelier, the American b) ind deai-mute, mend that mathematical and chemical Braille a complete tactile repres-
based upon the original system of depending only upon the sense of touch.
raised-character writing for the symbols should be represented with entation of visual scripts, and to bring
using Braille as a powerful tool, has become greater uniformity throughout the about the maximum degree of con-
blind developed by the Frenchman one of the world's outstanding persons. She
spoke to delegates to the International world ; that the degree of uniformity sistency among the Braille systems of
Louis Braille, himself blind, more Braille Conference at Unesco House in already existing in musical notation the various language groups.
than a century ago. The esta- English-but can also express herself yin should be extended ; and that efforts The delegates decided that a truly
blishment of a World Braille French, German, Italian and Spanish. should be made to restore and main- phonetic World Braille was not prac-
Council to maintain uniformity in ticable for general purposes, but re-
the future and to work out techni- commended that a panel of experts
cal details in specialized fields of AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUTE TO LOUIS BRAILLE be set up to make suggestions on the
Braille was strongly recommended.. possibility of improving the Braille
form of the International Phonetic
Alphabet. Another panel was recom-
A NEW ERA FOR THE BLIND mended to work out an international
classification of sounds of letters and
toue marks.
THE constituted
stone an important
achievements of ofthe
in the history mile-
meeting
Braille be- ANNUAL TRIBUTE ;,-
cause they permit further practical TO LOUIS BRAILLE
and concrete measures to establish the
greatest degree of uniformity in a form a World
DESPITE Braille Council, the
the recommendation to
single system of writing for the blind. Conference voted that"it is still
The delegates, who included Braillists, of paramount importance that Unesco
linguists, phoneticians, blind educatio- should continue to play a vital role
ists, and representatives of Braille in the Braille problem in view of
printing houses, agreed that the re- its educational and cultural commit-
sults of their talks were not only ments"and that"a liaison should be
extraordinarily satisfactory but better maintained permanently with Unesco.
than the most glowing optimist could In expressing its deep appreciation to
have expected. Unesco, the asked
Conference that the
Dr. Helen Keller, world-famous Ame- General Conference of Unesco to be
rican blind deaf-mute, in whose ho- held in Florence in May should make
nour a special session of the Confer- provision during the remainder of
ence was held, told the delegates that 1950 and in 1951 for the technical com-
through their work a new era for the pletion of the task it has so effective-
blind was beginning, for, she said, they ly undertaken. These plans include
were"lifting the blind throughout the the holding of regional conferences
world from age-long darkness into the for areas using the Arabic script, for
light of culture and knowledge". Spanish and Portuguese speaking
Through them and through Unesco's areas, and for the languages of eastern
activities on behalf of the blind, she Asia.
added."the voice of the blind is being In tribute to Louis Braille, the Con-
heard in words that are to be put into At the closeof the InternationalBraille Conferencein Paris, on March 29th, delegatesvisited ference recommended that workers for
concrete assistance throughout'iI. world the little town of Coupvray.where LouisBraille was bornand where he is buried. Standing the blind in all parts of the world
at his graveside, these men and women, many of them blind, paid tribute to the man who
of good will". evolved the method of raised character writing that bears his name. Representing the observe his birthday as an annual ho-
To reach agreement, the delegates world's principal language areas, the delegates expressedby their gesture, the debt owed liday, and that a world commemor-
to Louis Braille and those who adap1edhis system to the world's languages by countless ation be arranged for the centenary of
had to obtain the co-operation of sightless persons who as a result have been able to live fuller and more useful lives. Braille's death, in 1952.
UNESCOCOURIER-PAGE 4

Opening a closed book of highly original-

art, a Paris exhibition presents...

ART TREASURES OF

MEDIAEVAL YUGOSLAVIA

realistic drawing of the In this are the decorative carved monoliths, pillars, stelae
features, sometimes carried to themes in particular seem and sarcophagi-are fouh5 in
caricature, the almost impress- to be entirely original, as the mountain burial places of
ionistic touches, with the flat if the southern Slavs had BOSilia and Herzegovina. In
and heavy painting of the found their most individual the thirteenth and fourteenth
hair and deliberate distortion form of expression in the centuries-until the Turkish
of the limbs. carving of doorways and occupation-a persecuted
It is easy to see why differ- capitals and in the famous peopleraied these monuments
ent schools of archaeology "trellis-work"of friezes and of their faith. Their part of
have often advanced conflict- tympana. the country was one of the
ing theories to explain the When they adopted Christ- last strongholds of a little
originality of this painting. ianity, they kept their own known religion in which, from
The same applies, however, to language, songs and customs, the Nile to the Altai mount-
Yugoslav architecture and and they also preserved their ains, and from the Black Sea
sculpture, represented in the forms of ornamentation ; the to the mouth of the Rhine,
Paris exhibition by some very designs with which the stones Manichaeism and Gnosticism.
beautiful casts. of their buildings are so pro- with an admixture of Christ-
It is understandable too fusely carved-transposed ianity, were combined with
that at one time at least, this perhaps from more primitive the older tribal myths of the
work in wood-are closely converts.
sculpture and architecture akin to those still found in
were regarded simply as off-
shoots of the basilicas of Lom- Serbian lace-work, pottery and MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS
bardy. textiles.
But architecture and sculp- One of the strangest, even
ture do not develop for disturbing things revealed by CUToff stronghold, the natural
in their Bogo-
eight centuries without being the Paris exhibition is Bogo- miles and Patarini es-
decisively influenced by men- mile sculpture. caped the bloodbath in which
More than thirty thousand their kinsfolk, the Cathari of
WOMANWITH THE AMPHORA (Churchof the Holy Apostles.Petch in this case by the Slav
monastery).-1A Serbianartist of the early l3th Centurypaintedthis carvers and masons. examples of this sculpture- Languedoc, perished. These
bas-reliefs,in which"old Slav"
fresco. He attemptedto solve a 3 dimensionalgeometricalproblem
in terms of 2 dimensionalart. Contemporary cubistsset the same themes are associated with
problemand solvedit in a mannerwhich is strangelysimilar to the mysterious symbols, are all
techniqueof the 13thCenturyartist. that remain of their civiliz-
ation and tenets.
In one instance, a knight is
t ited in European museums and art galleries and shown stretched bareheaded
IT someis 80 30
years sincesince
Japanese paintings on the Cross. More often,
years the Negro art were first exhib-
of Africa first clad in armour, the dead man
became widely known in Europe through the same means. is depicted with his right hand
Probably as important in its own way as these two raised, disproportionate in size
earlier events was the exhibition of Yugoslav Mediaeval and surmounted by a sun and
Art held at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris last month. with a bow and arrow carved
at his left.
Although not likely to bring striking originality of these Tournaments ajid battles,
about a revolution in art paintings ? Even allowing for hunting scene, stylized pic-
these treasures of mediaeval the influence, both technical tures of the Kolo, national
Yugoslavia lifted the curtain and intellectual, of Byzantium dance of Yugoslavia, horses
hiding a fascinating civiliz- and Ravenna and, perhaps, of and stagesreminiscent of the
ation, which since the eleventh Hellenic survivals, one has primitive magical cave paint-
century has produced a great only to look at the Descent ings, all bear witness to the
number of masterpieces hith- from the Cross in the Mo- fertile tenacity of a people
erto.insufficiently appreciated. nastery of Milicheva and who loved and clung to their
Most critics and archaeo- especially the extraordinary past. their native soil and
logists, loath to leave the well- Sopotchani Dormition, to rea- their church.
trodden highways of art lize that those infiuences To appreciate the signific-
alone cannot
history, have neglected these essenceof this art. explain the ance of the exhibition one has
works of art, and they have only to remember that Europe
thus remained practically has had to wait five hundred
unknown to the general public years before discovering this
who, for the last twenty years THE"SCHISM IN ART" highly original art ; that it
have learned to familiarize became familiar with the
themselvesmore with primitive sculpture of Easter Island
cave paintings than with THE circumstances fact is thatwhich from
the same before it first saw that of
mediaeval frescos. the twelfth to the four- Bosnia, and that about 1900,
In Yugoslavia, however,such teenth century made it pos- critics used to treat the Yugo-
slav frescos as clumsy imit-
frescos now receive their full sible for the southern Slavs ations of Italian painting and
share of appreciation, and the to retain their ecclesiastical spoke of the BOgIJmilemonu-
reproductions brought to Paris and political independence;
also account for the free ments as the crude products of
through the"Association a barbarian imagination.
Française d'Action Artistique" flowering of their art. This While the authors of the
and a Yugoslav organizing sudden upsurge of a form Exhibition cataloguewrite that
committee explain why. of painting, which included
These striking reproductions psychological portraiture and their national art is"becoming
a cultural legacy enjoyed by
demonstrate the vitality of showed the utmost daring in all Yugoslavs", their work
Yugoslav art, which, influenced the use of colour, has been
itself proves that this newly
by two often very different called the"schism in art". Accompanied by H.E. MarkoRistic,YugoslavAmbassador in Paris (on revealed art is also destined
worlds, has evolved original There is in fact a great left). M. JaimeTorresBodet.Unesco's Director-General,examinesone
and individual forms. difference between the art of 01 the sculptureexhibitsat the YugoslavMediaevalArt Exhibitionin to enrich and inspire many
other countries.
What is the reason for the Rome or Byzantium and this Paris,which he visited on April 27th.

THE RtCHT TO WRITE

AND THE RICHT TO READ

which as many nations as

David Thoreau,"are
"BOOKS", wrote Henry
the treasured wealth
of the world, the fit inheri-
tance of generations and na-
tions". To-day almost a cen-
turn after Thoreau wrote these
words, most members of the
world's family of nations have
still been unable to claim their
rightful share of this inter-
national heritage. Many
countries, old in civilization
but young in independence,
are cut off from the books
which are as vital to their
social and economic develop-
ment as technological advice
and equipment.
What stands between these
people and the books which
will help them catch up with
the scientific, social and cul-
tural progress of other coun-
tries ? Apart from the barrier
of different languages, most
of the reasons stem from
economiccauses. Among these
are copyright laws.
Just how copyright laws can
create barriers between people
and knowledge was shown
recently in a report from one
of Unesco's Member States,
newly independent. Like many
under-developedcountries, this
young nation suffers from a
scarcity of national literature.
Unlike the peoples of Europe,
whose national cultures have
been inspired and enriched
by centuries of each other's
work, its people have seen few
translations from other lan-
guages. To-day, badly in need
of the creative work of other
nations, they are being han-
dicapped through the com-
plications of international
copyright law.
Rights of Three Groups
is difficult
SIMPLE to state,to resolve.
the problem
The rights of three groups
must be balanced. The author
must be protected,the publish-
er who produces and dis-
tributes his work, and the
public. The public deserves
the unimpeded circulation of
by William Gaddis
original work. The publisher
must be paid for his work in
bringing it to the public.. And
the author, besidesbeing paid
for his work, must have the
right to approve its distribution
in the form in which his
creative genius led him to
make it. When the French
Copyright Law of 1793 was
passed,the author's right was
called"the most sacred, the
most unassailable, and the
most personal of all forms of
property.
In Europe the right of the
author has alwaysbeen regard-
ed as a natural right, while in
America it is acquired some-
what like a patent on an
invention. A book in France
is automatically copyrighted
when it is published, but in
the United States for instance
the author must go through
legal formalities, or lose his
copyright. In many counfries
motion pictures, radio and
television programmes which
publicize.original work are not
yet subject to copyright law.
Some countries, where the
benefits of science and culture
are most needed, have no
pecial copyright laws at all.
Equal Protection For All
at internatíonal
EFFORTS co-oper-
have been made
ation in this maze of legal
differences. The Berne Con-
vention of 1886 is an active
agency in promoting copyright
agreements among most Eur-
cpean countries, members of
the British Commonwealth
and Brazil. Seveninter-Amer-
ican conferences have been
held, but the conventions that
came out of them have not
been far-reaching. Most of
Africa is outside international
agreements.
Experts, called together by
Unesco from all parts of the
world, have recommended
drafting a new convention
po ; siMe wiUbe able to ratify
without infringement upon
their own laws. The main
point would be that each
nation agree to give to any
author, regardless of his
nationality, the same protec-
tion that they give their own
authors.
The Copyright Division of
Unesco's Department of Cul-
tural Activities has analyzed
the copyright laws of more
than sixty countries, and
classified them according to
countries, subjects and dates.
The subjects have been cata-
logued and exhaustive reports
have been prepared, to give
legal experts a world copyright
picture easily and quickly. In
October, Unesco hopes to
convene a new Committee of
Experts in Washington to
recommend further action on
international copyright law. It
will be an important part in
Unesco's over-all effort to
break down more of the
barriers in men's minds which
make impossible the under-
standing necessaryfor peace
 Page 5-UNESCO COURIER

Major Discussion Proposed

for Florence Conference

UNESCO'S CONTRIBUTION RETRIBUTION. TO

UNITED NATIONS

PEACE MISSION

A general view of Florence, where the Fifth Session of Unesco'sGeneral Conierende wiUopen on May 22nd.
In the background (centre) is the Pallazo Vecchio. where plenary sessions of the Conference will be held.

as there are in those of individuals", convinced that the fundamental object

and women-delegates, official he said."I believe that the next of the next session of the General Con-
IN three weeks time over 1000 men session of the'General Conference ference shoulâ be to carry out such
observers, members of Unesco's an examination", he added.
Secretariat and journalists-will be will represent such a turning point To carry out its tasks Unesco follows
gathered in Florence, Italy, for the for Unesco, at once for reasons con- a programme planned at three levels :
opening of the Fifth Session of nected with the tnternat strMctMre of information and exchange of docu-
Unesco's General Conference. the Organization and for reasons mentation and news ; research, in-
external to tt. vestigation and enquiry aimed at
Meeting from May 22 to June 17 at helping men and women to contribute
plenary sessions in the renaissance actively to mankind's progress ; and
setting of the Palazzo Vecchio and at Peace Today Or
action, either by Unesco directly, or at
committee gatherings in the 15th A Future Peace ? its instigation, to assist all countries
century Pitti Palace, delegates will to contribute, through culture, educ-
consider how Unesco can best carry ation and science, to peace.
"THE c, vershadowing
difficulties andthe
theworld have
dangers As there are some tasks which
out its work as the world organiz- become so dressing". M. Torres
ation for education, science and Unesco cannot undertake immediately
Badet pointed out."that it is now because of lack of funds, but which it
culture. essential for Unesco to shoulder the cannot renounce, a Basic Programme,
One question standing out above responsibilities imposed upon it't5y its covering a number of years, has been
all others in the minds of the dele- Constitution, as a part of the maehi. prepared and this, together with a
nery of the United Nations and Spe- detailed annual programme outlining
gates will be that posed by Unesco's cialized Agencies, in the promotion of
Executive Board at a recent meeting : the part that can be carried out in
peace. each financial year, will be presented
what action can Unesco take, apart "What exaetly are those responslbi- to the Florence Conference.
from that already proposed in its lities How can we carry them out ? Programme activities proposed for
1951 programme resolutions, to con- And with what peace are we concern- 1951 require a bUdget of $ 8, 150, 000- as a network of mutual services, the
tribute vigorously, in the present as an increase of $ 150,000 over the 1950 value of which is self evident, asa
ed-peace today or peace four a more
well as in the future, to the United or less distant future ? These supre- collective force working for the trans-
budget. formation of the world,"he stated.
Nations Mission of peace. mely important questions cannot be How close a co-operation between "The Secretariat, no matter how zea-
This question was raised at the evade", said the Director-General. Unesco's Member States and its Secre-
tariat is required to carry out such a lous, cannot make up for any apathy
Executive Board meeting by M. "Impelled alike by the process of zits on the part of Member States, for it
own development and the condition at programme was recently emphasised can do no more than ser" thelr will
Jaime Torres Bodet, Unesco's Direc- the world, Unesco can and must sub- by M. Torres Bodet,"Only through - the motive power for all its work."
tor-General."There are turning ject its methods and aims to a thor- the will and acts or Member States
can Unesco fulfil its true purpose- Proposals to define clearly both the
points in the lives of institutions just ough and critical examination, I am tasks of the Secretariat and those of
Member States and a recomendation
that the latter should provide their
Unesco National Commissions wIth
adequate permanent secretariats wi11
be submitted to the Conference. Other
! IALY, HOST TO UNESCO'S resolutions call on Member States to
etc-operate w'th one another in joint
action for Unesco aims, and suggest
that greater use be ma3e of inter-
national conventions involving the use
CONFERENCE, WELCOMES of education, science and culture for
progressive and peaceful ends.
"::,
M. TORRES BODET
Creative Genius Of
Florentine Masters
for the opening of the Fifth Session of Unesco's
IT TALY, where
General preparations
Conference are being
in Florence, on Maycompleted
22nd,
gave a warm welcome to M. Jaime Torres Bodet, of a series
GO-OPERATION willofalso
special
be themeetings
keynote
Unesco's Director-General, during his short visit held in connection w'th the Con-
there, last month. ference. One of these will group
On his arrival in Rome, M. Torres Bodet was re- representatives from National Com-
missions for Unesco and the second,
ceived by H. E. Signor de Gasper, the Prime Minister ;
H. E. Count Sforza, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and representatives from the 100 non-
H. E. Signor Ooner.'t, Minister for Education. The governmental organizations. having
During his recent visit to Italy. M. Jaime Torres Bodet, Unesco's consultative status with the Organiz,-
same day, M. Torres Bodet discussed problems con- ation.
cerning the Florence Conference with the authorities. Director-General, broadcastfromRomeon the aims and programme
On Monday, April 17th. he held a press conference of Unesco. This photo shows him (left) replying to the questions Unesco's present membership-
of a radio journatist. Translated into 22 languages, his interview 55 nations-is likely to be increased
at which he described the aims and activities of was broadcastin many othercountries.
Unesco. during the Conference, following its
consideration of memt>ership applic-
While in Rome, Unesco's Direc- ations from Korea the United States
tor-General was received in au- "As such a power cannot attain just as necessary for the strength- of Indonesia and the Hashemite
dience by Pope Pious XII. its full stature in any single man ening of international peace. Kingdom of Jordan.
or group, it is necessary that the "If peace is necessary for cul- Meeting in surroundings which pro-
Addressing the recently formed human species should consist of cla ; m the creative genius of the Flo-
Italian National Commission for ture, culture is also necessary for
many units. Given, then, that peace-and that, gentlemen, is the rentine masters, delegates will study
Unesco. in the impressive setting humanity is designed by nature to Unesco's plan for the preparation of
of the Palzzio de Venezia, M. Tor- greatest lesson that history should
res Bodet told its members that develop the total power of the in- teach us and it is also the ideal a scientific and cultural history of
tellect... a first requirement is that of Unesco." mankind. And, it is fitting that in
Unesco had a major part to play in mankind should live in the tran-
every problem of our age. After leaving Rome, the Direc- the city of men like Leonardo da
ouillity of true peace that it may Vinci, Michelangelo, BoWcelli, Mas-
the more freely and easily devote tor-General travelled to Florence saecio and Donatello, they should be
itself to its appointed work. The where he was able to inspect the
Dante's Noble words section of the Pitti Palace to be called on to consider ways of
conclusion is that universal peace improving the material and moral
is the greatest of all the good used by Unesco's Secretariat dur- freedom of creative artists.
thins which make up our felicity." ing the Conference, and the mag- Among the other important ques-
OUR on earth,"he said,"And
cause is that of every man "Never", said M. Torres Bodet, nificent'hall of the Pallazo Vec-
that cause was described more tions on the Conference agenda are
"his the connection between peace chio, in which the plenary sessions whether final steps s2'foulð. be taken
than six centuries ago by one of and culture of the mind been will be held. for the preparation of a Universal
your own outstanding thinkers in stressed more strongly than in At Milan, which he visited be- Convention on Copyright, on the pos-
ringing words as fresh and true Dante Alighieri's noble words. And fore returning to Paris. M. Torres
today as when they were first so we find that in the very dawn sibility of founding an international
uttered : Bodet was the guest of honour at institute of the press, on the work
of Italian poetry and political a reception given by Count Stefano
thought, Unesco's path is mapped. already done towards evolving a uni-
"There is one activity proper to Jacini, a member of Unesco's Exe- form Braille script for the bli,nd and
the human race as a whole which cutive Board and leader of the Ita- on Unesco's part in the United Nations
is the destiny of all men however Greatest History Lesson lian delegation to the last two Technical Assistance Programme.
many they may be, but to which Sessions of the General Conference. During the Conference, the Italian
no single man, family, village, city Throughout his Italian journey, Government will sponsor a large-scale
or nation can attain alone. The this aspect of the
« Y EST we should misunderstand problems M, Torres Bodet was accompanied programme of cultural events in Flo-
nature of that activity becomes of today,"he continued"we by H. E. Signor Mameli, Director- rence, including exhibition and lec-
clear when we consider the quality should, however, add that, though General of Cultural Affairs at the tures. The Florence Festival of Music
most characteristic of humanity, peace is necessary for the de- Italian Foreign Office, and by and Opera, which co-incides with
namely the power p {knowing, the velopment of the mind, a huma- Signor Alberto de Clementi, Italian Unesco's Conference is to include a
intelligence. nistic training of thp mind is today delegate to Unesco. Theatre Festival, from May 25th to
June 13th, at which Italian, British
and French companies will perform.
UNESCOCOURIER-Page 6

that many of my friends in America and

England were listening. In a few mi-
nutes, however, I lost every trace of
"LEADERS OF WORLD self-consciousness as Mr. Vishinsky's
Russian carried me away by its sheer
beauty, force, and richness of expression.
ORGANIZATIONS MUST Latin quotations, Russian proverbs, even
Shakespearian poetry, were utilized for
OVERCOME INVISIBLE the purposes of his attack on the
British and the American positions.
Next day I was startled by the press
OBSTACLES IN THEIR reactions. I myself even received some
fan mail : a couple of letters that
WORK FOR PEACE' denounced me as a Communist for
having interpreted the speech with such
fervor, and another one that praised me
for same. I realized then how unneces-
HOWthreat canofit war, whenbe
possibly allthat
the there
peoples of the
is talk world
of war andwant
the sarily vitriolic, aggressive, and offensive
peace ? Neverbefore has the primordial horror of war the address was when translated : in
appearedin an uglier shape. Yet-never before hasman had, Mr. TrygveLie. SecretaryGene- fact, how ill-adapted was the Russian,'
M. JaimeTorresBodet,Direc- within the reachof his arm, greater power for the achievement ral of the United Nations oratorical style to delivery in a foreign
tor-Generalof Unesco of a better, happier and nobler life. Why, then, is there need
to.. work"for peace-to"fij (ht"for peace? tongue. It was not the language-itself,
This staggeringparadoxis not simple to resolve.'To"save succeedinggenerationsfrom the scourgeof war". the peoples of the
earth entrusted their dream of peaceto the United Nationsandits relatedagencies.Theseagencies,by practicaldaily work,are striving
to build a moresecuresociety. One of them. UNESCO,especiallyconcernedwith eradicatingthe ignorance,fear, suspicionand hostility
which permit war andaccompany war, is openingthe Fifth Sessionof its GeneralConferencein Florence Italy, this month. The General
Conferencehasbeenaskedurgently by its ExecutiveBoardto consider action designed"to nab ! eUNESCO, as an organization
of states,to
contributevigorously, in thepresentas well as in thefuture,to the UnitedNationsmissionof peace".
One of the known obstaclesto peaceis the actuallack of comprehensionbetweenpeoplesandbetweentheir spokesmen, which are des-
cribed in the article on this page."They Don't Do it Our Way"was written for UNESCOby Dr. InaTelberg. employedduring 1947
and 1948 assimultaneousinterpreter for the United Nations. Dr. Telberg, sociologistand anthropologist,haslived and worked in the
United States,the Soviet Union, India and France.

with the Soviet Government. Mr. Vi-

ted proves that women can be more than decorative-they shinsky, for example, most noted for
this type of oration, was born, trained,
"W HAT
,With
call the
also beDistinguished LarJy Representative has just sugges-
useful." this jovial and had had considerable success as
remark, a United States Delegate looked at
trial lawyer and political orator, long however, that was the obstacle. It was
his Soviet Colleague in the Population Commission of the United Nations before the establishment of the Soviet the tradition behind the language ; what
and awaited a smile of response. None came. The Russian sat stiff and Government. I have since learned to call speech eti-
unsmiling. In Russia there are no jokes about women drivers or women It was in November, 1946, that I was quette..-
flown to Lake Success from the
delegates, so beloved by the Americans. The Russian conception of
Nurnberg Trials. I was tired, sleepy, and
courtesy, therefore, forbade the Soviet Delegate to do anything but freeze a stranger to the United Nations. On Settling A"Grave"Issue
into a silent disapproval. The well-meaning American attempt to find November 15th Vishinsky was deliver-
common ground by means of a joke thus increased, rather than decreased, ing his now-famous veto speech in the
the psychological distance between the two delegations. Political Committee at Lake Success. A THE from employing
Latins, on thesarcasm, prefer far
other hand, to
regular interpreter failed, and I was sprinkle their speeches with a
The foregoing instance of a difference tient-an Eastern European Delegate, liberal amount of poetic imagery, meta-
in the sense of humour illustrates one in whose country people eat when the rushed to the microphone in the middle
of the speech. I remember how my physical expressions, and literary allu-
of the aspects involved in the problem inclination moves them and every sions.
of cross-cultural understanding, which voice trembled when I first began to
family follows its own individual time- speak. I knew that I was on the air, and During the General Assembly meet-
is today preoccupying social scientists table.
and which may well affect every
individual's day-by-day life. What the "Why, indeed ?" placidly inquires
social scientists mean by culture is not the Far Eastern representative, hailing THE WORLD LAUGHS AT DIFFERE
the arts of a nation, in the sense of from a country where life and time are
conceived as a continuous stream, with PARIS
painting, sculpture, or poetry, but the
totality of the patterns of thinking and no man being indispensable, with no
acting transmitted through generations life-process needing to be interrupted
from father to son, and absorbed, with for any human being, and where
deviations and in varying degrees, by all members of electoral bodies walk in and
participants in the life of the nation. out of the room quietly, getting a bite to
So deeply rooted is our cultural eat when necessary, talking to a friend
when pleasant ; but where meetings,
heritage that we are rarely conscious of
it. To us, it is the"human"way of theatre performances, and other arrang-
behaving, the"natural", the proper and ed affairs last without interruption for
the expected. Any other behaviour we hours on end, while individuals come
are apt to consider"difficult","pecu- and go, are replaced by others, meditate
or participate as the occasion requires,
liar","unreasonable", or"unpredic-
table".. tao social anthropologists, without undue strain, stress, or nervous
however, each culture has its own inner tension.
consistency, its own inherent order, As one or the other group persists in
which makes it, in a lesser or greater its own conception of the time per-
measure, workable, predictable, and spective, as the Anglo-Saxons demand
comprehensible. that the duration of meetings and
conferences be fixed in advance and
that meals be taken regularly at fixed INVASION,-"Another Americanautomobile."(Carretour.) "I don't think she even
One Man's Meal...
hours, and as the Russians sit irritated
and the Latins puzzled and the Secre-
tariat frantic-as this condition MOSCOW
ONE largelyof the unconscious,
most deeply features
rooted, andof
continues, mutual friction grows, mur-
any culture is what the psychol-
murs of"unreasonableness"are heard
ogists call the time perspective. Within around the room ; and, when the issue
the United Nations, at least three diffe-
rent time perspectives operate. under discussion is an important one,
overt accusations are hurled across the
"Gentlemen, it is time for lunch, we room of,"insincerity",., lack of a
must adjourn", announces the Anglo- serious approach to the problem", and
Saxon chairman, in the unabashed belief even"sabotage".
that having three meals a day at regular
hours is the proper way for mankind to
exist. Irony Or Poetry
"But why ? We haven't finished what
we were doing", replies-in a puzzled
manner that grows rapidly more impa- rooted frequent
ANOTHER deeply insource
the cultural dif-
of irritation,
ferences among nations, is the
length and the style of oration.
The Latins are usually accused of
unnecessary length and of equally
unnecessary flights of poetic fancy. The
Russians are disliked both for the length
"SorryI'm late. I thoughtI'd beeninvited to a conferences." "Goodevening-us
of their speeches and for the irony and (Kiokodil.)
sarcasm of the speeches'content. The
utilization of irony in political speeches
is a long-standing tradition of public EVEN DIFFERENCESIN HUMOUR CAN SOMETIMESINCREASE RATHER THAN DECREJ
(FROM"RACES OFGENE
MANKIND"BY
WELT RUTH
WISH), BENEDICT
AND oratory in Russia. It has nothing to do BETWEENPEOPLEFROM DIFFERENTCOUNTRIES

by
Ina TELBERG
ings in Paris, a Latin-American dele-
'gate pleaded for the inclusion of the
phrase,"from the cradLe to the grave",
in the Article of the Declaration of
Human Rights dealing with social secur-
ity. He wanted to insure that a worker,
or, rather, a citizen, should be covered
by measures of social protection in just
'that manner : from the cradle to the
grave. He meant precisely, literally,
what he said.
"Such phrases have no place in a
serious document", pronounced a West-
,, ern European delegate.
"But the DecLaration shouLd be beau-
ti. fuHt/ worded", argued another Latin
,delegate.
,"It's a. legal document-not a
poem", muttered a Benelux member.
A member of the United States Deleg-
ation whispered darkly into a neigh-
bor's ear :
"Why not'from womb to tomb' ? At
least it rhymes !"
Before the final text of the Article
was settled upon, several other poetical
versions were suggested. Some others,
quite unprintable, shortly made the
rounds of the corridors outside the
conference rooms.
IT THINGS
NEW YORK
eyeDbeginsto graspSartre." (NewYorker.)
LONDON
his 24 MertorlStreet
?" (LondonOpinion.)
:ASE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE
S.
Latin-American Way
His oratory and the
difference time the
in both concept
styleswas
of
once forcefully brought to, the
attention of the Assembly at the meet-
ing of the Social Committee in Paris.
There, a Cuban delegate, tired of
constant interruptions from the Chair-
man of the speeches of his Latin-Am-
erican colleagues, pleaded that :
"Not being all Nordics and Anglo-
Sa. rons, tue cannot fit into the pattern
of brevity, terseness, and conciseness
which you demand of us, Mr. Chairman.
Such patterns befit the Northerners, but
we like an orator to be imaginative,
emotional, moving... From our point of
view we are not deviating from the
substance of the matter, as it is our way
of dealing with the matter."
English-language speeches,conversely,
fall flat on both the Slav and the Latin
ear. English understatements-and
almost all English language speeches
are understatements from the Slav and
the Latin points of view-need to be
interpreted with particular skill into
Spanish and Russian, if they are to be
convincing. Rendered into Russian,
they particularly lack emphasis,
although there are some notable excep-
tions.
Ii is, for instance, impossible for any
of Sir Carl Berendson's remarks to lack
emphasis. It is equally impossible for
Mrs. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India
to be either misunderstood or unappre-
ciated when she speaks in English and
is simultaneously interpreted into Spa-
nish, French, Russian, and Chinese.
These rare combinations in the same
speaker, however, of Latin fire, Russian
irony, and Anglo-Saxon precision are
exceptions to the rule.
Hospitality May
Cause Hostility
STILLof another
cross-cultural
aspect ofunderstanding
the problem
which looms large on the inter-
national scene lies in the differing
concepts of hospitality. When a social
anthropologist enters a new area his
first project usually consists in fam-
iliarizing himself with the hospitality
patterns prevailing within the group he
has come to study. The understanding
of such patterns provides him with a
key to social intercourse. In the United
Nations, differing concepts of hospital-
ity as between the East and the West
have been noted by this observer as
contributing to increasing coolness bet-
ween Delegations, and even as being
subject to sinister interpretations.
I remember the party at which this
was first brought home to me. It was
an afternoon when the American Deleg-
ation was host to other Delegations,
and the cocktail lounge was filling
rapidly as meeting after meeting was
breaking up. The bar was crowded with
trays of hors d'oeuvres, ice-bowls, and
bottles. The Delegates were jostling
one another, pushing jovially,'shouting
their orders at the servers. The Russians
stood stiffly, not touching either food or
drink. I tried to get one of the Soviet
Delegates a glass of vodka, but he
clutched any sleeve in an agony of
embarrassment.
"No, no, you mustn't. How can you ?..
It is not pottte..."
No Russian will take drink or food
offered by others unless he is repeatedly
and urgently pressed to do so, by his
hosts. This, like. the demands of platform
eloquence, has nothing to do with the
Soviets. This is a matter of the Russian
"culture", the code of behavior that is
part of the total pattern of living, and
has been for ages past. To disregard
it, in the giving and receiving of hospi-
tality, is a sign of immodesty, forward-
ness, rudeness, and, in general, extre-
mely bad manners. The Russians left
this party early ; as inter-cultural hos-
pitality, it was not a success.
This strict code has its other side
also : just as the guest can take
refreshments only from his host, so
the host must offer his hospitality
repeatedly before it is accepted. The
casual patterns of American hospitality,
administered with jcvial good humor,
have no counterpart in Russia. There,
the first offer of food or drink is merely
perfunctory ; it is only when the second,
third, fourth, and fifth come that the
Russian knows he is welcomed. This
phase of Russian culture has on occasion
been satirized by various Russian
writers, the most noted example being
Krylev's"Demian's Fish-chowder".
In that story, the guest is pressed to eat
and drink to the point where in despe-
ration he grabs his hat and flees. I have
also heard repeated complaints and
even sinister interpretations of this
Russian custom, from American visitors
to Russia. A number of diplomatic
memoirs mention that Russians press
food and drink on their guests while
eating sparingly, and drinking even less,
themselves. That, of course, is quite
true. But hospitality offered in the
casual Western manner can only mean
a studied insult to a Russian.
The Origin Of Man
LIFE different
itself iscultures. To die of
prized differently in
peaceful old age is the ideal
life pattern in some parts of the world.
Death for a country or an ideal is the
desirable social behavior in others.
Nowhere have these differences been
made so manifest as in the drafting of
the Declaration of Human Rights.
"Man is of divine origin, endowed by
nature with reason and conscience",
argued several Latin-American dele-
gates.
"At life is of divine origin, not only
human life", a representative of a
Buddhist state murmured gently."Is
it not vanity to attribute divine origin
to human life alone ?"
"Man is not divine. He is rooted in
the very land he tills, in the soil that
Page7-UNESCO COUR) ER
bred him", once stated an Eastern
European Delegate from a preponder-
antly agricultural area. The Soviets
suggested tactfully that science had
reservations on the whole subject. The
Anglo-Saxon bloc, evidently not quite
definite on the subject of human divi-
nity, kept still.
,''t.,-<
Confusion Over China
HUMOUR providedreliefby isthenotvery cultural
infrequently
differences that are usually so
productive of misunderstandings.
On one occasion, a misunderstanding
was particularly startling :
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, let us not act
in this matter live an elephant in a china
shop !"
As this remark was being rendered
from the Russian into English, a lan-
guage in which the Chinese Delegate
was following proceedings, he promptly
raised his hand.
"Mr. Chairman, I should life the
Soviet Delegate to explain just what
China has to do with his objections".
"Mr. Chairman, I said nothing
whatever about China. The Chinese
Delegate must have misunderstood".
"Mr. Chairman, I distinctly heard my
country mentioned. I request an e. rpta-
nation".
To the social scientist, misunder-
standings such as those cited here are
less humorous ones than they are tragic
and deplorable. In a world already
strained with conflicting economic in-
terests and political ambitions, misun-
derstandings based on cross-cultural
ignorance can scarcely be excused. The
social sciences of today-social psy-
chology, cultural anthropology, sociol-
ogy-provide tools for interpreting and
gauging human behavior, regardless of
how alien a culture may be. During
the war, these tools were used, many
with quite startling success, in psychol-
ogical warfare. They can be used for
peace as well.
Anyonecan learn any language,but interns-
tional understanding
requiresmorethana mere
knowledge01 tongues.
("FROM PEOPLES
OFTHEEART"BY EDWINR.EMBREE).
UNESCOCOURIER-Page 8

MEN AGAINST THE DESERT

Ritchie Calder.
Editor of the Science
London
News Chronicle. re-
cently returned from a per-
sonal survey, carried out in
collaboration with the Na-
tural Sciences Department
of Unesco, of the work
going on to reclaim the
deserts of North Africa and,
the Middle East for human
use.
In its last two issues, the
"Courier"reprinted some
of the articles written by him
during his 15. 500 mile jour-
POSTSCRIPT TO A MISSION
ney, which were distribut-
ed to newspapers through-
out the world. By Ritchie CALDER
On this page is reprinted Science Editor, LondonÞ News Chronicle
the last of the"Men Against
* They not only believe, but are doing, acting
the Desert"articles in which not only in faith and knowledge, but from
"The immediatechallenge results.
Ritchie Caller. cabling from is that of the man-made From here in a forest look-out post, pinnac-
desert. What man has led 2,000 ft., I see below my"sandtable",
Cyprus, sketches some im- done,mancanby brains
and sweat undo."Effi- Cyprus is not arid but the wet season rains are
pressions of his eleven cient
dent dammingcontrols a curse as well as a blessing. The unchecked
water-flow makesnavi- run-off scours the mountains leaving naked
weeks tour against the back- gationeasierand saves
valuable land for culti- rock, rips great gullies in her fertile soil and
vation.Butthisis a rare flushes silt into the Mediterranean.
ground of an island where example. Only too often
riversare allowedto go A grilling summer sun scorches the island
men are winning the battle as they please,erodefer- and burns the sand to dust. Man's wanton-
tile land,rise in floodand ness through the centuries has aided the
against the desert. cut communications.
(Photos: IndianAir Sur- process of turning this rich island to desert.
veryand TransportLtd.)
vey But in the last twenty years man has
begun to make amends. Forest experts,
soil conservators, water engineers and the
to wage war against the desert itself suggested to me British administration are carrying out in
IN thatLibya an Eighth
in order Armydesert
to study veteranproblems
who hadschoolchildren
stayed behind concentrated form measures I have seen put
should construct sandtables-model terrain like those used into action at various points throughout the
by the Army when planning operations. journey.
Fans could act as prevailing winds (reproducing wind , From the pinnacle I see grim reminders :
erosion and advancing dunes overwhelming oases), water Bald mountains, deep scars, gully erosion.
trickles could show wadhi erosion, and matchsticks form But I see also green hope-cropped plains
windbreaks, etc. watered by the harnessed wadhis, groves of
On a larger scale Cyprus could be my sandtable. An olives, carobs and vine, The panorama is of
island. half the size of Wales, it provides in miniature not fields contour-ploughed on the slopes to check
only desert conditions but what can be done about them. soil sluicing, and terraces like great window-
That is why from next month a soil-conservation confe- boxes on the steeper hillsides.
rence will be held by all Middle East countries to discuss The marching dunes are now manacled by
and see how deserts can be arrested. binding vegetation. But most significant are
On my journey I have seen two categories of desert- the infant forests on the ranges below me.
climatic and man-made. The climatic desert is found Bare five years ago, ravaged by fuel-gatherers
where rainfall is too low to sustain vegetation. Even that and goats.
is not hopeless when you remember Saharan scientists Wood was the only fuel for the islanders.
saying"We are walking on water." Limekilns, looking from the pinnacle like
Underground lakes and underground rivers are await- young volcanoes, were stoked with trees until
ing tapping,"Microclimate"-dew precipitation-is not the law made oilftring compulsory.
properly understood and not exploited.
Remember the dew-mounds, heaps of pebbles which sus-
tained civilization centuries ago in barren sun-scorched Nature Reasserts Herself
Negev, where there is less than four inches of annual
rain. No, no, climatic deserts are not hopeless. reasserting self-generating-nature
herself. The cypresses of
PLANTED, is
Cyprus are being reborn. The deserts are
Ten Men Who Be ! ieve blosssoming here because Cyprus has checked wandering men, wandering
goats, wandering sand and wandering winds.
All through the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East I have
man has done man can by brains and sweat undo. seen men triumphing against the desert. I have learned countless lessons
BUT One the moonlight
immediate night
challenge is that plateau
on a desert of the man-made desert. What
above the Kasserine Gap, and found abundant hope.
Charles Sausmagne, Tunisian Inspector-General, a veteran Man Against Eagerly, scientists are grappling with the desert. They have welcomed
the Desert, said to me : Unesco's proposed international co-operation and exchange and Unesco's
"Tell me that there are ten men in the world who believe the desert campaign to remind the world of the forgotten Men against the Desert.
can be made to bear fruit and will redeem the stupidities 01 mankind,
and I will dine happy."
Now I can give him not ten but hundreds-men and women whom I
know by name slaving sacrificially in the desert.
A JOURNEY ENDS-ITS LESSONS CONTINUE

at Croydon Airport, London, when he landed there on the 30th March

One country where important victories have been won by men over the desert
is Palestine. Hard work by the desert"soldiers"-colonists
shepherd (above)-has transformed former arid ground into flourishing fruit
groves and lush grazing ground.
THERE was 2a months
after his crowd oflong
school boysjourney.
desert waiting toPupils
welcomeof Ritchie Calder
15000English
schools, and millions of readers in 28 countries have followed his 15,500
mile trek from Beni Abbes in Algeria, along the North African coastline
to Egypt, Baghdad and Teheran, to the new Israel, and finally to Cyprus.
Man's fight against the desert in the vast water-starved areas of North
Africa and the Near East was the theme of his message. His running
commentaries from scienceoutposts and field-stations captured the imagi-
nation of readers of some 40 publications in many countries which
published the Calder desert story. Sixteen thousand letters, mainly from
school boys, testify to the interest this project has already aroused.
The"Men Against the Desert"project was something more than an
important journalistic reportage ; it also introduced a novel aspect in
modern journalism-its direct utilization in schools and adult education
classes.
It was a co-operative enterprise, for whose success,Unesco,the United
Kingdom National Commission, the British Ministry of Education, the
London News Chronicle and many other publications-including esperan-
tist-have made important contributions.
Now the desert traveller is home again, but the material he and his
photographer collected has as yet, been far from fully utilized. Film-
strips to teach geography, history, classics, and religious history will be
made in co-operation with the English National Committee for Visual
Aids in Education.
Further articles will be written and lectures given on the subject, and
there is material enough for a book on the desert journey.
Tne Calder reportage, undertaken on the initiative of Unesco, shows
how journalists can serve Unesco'saims-by making man's fight against
a hostile environment known and understood, by showing how modern
scienceserves man in popularising the theme of"Food and People", and
explaining how other people live.
Above all, the"Men Against the Desert"articles are testimony of the
every-day drama and heroism which accompany man's progress-often
like this Jewish slow and painful-through education science and culture.
 Page9-UNESCO COURIER

ORUGOAY IS BIJI1DING NEWEST

'\.

LATIN AMERMAN SCIENCE MBSEBM

teach through visual edu- ment", will reveal the

cation-use of objects in changes man has made in
three dimensions-they can nature through such applied
reach an classes of people sciences as electricity, optics,
However, the important thing photography and atomic
is that the exhibits convej) energy. Modern industry in
ideas and thus serve in the Uruguay will be represented
interpretation of facts and by scale models of national
principLes which are found refrigerator plants, oil refi-
most difficuLt to convey n e r i e s and hydroelectric
through the written word. power systems.
One has to see to understand.
Museums of science of this
type, designed for and sup- Mature On Display
ported by the community,
will soon become among the
A SECOND
m museumdivision
will ofdepict
the
Montevideo's'Science and ModernMan"Museum is to be installedin the city'smagnificent PalacioMuni- most important institution !
cipal (City Hall). Intendedas a centrefor the popularizationof sciencein Uruguay,the museumwill be of civiLized people". nature and natural prin-
housedin the wing shownon the right of the architect'sdrawing(above). ciples with special emphasis
In this museum self-ope- on Uruguay. Here will be
One important reason for rating exhibits consisting of demonstrated growth in
spreading the scientific way animated panel displays will plants and animals, repro-
for its great
MONTEVIDEO, modern
capital city hospital and its
of Uruguay, schools
already of
noted of thinking in the modern present highlights of the phy- duction and race preserva-
engineering and architecture, is soon to have one world is to ensure a rational sical sciences under such
of the most modern science museums in Latin America. tion, and the distribution of
approach to social problems. titles as,"The Sun, Source of living things. To illustrate
With the general theme of"Science and Modern Man", A science museum is an An Power","What is Mat- the latter, a series of habitat
this new museum, to be housed in the magnificent Palacio instrument whereby this ter ?"and"'The Water Cy- groups or small dioramas will
Municipal, will be the country's centre for the populariza- kind of general knowledge cte". show Uruguayan plant and
tion of science. about science can be diffu- A series of small models, animal life in such biological
sed. similar to those in The zones as sea-coast, open
The idea for this modern museum of science was
Franklin Institute in Philadel- forest and grasslands.
conceived in talks between members of Montevideo's See and Understand
phia, demonstrating magnets, Climaxing these exhibits in
Municipal Commission of Culture and Dr. A. Establier, conductors, pendulums, etc., an adjacent hall will be a
Head of Unesco's Field Science Office for Latin America. MR. ting STEPHEN section on the biology of man.
aboutTHOMAS, Wri- which can be operated by the
the impor-
Through Unesco's Division for the Popularization of tance of such institu- visitor, will show some of the Here will be displayed models
Science, technical assistance was given on all aspects of tions, said : *'Museums are natural laws of physics. From showing the functions of the
planning. Mr W. Stephen Thomas, Director of the not merely p I ace s for this point displays will de- human body as well as food,
Rochester Museum of Natural History, at the request of preservation of-specimens, monstrate the relationship of human diseases and a series
Unesco, acted as consultant. and thus static and inert, they mathematics to other scien- of special exhibits on the
o : re active and alive. They ces ; potential and kinetic cultural progress of man.
exhibit material in an attrac- energy ; primitive tools and This museum is a tribute
tive and lively manner, and mechanisms, and finally, mo- to the enlightened Uruguyan
at the same time carry or dern mechanisms as applica- attitude towards science and
extensive educational pro- tions of simple machines. constitutes an example of
grammes. One section with the theme how Unesco helps to translate
"Because such museums "Man Controls His Environ- ideas into realities.
THE LESSON BECAME A CRUSADE

a number of public eating places were unsatisfactory.

IN Eacha certain United States
day newspapers city hygienic
published articles conditions in
and letters
on the need for a"clean-up". Finally, however, it was
the students of a class in 9th year Health Biology who
went into action and brought about a great improvement
in the standard of sanitation.
How the. se students did it as a regular part of their
school activity is told by John S. Richardson in a report
sp. ecially written for Unesco's Division for the Dissemi-
nation of Science (Introduction of Experimental Science
in the Elementary and Secondary Schools of the United
States. UNESCOjNSjPSIj9).

"The newspaper accounts", strained them and identified

writes Mr. Richardson,"were some of the more common
brought to class each day types.
and analyzed for facts and
assumptions. Finally the class "Many periods were spent in
accepted and defined three or recording, organizing and in-
four of the most significant terpreting the evidence. Re-
problems. These problems ports were formulated and
dealt with the cleanliness of criticized in class and conclu-
hamburger shops, soda noun- SIons relating to the stated
tains and the like. problems were drawn.
"In the processof discussion.
the students had to arrive at CLEAN UP OR CLOSE UP
definitions as to what consti-
tutes cleanliness. They decid-
ed that the one way to get
information was by observa- ing andthe
PERHAPS significant out-
most interest-
tion and experiment. Sterile come occurred when the THE CAUSE OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
culture plates were made, and class decided without thp This photo,exclusiveto Unescoand suppliedby the Universityof Lyons, France,is dramaticproof
then students set out to expose knowledge of the teacher to of what modernsciencecan achievein the fight againstdisease.After five monthsof intensivework,
the culture plates to the air take some action. This action scientistsat the FrenchInstituteof Foot and MouthDisease,in Lyons,isolatedand photographed for
in the. eating places. took the form of letters the first time this virus, the micro-organism responsiblefor the diseasewhich each year causes
written to local papers, all of immenselossesto the world's livestocksupplies.Virusesare responsiblefor such diseasesas small-
which were published, and pox, yellow fever,poliomyelitis,influenzaand the commoncold. The foot and mouthdiseasevirus,
others were written to p : aces however,is the smallestthat scientistshave ever had to deal with. It has a diameterof about 20
EVIDENCE BY FLASHLIGHT to 30 millionthsof a micron,a micronbeing one thousandthof a millimetre. Comparedwith it, the
that had been found to be un- virusesof influenzaandfowl pestare ados ! tentimesbigger. To.discoverit the Frenchscientistsused
sanitary, threatening boycott the electron-microscope, and in. the above photographthe virus is enlarged42.000times. In the
from attendants expose unlesscertain practices of good circleappearat leastten of the virus of Footand MouthDisease.
PERMISSION was to
obtained sanitation, which were set
the cloths with which
they wiped the counters. The forth in the letter, were insti-
cleanliness of the attendants' tuted.
ciothing as well as their hands "The result was a very sharp
and finger nails was noted. and observable clean-up OJ TWO YEW UNE : ECO
The students checkedthe state almost all of the local ham-
of floors, and took cultures of burger and soda places which
dishes that had been washed. were frequented by the stu- i
Two boys even went to a dents.
popular hamburger shop after This Report is the first in a service are requested to write for informa-
closing hours and obtained a series intended to stimulate
l1ashlight picture through the discussion on the responsible UNESCO'S
tion of Science
Division(Natural
for theSciences
Populariza-
De- tion to UNESCO.
window of food on the counter An arrangement has also been made
inside. and difficult task of"teaching partment) has obtained the rights
for thinking". One of the best with Cornell University, waiving fees on
"Cultures were propp. rly ways of doing this seemsto be for the distribution of articles appearing
grown and compared with to make the pupils actively in the British science journal.'DISCO- the Cornell Rural School Leaflet which,
"ontro] cultures. The students acquainted with the scientific
asked that a bacteriologist VERY". through UNESCO, can be made available
from the county health de- approach to things. in any country.
partment come to the class A second report."The These leaflets are world-famous for the
and examine their evidence Teaching of Science in These are to be distributed on an exclu-
and help them identify some Elementary and secondary sive basis, for a preliminary test period, to simple and intimate manner in which they
of the bacteria on the plates. Schools in Switzerland" (UN- science magazines in other parts of the enable science to be taught, often with the
They made pure cultures of ESCO/NS PSI/10.) is also
some of the bacterial strains, available on request to Unesco. world. Science journals interested in this sole use of everyday objects.
UNESCO COURIER - Page 10

THE ART FILM

IN ITALY

Thus, in a second type of document- ducers, Emmer and Gras, struck

ary, works of art were compared with out along completely new lines by
the actual landscapes that inspired treating the picture not as an indivi-
them. A typical film of this kind was sible whole, but as an object whose
the fine documentary on the work of qualities can be brought out brilliant-
the 18th Century Italian engraver ly by the film through skilful cutting.
Piraneso, produced over 15 years ago. In earlier types of documentary art
film, the commentary was of no ar-
tistic value, while the musical ac-
An Interpretative School companiment was meaningless, bearing
no aesthetic relationship to the subject
treated.
E second technique is obviously a
marked improvement on the first. Each of Emmer's films (BotticeUi,
Greater life is infused into the film Giotto, Beato, Angelico, Carpaccio,
by this alternation between the work of Bosch) has music specially composed
art and the source of its actual inspi- for it, whilst the commentary is
ration. Some idea of movement- usually spoken by artists, who bring
though of the simplest kind-is also to the task their imagination and
introduced, and the canons of cinema special knowledge.
art are thus more faithfully observed
than in the case of mere inert photo- This new development has spread
abroad, and in France, England and
graphy.
America, many producers now use
In 1940, however, two young pro- Emmer's methods for documentaries
on paintings. This is a triumph of
rHE BIRTH OF A WORK OF ART AND HOW film technique and one of the most
IT TAKES FORM IN THE ARTIST'S MAGI- interesting contemporary experiments
NATION ARE CLEARLY REVEALED IN THE in the interpretation of one art in
ITALIAN ART FILM BASED ON"THE DEPO- terms of another.
SITION", BY RAPHAEL, This painting.
(left) with Ra-
drawing of the
ame
s subject
(right) was cho-
TODAYand understand
more people art, than
thankseverto before
the cinema. The recent
are learning both rapid and
to enjoy sen by the Studio
widely international development of art films was demonstrated Italiano di Stor a
last February, for example, at the Second International Congress of dell'Arte, in Flo-.
rence, for its ini-
Art Films in Brussels. Delegates were able to see and judge over 40 films lial production.
produced in 15 countries since 1948, The first part of
Although the production of art films in many of these countries the film, in which
the history of
is a comparatively new development, it dates back in Italy to the 1920's the painting is
when the producer Bragaglia made a documentary on the Etruscan narrated is an
city of Tarquinia. attempt to show
it is possible to
Most of the early films, however, were intended. to serve educa- ßuggestively re-
tional purposes ; they were not conceived by artists and made no claim construct an his.
to being artistic productions. toric evolution in
visual.t e r m s.
Among the first Italian efforts was a series of films which brought The painting is
to the screen the works of such celebrated Italian masters as Titian, analysed in a
Tintoretto and Paolo Uccello. series of inge-
mious s hot s
which reproduce
A"Dead-End"Technique for the spectator
the complex vi-
sual operations
THIS whichwas told àn"art album"approach to the production of art films which were in-
no.'story"and thus constituted a kind of"dead-end" volved in its
with little prospect of development. The real future lay in films creation.
having an aesthetic appeal of their own, in addition to presenting a
succession of photographs of paintings, statues and monuments.

i8 our Town", a film on Human UNITED STATES Medical

. Film Institute of iXe
Rights-has just been re- American Association of Jledi-
OF AMERICA cal Colleges.'
leased for general distribution
in all Canadian cinemas. * Hollywood film circles fav-
our the setting up of a special
URUGUAY
EGYPT committee to co-operate with
the United States National Com-
* Enrico Gras, who worked
mission for Unesco, in the with Luciano Emmer on the
* Aldo Salvi and the Ahram attainment of the Organization's
studio have made, a document- production of such famous art
aims.
ary on the Monasteries of films as"II dramma di Cristo",
fount Sinai, with commentaries * A 30-minute film entitled "La Leggenda ùi S. Orsota",
in several languages. "Challenge : Science against "Romantici a Venezia", and
Cancer"has had its première in "Storia del Paradiso Terrestre",
. Vew York. This film was has emigrated to South Ame-
FRANCE planned jointly by the Canadian rica, and has just completed a
National film Board and the documentary in Uruguay.
HOW AN ART FILM IS MADE. This photo shows the shooting of"The * French painting from Renoir
World of the Greeks"by the Italian producers Cesare Ardolino and to Picasso is the subject of a
Gian-Luigi Polidoro. The equipment, known as a"boom", on which
the camera is mounted provides greater mobility in taking film shots, film now being completed in
and was beingof used
art here for the film
first in
time in the production of this type
Italy. France by Paul Haesaerts, the
co-producer of the famous art PROBLEMS OF THE MODERN THEATRE
film"Rubens",
UNESCO
* Having finished a film on discussed in German stage review
* Unesco's Film Division is preparing, in collaboration "Utrillo", Pierre Gaspard-Huit
has begun work on a docu-
with the World Health Organization, on international
mentary with "Verlaine" as its Theatre Technique" (Die Buehnentechnische
catalogue of films dealing with the physical and mental AFTER an interval of five years, the"Review of
abject. Rundschau) a two-monthly periodical, has now
well-being of children. Ttcenty-two films on paint-
The catalogue, to be issued this month, will comprise resumed publication in Berlin.
ing are at present being pro-
some 800 titles, with technical details and a summary oaf duced in france. It contains articles and illustrations on all technical
each film. aspects and problems of the modern theatre, from new
* The pupils of the IDHEC production techniques and stage-management to
* The Belgian producer, Henri Storck has been asked 'lnstitut des Hautes Etudes Ci-
lighting, as well as discussions of fundamental concep-
by the Technical Facilities Dicision of Unesco's Mass nématographiques) have made tions of the role of the theatre.
Communications Department to carry out an international a 20-minute film for the French
. Yational Institute of Security, The review is mainly concerned with the development
survey on the production and use of films for children. of an unadulterated style of theatrical production in
showing typical security mea-
sures observed by workers. Its which engineers, painters, architects and actors combine
AUSTRIA Church of St. Bavon in Ghent, title is : On te garde, garde- efforts to stage drama as one integrated work of art in
hare tll'ice been the object of toi" (YOu are being protected,
* In Austria, a film is being the fullest sense of the term.
thefts, Once a verger at the protect yourse1f).
prepared on the life of Freud, church stole one of the panels, Contributors to the first new issue include André
whose studies and discoreries Boll, the famous French theatre specialist who analyses
and during me last war the
laid the foundation of medical INDIA
Germans removed the whole problems of theatrical production and stage-style
psychology. ,set, which was later recovered against the background of the modern French theatre.
BELGIUM bY Allied troops from its hiding * Producers, distributors and The editor, Walter Unruh, is currently collecting
place in a salt mine.e. Caucin exhibitors have formed an In-
material on theatre reconstruction, architecture and
* Using as his subject the ad- previously made a film on the dian Film Federation.
ventures of a famous series of same paintinys, but of a strictly techniques in Germany for incorporation in a Theatre
paintings by the Van Eyck bro- Exhibition to be held in Paris next month in connection
documentary type. POLAND
thers,"L'agneau inystique", with the Third Congress of the Unesco-sponsored Inter-
Andre Caurin is making a film national Theatre Institute. Later in the year it is
CANADA
entitled"Cn chef-d'oeuvre re- * Poland is now producing planned to show this exhibition in other countries.
trouvé"'Recovery of a Master- * The Canadian National Film its own sound projectors for
Board production,"The lVorld i6 mm. films.
piece). The painting.., from the

For Ram
--
"ABSTRACTS"
are practical
N the little town of AdiIabad
I rural
Unesco,India,is a guiding
teacher, aided
both bya
seven-year-old boy and his 35-year-
old father along the road
reading and writing which leads to
more active, more creative and
happier lives.
Little Ram Chandra was eager
from the very beginning, but his
father had been apathetic."Why",
he asked"should a poor and igno-
rant man learn to read about the
great world outside this valley ?
Why should he puzzle his tired
brain over the poetry of a man
named Tagore ? What good is all
this to me-and what good will it
be to my son ?"
But the teacher persuaded the
father that there are good reasons for
both of them to learn to read and
write.-Soon, father and son will learn
from books the cause of the"strange''
illness which frequently hits their fa-
mily. They will know that dysentery
is caused by pol : uted water from the
old well on the North Road, or carried
by swarms of flies in their house.
And they will learn that it may be
checked, even in Adilabad.
Ram and his father are being taught
to read and write so that they may
improve their lives with such facts,
and others-how to build a chimney
and fireplace with mud, why their
courtyard space should be planted
with vegetables, and how reasonable it
is to learn handicraft and practical
trades.
Bugs On Paper
T) AM'S teacher
bring the world wants literacyabout
s experience
prenatal care and baby health
into the home of Ram's father and
mother. Many other useful, definite
objectives for the people of Adilabad
loom before this teacher as he labours
to eliminate illiteracy. Naturally, he
also wishes to bring cultural enjoyment
to Ram and his father, including the
poetry of Tagore. But first things
first.
Similar objectives are before teachers
in Southern Italy, Indonesia, Tunisia,
Chile and among Eskimos in Green-
land-wherever there is a person
working to help another comprehend
the"bugs on paper". These"whys"
of literacy work depend largely upon
the"how"it may be accomplished.
The tools are important, shaping
human lives. The published"tools"
of the world-wide literacy programme
are varied and they issue forth in a
flood of matter in many languages.
The Secretariat of Public Education
in Mexico City issues a book of 112 pa-
ges which is a"primer"for literacy
teachers of modest education. A Lon-
don publisher prints a series of book-
lets as follow-up reading for the
newly literate. The Northern Rhode-
sia Publicity Office makes a film-strip
available showing the"each one teach
cne"system of helping people learn to
read and write. And it goes on for
Char'era
EACH ONE TEACH ONE.-In
India, as in thoseother countries
where the problem of illiteracy is
greatest, there is a shortage01
trained teachers.
Fortunately, every
one who has at-
ready receivedso-
me instructioncan
help others to
learn reading and
writing. Thisph010
from the Centrul
Provincesof India
shows a Hindu lad
sharing his know-
ledge with some
Muslimfriends.
hundreds of pages, the roster of the
materials which can be obtained by
teachers.
in
Briefing By Unesco
of BUTonewhere
come isbythis
it iflist,
oneand
is ahow
teacher
does
in Adilabad or the mountains of
Chile ? The teacher of Ram Chandra
provides the answer. He studies each
month a folio of 12 pages or more
which is published by Unesco, at
Unesco House, in Paris, under the title,
"Fundamental Education Abstracts."
He is"briefed"in this folio on the
late t publishing and'film-making de-
velopments in the field of fundamental
education, just as doctors are kept
informed of scientific developments
through the printed abstr, acts which
circulate throughout the world.
Thumbing through one of these
folios, one finds that a report has been
published On the Development of
Broadcasting to Africans in Central
Africa."The actual schedule of one
week's programmes is included, along
with an analysis of difficulties and
progress. This is a technique which
can be useful in many rural areas
where the village gathers about one
The First Children's Republic in the
United States of America
"Founded by William R. George near
New York, this Republic comprises 247
acres of ground and about 10 houses...
to It has a Sag, a national anthem and a
national festival ; its citizens'ages range
from 6 to 18. Most of them come
from the poor districts of New York and
were pickpockets or horse thieves before
becoming free citIzens of the Republic.
But at Freetown they have neither the
desire nor the time to steal ; all their
energies are taken up with the adminis-
tration of their Republic."This was
how the Paris newspaper"Le Temps"
described this Children's Republic-the
first in the U.S.-in its issue of May 3,
1900.
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac
Although Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac
was born the son of poor peasants and
was obliged to teach himself mathema-
tics, his life was marked by an impres-
sive series of discoveries. Gay-Lussac
was one of the first great figures In
modern science, In both physics and
chemistry, and we owe to him the first
statement of the law of combination of
gases; the discovery of boron and boric
acid, cyanogen and prussic acid, and the
Invention of the siphon barometer.
When he died, on 9 May 1850,this great
French scientist had confirmed the
union of physics and chemistry.
José Santos Chocano
This Peruvian poet, born in wma on
14 May 1875,was one of the first to sing
of the natural beauties of America.
"Walt Whitman has the North", he used
to say,"but the South is mine". For
his first volume of poems which showed
radio to listen to the world.
And there is another study of work
among 250 illiterates of Rome."Self-
government within the group of youths,
and extensive use of the library are
marked features."
Unesco includes general publications
which are useful after literacy is
achieved. Among these are pamphlets
giving clear directions on how the
people of a village can save their soil
from erosion. Another is titled,
"Improving Our Community Homes".
There are lists of textbooks, and in-
structions for making educational
films. Of equal significance are lists
of works on community responsibilities
and the international aspects of mo-
dern citizenship. In each case the
source, price and ordering arrange-
ments are given, as well as-a brief
summary of the subject.
To Live Fuller Lives
cm A BSTRACTS"are
English, Spanish and printed in
French.
They are distributed to libra-
ries, teacher-training institutions, field
missions in fundamental education,
and other key locations throughout
the world where the data are of maxi-
ethappenedin
"IT wasGolden
just a Jubilee...
year This
agoisto day...
the centenary...
years ago...
The birthdays of a child, events in
women, commemoration of the births and
who have lit torches along the road of history, red-letter days marking
the advance of mankind-these are dates traditionally
trary system of reckoning which we call the calendar.
Not forgetting the unknown and unsung persons and events, perhaps
of equal greatness, making no claim at completeness, here are some note-
worthy dates in May, fifth month of the Gregorian calendar.
the influence of socialism, he was sent
to prison. Later on, freed from connec-
tions with any party or school, he tried
to bring together Spain and America in
his work ; he felt, he said, at once
"Indian and Spaniard, conquistador and
sun-worshipper".
Fl'idtjof Nansen
Nansen's exploits
as an athlete and
a Polar explorel
would alone have
won him fame, and
the popularity or
skiing and win teal
sports in general is
largely due to him.
He was, however.
above all, deeply
devoted to the
cause of justice
and peace. In 1918
he worked for the repatriation of pin-
soners of war, but three years later he
failed to persuade the League of Nations
to aid in famine rel1ef in Russia. He
therefore set to work with the help of
the Red Cross and with what govern-
ment assistance he could get. By em-
ploying all those who were ready to
assist, without distinction of creed or
party, he succeeded in saving the lives
of one and a half million people.
Awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1923,
and presented with the equivalent of its
value by a Danish publisher, Nansen
spent this money on founding mode]
farms in Russia. He was Norwegian de-
legate at Geneva; and later Ambassador
in London. He died on 13 May 1930,
Page I !-UNESCO COURIER
mum, immediate value. There,
teachers and field workers consult
"abstracts"and order the books, pam-
phlets, films or other materials essen-
tial for their programmes, or for fur-
thering their own technical know-
ledge.
A small staff of experts in Unesco
prepares materials, advises on lan-
guage problems and serves as a world
clearing-house for fundamental edu-
cation. They also publish four times
a year a Bulletin hi which typically
successful programmes are analyzed
and illustrated as examples. In one
recent Bulletin, a 13-page article by a
British administrative officer described
literacy, health, agricultural and con-
struction work among Nigerian tribes.
Others dealt with Indian, Egyptian,
Chinese and Latin-American program-
mes in fundamental education.
Unesco staff people also prepare
audio-visual devices and exhibits for
special field tours to demonstrate mo-
dern methods for speedier teaching.
All these services are organized to aid
the teacher and field worker"to help
men, and women to live fuller lives in
adjustment with their changing-envi-
ronment, to develop the best elements
in their own cultures, to enable them
to take their place in the modern
world, and to live together in peace."
may
Just about
It was ten years a thousand
ago... This is our
the lives of individual men and
deaths of men and women
noted in the arbi-
Robert Koch
A Prussian village doctor, Robert Koch,
studied the anthrax bacillus, following
Pasteur's methods, and was the first to
give a full account of that disease. In
1882 he announced to the Berlin Phy-
Siological Association his discovery of
the bacillus of tuberculosis, thus return-
ing to the traditional view of the
Hypocratic school on the contagious
nature of the illness Koch, who pur-
sued research untiringly, died 40 years
ago, on 27 May 1910,on his return from
a scientific expedition to the Indian
Archipelago and equatorial Africa.
The Interpretation of Dreams
Fifty years ago In
Vienna, Sigmund
Preud published
'Die Traumdeu-
tung"-the later-
pretation 01
dreams. This Aus-
trian professorwas
taking a bold step
in re-discovering
in the depths of
the sub-conscious,
the psychological
shocks experienced
ill early cniianooa. r'reud stresseathe
Importance of sexuality and drew at-
tention to the nervous disorders caused
by its repression. Since then his disco-
veries and conclusions have exercised a
continuing influence on psychiatry,
anthropology, sociology and education,
and have influenced a whole generation
of the world's artists and writers.
 UNESCO COURIER-Page) 12

ITALY REBUILDS

HER ART Mar i 0 b 0 S S I

five years ago a devastating war wrought desolation and ruin in

THE its traveller
slow progress in Italy
from to-day
Sicily tooften finds it difficult
the Alps. to believe that
Bridges have been rebuilt ; roads cleared of wreckage ; churches
repaired ; great works of art restored ; entire villages which were levelled
by German demolition or Allied bombing have sprung up again. In a
collective effort the Italians have laboured to rebuild their country and
its art treasures.
It has been a difficult job, complicated by the fact that many of the
casualties or war
were magnificent
monuments of the
past. Some of these
were lost for ever-
the Abbey of Monte
Cassino, the Santa
Trinita bridge, the
mediaeval palaces
near the Ponte
Vecchio in Florence.
But others, less During the fighC-ngin and around Florencemany oj the city's finest buildings,including
badly damaged, are the Uffizi Palace. home oj a pricelesscollectionot treasures,
artistic were badly damaged.
Today, experts are working in the celebrated restoration1laboratory at the Uffizi on the
being restored with delicate task 01 repairing the damage done to paintings and statues.
a competence that
does great credit to
Italian ingenuity. Allied Control Commission. This Museums revealed the tremendous
Restoration work branch, in turn, was aided by a spe- artistic and intrinsic value of the
cial committee for the protection of stolen property. The Danae of Titian
was undertaken im- works of art in war zones, oreated was missing, as were such master-
mediately after the under the auspices of the American pieces as the Parable of the Blind
war under the direc- Council of Learned Societies, which Men by Pieter Breughel, the Courtesan
tion of Professor for about two ydars had prepared Antea by Parmigianino, the Apollo
Ranuccio Bianchi- lits of monuments that ran the risk Citaredo, one of the most beautiful
Bandinelli, Director of being damaged. They were marked statues uncovered at Pompei, together
General of the Divi- with red circles on special maps dis- with the rich collection of Pompeian
tributed to Allied Airmen. jewellry. Meanwhile, in Berlin, exam-
sion of Fine Arts in bitions and celebrations had been
the Ministry of Edu- The Allied Armies were particularly organized to welcome the arrival of
cation. helpful to the Italians in connection Titian's Danae.
with the recovery of art treasures sto-
Everything p 0 s- len by the Germans and taken out of
sible has been done
Italy. The Germans at first exported Works of Art Come Home
to save as much of only works of art"bought"from
the original monu- private owners or antiquarians. But,
ments or painting as after the armistice between Italy and
possibly. Even small the Allies in September 1943, they WHENlin began, the stolen ofItalian
the mass-bombing Ber-
systematically removed works belong- art treasures were sent to one
fragments are re- of the AIt-Aussee salt mines near
turned to the place ing to public collections, under the
pretence of safeguarding them. Salzburg. The order was given in
where they originally March 1945, and the transfer was
belonged. Columns made by truck, in two stages because
too badly shattered of the heavy snow. The statues were
to hold the weight badly crated, The paintings had no
of a roof are rein- protection whatsoever. It has now
forced with concrete, been revealed that Italian intelli-
or with other devices gence officers, acting under specific
The competencewith which partially war damaged buildings orders, secretly followed the convoy
of modern architec- to its destination, and subsequently
ture, rather than are being restoreddoes great credit to Italian ingenuity. At
Bolzano,for example,where the cathedral roof (above) suffered turned in a full report to their govern-
replaced. Paintings, severe damage, the architectsand experts charged with its ment. This information was later
blown into torn frag- reconstruction were faeedwith the problemof buildingmaterial relayed to the Allied authorities.
ments, are being shortages, especially wood, when they began their work. As After the occupation of Western
the photo (right) shows, they overcame this by replacing the
restored to resemble ancientwoodenbeamswith reinforcedconcrete. Austria by the American Army, the
""mnh as nossible depot was taken over by officers of
art monuments. The blueprints for a the Army's Fine Arts Service and,
the originals ; whenever a part is later on, the works of art were trans-
missing its outline is indicated by new bridge of Santa Trinita await
only the approval of the Ministry of ferred to Munich and housed in the
dotted lines. Public Works. The quarters along the former headquarters of the Nazi
. Arno demolished by the Germans be- Party.
fore their retreat are quickly rising, Many art treasures stolen from Flo-
No"Counterfeiting"Allowed and they faithfully reproduce the ori- rence's galleries were similarly reco-
ginal. The Uffizi Gallery, where many vered. The Germans had stolen
of the Renaissance's most revered mas- 58 crates containing statues in marble
No to hide the damage or
attempt is made to repaint or the work terpieces are exhibited, has been and bronze, among them masterpieces
of restoration. Professor Bianchi- completely repaired. by Donatello and Michelangelo, plus
Bandinelli has too great a love for A share of the credit for this quick 26 crates of Greek sculpture. They
antiauities to allow what he considers revival must go to the Allied Armies, had also carried off 291 paintings,
counterfeiting. When a small part which co-operated with the Italians some of which were by Titian, Botti-
of an ancient edifice has to be recon- in making póssible the immediate celli, Raffaello, and Murillo, together
structed, and the new is hardly dis- with about 25 crates of smaller paint-
repair and restoration of works of art. ings. These were eventually found,
tinguishable from the original, the A great part of the preliminary work
date of restoration is engraved on was done through the Monuments, Exodus of Art Treasures reasonably intact, by Allied Forces in
every new stone. Fine Arts and Archives Branch of the north Italy and returned to their
rightful owners.
Of all Italian CitiM, Naples has done AT to the
a booklet
start o. written
she warby according
the pre- In spite of past achievements, much
the most, in proportion to the damage sent Minister of Education, remains still to be done.
suffered, to reorganize its great col- Guido Gonella-the art works of Plans drawn up by the Division of
lections of antiquities and art. Re- Naples'National Museum and of the Fine Arts of Italy's Education Mi-
construction has already been largely Gallery (Pinacoteca) were carried, nistry reflect Italy's determination to
completed on the Church of San together with other treasures of great restore or repair all destructions
Martino, the Floridiana, and the value belonging to churches, to three wrought by the war.
National and Pompeian Museums. depots far from any likely military
Epecially arduous has been the task objective : the Abbey of Cava dei
of restoring such beautiful landmarks Tirreni, the Convent of Mercogliano
as the cupola of the Gerolomini, the and the Abbey of Monte Cassino.
chapel of Sant'Anna dei Lombardi In order to convert the hill of Monte
and the crumbled columns of the Cassino into a fortress, the Germans
House of the Faun and the House of later emptied that enormous store
Edipo Rufo in Pompei. house and moved its contents north.
But by far the most difficult task The task was done by the German
has been the repairing of the terrible Service for the Protection of Works
destruction wrought upon Naples' of Art (Kunstschutz), which never
tolerated any interference by Italians.
Royal Palace, one of the most sump- Before reaching the North, these
tuous in Europe. To-day the palace
is once more almost in its pre-war art-objects were trucked from city to
condition, and the enormous salons city, loaded and unloaded. Many
have again been furnished as they suffered severe damage. A part of
were during the 122 years of foreign them was seized by paratroopers of
In Italy, art restorationhas been broughtto the Goering Division and secretly sent
occupation. The taste and mood of its highest level 01 skill and has become a to Berlin, as a tribute to their Mar-
the Spanish and French queens has task 01 the most modern kind of precise
been recaptured and reproduced with shall. The remainder was stored at
sciencecombinedwith the old intuitive arti- the Palazzo Venezia, Mussolini's for-
exquisite sensitivity. 3unship. Work being carried out today mer residence in Rome.
(above) in the UUizi Palace, Florence, is in
Florence is also making good progress the hand. of men who are probably the best Immediately after the liberation of
in the reconstruction of its destroyed scientists 01 their kind in the world. Rome, a check with the Neapolitan