One Man's Popeye

The United Nations were supposed to do all the talking about politics. UNESCO was to concern itself with culture. But last week in Mexico City, at UNESCO's second world conference, delegates wrangled heatedly over the politics of culture. Under heaviest fire were the culture and politics of the U.S.

Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, chief of the Indian delegation, began with some sarcastic comments on "the free flow of information" with which U.S. delegates say they would like to wash the world. It would just mean, said he, a flood of U.S. crossword puzzles, detective stories and comic books. India could get along nicely without such American cheap-jackery, thank you.

Cried Czechoslovakia's Dr. Adolf Hoffmeister: "A campaign of hatred has been launched against men of different faiths or colors--not merely if they are black, but especially if they are reds. This irresponsible freedom of misinformation is doing untold mischief. . . ."

Whose Culture? It was a tough knot to untangle. One man's information was another man's misinformation. Some found Popeye appealing, others thought him appalling.

Chief U.S. Delegate Bill Benton patiently tried to explain the U.S. viewpoint: "We believe in unrestricted mingling of cultures--mutual sharing on the basis of equality. [We don't] want to create one common culture which would standardize the entire world."

U.S. Delegate Lloyd Free wanted UNESCO to do something about exchange restrictions which narrow U.S. movie markets, and about political censorships which cut off the exchange of ideas.

English Lesson. When British Delegate J. B. Priestley joined the attack on the U.S., Delegate Free slapped down a copy of UNESCO's constitution, reminded him that one of its first points was a free press. Priestley, red-faced with Yorkshire wrath, roared: "I do not believe that a representative of the United Kingdom, in matters of freedom of expression, needs to receive lessons. ... I assure the delegate that I can read the English language as well as he can."

Australia helpfully suggested that since the English language was in dispute, everyone should talk Spanish. Up jumped Mexican Delegate Santiago de la Vega. His language had been insulted! No, shushed a colleague: it was a compliment, not an insult.

Even ever-optimistic Bill Benton was almost discouraged. Said he: "If the aim of UNESCO is not to attain greater and greater freedom of information, then it has no world objective and hence no justification for its existence."

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