Herald Tribune Youth Forum (1940s)

[Music] in the offices of the New York Carol Tribune one of America's leading newspapers the editor and two of his principal Executives planned the fifth annual forum for high school students this forum has brought to the United States over 100 students from 59 countries in a Asia Europe Africa and North and South America this year the Forum has invited 25 young people from the Middle East and from Southeast Asia each delegate was chosen through a competition held by the Ministry of Education in his own country based on an essay entitled the world we want delegates came to the United States from Burma Salon India Nepal Pakistan Indochina Indonesia Malaya Philippines Thailand Egypt Iran Iraq Israel Lebanon and Syria in New York the young delegates board a transport plane for Dallas in the state of Texas they will be piloted by members of a civilian flying organization later they will visit the Tennessee Valley Authority the capital at Washington and then we'll be guests of American fam and schools the visitors roundtrip passage to America was provided free by Transworld Airlines and Pan-American World Airways [Music] some of the students are surprised to see that Dallas had so many high buildings starting an active day in Dallas the visitors are on their way to see the offices of the Dallas Morning News the newspapers Motel emphasizes its faith and Truth fairness and integrity and acknowledges the right of the people to get from a newspaper both sides of every important [Music] question the delegates are interested in seeing the editorial Department of a large American newspaper the huge presses are rolling out that day's paper and the children are anxious to see what has been written about them [Music] they are delighted to find their pictures on the front page their next visit is to The Adamson High School in the school's biological laboratory they join a microscope class [Music] w from the biological laboratory they go to a cooking class but only the girls of the visiting group participate Nadira aiz from Pakistan joins in with other girls and proceeds to mix a cake American style this activity wets their appetites for lunch American students who usually eat at home take their guests to a popular restaurant where they meet Roy Rogers a Hollywood cowboy actor that evening the young Forum delegates visit Dallas famous theater 50 one of the newest of America's experimental theaters and one which has revived the ancient form in which the audience surrounds the [Music] stage Cyrus and Zari of Anan joins the actors after the performance then Yad from Burma imitates one of the actors to the Delight of the cast next morning a visit to the Texas engineering manufacture uring company gives the visitors a chance to see how airplanes are made the company is reconditioning a training plane for Thailand and this is particularly exciting for supr prab satuk and malal majadera from that [Music] country at nearby Fort Worth Texas they visit a large military Air Base General CT Irvine of the United States Air Force welcomes the delegates using a globe they show the general their own countries also in Fort Worth they're taken to see some new long range bombers back in Dallas again the young Forum delegates visit the log cabin of John Ryan built a 100 years ago this was the first house in Dallas vui Kim of Indochina and tan pradan of Nepal interview one of the city's police officers nean Marcus big department store is particularly interesting to the girls Usha Roy of India tries on address a trip to the Dallas County Courthouse ends a crowded schedule for the day judge Sarat Hughes of the 14th District Court lets the youngsters see the entire proceedings while a case is being [Music] tried they meet Wallace Savage mayor of Dallas and are given certificates of honorary citizenship in the city next morning near the city of Dallas they take a visit to a farm for Poor Boys maintained by a charity organization they're glad to see something besides City Life a few brush up on their Horsemanship [Music] a boxing match is scheduled in the Farms new gymnasium [Music] a typical Southwest parade perils a forthcoming Livestock Show but the young Travelers cannot wait they're scheduled to fly to the Tennessee Valley Authority before landing they get a good view of the huge Dam at choga [Music] landing at Chattanooga Tennessee the visitors are shown to the chiamara facilities by the TVA Personnel officials show them how electrical loads are balanced for the various dams of the system a bus ride takes them to the Watts Bar Dam of the TVA system the delegates see the American Museum of atomic energy at Oakridge Tennessee they witness a demonstration of Peace time uses for radioactive isotopes [Music] they also see the great narus dam which produces 100,000 Kow of power at Knoxville Tennessee the group boards a transport plane for Washington [Music] there is much to see in Washington too much perhaps for the short time that the group will stay [Music] here a visit to the Washington Monument comes first from its top the entire city is spread out to visitors they can see the White House and the memorial to President Jefferson and far off the capital [Music] itself a group goes to look at the impressive statue of Abraham Lincoln one of the high spots of their stay in Washington is a trip to the Library of Congress in this great Library are stored copies of all existing books that have been copyrighted in the United States together with hundreds of thousands of volumes from all over the world world the delegates learned something of the purpose of this library of its great service to Scholars from All Over America and of its particular help to the research operations of the United States Congress assistant Secretary of State George Cruz McGee entertains the delegation at his home he remarks I understand that the students have been to New York to Dallas Texas and to the Tennessee Valley Authority and they are now finishing their trip here in Washington our capital city this afternoon they visited all of the embassies of their respective countries and we're very glad indeed that we can see them here this evening we're going to ask nadir aiz who's a student from Pakistan to tell us just briefly her impressions of her visit adir I'd like to tell you uh how what impressed me most when I came to the United States on my first uh visit to this country as soon as I landed there was a nice family waiting to receive me mother and pop as I learned to call them and and old Mike a mischievous little boy who is constantly put putting curses on my slippers and causing them to vanish and who would who would wake me up every morning by pulling the bed covers off me and with whom I would have a really fine time uh M doing Mischief around the house and uh and little Janet who was um a little less than my age well I must say that that the American family was such a joyous thing alog together that I wondered if the the whole of America could be like this leaving Washington the group flies to New York where its members will visit American families and [Music] schools this is largemont near New York City typical of the communities [Music] visited George Klein and his parents were host to Adam Edward Hogan shadal the delegate from [Music] Malaya and here in woodbear another suburb of New York City Emma Garcia from the Philipp p is with her Young American Hostess Roa brener girls all over the world are interested in photographs these probably show roa's last vacation yna Nam from Burma plays with Peggy Scott in a nearby New Jersey Town vui Kim is far away from his home in Indochina but he's very much part of the family of George eth in Ry near New York City [Music] in the town of Tenafly New Jersey mahim pishdad of Iran shows Sophie seal that she's just as good at picture puzzles as any New Jersey [Music] Girl Nadira Aziz from Pakistan dines with her hosts Mr and Mrs M Goldberg and their children in Brooklyn nadir and young Bertha Goldberg have become fast [Music] friends susilo Sadi of Indonesia and Jim Burnham his host have a look at the Rutherford New Jersey Fire Department [Music] at the high school of music and art in New York City greetings are presented to aah Kleinman of Israel [Applause] [Music] the Lebanese delegate latifi sad attends art school with her Young American Hostess Joan forer [Music] and in the Eastchester High School at tuckaho New York berente Mory allei of Egypt visits a handicrafts [Music] class abig door Z of Israel interest the students of the sty high school in Brooklyn at another school melon Salazar from the Philippines takes part in a chemistry class [Music] the delegates from India and Nepal balakrishna n and terani Prasad pran are introduced to a music class at the new rochell high school young n is the guest of James Ley of New Rochelle New York and praton is now part of the family of Jeffrey H of wood [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] an advanced student in the radio Department gives them a thorough explanation of some work in progress [Music] they watch experiments in a chemistry class both delegates and their young hosts sample the food at a cafeteria typical of those in large high schools [Music] American students are interested in what these visitors have to say about the difference in educational problems in their countries and in America the young delegates take part in a meeting of the school council this particular school has rather elaborate equipment with a microphone for each council member so that the audience can hear the deliberations all [Applause] [Music] young n and his host Jim leevy returned from school to the house of Dr Joseph Levy in osell they've had a hard day and it'll be fun to rest for a while oh [Applause] the Waldo atoria Hotel on Park Avenue in New York City is the scene of the formal activities of the New York Carol Tribune fifth annual forum for high schools 2,000 American students are here to welcome the delegates from the Middle East and Southeast Asia they come from high schools in the metropolitan area and more than a 100 of them have been entertaining the visiting delegates in their homes also present or high United Nations and American government officials and other notables the visiting students are introduced by Mrs Helen hayatt Waller Forum director for The Herald Tribune first is Yad n of mayore Burma then Richard tun Yun also from [Music] Mayo this is chahan and a Singh from Columbo capital of salon and bante morsy Alley of Egypt berant is active in painting in ballet her fellow delegate also from Cairo is hammed mansur active in athletics Usha Roy comes from Ln now in the upper provinces of India where she attended the lalbag higher Secondary School p balakrishna n is the other Indian delegate [Music] susilo sad representing Indonesia comes from Jakarta in Central Java sabam siagian also lives in [Music] Jakarta from Iran mahim pishdad shows a live interest in literature and languages her compatriot Cyrus aneri is a student from Tran Faruk s Hawaii a lost student is the sole representative of Iraq Israel sends AIG D ziv born in Ral Latvia now living in Hyer his country's other delegate is adah [Music] Kleinman the Lebanese delegate latifi s has set her heart on becoming a trained nurse this is SED Adam Edward Hogan shadal of Malaya his American friend shortened his name to Eddie tan pred praan represents the independent state of Nepal on the northeastern Frontier of India Nadira aiz and jangir murza are delegates from the new state of Pakistan Emma Garcia and melan Salazar come from the Philippines Syria sends Abdul ker shikaki are science student malal moera comes from Thailand her family lives in Bangkok her four sisters and two brothers all play the piano malel hopes to become the concert pianist also from Bangkok supri prup STIs [Music] Su Boi Kim from Hanoi one of indochina's leading cities yand of BMA opens the Forum discussion since our arrival 10 weeks ago we have been staying with student families for a period of 2 weeks and I must say that every family have done a lot to make us feel at home and that goes for all of us here all of us here are so grateful to the families the friends and all the people who have gone to so much trouble in bringing about this wonderful stay for us and I only hope that it won't be long before we see the fruits of our efforts in a better and brighter world for us and our children to live in I was particularly impressed by student government here by participating in school government I think students have a very good opportunity to learn about their national state and local governments Faruk from Iraq was telling me the other day that when he was in White Plains High School the students were working on a constitution for their General organization many similarities were pointed out to the national government that to me is real learning I like the idea too where the students in many communities actually take over the running of their city government for a date I hope we will be able to take that idea to our own countries so that students there too will be able to understand the way their country runs speaking of science the ruford high school where Richard is staying recently changed its physics and chemistry books for new ones and has given the 2,000 old uh books for us to take back to Burma well I'm sure that they'll be very greatly appreciated in my country now we have the books but uh we can't seem to find any means of getting it back there seems to be an acute uh should I say budget shortage nobody seems to be able to think of a way uh maybe somebody in the audience can come up with some idea later on and I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated we also suffer from the same like of equipment in sports American School spit is so very different from ours each school here has its own buttons caps cheers and songs the students seem to live for the schools all these things make you love your school much better but all schools concentrate on teaching as much as possible and sometimes compare to yours all seem like a big information Bureau your schools are more interesting and attractive and you felt real school life based on students [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] activities Mrs wallow introduces Ralph bunch of the United Nation's truste ship division Mr Bunch has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his outstanding work in pales Time Mrs Waller friends it is a great privilege to stand before this inspiring audience and indeed I may add it is a great privilege to be on the same platform with my friend General ramulo whom I consider one of the great peacemakers of our day and I propose to speak very briefly and rather rapidly about one aspect of the peace work of the United Nations the United Nations seeks to maintain immediate peace in the world even if that is only an insecure peace while through long range efforts It prepares the necessary firm foundations for a secure and enduring peace these long range efforts are directed at all the sources actual and potential of human conflict and restiveness throughout the world they seek to remove the causes of economic insecurity among peoples they seek to improve the social conditions of peoples throughout the world they necessarily attach great importance to Human Rights and fundamental freedoms for All Peoples [Applause] The Forum takes up world affairs Under The Heading the world we want president of the New York City General organization is Harriet H United States Representative our ideals of World Federation Universal religion and dreams of world peace never mention the state of the world now it was only after we understood each other's basic attitudes that we could actually and honestly speak about each country's relation to the world today it is no longer possible to exist apart from the rest of the world America is not self-sufficient the reason why we must help the nations of the East is that we need them the world is too small and they are too large for us to do otherwise associating with these students has helped me see this that's right the other day I was talking to Sil from Indonesia and he said and he could understand some of the laws America has American propaganda tells us that United States is the most democratic country in the world and that Russia is just the opposite but he asked me why can an American who is not a communist who is a communist not work in a government we are protecting ourselves from this Communists have the right to vote here we invite change but not Revolution discussing the color situation Mr n says in India the federal government has outlawed untouchability so I think we are a step ahead of you in the legal aspects of the problem these principle are stated in our Bill of Rights every American has the right to have his opinion represented naturally we must try to show the advocators of white supremacy why they are wrong but we cannot force them to do anything we have plans to develop our resources and deserts by research by irrigation and by improving Transportation but first of all we need peace War brings us only destruction and disaster we can avoid war only by creating an independent block combined of Nations watching out for their own interests and not being toys in the hands of foreign powers the Middle East could produce enough to support a much bigger population than it has today if we could only get a good program started to develop our natural resources in less than 5 years 550 million people have won their freedom when has anything so vast or so wor shaking happened in history in so short a space of time before resignation is no longer the prevailing M itude of the East hundreds of millions of people have come awake they are conscious of their new freedom and of the power of their numbers the East has its own ideals too the ideals of Peace among people all the Eastern Nations must be strengthened together we need machinery and technicians and the United States alone of all the great Nations can help never before have the world's people been so concerned over peace there is only one way to get it understand each other understand by traveling to other countries by education by knowledge don't think of yourself only there is a whole world to know you know Mel the only Federation I'd ever heard of before I left home was the Federation of Malaya when I got to America I was surprised to see that so many Americans are interested in this Prospect of a World Federation I was most impressed in this regard when we were in Washington and heard Witnesses before a subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee discussed the formation of a world government yours I believe is the first government to approach this problem with the intention of doing something about it if you Americans will take the initiative in this I assure you we will forget all the criticisms we have made here and will cooperate wholeheartedly with American leadership in this field Mrs wallow next introduces Senator Brian McMahan chairman of the joint Congressional Committee of atomic energy [Music] thank you very much Mr M distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen the kind of forum which the New York Herald Tribune sponsors here today could happen only in a democracy this distinguished audience has convened of its own free will and not at the command of any government officer exercising arbitrary power no official propagandist in charge of spontaneous demonstrations has commanded you to come if you had stayed home you would not have run the risk of losing your place or forfeiting state issued ration cards essential to your existence you may applaud or not just as you choose you may leave leave here saying what you please agreeing or disagreeing with the speaker by the same token no one has told me what to say there is no official propaganda line which I must follow on pain of my life no sensor wielding a red pencil has passed upon this manuscript before me the New York Herald Tribune if it should see fit to print my remarks will suffer no official penalty on that account account others who may read the heral Tribune when it is printed will not be subject to seizure and imprisonment at forced labor for possessing forbidden literature now here is freedom in action we take it for granted it has become as much a part of our landscape as the skyscrapers of New York City [Music] the next speaker is Carlos Pano president of the fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly what a picture for the world to see what we saw here today you heard this pretty Pakistan girl here speaking what is known The King's English and my Filipino compatriot I foresee will take my place in the United Nations someday I was foreseeing the General Assembly of tomorrow where there will be no Vue Iration no intransigence no insolence but only friendliness neighborliness good will [Music] nadir aiz of Pakistan makes the closing speech my blueprint for World Peace a world in which everyone tries to understand the others to see what makes him what he is when he finds out he invariably finds that the other is a lovable person with all his little FS that is what I feel about Uncle Sam a really lovable person honest and sincere with all his little faults there he is Uncle Sam a broad-faced medium-sized fell rather prosperous looking rather broad about the waistline his broad grin as he enjoys heartily his own jokes his amiable wink as if he's letting you in the know about something profound which no one else knows I know what he means thank you Uncle Sam you have let me see America [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]