Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

<t For This We Fight" Looks Ahead SERIES IN NBC UNIVERSITY OF THE AIR BRINGS TO MICROPHONE EMINENT LEADERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO DISCUSS FLJNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS FACING PEOPLE WHEN WAR ENDS By Dr. James R. Angel! Public Sei-vice Counselor National Broadcasting Company THE radio program "For This We Fight", which the National Broadcasting Company started on the air June 5, may fairly be re- garded as a landmark in radio his- tory and indeed to some extent in our national history itself. Cer- tainly it rei)resents, so far as we are aware, the first time that dur- ing a great war a medium has ex- isted which could bring directly to our citizens discussions of post- war aims and hopes by many of the country's most distinguished au- thorities. As planned, the series should enable citizens, literally by hundreds of thousands, to partici- pate directly in organized discus- sions about the kind of world that they desire for the future. The last great war left us a ter- rible object lesson of what may occur in a Republic like our own if the great mass of citizens have not been disciplined to face and under- stand the peculiar problems which are created for all mankind at the conclusion of such a cataclysm. However much men may desire it, it is utterly impossible to go back at once or, indeed, to go ba^k at all to the conditions which existed prior to the war. It therefore be- comes imperative that intelligent thinking should be early devoted to an analysis of the problems which will inevitably have to be faced both at home and abroad when the pres- ent war comes to an end. This does not mean that anyone lays claim to the ability to foresee exactly what is going to occur. Un- avoidably, there is a wide area of uncertainty which only the event can resolve. Nevertheless, there are many aspects of the post-war is- sues whose existence can be confi- dently foreseen and for which it is therefore the part of common-sense to attempt to prepare. Moreover, there are many facts about those nations of the world which of neces- sity must participate in determin- ing the character of the peace, with which it is highly important that our people should begin to acquaint themselves. In lesser degree only, the same thing is true of our domestic prob- lems. Most of us are painfully fa- miliar with our own personal tlifii- culties and not a few are aware of the perplexities faced by our com- munities, but relatively few of us have a truly national picture in mind and, in consequence, we are inevitably somewhat provincial in the attitudes which we take toward the larger domestic issues. The radio series which is now in (|uestion comprises a conscientious ;.nd thorough-going eflfort to bring out into the open in the most ob- jective and non-partisan manner possible all the fundamental per- plexities with which we shall be confronted the moment the fighting stops. Not only are we bringing to the microphone eminent leaders from every walk of life and from every part of the country to pre- sent their views on these issues, but we are also cooperating with two organizations which are peculiarly e(iuipped to assist the nation in facing these problems. Among the distinguished persons who have agreed to speak on the first series are the Secretary of State Cordell Hull: the Under-Sec- retary of State Sumner Welles; Isaiah Bowman, President of Johns Hopkins University; David Sarnoff, President of the Radio Corporation of America; Waldemar B. Kaempf- fert. Science Editor of the \<w Y(irk Timcx; John Foster Dulles, Chairman of the Commission to Study the Bases of a Just and Dur- able Peace on Behalf of the Federal Council of Churches; Senator El- bert D. Thomas, of Utah, Chairman of the Committee on Military Af- fairs: Senator Robert A. Taft, of Ohio, member of many important cimmittees: Senator Warren R. Austin, of Vermont, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: Rear Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, for- merly Chief of Naval Operations; Elmer Davis, Director of the