THE ninth annual Maria Moors Cabot Awards of Columbia University honored three Latin American journalists-Dr. David Vela, director of El Imparcial, Guatemala City; Señor Carlos Víctor Aramayo, president of La Razón, La Paz, Bolivia; and Dr. Alberto Lleras, Director General of the Pan American Unionat a special convocation of the university on November 11, 1947. The awards were established in 1939 by Dr. Godfrey Lowell Cabot, in memory of his wife, for "the recognition of the professional achievements of newspaper editors, publishers, and writers who contribute to international friendship between the peoples and nations of North, South, and Central America."

The presentation was made by Dr. Frank D. Fackenthal, Acting President of Columbia, before an audience that crowded the rotunda of the University's Low Memorial Library. An exhibition. of publications of the Pan American Union I had been set up in display cases at the

rear of the auditorium. This included enlargements of photographs which had appeared in the BULLETIN and which traced the development of the interAmerican system.

The ceremonies opened with an academic procession of the faculty, the candidates for the award, and Dr. Cabot. After the invocation, and the singing of an old English song by a choir of students' voices, Dean Carl W. Ackerman of the Graduate School of Journalism presented the recipients to Dr. Fackenthal.

Commenting that the Maria Moors Cabot medals are "symbols of our admiration for the professional achievements of our guests in their respective countries: Guatemala, Bolivia, and Colombia . . and [of] the respect and renown of our guests in other countries in the Western Hemisphere, and especially in the United States," Dr. Ackerman introduced first Dr. Vela:

"Dr. David Vela, director of El Imparcial of Guatemala City: This newspaper sym

bolizes daily the highest journalistic ideals and practices of our times. Founded in 1922, it has trained three generations of writers and maintained its independence and freedom in spite of periods of censorship and suppression, climaxed last year by the political murder of its founder, Dr. Alejandro Córdova.

"There, in the capital city of a leading Central American Republic, El Imparcial survives and progresses year by year because its editors value freedom above everything else in life.

"Dr. Vela, who has been associated with El Imparcial since it was founded, is now the director who personifies journalistic independence and integrity. During this quarter of a century, he has written several books, including a study of the literature of Guatemala. He is an honored member of the leading cultural and historical societies of Guatemala, Mexico, and Argentina. In addition, he is Professor of Literature in the the Faculty of Humanities.

"For his distinguished achievements and his faithfulness to high ideals, he merits a Maria Moors Cabot medal."

Welcoming Dr. Vela "as an editor, writer, and teacher," Dr. Fackenthal hung the Maria Moors Cabot medal about his neck and gave him the plaque for El Imparcial.

On receiving the award, Dr. Vela said:

"MR. PRESIDENT, DR. CABOT, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN:

"I feel overwhelmed by this honor bestowed upon me, and I accept it as a very cordial demonstration to the press and people of Guatemala. We shall always remember this proof of friendship and will show our sincere feeling for continental solidarity in real cooperation. Solidarity is a tradition in my country.

"I visited this great country-the United States in 1942, during full war, and I

noticed then that men in the leading circles, that is, professors, scholars, journalists, officials, politicians, were more worried about peace problems than about the war itself. 'When peace comes,' they said, 'sacrifice will have to be continued without the excitement of the armed struggle.'

"Now we realize the prophetic deepness of those worries. We are now experiencing moments of hesitation and of a very justified alarm for the world, and we must inquire of the same leading circles that surprised us with their worries about peace, the fundamental reasons for this material and spiritual confusion in the world, after which another war may bring irretrievable losses to human culture.

"For my part, I proclaim a very dangerous disparity between the development of culture an entirety of ethical patternsand civilization-an entirety of technical patterns that has exposed humanity to the worst materialistic exacerbation, as if men lived by bread alone, and that leaves us helpless before the robot that seems to be the symbol of our time. We are dazzled by civilization and it is necessary to shake off its fascination to find again the moral directive of our lives.

"I insist upon the necessity of obtaining the cooperation of the intellectual leaders of humanity and of putting into their hands. the power of the press, radio, and movies, so as to encourage joint action toward getting a spiritual disarmament through a better understanding among mankind. This will bring hopes for a fair and lasting peace. I think that the press of the world has this duty to future generations, if they are going to live in safety, without the sorrow and lack of security that we feel. But we need definite professional ethics, generally accepted, to be able to fight furious nationalisms, irreconcilable doctrines and even commercial interests, and to place ourselves without limitation at the

service of world peace. And until this international law of the press is a reality, I understand that our duty is to support the United Nations Organization.

"Nevertheless, we are not pessimistic and we must realize that the blaze of the last war, even with all its horrors, gave light enough to show the destiny of our American countries, to see at one glance, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, the rich, varied unity of our continent. Such a view is very comforting now that we are under the burden of anxiety, fears, and responsibilities. Even the opposing elements in this struggle that has come to be called 'the cold war' makes clear the inherent opposition of the terms 'old' and 'new' world.

"Theoretically, Mariano H. Cornejo explained the prospect of a balance of the two continents with their historical and legal differences as follows: 'In Europe territorial rights are established by means of force and the ratification of unfair agreements; in America, there is a legal system or a society of nations linked by diplomatic relations that rests only on juridical bases, which are freely accepted by all our countries and which establish their integrity and independence.'

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"By this means inter-American gresses have recognized new patterns that spontaneously make the structure of American international law, and so strengthen the solidarity of continental life. The last war was a danger to such principles and the anxiety and fears of the postwar period seem to be still a menace, but in the defense of these principles we shall find a strength of cohesion and something more: the possibility of making our international patterns valuable to the world. These patterns are: the recognition of peace as a normal aspect of relations among the different independent countries and the sincere purpose of keeping it; the

legal equality of all countries regardless of geographical extent, population, or economic and military power; all respect for the rights of every human being without racial or national prejudices; the acknowledgment of an international moral code whose infringement hurts the community and can be punished; and the most holy respect for agreements.

"In 1935 when we could already see tragedy coming to Europe, Saavedra Lamas warned us with words to which we in America must now listen with much interest. He said: 'If they go far away from us, and if another cataclysm comes such an event could be like a geological fury capable of isolating the two continents. We must not forget that we are an enormous geographical unity and that we represent an enormous reserve which humanity needs and in which the secret of a resurrection may perhaps be found.'

"Such are the ideas that come to my mind in connection with the noble purpose of the Maria Moors Cabot prizes, presented at a great cultural institution, Columbia University."

Following Dr. Vela's address, Dean. Ackerman presented Señor Aramayo, with this citation:

"Señor don Carlos Víctor Aramayo, president of La Razón of La Paz: Since 1917, when this newspaper was founded by Señor Aramayo's father, it has been at beacon of democracy high in the Andes mountains. In a recent visit to Bolivia, Professor Harold L. Cross of the Faculty of Journalism was profoundly impressed also by the daily news content of La Razón. Here is a daily newspaper literally printed above the clouds which faithfully. publishes what is happening on the earth. There is also another fact about La Razón. It too has survived periods of

totalitarian control because the people of Bolivia respect the publisher's devotion to liberty.

"Although señor Aramayo was born in Paris and was educated in England, he has devoted all of his talents to his country for more than a third of a century. He has held many high offices at home and abroad, including the post of Bolivian delegate to the first League of Nations; Bolivian Minister to the Court of St. James's; and Minister of Finance.

"Throughout all of this period, señor Aramayo guided his newspaper in the highway of democracy.

"For these achievements he merits the Maria Moors Cabot award."

In conferring the medal and plaque on Señor Aramayo, Dr. Fackenthal said that by his news and editorial policies he had made La Razón known and respected throughout our hemisphere. Señor Aramayo acknowledged the honor with these words:

"MR. PRESIDENT, DR. CABOT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

"It has been said, with great truth, I think, that the happiness of nations rests principally on two great pillars-the scrupulous administration of justice and the untrammelled liberty of every individual to express his opinion freely, whether in speech or in writing. I personally believe that the second of these attributes is even more important than the first, because I cannot conceive that an incompetent or unscrupulous judiciary could long survive in the face of an intelligent and well-informed public. It thus becomes immediately obvious to everyone that a free, enlightened and honest press is of paramount importance in the achievement and conservation of the happiness of nations.

"It is certainly the most efficient curb upon the excesses of governments; so much so that any Government which openly or secretly plots to impose its will upon a