SPAN: April 1979

THE ROMANCE OF HANG GLIDING That's no flightoffancy: hang gliding, colorfully depicted here by an artist, is an aviation sport that is attracting thousands of young Americans. Actually, hang gliders were built before the invention of the airplane- it was such gliders that first enabled man to fly. But they achieved popularity only in the 1970s, when hang gliding was revived as a sport in southern California.

Utilizing an ultralight wing "capable of being carried, launched and landed solely on the pilot's feet ," the

30- to 40-pound glider is usually made in the form of a kite. The flyer is attached to the glider by a harness and holds on to a bar; he rolls and shifts his weigl1t to steer the glider, which is launched by a run downhill or a jump off a cliff. Fligl1ts lasting up to 12 hours have been made in competition. The first world championship in 1976 drew contestants from 25 countries. The appeal of hang gliding lies in the pleasure of "returning to the simplest, most personal way to fly. "

A LEITER FROM THE PUBLISHER In a recent major policy speech he gave at Georgia Tech University, President Jimmy Carter described the troubled current world situation in personal, deeply felt words.

He said: "We now face a very different world from the world in which I came of age. The old empires are gone and the maps are covered with new, developing nations. But one thing has not changed as much as I had hoped-it is still a world of danger, a world in which democracy and freedom are constantly challenged, a world in which peace must be rewon day by day."

Certainly, most of us agree that the chief danger to peaceindeed to civilization itself- is the proliferation and stockpiling of arms, particularly nuclear arms. President Carter goes on to call for public support of the emerging Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT II), most of whose components have been agreed upon by the United States and the Soviet Union after years of negotiations.

The basic achievement of this treaty has been to establish, for tlie fi rst time, equal numbers of strategic arms for both sides, minimizing the chance of their use. But this carefully negotiated and responsible arms control agreement is not only in the national interests of the United States and the Soviet Union; it is also m the interests of all the world's peoples, insofar as it will make the world a safer and more secure place.

Of course, as President Carter candidly points out. the SALT 11 treaty will not change the facts of international lifethe United States and the Soviet Union will remain competitive powers. But: "I cannot and will not let the pressures of inevitable competition overwhelm possibilities for cooperation.... [t is precise! y because we have fundamental differences with the Soviet Union that we are determined to bring this most dangerous dimension of our military competition under control." (A slightly abridged version of President Carter's important speech is printed on page 2.)

The remarkable development of agriculture in both the United States and India during the past twenty-five years is common knowledge. Two articles in this issue point out that in both countries agriculture remains a family affair. In both countries too, scientific research has been successfully applied on the farm because there has been a continuous interchange of information and experience between agricultural university extension workers and farmers, the laboratory and the field.

In an article on the phenomenal growth of farming in Punjab, Pran Chopra describes thts process of communication.

Communication, he declares, is the key to agricultural growth.

One can go a step further, and add a lesson that many countries-including the United States, Korea and Taiwanhave learned from their experience: Agricultural growth is itself the basis of industrial growth, and of economic growth as a whole. The first phase is the increase and improvement of the vehicles, machines, tools, chemicals, and roads associated with increased production in farming. The next phase is a higher level of services and consumer goods enriching the lives of a more affluent population.

In the meantime, basic human needs remain to be met in the Third World. A Pakistani economist associated with the World Bank lists these needs as food, water, health, shelter and education. He knows that filling them is a huge task. But, he asserts, it is not an insuperable one. Mahbub uJ Haq has calculated that a concerted long-range effort with both developing countries and developed countries working together and sharing the expense ($20,000 million yearly for 20 years) will meet the Third World's basic human needs.

Truly, a controversial and ambitious thesis- but one - J.W.G. that deserves careful considerauon.

SPAN

April 1979

VOLUME XX NUMBER 4

5 Wbere Is the World Going?

A Dialogue Between Herman Koh11.

Margartt Mttad a11d William Irwin Thompson

1Q Build a Better Energy Mousetrap 14 St. Louis : Sense of Community 1 8 The Changing Farm in America 2 6 The Farm in India

by Dan Rosen

by Sally Defty

by Richard Rhodes

by Pra11 Chopra

31

Managing Creativity

by Eileen Morley and AndreII' Silver

35 Meeting Human Needs in Developing Countries

by Mahbuh ul Haq

38 Henry Ford Reconstructs the 19th Century 41

Upton Sinclair : The Writer as Social Activist hy R.N Mouktrjee

44 On the Lighter Side

46 Scientists Study the Iod.ian Monsoon 48 C yrus Vance on Interdependence

49 The World of Suzi Gablik Front cover : This rooster is in the pink of health-so is today'sAmerican farm. Anicles on pages 18-30 give glimpses anto the farm revolutions in America and India.

Back co,·er : Flowers. birds, bees. butterflies and snakes are scattered about in the works of American pamter Su21 Gablik, who recently visited India. See page 49

J ACOB SLOAN, Editor ; J AY W. GILDNER, Publisber.

Managing Editor : Ch1dananda Das Gupta. Assistant M anaging Editor : S.R. Madhu.

Editorial Staff: Krishan Gabram, Arona Dasgupta. Ninnal Sharma, Murari Saha.

Rocque Fernandes. Art Dl.rec::tor: Nand Katyal. Art Staff: Gopi Gajwani, 8. Roy Choudhury, Kant1 Roy. Cbief ofProduct1011 : Awtar S. M arwaba. Pboto Editor: Avmash Pasricha. Pbotograpbic Senices: ICA Photo Lab. Published by the International Commumcallon Agency, American Center, 24 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001, on behalf of the American Embassy, New Delhi. The opinions expressed in thJS magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Government. Printed

by H. K. Mehta at Thomson Press (lndia) L imited, F aridabad, Ha ryana.

l'ho1oarapl11: Fronl coW>r Lowell Gcorjlia . lns1dc front cover- courtesy Weyerhaeuser Company. S- counesy World FuturcSoc•ety. 10·1 1 lllu;tratlons hyR1ck Meyerowitz,councsyExxon USA.IS- Michelle Boare. 21-0eorg Gtrster 22 Byron Schumaker. 23 top center Owen Franken. Stock Boston: lower center-Alvin Upitis. The Image Bank. 24- Earl Roberge. Photo Researchers Inc. 2S lell center- James P Blair C Nauonal Gtographic Society ; len bonom John Colwell from Grant He1lman. right top-A.J. Levin. Black Smr; bonom -counesy Del Monte ('orpor•uon li·J2 Brcndn T1lley. 35 right Alan Berg. 36 Avinash Pasncha. 37-G Franch•nl for the World Bank. 38·39 eounesy Greenfield Y1II•IIC· Dearborn. M1ch1gan 49 and back co~r-SuZI Gabhk.

U~ of SPAN antcles in other publications is encouraged, except when copyrighlcd. For permisSion, wr1te to 1he Edotor. Pr•ce of rnaaume: one yeu·s sub<cnplloD ( 12 iuues). 18 rupee.: sin&I< copy. 2 rupees $0 pa1se For chan&• of addreu. tend an old addrcu from a r«cnt SPAN envelope alone WJth new address to A.K Motra. Circulauon Manaaer.

SPAN Masn•M. 24 Kasturba GandbJ \1ua. New Ocllll IIOOOI.(Seechangcofaddrcuformon pogc48.)

AMERICA ACCEPTS THE CHALLEN W

by PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER

Addressing the Georgia Institute of Technology on February 20 (speech reprinted here), the U.S. President outlined the aims of American foreign policy in a world of turbulent change. 'It is vital to match the pursuit of ideals with the responsible use of power,' he said.

2

SPAN APRIL 1979

e now face a very different world from the world in which I came of age. The old empires are gone and the maps are covered with new, developing nations.

But one thing has not changed as much as I had hoped it is stiU a world of danger, a world in which democracy and freedom are constantly challenged, a world in which peace must be rewon day by day.

Too many people still lack the simplest necessities of life and too many are deprived of the most basic human rights.

As the events of recent days have shown, peace remains a fragile thing, vulnerable to assaults from all sides.

Disturbances in Iran, the western Indian Ocean and in Southeast Asia are a challenge to our determination and our leadership. They underscore the importance of strength in our national defenses, wisdom in our diplomacy and steadfastness in our pursuit of arms control.

1 want to speak to you today about America's role and America's purpose in this world of change and turbulence.

Ever since the end of World War II, the United States has been the leader in moving our world closer to stable peace and genuine security. We have the world's strongest economy; we have the world's strongest military forces; and we share burdens of mutual defense with friends abroad whose security and prosperity are as vital to us as to themselves.

With our strong allies, we have succeeded m preventing a global war for more than a third of a century-the longest period of general peace in modem times.

We help to sustain a world trading and monetary system that has brought greater prosperity to more of the world's people than ever before in history.

We are working to resolve confficts

among other nations, so that each can develop its own future in independence and peace.

And we have helped to maintain the conditions m which more than one hundred new nations have come into being, and in which human hope-and its fulfillment-has taken a revolutionary leap forward.

In short, we provide the bedrock of global security and economic advance in a world of unprecedented change and conflict. In such a world America has four fundamental security responsibilities: • To provide for our nation's strength and safety; • To stand by our allies and friends; • To support national independence and integrity; • To work diligently for peace.

The United States cannot control events within other nations.

We do not oppose change. Many of the political currents sweeping the world express a desire we share the desire for a world in which the legitimate aspirations of nations and individuals have a greater chance of fulfillment.

But the uncertainty and turmoil that come with change can have its darker side as well. We saw this in a senseless act of violence in Afghanistan, when a brave and good man Ambassador Adolph Dubs-gave his life in the performance of his duty as a representative of the United States.

We also see the darker stde of change when countries in turbulence provide opportunities for exploitation by outsiders who seek not to advance human aims but rather to extend their own power and posttion at the expense of others.

As I speak to you today, the country of Iran with which we have had close relations for more than 30 years-is in

GE OF LEADERSHIP revolutJOn. It has been our hope that Iran could modernize without deep internal conflicts, and we sought to encourage that effort by supporting its government, by urging internal change toward progress and democracy and by helping to provide a background of regional stability.

The revolution in Iran is the product of deep social, political, religious and economic factors growing out of the history of Iran itself. We have not and will not intervene in Iran, yet the future of Iran continues to be of deep concern to us and to our friends and allies. It is a major nation in a critical part of the world; an immediate neighbor of the Soviet Union; a major oil producer that also sits beside the principal artery for most of the world's trade in oil. And it is still a significant potential force for sta bility and progress in the region.

Iran is a proud nation with a long history of struggle to establish and to guarantee its own freedom. The independence of Iran is also in our own vital interest and that of our closest alliesand we will support it. ut of Loday's turmoil, it is our hope that these troubled people will create a stable government which can meet the needs of the Iranian people and which can enable that great nation not only to remain independent but to regain its internal strength and balance.

We are prepared to support that effort as appropriate and to work with the Iranian Government and people as a nation, sharing common interests and common aspirations.

But just as we respect Iran's independence and integrity, other nations must do so as well. If others interfere, directly or indirectly, they are on notice that this will have serious consequences and will

affect our broader relationship with them. Arab neighbors.

At the same time, we are intensifying I will do whatever I can to promote the our efforts to promote stability through- success of the negotiations between out the Middle East, so that the security Israel and Egypt. I urge all leaders in the anct independence of the nations of that Middle East to recognize the vital importance for the region that these talks part of the world will be maintained.

At my direction, the Secretary of succeed.

Defense recently carried out compreor us in. the United States, any crisis hensive consultations in Israel, Egypt, in the Middle East has the most Jordan and Saudi Arabia concerning immedtate and serious consethe security of the region. We are determined to work with these nations and quences. But we are also deeply concerned others to put the peaceful development by what is happening today in Southeast of the region on a sound and lasting Asia. The same principles of American policy apply: We support the independfoundation.

Recent disturbances in the region have ence and integrity of the regional nations; underlined the need to work even more we will stand by our friends; and we will urgently for peace between Israel and its work for peace.

F

O

"We never communicate anymore. We must be polarized."

Cawdy. councsy Bullttm of thâ&#x20AC;˘ Atomic Scitntist

SPAN APRIL 1979

3

CHALLENGE OF LEADERSHIP conlinued

In pursuit of the goals of security, stability and peace, America 'faces no more important tasks this year than the successful conclusion of a strategic arms limitation agreement.. ' We have recently seen a Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, and, as a result, a Chinese border penetration into Vietnam. Both acHons threaten the stability of one of the world's most important and promising regions-Southeast Asia.

We have opposed both actions. Let me outline briefiy the principles that govern our conduct: • We will not get involved in confiict between Asian communist states. Our national interests are not directly threatened, although we are concerned at the wider implications of what has been happening.

• We have been using whatever diplomatic and political means are available to encourage restraint on all parties and to seek to prevent a wider war. While our infiuence is limited because our involvement is limited, we remain the one great power in the world which can have direct and frank discussions with aJI the parties concerned. For this reason, I believe that

we have a useful and important role to play in the search for restoration of stability.

• We will continue our efforts, both directly with the countries involved and through the United Nations, to secure an end to fighting in the region, and to gain the restoration of the independence and integrity of all nations involved.

• At the same time, we are continuing to express our deep concern that this conflict will widen still further - with unforeseen and grave consequences for nations in the region and beyond. In any event, we are fully prepared to protect our vital interests wherever they may be challenged.

• We are in close consultation with our friends and allies in the region, especially the states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Their cont>inued stability and prosperity are of great importance to us.

The normalization of relations between

"Wluzt do you say we leave and come back when the meek inherit the Earth'!"

Gerald S. Emerson. courtesy Builttin of the Atomic Scienti.•t.

4

SPAN APRIL 1979

the United States and the People's Republic of China is already an accomplished fact, and will not be reversed. What was involved here was the simple recognition of the reality of the government in Peking.

We have consulted directly with leaders around the world-and with our own Congressional leaders-about events in both the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The responsibilities we face are shared by the Administration and the Congress, by ourselves and our allies-and our common understanding and adherence to a common cause are vital.

I

n the Middle East, in Southeast Asia,

and elsewhere in the world, we will stand by our friends-we will honor our commitments- and we will protect the vital interests of the United States.

As we face these immediate crises, we also look constantly to the broader needs of security.

If we are to meet our responsibilities, we must continue to maintain the military forces we need for our defense and to contribute to the defense of our allies.

This year I have proposed a su bstanHal real increase in the defense budget. Recent events underscore the responsibility ofthe Congress to appropriate these funds in full. There must be no doubt that the people of the United States are fully prepared to meet its comntitments, and to back up those commitments with military strength.

Turmoil and crisis also underscore the vital need to work wherever possible to stabilize and reduce competition in strategic weapons. This effort has the same ultimate goals as does our strong defense: the goals of security, stability and peace.

In pursuit of these goals, our nation faces no more important tasks this year than the successful conclusion of a strategic arms limitation agreement.

Text continued on page 45

WHERE IS THE WORLD GOI NG"! co111inued

6

KEVIN SANDERS: Dr. Mead , it problems in some sense solve themselves. seems that a lot of problems in the world By solving, 1 mean you live with them. today stem from the growing tension I'm really not as optimistic as painted. between the different cultures, the differ- But I do think that barring very bad luck ent races, the sexes and the generations. or very bad management, we'll have enorYou've studied this as a woman, as a mous economic progress. mother, as a grandmother and as an Basically what we've done in our most anthropologist. Do you think that we'll recent studies is to try to say that the be any nearer solving any of these prob- doomsday pictures that you have delems by the end of the century than we scribed are just wrong in the sense that are now ? they have not been proved. And in the MARGARET MEAD : Well , I think second sense, that they're probably very these problems are simply an example of unlikely. the changes in the structure of society.

The usual description of our world as At present we have a very rapidly changing an island of wealth surrounded by a sea society. It's been said that the rate of of misery is in substance wrong for today. change equals the rate of transportation. Twenty-five per cent of the world lives So now we're dealing with the Concorde. in countries which a re rich by almost And such changes put tremendous stress any standards. About 45 per cent of t~e on the relations between one generation world lives in countries ca lled middle and another, between the sexes, between income. They're rich by historical standthe races, and between people of different ards, poor only by today's standards, religious groups. and so they're middle income. And about But I think the most 30 per cent of the world lives in genimportant thing is not to concentrate on that , but to concentrate on the fact I think we're going to that what the future have to use high is like depends on us now, that we are technology as well as building the future low technology. I don't now.lfwe build it in too rosy terms, people believe that people will not take the necessary precautions will go back to growing they should take to see that it gets here.

And if we build it in too doomsday terms, their own beans. again, people will become apathetic and MAIUiAR ET MI'A I> not do the things that need to be done. And we have to realize that everything we say about the futu re is going to influence the future. And the picture we draw of the uinely poor countries, in traditional future is, therefore, tremendously im- levels of poverty. By the end of the year portant. The people who are going to be 2000 even these are likely to be around in charge in the year 2000 are born now. $300 per capita countries, which would We're not talking about the unconceived. be like the Roman Empire at its peak.

SANDERS: 1 wonder how this locks We're talking about the people who are being subjected to today's strains, to in with what Dr. Thompson's been saying in recent years. You seem to be sugtoday's prophesies.

SANDERS: D r. Kahn , you've been gesting that we're on the threshold of a saying recently that the world is enter- change as profound as the agrarian revoing something of a golden age, "a new lution and even the industrial revolution belle epoque" as you've called it, in that we are emerging into a new "planetary which all the major problems are going culture," as you've called it. I wonder to be solved, in which the rich will get how this locks in with the kind of expectaricher, and the poor will also get richer. tions that Dr. Kahn's been talking about.

And generally you seem to have taken a Does this conflict with that'? much more optimistic view of the future WILLIAM IRWIN THOMPSON: I than most futurologists. How do you disagree with Dr. Kahn in the sense that see us solving some of the problems that I thi nk he tends to think in conti nuations seem so threatening today- the energy of industrial terms. Now I don't think crisis, unemployment, pollution, food sup- it's going to be doomsday; I think the ply, population, and so on"? doomsday prophets a re mistaken. And HERMAN KAHN : Most of these I agree with Dr. Mead that those can SPAN APRIL 1979

become self-fulfilling prophesies.

But I do think we're in for a period of profound disorientation. And in order to survive we'll have to have deeper roots of identity than consumerism than defining ourselves by a car or house or by the clothes we wear. And I see the only way we're going to make it to the year 2000, when T'll be 62, is by a revolution of consciousness as profound as the great universal religions that have accentuated the development of human culture throughout aU human history.

SANDERS : What about you, Dr. Kahn , do you think this is a romantic view of the future?

KAHN: 1 think it's partially romantic, partially wishful thinking, and partia lly accurate. That is, there is an incredi blc change going on in the world. Very likely 1976 saw the peak rate of population growth. The next decade will see the peak rate of gross world product growth.

So what you have if you look at a 20,000ycar graph is a kind of a steady line, then an incredibly sharp spike, then a steady line. That's a change- a very dramatic change.

However, 1 am very dubious about how much of this change will occur by the end of this century. The basic move in the United States is a return to square values. Carter and Ford both ran on very square platforms. This may last five years. It may last two decades. It depends on policies. But if this kjnd of re-emergence of square values lasts for 1wo decades, as it could, the yea r 2000 is going to find a return to famil y values.

ME AD: I'm very much afraid of using a contemporary word like square, of saying that we're going back to being square, when square is a little American position that characterized a brief period in history. If we're going to think about the whole world. we've got to stop thinking so ethnocentrically. We've got to stop using European figures of speech that don't mean a lot to most of the people in the world.

KAHN : I accept completely your point.

I was talking only about the United States. And I was only talking about a two-decade period. I don't think there's going to be a century-long return to square values. I'm talking about one to two decades. But I think it's important to understand that the yea r 2000 is not that far away. We are at the moment doing a worldwide study and trying to do exactly the kind of things you're talking about. The first thing we looked at, of course, is the level of affluence.

Repnnted v.ilh permbs.ion from ~ Futurist mJ.StA/11\C. publhh1.-d hy the World Future Soc1c1y.

4916 St. Elmo Awnuc. Wa,hmgton. D.C.. 20014 Cop)riJhl C 1978 World f'utur< Sococt)

Not because affiuence determines everything, but it does set a context.

MEAD: But your definition of affiuence! I'd love to take you to live in a village somewhere for any length of time.

It isn't affiuence if your food comes from the other side of the world and if something goes wrong you have no food.

It isn't affiuence if everything that you use is made somewhere else and doesn't suit you. If you have to sit in chairs you can't sit on.

KAHN : J really disagree with that. At the moment it's very fashionable to talk about the "standard of living," as if it is a totally fake and artificial concept. Now it's quite clear that the concept has all kinds of problems. There's no question about that. And it's even clear that it means different things to different countries. Nevertheless, it's a very important concept in orienting a lot of things.

It tells you roughly the resources the community has available, the physical resources.

MEAD: Everything we've looked at recently shows that correlating things with the Gross National Product or per capita income is just not what we're really talking about. I don't think it's a good measure, and I think we ought to look at how people really live.

KAHN: I wouldn't argue about the second point at all. If you know about the GNP of a country or the GNP per capita, you know only one single number.

People are very complicated, and communities are even more complicated.

MEAD: But if you only look at the things that make affluence in our terms and count them up in our terms, we're not thinking about the way other people live at all.

KAHN: That. I think, is right too. But I wouJd be very surprised if 95 per cent of the world 's people don't go through some kind of industrialization. In other words, I don 't think you're going to have a rejection of the industrialization process anywhere in the world except perhaps in Burma which, for a while, was rejecting it.

MEAD : No, but I think we're going to have a totally different kind of industrialization with decentralized power.

And that will make a great deal of difference.

THOMPSON: I agree with Dr. Mead.

The difficulty with trying to apologize for industrialization is that all those glamours become dangerous. Now the Saudi Arabians had a marvelous waste disposal system which just evaporated

into heat and required no water. But because of the glamour of the American model and the affluence model, they bring in flush toilets and they bring in supermarkets ....

One of the real difficulties I have with what 1 consider Dr. Kahn's linear extrapolations is that they're simply projecting an anomalous period of 1945 to 1973. In your book The Year 2000, which was written in 1967, you had nothing to say about the pollution which came in 1968, the environmental crisis.

You didn't talk about the energy crisis.

You couldn't even be as far ahead as 1968 or 1969.

KAHN : I did talk about what I call zoning ordinances. I didn't use the term pollution. We didn 't catch on then that it wouJd be an incredibly romantic thing -and overstated by factors of fifty! We didn't think of the energy crisis because it was a pure accident.

One of the great crimes of the industrialized world is never to think in terms of what's appropriate for the Third World. And one of the great crimes of some of the Third World ... is not to think through their problems, but to slavishly copy the U.S. - HERMAN KAHN

THOMPSON: But that's what history's made of, you see. lt's not planned.

KAHN: Absolutely. We're not trying to produce history ; we're trying to produce those trends which tend to go through despite historical events.

SANDERS: You were talking about trends. And you were talking about the trend toward following the lead of the Western world. Is it inevitable that by the end of this century the world, at least most of the Third World, will be. if not Westernized. at least industrialized?

MEAD : I would rather say technologized, because I think we're going to have to use high technology as well as low technology. I don 't believe that people will go back to growing their own beans. We're going to have to grow our beans with the help of the most modem, high-level, computerized technology that exists. At present, one group of people is against high technology and another group, which knows what it can do, is all for it. And they both talk nonsense from my point of view.

We' re going to have to combine them as John and Nancy Todd's New Alchemists do [see "The New Alchemists," June 1978 SPAN]. You have to monitor what you are doing every minute to know how to manage things. So I think that in the year 2000 we'll undoubtedly have a considerable importation of modern technology in places where it doesn 't exist now. But just as we have forces making for decentralization there is also the danger of nuclear power, where nuclear power means, in effect, more and more state power in order to make it safe, leading to more and more centralization, more and more secret surveillance of everyone.

On the other hand, various forms of natural power that can't be exhausted make for decentralization. I agree with Herman that there are trends, but there are several trends, not just one. And one of the trends, I think, is toward regionalization. T hen we won't be transporting food all over the ocean three or four times. Food will be grown where we live. Things will be made where we live.

And we'll use our energy for things we need our energy for.

KAHN : I think there's no question that with modern technology you can do a great deal of decentralization. But I think in most cases the decision would be based on economics and not on a style of life or how you want people to live or what kind of people you want to produce.

There's no question about this terrible nonsense of copying America where it's totally inappropriate. The flush toilet!

People will put in flush toilets where they have no water. Just to have it, sit on it , or something.

MEAD : Or a telephone when they have no wires.

KAHN: One of the great crimes of the SPAN APR1L 1979

WHERE IS THE WORLD GOING? cominued

industrialized world is never to think in terms of what's appropriate for the Third World. And one of the great crimes of some of the Third World, though not all, is not to think through their problems, but to slavishly copy the U.S. MEAD: But their elite was educated in the United States or in Europe, educated in our values .... So I don't think we can blame them.

KAHN : The most extraordinary examples of thinking through one's own problems are in the Chinese culture a rea. Not mainland China so much as Japan , South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore.

MEAD: I know, Hennan. The point is, you can prove anything in that area.

You can prove that any system works.

All it shows is that the Chinese are very good at doing things.

KAHN: That's a very important point.

SANDERS: W hat about some of the other problems that are worrying people today? A lot of scientists are concerned about the implications of recombining the DNA molecule, this genetic engineering.

MEAD: Genetic engineering, I think, is a pure red herring. The possibility of doing any genetic engineering that would matter is very little.

But we are doing experimentation on genetic engineering that is very dangerous. We're letting people irresponsibly use material for experimentation which might be very destructive. But most of the time when we hear people talk about genetic engineering, they a re ignoring aU the things that matter, like what might be happening to the ozone layer now, not 50 years from now.

KAHN: You know, I'd almost put it the other way. The ozone layer issue is a "serious" issue, but in the following sense: Say you damage the ozone layer that people are worrying about, you have only created the same risk you'd have from going to Colorado Springs or going to the beach one day.

MEAD: Oh, Herman, I'm very tired of that argument. I've just been to Colorado and I don't like it there.

KAHN: No, but I'm saying people thought the ozone layer was being risked, in the sense of a kind of world annihilation. I' m not saying, by the way, that

8

SPAN APRIL 1979

you can't risk the ozone layer. It's a delicate thing ....

MEAD: Then you could risk it?

KAHN: I'm not going to argue about that one bit. But I'm saying that the kind of hysteria that arose over the aerosols, and so on, is a concern about a very trivial effect. And I mean trivial.

MEAD: Well, maybe. We don't know for certain what the thresholds arc for any of these ....

THOMPSON: No, we don't know the impact of technology. Years ago people were treated for cancer with X-

. We continuall)¡ look at the world and the human bod}¡ as a machine with industrial rather than ecological or symbiotic metaphors.

-

\\IIIJA\1 IRWI' 1110\II'SO'

ray therapy. Now they have to call them back and say, "You're likely to get cancer of the thyroid from the X-ray treatments you were given. The X-ray treatments you were given have also caused deterioration of the teeth and all kinds of other problems."

This is because we continually look at the world and the human body as a machine with industrial rather than ecological or symbiotic metaphors. And we don 't understand that if you stick in something here, you're going to get a problem over there. M ost planners like yourself don't think in these symbiotic terms.

KAHN: I beg your pardon, just exactly the opposite is true. None of us say we're designing our future . We don't think that can be done. We know we're making our future. But we're not designing it.

MEAD: But you're designing it to the extent that you say there are irrevocable trends. That is designing ....

KAHN: I think certain trends are of enormous momentum and very hard to change. Take, for example, the food issue. There's a surplus of food in the world today....

MEAD: You mean we can't sell our wheat, so we're going to cut down on wheat when 40 per cent of the world is undernourished. That's wicked!

KAHN: You put it exactly correct.

There's no food problem, if you tell me who's going to pay for it ....

MEAD: You mean as long as you think that food's about money and not about people eating. That's what you're saying, Herman.

KAHN: Yes, I am saying that! We cannot feed the poor unless we can pay for it. I am perfectly willing to give them charity. I'd be glad to see United States aid programs doubled, if it was productive. But one thing I noticed was that the apjleal for aid programs wrecked agriculture in a number of countries. People with the best will in the world got together, found out where there were su rpluses, and then sent free food all over the world .

And it wrecked the farmers ....

MEAD: But there isn't a food surplus.

The people didn't think so. T hey think that food is meant to be eaten, while your food surplus is only for payment.

KAHN: In 1975 there was enough food to feed everyone who could pay for it. And furthermore, if you gave me the money I could have fed all the people who were hungry in '75, in a so-called food shortage.

THOMPSON: Now, let's try and understand one another. Here's where I disagree with you, and where I'm trying to get to the point that what has created the Los Angelesation of the planet that forces Sydney into smog, and T ehra n into smog, and the Saudi Arabians into flush toilets in the desert is a particular kind of symbol system that's been packaged and exported by us, by bringing their elites to our universities, and training them in terms of policy and programing and merchandizing, and the Harvard Business School kind of mentality. The green revolution in India is a perfect example. It was a nightmare .

KAHN: It was not a nightmare! It was a great success! India today has a food surplus and they're shipping it out.

They paid back Russia ....

THOMPSON: The rich got richer and the poor got poorer in Calcutta and Bombay.

KAHN: That's not correct. The rich got richer but about half the poor a lso got richer, and about half the poor stayed the same.

THOMPSON: 1 go to Calcutta and

Bombay and I see hell! You see marvelous things.

KAHN: No! I see bo1h things! Look, let's take a picture of India, because this is a kind of touchstone on how you look at these things. I was in India for about three weeks. I gave a standard lecture there. I said , "You're doing quite well by my standards, but not as well as you'd like." "What do you mean?" they said. I said, "Twenty per cent are in the modern sector, really going up fast. Forty per cent are in the semimodcrn sector. All those bullock carts have got ball bearings in them now. They're getting rubber tires that Will double and treble their life and usefulness. Forty per cent are standing still or even moving back slightly."

THOMPSON: Meanwhile, the water table is lowering in Punjab and they predict a dustbowl for them ....

KAHN: I'm sorry. Read Roger Revelle on that. Although he's not on my side of the house on many of these issues, he's analyzed the food situation there. India's become one of the major food exporters in the world, with proper water management and a reasonable amount of investment.

TI:IOMPSON: You're looking at too narrow a time scale.

KAHN: I'm not! I'm looking at the rest of history. By the way, I'll make another comment. I f anything is not going to be a problem, 100 years from now, it 'II be food. Because there 'II be dozens of ways to produce it, which have nothing to do with the way we're doing it today.

We may stick to the traditional methods for all kinds of reasons . . . .

THOMPSON: Remember that five years from now! Herman Kahn said "Food is not the problem."

KAHN : No, no. If you don't stockpile food you 'II get hit with famines , temporary famines. But that's not the long-term trend.

SANDERS: What at this point could each of you discuss as the most optimistic and likely sort of world we might see by the end of this century? What sort of things do you think we could realistically expect and that you would like to see?

Dr. Mead ?

MEAD: I'd like to see people realize the importance of the atmosphere. If

they respect the atmosphere, protect the report we thought that space was a everything that goes through it-the com- digression. But it turns out that there munication waves, the communication are good arguments for believing that satellites, the earth inspection satellites like there will be a solar civilization of some Landsat - and care for the atmosphere sort. ... Space is a frontier- which is at every point, then their attention will terri bly important, because I see the be focused on the planet in a way that world of the future as becoming relatively is impossible as long as one is only working stable (assuming it's successful) and relaon the ground or in coastal waters. tively nondynamic.

I think the real problem of the future The ocean is sort of in the middle and we're not doing very well with it. But I in the advanced countries is the problem think that we must come to regard the of meaning and purpose. In other words, planet as being surrounded by the atmos- what is it that we are willing to defend'? phere through which everything goes very What is it that puts structure in our lives? fast, and the only way we can protect the What is it that gives us a sense of, "My rest of the world is to protect the atmos- God, it's good to be a live!"?

SANDERS: Is this religion you're phere of our own country adequately.

If we felt more responsibility for the talking about?

KAHN: Religion is the easiest way to solar system and if we do some colonizing in space, if that's done responsibly as a do it, if you can do it that way. But I'm way of understanding more about our- not a prophet. We're the only people selves and about the way human systems who, for a while, claimed to have Moses, are built, then, I think, I'd be very happy. Jesus Christ and Buddha under contract, but we looked at their product and SANDERS: Dr. Kahn?

KAHN : We did a report for NASA changed our minds. I don't know what called The Next 200 Years in Space, as fills that gap ....

THOMPSON : For me, as a cultura l part of the Bicentennial. When we started historian , the transmission of the Bouddha Dharma to the West (and I would agree with Toynbee on PARTICIPANTS this) is a profound Margaret Mead, noted t1:. much for her widecultural transformaranging social insights as for her contribution tion of the West. And to anthropology, was curator emeritus of the way technolethnology at the American Museum of ogy is going to be Natural History in New York City until humanized is not her death last November. Among her books through the manageare Coming of Age in Samoa and Culture rial sciences of the and Commitment: A Study of the Generation Gap. West but through the mysticism of the East. What you're going to see, I think, is Herman Kahn, best knoll'n today for his a planetary culture in which the ideological futurological ll'ork. is the director of the parents are Western materialism that Hudson Institute at Croton-on-Hudson, Nell' tends to be world destroying, and Eastern York, and author of The Year 2000 and mysticism that tends to be world denying, T be Next 200 Years. and the two of them coming together, creating a kind of Pythagorean synthesis William Irwin Thompson is.founder and chairthat is both technological and mystical. man of the Lindi.ifarne Association in SouthAnd here I would say that John and ampton, Neu¡ York, an independent community Nancy Todd, with their work in of scientists, philosophers and artists u-ho New Alchemy- where they don't swdy the emerging planetary culture. His use fossil fuel fertilizers, but do published works include At t he Edge of have miniaturized computers in a kind History, Passages About Earth, and Darkof symbiotic structure that produces enness and Scattered Light: Four Essays on ergy rather than consumes it- are really the Future. the scientific prophets of the new age.

MODERATOR But I think it's going to have radical unpredictability in art, in religion and Kevin Sanders is a television correspondent, the imagination, and that we're in for a critic and commentator. He has written and lot of surprises, and that the very structure produced documentaries on Japan, Indonesia, and tissue of reality isn't going to be New Guinea, and the Apollo XI moon laund1. the same in the year 2000.

0

SPAN APRIL 1979

0

10

SPAN APRIL 1979

BUILD A BETTER ENERGY MOUSETRAP ... and the world will beat a path to your door

by DAN ROSEN

When you think about it, we have an awful lot of energy at our disposal in this world.

Every three days, the sun showers the earth with energy equal to all our fossil fuels. Every day, the ocean's tides and currents surge with awesome power. Every day, in the wind, in falling water, in growing things, in the earth's internal heat, sources of energy are available to us far in excess of our needs.

Why, then, all the fuss about energy supply? Why must fossil fuels such as oil and gas or coal figure so heavily in meeting our energy needs?

The answer is that we have not yet found efficient and economical ways to collect, store, and use the energy that nature so plentifully provides. We have no really good energy mousetrap to catch and hold energy in the way that fossil fuels have caught and stored the heat of ancient suns.

Storing energy, it seems, is no easy task. But we are working on it, reports Jack Booth, who, as planning manager for advanced energy systems at Exxon Enterprises, follows such developments. ''We would need better energy storage techniques," he says, " even if we had oil and gas aplenty for t~e next 10,000 years. "

Reprinted by permissoon of Exxon USA. oout1esy Exxon Company. U.SA.

SPAN APRIL 1979

J

ENERGY MOUSETRAP c·ominued

Electricity, for example, perhaps the most universally useful of all energy forms, proves to be especially difficult to hang on to when the generator ceases to turn. ··until we find better storage methods, electricity will become more and more expensive and in short supply." Booth says.

The reason , Booth points out. is distressingly obvious.

Utilities must install enough generating capacity to meet peak load demand. But the demand for electricity varies widely. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when businesses and factories are running and families are preparing to cook the evening meal, demand nears its peak. But at 2 o'clock in the morning when most people are fast asleep, demand may drop to half its daytime level. Likewise, demand follows seasonal cycles. Summertime air conditioning results in three-quarters of U.S. utilities coping with thei1' peak annual load during the summer months. The plants installed to meet these peaks are thus idle much oft he time.

But suppose a utility could run its generators con· tinuously, night and day. storing its unused output at night and releasing it to meet demand during the day. Less generating capacity would be needed. investment costs would be lower, and operating efficiency would be higher, all economic ad vantages that would produce lower prices for electricity. In fact, the U.S. Federal Energy Administration has estimated that utilities could save some $48 billion in capital expenditures alone if they could just boost their operating efficiency from its current level of about 62 per cent of capacity to but69 per cent of capacity by 1985.

Little wonder, then, that interest in energy storage research in the United States is rapidly gaining serious attention throughout the power industry, and in other energyoriented industries as well. At present, though, the science of energy storage remains at a primitive level.

For a few utilities with appropriate sites, storage of electricity by ' ' pumped hydro storage,. has proven practical.

The system requires the construction of a large reservoir at the top of a hill, and another at the bottom. At night, when surplus generating capacity permits. pumps lift water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. During the day. when demand soars, the utility opens the reservoir's sluice gates. Water runs down a penstock through a hydroturbine, which drives an electric generator producing electricity. It 's a simple method and it works. Systems now in use range in capacity from a few megawatts to 2.000 megawatts.

In a variation of the water reservoir. utilities have experimented with saving off-peak. or nighttime, power by using it to compress air in caves, or in underground rock formations that might once have held oil or gas. At peak demand periods during the day, the compressed air is released and vented through a turbine to turn a generator.

Although both ofthese concepts date back to the 1940s, they have their shortcomings. Each is "site specific, .. mean-

12

SPAN AI'R i l. 1979

ing that there arc geographic and topographic limitations.

For example, a reservoir must have adequate elevation-a nearby hilltop is necessary.

Also, environmentalists object to the creation of reservoirs on hilltop sites that may be ecologically or aesthetically impo11ant. Neighbors worry that something might breach the reservoir and produce a flood. And to compress a1r, a cavern, abandoned underground mine. or porous geological formation must be handy. In the latter, a U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) report points out, there is a danger of fire or explosion "when one considers the use of depleted oil or gas wells·· as compressed air reservoirs.

An alternative, currently under study in the United States. is the storage or thermal energy necessary for power generation. T he method is primarily designed for use in nuclear power plants to store surplus heat. Using it, a utility can operate its steam supply system at a constant level of output, despite variation in demand for power.

I n normal operation, nuclear reactors produce heat that is used to make steam with which to energize turbine-driven generators. A plant with heat storage technology can store surplus heat in a high ly refined, reusable oil at temperatures up to 520 degrees Fahren heit. The heated oil is kept in insulated tanks. During hours of peak demand, when extra power is needed. the oil is passed through a heat exchanger to produce additional steam. Peak level output can thereby be increased by as much as 25 per cent.

To stimulate research into different ways to store heat, ERDA has requested proposals for in-depth engineeting studies of methods using water, oil. molten salt. or rock as storage media. Such methods may become practical and commercially available in the 1980s, believes Robert P. C1hn. a research scientist. Thermal energy stomge. according to him. will begin to look more attractive when "we run out of geographically and ecologically acceptable pumped hydro sites for backup systems to meet fluctuating demand."

Meanwhile. researchers at the Los A lamos Laboratory and at the University of Wisconsin are looking into ways to store electrical energy in a huge supercooled magnetic field.

Visualize an enormous coil of copper wire wrapped around a vast core of iron to make a tremendous electromagnet. It would be buried in an underground cavern surrounded by solid rock and supercooled to a temperature about that of liquid helium. A utility would transmit its offpeak electricity into the coil, creating an electromagnetic field. The current would Circulate in this field under very low resistance until the utility reclaimed it to meet peak load demand.

Several research groups seeking to apply magnetic energy storage to power systems have created small laboratory models capable of storing small amounts of electricity. But the concept is at a very early stage of development. An ERDA report confirms that .. much of the present effort

is concentrated on small-scale prime power for forklift trucks, work using current technology, communications, and control The solution to the world's conceptual development, and systems. But, so far, lead-acid energy problem lies in developing cost projections. " batteries offer little help for The kinetic energy of a flytechnologies that can store storage of off-peak power. wheel, long known and underThey cost too much. Thus it efficiently and economically. stood, has attracted new inbattery technology remains a terest as a means of storing offchallenge yet to be resolved. peak electricity and as an energy booster for transportation.

According to Jack Booth, tomorrow's battery must be In earlier decades, buses, trolleys, and trains used flywheels made of low-cost materials that will last up to 20 years. lt as a temporary energy source, and may very well do so again. must be able to give up its electrical charge readily and A typical flywheel system helped to drive the Oerlikon accept recharging repeatedly. ''Meeting these requirements Electrogyro bus over Swiss roads in the 1950s. The vehicle will take time and money,'' he observes. had a 1,600-kilogram, 1.6-meter-diameter flywheel under These challenges occupy much of the time of Dr. R. P. the floor. At every other stop, the bus would plug into an Hamlen, a research scientist, who aims to develop batteries electrical outlet so an electric motor could wind up the that will store up to four times the energy per unit of volume flywheel to 3,000 revolutions per minute. After a two-minute (and weight) that today's lead-acid batteries can store. He recharge, the bus could detach itself from its electrical also seeks a battery that can be recharged hundreds of times supply and move on to the next stop . The spinning flywheel without deteriorating. tll rned a generator that supplied electricity to motors In meeting these specifications, D r. HamJen's research powering the bus wheels, allowing the vehicle to travel team at Linden, New Jersey, believes it has at least some of about lO kilometers. the answers in a battery using lithium as a reactant. For Subsequent research has developed wheels of a more example, the lithium battery can be made smaller and lighter efficient shape composed of space-age materials capable of than its lead-acid counterpart. A 100-megawatt-hour lithibeing turned safely at supersonic speeds. Those experimentum battery would occupy only 13,000 square feet of floor ing with flywheels claim the latest models are more efficient space as compared to 50,000 square feel for a lead-acid system of the same storage and output capability. The same energy storers than are lead-acid batteries currently used in

automobiles.

lithium system would weigh 900 tons as opposed to 3,500

While flywheels may find a use in transportation, such applications are not directly applicable to electric utilities for off-peak power storage. Man y problems remain. The working stress levels of a very large, stationary flywheel have yet to be measured. Likewise, the most efficient configuration of such a wheel has yet to be determined. " It remains to be seen," says a report prepared for ERDA and the Electric Power Research Institute, " if flywheel storage on utility systems can ever become economic."

Another long-range possibility is to store electricity in the form of hydrogen. A highly flammable elemental gas, hydrogen is one of the elements of water. It is obtained by the electrical decomposition of water in a process known as electrolysis. Hydrogen thus released can be stored as a gas or as a liquid under refrigeration. In these forms, it can be stored or transported elsewhere. An ideal, nonpolluting fuel, hydrogen can be used as a fuel for utility boilers, vehicles, or even for home heating.

But electrolysis is an inefficient process; unless the cost of electricity can be reduced, the efficiency of the process improved, and the cost of containing hydrogen reduced, the storage of electricity as hydrogen will have a tough time competing with other, less expensive methods for storing off-peak elecuical energy. Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory are currently trying to overcome these problems.

A more commonplace means of storing electricity the storage battery- offers promise for future energy storage systems. The rechargeable or secondary lead-acid battery is widely used in automobiles. Other uses include

tons for the lead-acid system.

Lithium batteries now available commercially are small and nonrechargeable. Their uses are limited to such specialty applications as heart pacemakers. But research scientists envision a battery having about four times the energy density of conventional lead-acid types, and large enough to power, say, an electric car. Success, Dr. Hamlen feels, is probably five years away. But with such a breakthrough in battery technology, the electric car could become part of the answer to absorbing some of the offpeak generating capacity that utilities seek to utilize today.

Motorists would recharge their electric car batteries during the off-peak hours of nighttime for use during the following day.

Similarly, better batteries would also be a key element in boosting the practicality of solar electric panels and winddriven generators. A lithium battery, for example, might be stuffed with enough wind - or sun-generated energy to last through a week of quiet or rainy days.

Meanwhile, the world waits to beat a path to the door of the inventor of the better energy mousetrap, be it water reservoir, heat sump, compressed a ir, flywheel , or battery.

With all this energy around us, there's got to be a way to collect and store it that is at least as clever as that remarkable package of liquid sunlight known as crude oil.

D About the Author: Dan Rosen is a free -lance wriler based in Ne1 1' York Cily. Though popular 1edmologr is his specially. he wriles on a u'ide mnge of subjects .for such American publica/ions as

The New York Times Magazine.

SPAN APRIL 1979

J3

TEXT BY SALLY DEFTY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBERT McCULLOUGH

'Whenever I am depressed, I go out for a walk, because you can't go one block here without people talking to you and making you feel good again.' This neighborliness bas given new life to The Hill, once a problem-ridden part of St. Louis.

There is a cynical American saying which goes, "You can 't fight city hall." lt is usually accompanied by a shrug and said in answer to a complaint by a city dweller that his street is full of holes or his garbage wasn 't picked up or someone has put up a billboard on the vacant lot next door. It signifies frustration and impotence.

There is, however, an area in tbe Mississippi River city of St. Louis, where about 6,500 residents have found that by banding together they can not only fight city hall, and win, but even successfully take on the United States Government.

The area was originally looked down on, because most of the persons who settled on the high ground were Italian immigrants who worked in the clay mines nearby. But that attitude changed years ago as St. Louisans discovered that some of the finest restaurants in this metropolitan area of2,000,000 persons were sprinkled among the modest homes on The Hill.

The restaurants were, and are, family enterprises with parents, children, grandparents and other relatives participating. The warmth of the service and the care given to the preparing reflect that tight-knit family pride. Today, it has spread to encompass all 50 blocks that comprise The Hill.

St. Louis, like many older American cities, has its urban

14

SPAN APRJL 1979

problems. Manufacturers and businesses have left the inner city for well-landscaped industrial parks and shiny new shopping centers on the outskirts.

Residents, similarly, have fled the city for the suburbs. But business is thriving on The Hill.

Walking the streets of The Hill , one can search in vain for a vacant house; there is a lengthy list of families waiting to rent or buy there.

It certainly is not architectural charm or elegance that draws them. The older homes are nondescript one-story brick bungalows. What pulls people to The Hill and keeps them there is an intimacy and a solidarity not often found even in a small town and almost never in a city.

"I could walk through these streets and name you 90 per cent -all right, 80 per cent- of the families that live here, house by house;¡ said Ben Gambaro, a partner in a bakery and a lifelong Hill dweller. His wife, Gloria, nodded agreement. The Gambaros are financially well off. There are several millionaires on The Hill, and many others, like the Gambaros, who could afford a large home in one of St. Louis' most handsome suburbs. But ''what is important is not the appearance of streets and houses, but the inner quality, where relatives and friends are welcome, and a good table is set," Daniel Patrick Moynihan, former U.S. Am-

bassador to India, wrote in Beyond the Melting Pot, a book on ethnic groups in New York City.

His words are equally applicable to St. Louis' Hill. The Gambaros have six children and a three-bedroom house. At one point they came close to moving away for need of more space.

"But we just couldn't leave," Mrs. Gambaro said. She thought for a moment and then said, "I guess this is the real reason: Whenever I am depressed, I just go out for a walk because you can't go one block here without people greeting you

and talking to you and making you feel good again."

But neighborliness would not have been enough to cope with the problems The Hill, like other older urban areas, was facing.

About 14 years ago the dangers were clear: home maintenance was slipping; a slightly shabby look prevailed. Government officials announced that an interstate highway would cut through The HiU, isolating many homes.

At about the same time St. Ambrose Church, a handsome Romanesque structure that is

I. Relaxing in a garden, these two senior citizens typify the pleasant and unhurried lifestyle oj The Hill in St. Louis. 2. The ethnic background of the majority of the residents here is symbolized by this statue ofan /tali~n immigrant family. 3. Vincent Gualdoni takes time out for some refreshment as he prepares food for one of The Hill's popular restaurants, most of which are family enterprises.

4. Father Salvatore Polizzi, who helped spearhead the residents' effort to preserve and develop their community, is seen in his study.

The Hill's hub, got a new associate pastor, Father Salvatore Polizzi. The two occurrences proved fateful for The Hill.

A short, dark, intense man, Father Polizzi works out of an agreeably cluttered rectory office. A portrait of his mother shares waU space with a poster announcing a sculpture exhibition and another promoting a candidate for Sheriff.

Father Polizzi spearheaded the community's fight for selfpreservation by inspiring the residents and planning ways of collecting money to keep up the struggle.

On a steamy August night in 1965. The Hill found that it had a gold mine. St. Louis was celebrating the 200th anniversary of its founding as a French trading post, and a women's group had planned a 10-day festival to be held at different locations within the city. The women of St. Ambrose made Italian dishes like ravioli, mostaccioli and risotto for an anticipated 2,000 or 3,000 visitors. Some 65,000 persons came to The Hill. They watched men playing boccie (an Italian bowling game), they ate fine food, drank wine under grape arbors

and ogled the tidy houses. And they spent money.

Since then H ill D ay has become an annual event, netting as much as $50,000. But back in 1965 when the first festival was held there was no money, only a desire to preserve a community.

A developer had announced plans to build a drive-in movie theater in the area. Residents were appalled. By day a drivein theater is a huge, empty parking lot ; night brings traffic and congestion.

A meeting was called, and the whole community turned out.

A group of elderly mothers

volunteered to lie down in front of the bulldozers to block the construction of the huge screen.

The owner of the property decided not to sell after all .

The Hill's next challenge was a stiffer one. Residents knew that they could not change the path of a proposed interstate highway that would cut through The Hill , isolating about 150 families. But they were determined to have an overpass so that those families could still easily come to The Hill.

Three hundred Hill residents went to Jefferson City, Missouri's capital, to plead with SPAN APRIL 1979

~~

l

ST. LOUIS c¡ominued

the highway commission for an overpass. They were rejected.

Then the head of the U.S. Department of Transportation visited St. Louis and Father Polizzi obtained an appointment with him. Later, he led a delegation of Hill people to Washington, D.C., bearing a check for $50,000, raised by themselves, to help pay for the overpass. The Hill got its overpass.

The highway brought another threat: Owners of properties facing the highway were being offered large sums for their homes by billboard interests.

Garish advertisements are not Hill residents' idea of neigh-

2

borhood adornment. So Hill 2000, a corporation formed with that year in mind, matched the offers and bought the properties.

No billboards mar The Hill now.

Elsewhere, older homes have been purchased by Hill 2000, renovated and rented to young people. Funds from Hill Day have been spent to purchase and plant 2,000 young trees. The Hill 2000 offices are staffed by volunteer workers who provide information on available housing and match up homeowners who need grass cutting, painting or other household chores done with Hill youngsters looking for work.

Fire hydrants and trash recep-

tacles on The Hill boast cheery red, white imd green stripes, the colors of the Italian flag. ''But The Hill is not an ethnic community, it is a family community," insists Mrs. Dominic Marfisi , editor of the neighborhood newspaper. "That is what holds us together. We have had Irish families here for years.

And Jewish, German, Polish and black families have been here longer than we have. " When we decorate the park for Hill Day, we don't just put up Italian flag but the flags of all the nationalities who live here on The Hill. It is a real melting pot, and it works,'' she said with 0 a proud smile.

J

1. An elderly couple, Mario and Louisa Chiodini, chat with a visitor in their home. Most residents of The Hill know each other and lay grea1 stress on personal relations. 2. Neighborhood men relax under a grape arbor at Rose's Garden. 3. Grocery stOres are stocked ll'ith items catering to Italian tastes. 4. Tlze largely Italian commwzity ofTize Hill has kept ali l'e many of ils customs, including the lwlian bowling game of boccie, which is a popular paslime wilh 1he men here.

SPAN APRIL 1979

17

he fences have come down all across Missouri. Fields in Iowa are no longer necessarily rectangular; many follow the Jay of the land. In flat western Kansas they are often circular to accommodate the center' pivot self-propelled pipes that irrigate them .

Where cotton reigned in the South, cattle now are fed, and soybeans, which once were spurned as useless everywhere in rural America or were plowed under for green manure, darken the field s of summer. Com, wheat, cattle and hogs change shape and variety, go hybrid with vigor; lamb is scarce as lobster; poultry are hardly farmed - one might say they are factoried.

I n the nearly two decades since I marked the beginning of adolescence by moving from Kansas City streets to a Missouri farm, American farming has changed radically and permanently. It has not been swallowed by corporations, has not become "agribusiness," not yet- the overwhelming majority of profitable farms today are father-son operations, father-son partnerships or family corporations- but it has become lean and specialized. capital-intensive and cost-effective, the work of fewer men and women than ever before, the work of systems increasingly scientific and of massive machines. And proudly, without exaggeration, the wonder of the world, a blessing we need not blush to count. "Over the past 200 years," wrote Earl 0. Heady, CUrtiss Distinguished Professor at Iowa State University, in a special food and agriculture edition of Scientific American in 1976, "the United States has had the best, the most logical and the most successful program of agricultural development anywhere in the world."

The farm where I moved when l was 12 (144 rich hectares outside Independence, Missouri) was also a boys' home. A pioneer cattleman and banker named Andrew Drumm, who drove hogs across the Central Valley of California to feed the miners of the Gold Rush and who ranched his way to wealth in the Cherokee Strip, established it in his will. He meant for boys who needed a home to work their way through school, and he intended those boys to know intimately the sources of food and fiber that sustained their civilization . The Drumm Institute for Boys was a thriving, diversified farm when I arrived there in the summer of 1949. With 40 boys to preserve from mischievous leisure, it was also deliberately labor-intensive, and therefore persistent with practices already becoming antique. Our chickens never left the chicken house, for example, and that was technology avant-garde in 1949 ; but we milked our cows by band, having so many bands available, and with oak-handled, copper-plated hoes we hoed our field crops as few farmers any longer could afford to do.

So Drumm's practices were modem, but hand , with pitchforks. Two Percherons, its technology was not, and I take it now as dull, enormous animals, pulled our hay a model, somewhat enlarged, for the old wagon to the barn in 1949, and some among family farm , a model against which to us learned the intricacies of traces. At the barn an old mare backed up to lower a compare today's high technology.

We grew our food. All of it- or almost tined haylift into the carefully loaded wagon all of it. Polly's soda pop came infrequently stack and then strained forward to raise a from an Independence bottler for 4-H meet- portion of the stack into the barn. In good ings [programs for young people who learn years, when there was too much hay for the agricultural and homemaker's skills] or har- loft, we stacked it outside. Sometimes it vest celebrations, white bread from a com- succumbed to spontaneous combustion, mercial bakery once a week to alleviate the smoldering away for weeks until it burned crumbly boredom of com bread. But rhu- itself out, leaving behind hidden holes of barb we grew, asparagus, leaf lettuce and the finest white ash.

Our cows were tuberculin tested ; we scallions; radishes, carrots, peas, green beans and lima beans; potatoes, enough potatoes drank their milk raw, skimming off the cream to fill a storm cellar and feed us through for butter which we churned. In spring and the winter twice a day; head lettuce for summer, when the cows freshened, we made summer salads and cabbage for sauerkraut, cottage cheese or separated the excess milk which we salted down in hogsheads; cucum- in a hand separator and sold the cream bers, sweet corn, field corn if the sweet com in town and fed the skim milk to the hogs. ran out; strawberries, four hectares of straw- The hogs wandered the north pasture snufberries, 40 boys on their hands and knees fling under the pasture t rees until someone picking those strawberry fields forever; toma- called them, sou-eeeeing in a high , penetrating toes for dinner and supper every day in July falsetto, to assemble them for a slop of and early August and tomatoes canned on a garbage and table scraps.

We fertilized our fields with chicken and 20-boy assembly une into hundreds of steaming jars; squash, pumpkins, grapes for cow manure collected in metal buckets jelly and for after-hours pressings of juice and stored in a spreader or plowed under a that we imagined unaided would turn into green manure of sweet clover, red clover wine. The eight-hectare garden had been or lespedeza, nitrogenous legumes. We knew for 50 years a feed lot ; the vegetables thrived. little of chemicals. We plowed deep and We pruned and harvested an orchard of disked and harrowed, mechanically cultiapples and peaches, competing with shim- vated the corn and the sorghum to hold mering scarabs and drunken wasps. We down weeds. Our fields were modern for collected black walnuts from the pasture trees the early 1950s, with contoured terraces and stomped off their hulls on crisp autumn to slow erosion and well-placed farm ponds. mornings while we waited to be assigned We acquired an International Harvester our chores, and on winter nights down in tractor, rubber-wheeled, when Drumm's the boot room we cracked them and picked superintendent was finally and authoritaout their meats. We raised Milking Short- tively convinced that tractors didn't dehorns and Guernseys for dairy cattle and structively compact the soil, and in that we Shorthorns for beef; Leghorn chickens for were behind the times: The tractor replaced eggs so long as they were laying and for the horse in American agriculture during Sunday dinner after that; Duroc-Jersey and World War II, when all the farm hands Poland China hogs, their bacon and hams went to war.

With the tractor came more mechanical hung up in a limestone smokehouse built before the Civil War. We raised sheep, but equipment: a corn picker (before my time not for eating: Midwesterners have the old the corn had been picked by hand); a baler the tractor could pull that made orange-cratecattleman's prejudice against lamb.

To feed them we grew corn and alfalfa sized , twine-tied bales and dumped them and oats and mowed thick pastures of on the ground; a disk that could be mounted bluegrass, lespedeza , red clover, timothy. on the tractor and that the flick of a lever Sorghum tall as corn we bundled in the lifted dramatically into the air ; a hammer fields and hauled in to chop for silage, mill , a deafening machine run by the tractor's blowing it up a pipe into silos where it power take-off, that ground our corn; a fermented until I wondered that the cows garden tractor that plowed in a day what weren't drunk; in deep winter, shoveled I had plowed in a week with a horse-drawn down the silo ladder, it steamed up the barn . plow shouting "gee" and "haw" at the ends We cut the hay in the fields and shocked of rows, the reins around my neck. Eventually it to dry, covering the shocks with handmade we applied commercial fertilizer to our caps of canvas sewn by the housekeeper, fields , and eventually we bred our dairy who also mended our clothes. When the cows by artificial insemination. Changes shocks had cured , we spread them out by were coming even to boy-powered Drumm.

Copyrigln C 1978 Richard Rhodes. This anocle onjlma lly appeared on American llwtuge ma gatme.

SPAN APRIL 197Q

19

CHANGING FA RM lN AMERICA contiuued

Mechanization and fertilizers have pushed productivity in the American farm. So has the practice of hybridization, both with plant and animal. Eventually, hybrid crosses will dominate the cattle industry as they already dominate grain, poultry and swine production in the United States. r left for college then, about the time someone discovered that soybeans were a mighty crop, worth something more than plowing under to fertilize the corn. I remember farming as romantic, and to a former city boy it was, but it was also hard, hot work. he Drumm Institute is surrounded by suburbs now, and not much farming gets done there any more, but famng has changed everywhere in America. It has changed in response to economic necessity.

There has been a program, a long-standing government policy, of government-supported overproduction. Overproduction has meant that supply has frequently exceeded demand, and the results of that imbalance have been cheap food for American consumers and marginal profits for farmers. In 1971 , before inflation boosted the figure, Americans spent only an average 15.7 per cent of their disposable income for food.

Compare the Soviet Union at 30 per cent, Europe at 26 per cent, the developing countries at 65 per cent. Somehow, in the public mind, however, the cheap food never reaches the supermarket, and farmers are forever defending themselves against charges of profiteering. Retail food prices are high because the cost of processing ¡ raw farm products is high, not because the farmers of America are getting rich. They aren't: Profits from farming over the long haul have averaged no more than 3 or 4 per cent, which is why corporate farming hasn't dominated agriculture in the United States except in certain specialized industries, such as fruits and broiler chickens and egg production.

Low and frequently nonexistent profits and the rising cost of labor demanded increased efficiency and increased productivity of American farmers. With the help of intense scientific research they delivered both. The number of farms has declined; their average size has gone up. The United States had 6,400,000 farms in 1920. By the mid-1970s only 2,800,000 were left. Between 1959 and 1974 the average hectarage per farm increased from 115 to 155, and the most successful farms were far larger; today, in the Midwestern corn belt, one man, alone with his machinery, may farm 245 to 325 hectares.

A million workers left the farm for the city between 1950 and 1955. Machinery took

T

20

SPAN APRJL 1979

their place. To get maximum return for his from countries that harbored hoof-andmachinery investment, a farmer had to mouth disease-and breeding up purebred farm more land. In the mid- 1960s, the exotics for crossing with Herefords and average investment per farm in land and Aberdeen Angus, the most populous Ameriequipment was $55,300. By the mid-1970s can breeds. The Charolais came from France, that investment had swollen to $148.000. Few the Chianina from Italy, the Simmental could afford to enter farming-if you have from Switzerland. All the exotics were $150,000 to invest, why invest it in 16-hour large dual-purpose breeds the European days for a profit of 4 per cent ?- which is had developed for milk and work as well why so many profitable farms today are as for beef, and they added growth and operated by fathers and sons. feed-conversion efficiency and sheer size But without increased productivity, farm to domestic breeds short on milk and stuntexpansion would have been disastrous. In ed by years of breeding small. Eventually this case, productivity can be taken literally: hybrid crosses will dominate the cattle The farmer farmed more hectares, but he industry as they already dominate the grain, also found ways to get more production poultry and swine industries. from every hectare he farmed. Herbicides All these changes have altered the look largely replaced mechanical cultivation, and of farming, though the difference may not that kept down labor costs, but because be ob\~ous from the road. Diversified farmherbicides reduced weed competition, they ing, the kind of fi:uming we practiced at also increased yield. The same was true of Drumm, is a thing of the past. A wheat pesticides. In neither case was the farmer farmer in eastern Kansas grows two crops, simple-mindedly enamored of chemicals. wheat and soybeans, planting the soybean He was trying to get the job done and still after he harvests his wheat in June. He make a living. Fertilizer increased producti- buys his meat and milk and eggs and vegevity more directly by increasing yield, and tables at the supermarket. In western Kansas, between 1950 and 1972 fertilizer use in the where the rainfall is sparse enough to require United States expanded by 276 per cent. fallowing the wheat fields in alternate years Increased agricultural productivity has to allow the underground water to build up, taken many forms, not all of them petro- he may have converted from wheat farming chemical. Hybridization bas been among to growing irrigated soybeans by drilling a the most important. As far back as the 1930s, well and investing in a center-pivot irrigation American agricultural scientists were aware system. You can see such fields while flying that crossbreeding two distantly related west to California, great circles of green strains of animal or plant resulted in a on the brown buffalo plains, and won't phenomenon they called heterosis and farm- see them again this side of the Middle East, ers called hybrid vigor. Distant crosses the only other place where they have so suppressed undesirable genetic recessives; far been installed.

An Iowa farmer may plant corn and hybrids were stronger than their parents, grew faster, were more resistant to disease. soybeans, but he almost certainly runs no Hybridization alone can add 10 to 15 per cattle or hogs. Farming today is specialized. cent to the growth rate of cattle. Properly Its technology requires it; the farmer's fertilized and cultivated, hybrid corn can heavy investment in machinery requires it; produce double the amount per hectare maximum productivity requires it; fixed compared to its parents' yield. Hybrid corn costs and narrow profits require it. Where and soybeans now dominate the corn belt, corn grows best, corn is grown; where and after years of d ifficult research, hybrid wheat grows best, wheat is grown.

The raising of animals has changed even wheat today begins to come on line. T he cattle industry, traditionally the most conser- more dramatically than the cultivation of vative sector of agriculture, resisted hy- grains. Here the change is evident and bridization until the late 1960s. Then a few .. radical : More slowly in some industries, entrepreneurs began importing the semen more rapidly in others, all the animals of "exotic" European breeds of cattleanimals themselves were barred because Facing page: A cornfield in the American midwest, of the relentless U.S. quarantine of animals photographed from the air.

CHANGING FARM IN AMERICA colllinued

are being moved indoors for all or part of their life cycles. The production of broilers, which is to say the production of young chickens destined for the frying pan, has become a factory operation. With automated air-exchange systems, automated water supplies, automated food supplies and automated waste disposal, one man now raises 75,000 birds from delivery at one day of age to slaughter at eight weeks. I raised broilers indoors at Drumm for a 4-H project ; even with antibiotic feed it took me nine weeks to get them to weight in 1954. A poultry "farmer" no longer needs a farm.

He needs a building, a feed mixer or a loading dock, a sewage aeration system and adjacent lagoon, and crucially, a back-up power supply. If his operation is large enough, he also needs a slaughterhouse.

I saw the future of what my vocationalagriculture instructor called " animal hus-

22

SPAN APRIL 1979

bandry" at the Farmland Industries Demonstration Farm south ofLeavenworth , Kansas.

There, not only laying hens but also hogs and dairy cattle are confined indoors, and beef cattle in sheltered concrete lots. Farmland 's research animals, big raw-boned Guernseys, never leave the bam and its attached open-air lot. A manager feeds ,them hay and a diet of grain and protein pellets; their energy goes to milk production, not to grazing, and they produce more milk than ordinary cows. At a spotless milking station, the milk flows through glass tubing into a stainless-steel cooler, later to be pumped untouched into a refrigerated truck for delivery to the dairy.

There was nothing surreal about the dairy barn; it even boasted the obligatory cat.

The farmers I know aren't much different from the farmers 1 knew when I was a child.

They are better educated, they are more professional, they are more efficient, and of course they produce more food. They

are still, most of them, hard-working, and individualistic, and down to earth. One elderly acquaintance, a wheat farmer in central Kansas, farms more than 800 hectares with the help of his two partner-sons. He's built a new brick house, suburban and airconditioned, across the yard from the old white frame house he once occupied - it now serves as bunkhouse for the summer hired men ; and massive white tanks for storing the pressure-liquefied fertilizing gas called anhydrous ammonia line his lane.

He uses older combines because, he says, it takes several years to get to know all their chains and gears and lubrication points, to break them in as once he broke in horses.

Eight hundred hectares is a monumental load of wheat- to combine and truck and dry and store- and when it's ripe, it has to be combined out within two weeks, because rain won't hold off longer than that , and rain will ruin the grain. Those two weeks are bone-grinding, 18-hour days. My friend 's

America's 10 million farmers are a hardy and resilient band. Each farm worker today produces enough food and fiber for 57 people.

The a1â&#x20AC;˘erage family farm, about 250 hectares in size, is big enough to adopt the latest technology, yet small enough for personal attention.

"The family farm in the United States is really the genius of American agriculture," says Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland. Pictures here capture the practices, traditions and lifestyles of American farm families. Above: Three generations of a farm family. Right, clockwise from top: A black worker; a family having fun with a camera; an American kisan me/a ;five horses and a plowboy, a relic of olden times; today'sfarmers with a harvesting combine.

CHANGING FARM IN AMERICA continued

wife drives out to the field twice a day with a meal of meats and salads and casseroles laid on in the trunk of her automobile, and father and sons and hired help chow down in shifls. They truck the wheat in to a five-binned, three-storied complex of storage buildings near the family house, test its moisture content, augur it into the bins, and dry it to quality. Then it is trucked to town, or stored at home, depending on the market.

A farmer I met in southeastern Nebraska, a young man of 32, works 325 hectares on his own, with occasional help from his father.

His land is scattered across the county, 15 hectares here, 30 hectares there, and one man couldn't farm it if tractors hadn't been pesigned with higher road speeds. He grows com and soybeans; he works long days; he lives in an old farmhouse with his wife and two children; and despite his heavy investment in land and equipment, amounting to several hundred thousand dollars, he earned only $6,000 last year, and that only by not counting the value of his labor. He and his local bank are old friends; he'd like to farm more hectares and increase his income, but even with machinery to help him, it isn't physically possible, and hired hands are scarce. southern-Kansas farmer and rancher illustrates another extreme of modem farming. His father was so cash poor that he never in his life paid any income tax, and when the rancher started out on his own, he wasn't, at first, much better off. He heard somewhere that New York flori sts craved a certain kind of New Mexican wood for "driftwood " arrangements, and for years, whenever he was short on cash, he would drive his pickup truck down to New Mexico, gather a load of wood, haul it to Manhattan's wholesale florist district , and selJ it out of the back of his truck. In the meantime he was building a purebred breeding herd of white French Charolais cattle, the first of the profitable new breeds of exotic cattle to reach the United States in any numbers in the late 1960s. Then some Canadian ranchers began importing the Swiss Simmental, and the rancher went into Simmental trading on the side. At one time or another, in the early 1970s, more than 25,000 head of Simmental passed through his ranch, animals worth, in the

1

About tbe Author: Richard Rhodes is a novelist, filmmaker and writer. A former contributing editor of Harper's magazine, he now writes for such publications as Esquire and Reader's Digest.

24

SPAN APRJL 1979

inflated market of those best years in the weather ; cattle and bog feed lots confining history of American farming, anywhere from as many as a hundred thousand head ; the $2,000 to $2,500 apiece. Now the rancher possibility still distant, that recombinant owns 440 hectares of good Kansas prairie, DNA re$earch will create varieties of wheat and spends his spare time wildcatting for and corn geneticalJy transformed into legoil. He is perhaps more entrepreneur than umes, producing their own nitrogen in nodfarmer; the business of breeding cattle has ules on their roots. Optimists may call such been so unprofitable since 1975 that only changes miracles, romantics may call them entrepreneurs have su rvived. heartless and degenerate; they are stages in I could mention other changes in farming: the evolution of American farming and they embryo transplantation, which transfers em- promise the humane possibility of feeding bryos from a prize cow to lesser common a populous world.

0 cows, who bear the genetically superior calves as their own, enabling the prize cow to produce as many as 40 or 50 calves a year; fields The American farmer has harnessed technology in arranged by watersheds with a distinctly his service with telling results- seen at the top European look ; hens confined in crowded in this pic/tire ofa lush wheat crop. America cages, their eggs rolling on conveyor belts accounts for 17 per cent of the. world's wheat. Right, above: A single egg farmer today into automatic crating machines; the search can raise 75,000 chickens during the eightfor a featherless chicken; the installation week period from birth to slaughter. Eggs already of irrigation systems, even in such relatively washed, dried, candled, inspected and packed moist states as Missouri, to reduce the reach the consumer within 72 hours. Right : This farmer's dependence on the vagaries of the mechanical egg candler speeds up inspection.

Right, top: Strains of corn have been tested by researchers to idemify those that capture sunlight most efficiently. Right, center: Tomatoes graded for quality are released into a trailer proceeding to the market. The tomatoes have earlier been picked from the .field by giant harvesting machines. Right: The American consumer has hundreds of varieties ofcanned and dried fruit , canned vegetables, tomato products,fruit juices, seafoods, nuts and other specialties to choose from.

TBI FABIIIIIIDIA

Communication Brings Change TEXT BY PRA N CHOPRA

PHOTOGRAPHS BY A VlNASH PASRICHA

These pictures offanner Hamek Singh and his family show the role ofthe Punjab Agricultural University in his success.

I. Harnek holds up a â&#x20AC;˘rifting wheat stalk.

2. Dr. Pran Takkar (left), senior soil scientist at PA U, collects a sample of soil from Hamek's fann. 3. Dr. V.K. Nair ( right), PAU soil chemist, inspects the soil.

Nair and Takkar (not in picture) recommend adding zinc sulfate to the soil. 4. The zinc treatment works, and Harnek and his father discuss the prospects of the next harvest.

5. Hamek's son sprays insecticide on a crop of cauliflower. Seeds from the crop are sold to a Chandigarh firm.

6. Harnek's daughter-in-law works as a schoolteacher. 7. Harnek also runs a dairy, assisted by a state government subsidy.

8. Harnek's wife readies her granddaughter for school 50 kilometers away.

Drooping wheat stocks (left) made farmer Harnek Singh of Ludhiana approach experts of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Their advice gave new life to his crop. Such cooperation between the farmer and the university-a system developed by P AU with the cooperation of America's Ohio State University-has helped transform the Punjab countryside, bringing greenery to once-barren land. A noted journalist probes this transformation and the forces behind it. He concludes: 'What Punjab has done the rest of India can also do, once the alchemy of human interaction is put to work.'

FARM IN INDIA cominued

nd then I went to PAU. " With these few words farmer Hamek Singh began a new chapter of his life story as he told it to me, standing at the edge of his rice farm in Raipur Bet. I am familiar with this part of the Punjab bet, as riverine areas are known in the Punjabi language, especially if they are also sandy.

Raipur used to be a very desolate pocket of a very backward part of the river Sutlej bet, a barrenness of heaps of sand which rolled all the way from the canal headworks at Ropar to the suburbs of the city of Ludhiana. In those days-1 am talking of 20 years ago-tawny grass and a few stunted fields of grain were all that broke this dull brown and sandy gray monotony. An uncertain ribbon of a road ran through the bet, which was often obliterated by shifting dunes.

Early this year I motored again on that road on my way to a lecturing assignment with journalism students at the Punjab Agricultural University (Hamek Singh's " PAU ''). And as I traveled on that road I could not believe my eyes. Along most of the road, which was now broader and much better, were healthy, endless fields of ripening wheat as far as I could see. This new monotony was broken only by powered tubewells with their gushing streams of water, by harvesters and tractors, by cold storages, poultry houses, the grain godowns of the Food Corporation. I was not a stranger to the fame of agricultural Punjab. But I was not prepared for a change like this.

Raipur Bet is a tiny village of only a score of families or so, two-thirds of them Harijans and other low castes and only four ofthemjats, the Punjabi peasants whose farming skills have made Punjab's agriculture the dynamic and thriving occupation it has become in the past decade. So Raipur does not have enough jat families to give it the thrust of Punjab's new agriculture. I therefore expected to see the old bet in it still. But I was mistaken.

l

Hamek Singh's career as a farmer is a miniature of one of the great agricultural sagas of our time-perhaps the greatest in terms of the numbers of people involved and their dramatic experiences. The saga began a hundred years ago and is still unfolding itself in the lives of millions of people like him.

In the 1860s and 1870s, the British administration of India began the adventure of colonizing the vast, empty, desert lands of the Indus river system which were later to become India's wheat granary. They dug hundreds of miles of canals in what is now Pakistan until they created one of history's largest irrigation networks.

28

SPAN APRIL 1979

Top: Dr. Pran Takkar, PAU soil scientist, tells farmers how timely chemica/treatment can remedy crop sickness. Above: The PAU's mobile van carries the sciemist's message far and wide. Farmers eager to hear about the latest seeds, fertilizers and breeding methods, cluster around the van.

To populate this wilderness in the succeeding decades they called over a couple of million people or more from the crowded districts of what is now India 's Punjab province, and especially from the districts of Ludhiana, Jullundur, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur.

But after the 1947 riots, Punjab was divided into its Pakistani two-thirds of West Punjab and the Indian one-third of East Punjab. Since religion became the dividing knife a nd most of those who had migrated to West Punjab in the earlier decades were non-Muslims, they all had

to trek back- and in barbarous conditions of arson. looting and riots in history's most massive and certainly bloodiest exodus.

But their homecoming became for East Punjab an invaluable input for agriculture, to which it gave an unprecedented push.

These refugees became India's finest farming stock. Skillful they had always been, even before they migrated west. The opportunities they experienced in West Punjab had made them bolder and more venturesome. Now their plight made them desperate to get the maximum out of the tiny plots they got as compensation for the vast farms

they had left behind. Their success exceeded all expectations.

Hamek Singh's family performed the journey both ways. H is grandfather was given a fine block of land in L yall pur district, his father went there later. Harnek Singh was born there in 1923. Recalling the reverse mi gration of 1947, he said, " Where we are sitting now" - we were sitting in the front yard of his tiny but neat brick-built house, its kitchen a generous source of tea and biscuits in the gathering dusk '"the sand heaps were one and a half stories high. We had to truck out the sand before we could move in."

But in the past few years technology and the flow of communication have been doing for Harnek Singh what better land and the fl ow of canal waters did for his father and grandfather. The technology comes to him from the Punjab Agricultural University, which Harnek Singh calls " PAU" with a touch of affection because half the faculty of this university had graduated from the Agricultural College at Lyallpur, though more than half of them also have doctorates from various universities in many countries, especially the U nited States.

Harnek Singh's faith in PAU may owe something to the Lyallpur connection.

But its source must be more ubiquitous, because I have found it everywhere among the farmers of Punjab. That source is the close interaction in Punjab between the university and the farmer through an extensive system of two-way communication.

Communication means change in Punjab.

The past 10 years have seen the fulfillment of a promise which was foreseen 15 years ago when PAU entered into a five-year collaboration with the University of Ohio in the United States, under the peculiarly American scheme of land grant colleges.

PAU is as strong in scientific research and in on-campus training and education as an agricultural university should be. But it is strongest, and uniquely so, in extending the results of research to the farmer's field. in on-farm education and training through mass communication and face-to-face propagation, and in learning from the field what only the farmer can teach the educator.

This uniqueness was contributed by the Ohio collaboration, which added a strong emphasis on extension to the research a nd education which had been the uni versity's previous main concerns. The contribution has paid off brilliantly because of the matching uniqueness of the Punjabi farmer, his responsiveness to change and opportunity, his willingness to adopt a new idea and his ability to adapt it to his own conditions.

O ne of the university's bridges with the

farmer is its own communication center, a more developed institution than most universities have. Though far from complete. it already conducts all of the university's mass communication programs- over the radio, on cinema and television, and through print.

The center prepares replies to questions, running into the scores every week, which All India Radio and Doordarshan receive from farmers on specific farming problems.

It provides the expertise for all farm programs on these two media, and gives to them and the press an extensively publicized weekly bulletin on what farmers shouJd be doing during the week.

The center publishes a priced magazine, which does not accept an advertisement before testing the claims made for the product, and already sells 15,000 copies.

T wo of the center's other periodicals, also pricej, are six-monthly guides on farming operations, published in advance of the two main farming seasons. Apart from these, the center sells about 40,000 copies of other priced publications. unjab Agricultural University's extension work also includes two mass events. Before the kharif and rabi seasons begin. the university organizes two k1san melas or farmers' festivals on the campus and its experimental farms, where attendances run up to 15,000 or so. and two or three times that number when a new seed variety is to be released. The police have to be called in to keep order in the long, winding and sometimes impatient queues which form up overnight.

Between seasons too, parties of 200 to 300 farmers spend a few days each on the campus.

Some 50,000 farmers visit the university annually- quite an exposure rate for a farming population of say 10 million out of Punjab's total population of less than 14 million.

This is apart from the 2,500 graduates who pass through the university every year, and a similar number who take short crash courses on the campus or by correspondence.

At the other end. the university interacts very closely with the agriculture department of the state government, the agency responsible for supplying and dtstributing all the material inputs such as seeds. chemicals and water resources. The university quite rightly feels that its research will never bear frui t unless it carries conviction with the department. Whenever research yields a new technique or a new seed variety, it is jointly tested by the university and the department, working side by side and simultaneously, on three fields selected by each in relevant districts from among farmers who have a taste for experimentation.

P

All the new techniques approved for each of the two main seasons are brought before a 路路workshop路路 held on the campus, well in advance of each season. The university's scientists and researchers talk to all the extension hierarchies of the university and the department and to selected farmers dra wn from all districts. The participants then fan out to the villages to hold much larger training camps for other farmers ; from there the message is taken over for further mulling and chewing by charcha mcmdals or discussion groups which are springing up in many villages.

Most of this traffic of communication is downward. More heartening as a sign of change in Punjab, however, is the upward traffic I saw in some villages. including some in the relatively isolated Raipur Bet. l was traveling with some of the university's technical staff to see the work being done to remedy vital plant nutrient deficiencies in the soil, and I found that news of the arrival of the soil experts spread rapidly in the village wherever we went. Immediately farmers ca me to them with their troubles, sometimes with samples of the diseased crop in hand. The university's experts prescribed cures for them like country doctors on their morning rounds.

Others, more venturesome or in need of more complex consultation, traveled all the way to the campus. Among those who did so a couple of years ago was Hamek Singh of Raipur Bet. T hat is when "1 went to PAU." Harnek Singh's father was allotted 68 acres of land when he sought resettlement as a refugee farmer from West Pakistan.

This was a small farm by the standards of what he had left behind in terms of productivity it was small even by the standards of East Punjab. Most of it was sandy and unirrigated in the highland; the rest was waterlogged in the lowland plain. He cultivated the split patches as best he could with the help of one son, while Harnek Singh ran a small factory for bicycle parts in Ludhiana.

In the late 1960s the old man's strength began to run out, and also Harnek Singh's patience with his factory ("factories are run with government quotas, and I could not get one"). So he shut down the factory, sent ofT one son to England where he drives a postal van, and with his wife, one son and daughter-in-law (now a schoolteacher but also brightly informed about farm economics) he moved over to Raipur Bet to start plowing the sand, quite literall y, on what his father allotted to him as his share in the family's land. " I got 21 very poor acres in the upland where my father used to grow a stunted SPAN APRIL 1979

29

FARM IN INDIA cominued

wheat crop, and 7 poorer acres in the swamp lowland which were not being cultivated at all." This is bow it went until a few years ago.

One meager wheat harvest in the year, and that too mostly on subsistence cultivation, was all that Harnek Singh got from his own 28 acres, plus another 9 which he manages for a brother who lives elsewhere.

Then Haroek Singh began to ring changes, and that is how his acquaintance with PAU began . He heard of the university's extension facilities through other farmers who had availed of them, went to the campus for advice, and with its help switched over from wheat to the more profitable groundnut, which is also more suitable for his kind of porous Land. Not satisfied with this, he began another shift, to the still more profitable potato ("two crops a year ; I00 per cent net profit from the first crop, 75 per cent from the second"); with the assistance of his wife and daughterin-law he added poultry as a sideline.

Both poultry and potato are problemprone, easy preys to diseases and pests. But this only expanded his contact with the university. On the one hand, he began to use its advisory services even more. At the time I met him last September he was happy to display the latest benefit he had extracted from the contact. On the other hand, he became more active in organizing local farm forums and farm volunteer groups.

Like other farmers in the bet, Hamek Singh had also started paying some attention to the marsh and had tried local varieties of rice in it with some marginal success.

But he was no more content with that kind of rice than with the wheat he used to grow on the rest of his land. So last year he went a step further and despite all the costly inputs required, he put the land under highyielding rice.

The results were disastrous. The crop was a total fail ure, because these inferior lands'' not only these but 50 per cent of the total agricultural land in Punjab'' according to Dr. Pran Takkar, a senior soil scientist at the agricultural university- are deficient in zinc. This is a deficiency that is lethal for rice and maize, especially for the highyielding varieties. (Wheat tolerates such soil to some extent, which is why zinc deficiencies did not show up on lowland plain soils until farmers began switching over to rice cultivation.)

As Harnek Singh tells it, " Next year I decided to do what other rice farmers were doing. l too applied big doses of zinc sulfate, both in the soil and by spraying from above. But my crop began to die just the same. The disease appeared as bad as the year before. So I went to PAU once more,

30

SPAN APRIL !979

" I have reported the local merchants who gave me the fake ; and they can make difficulties when we want to buy our supplies again.

I don't know. They may take it out on us on other supplies as well." That is one of the reasons why he is now very active in organizing farm forums. He feels the farmers will then be able to look after themselves better.

PAU is deeply concerned. According to Dr. Takkar, Punjab annually needs Rs. 120150 million worth of zinc sulfate. Though the gain in total crop production can be worth Rs. 1,000 million-one of the many examples of the cost effectiveness of the university's research and extension workbetter organized and supervised manufacturing is needed than exists at present. Dr. Takkar fears that more people are in for Harnek Singh's fate as the fame of this chemical spreads among farmers.

I am no judge of these forebodings. They may well be right. Or they may not be. But my visits to the university have wholly convinced me of three things: â&#x20AC;˘ Punjab has discovered an alchemy of interaction between research in the laboratory and practice on the farm which bas far he persistent shortage is a fertile breed- from exhausted its potential. There is vast ing ground for black market and fakes. scope for further growth even within the A good example is harvesting combines. limits of the present research strategy, beAt the biggest depot I saw for such machines, cause there are many areas even in Punjab which have yet to be conquered by the new 'I was told that seven- or eight-year-old maagriculture, and the areas outside Punjab chines are being resold at the original price are truly vast. because the demand far exceeds the supply. â&#x20AC;˘ In Punjab, at any rate, the tools exist The demand has increased because even in for such a conquest. A responsive farming remote Raipur Bet it is now known how population exists which is ready to try quickly mechanization earns back its price. whatever it bears will work. And the reHarnek Singh's daughter-in-law, looking sources existtangible money resources, at some Bihari Muslim laborers who were sitting nearby, taking their tea break from and the less tangible but equally precious reher fathe1-in-Iaw's farm, said wistfully : " We source of a two-way communication system could buy a tractor if we had the right kind between scientist and farmer, the interaction of land. A good one costs Rs. 75,000. Or between knowledge and practice. â&#x20AC;˘ l am convinced that what Punjab bas Rs. 100,000 if it is bought on installments or with a bank loan. But it earns back its done, a great deal of the rest ofindia can also price in a year." People have made a thriving do once the alchemy of human interaction is put to work. The most advanced district business out of renting out machines.

But Harnek Singh had run into the more in Punjab, Ludhiana, is less well endowed nasty by-product of shortages: fakes. ''I by nature than many others are; in fact, took a bag of my zinc sulfate to PAU . its soil quality is much below the Punjab They tested it. They found it to be zero." average. Similarly, Punjab and Haryana are But fortunately for him, the university less well endowed in terms of soil and water helped him to act in time. It guided him to conditions than much of the Gangetic plain stores known for genuine products. "1 again further to the east including the eastern applied the recommended doses, and within Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, areas which people four days my crop revived. On the eighth sometimes write off. Therefore the example day I sprayed again as I was told, and my of the better districts of Punjab can spread crop became as though it had never been to the whole of northern India. The means 0 ill. " He still could not conceal either his are available; the people are ready. happiness or his surprise as he looked at his seven-acre spread of healthy high-yield- About tbe Author: Pran Clzopra,formerly editor ing rice below where we stood. of The Statesman and director of the Press FounHe was still worried about next year. dation of Asia, is now a free-lance writer. holding in my hand samples of yellowing and dying paddy from my farm. The expert's immediate answer was 'try zinc sulfate.'

When J said I had applied the recommended doses, he asked me to bring my supplies for a test. " At this point Hamek Singh discovered a problem connected with speedy growth which many others in Punjab had discovered before him, much to the surprise of conservative socioeconomists: that far from being reluctant to a pply the techniques of modern farming, the supposedly inert farmers are adopting the inputs of the new farming faster than the rest of the economy can supply them. Whether it is high-yielding varieties of seeds, or fertilizers or insecticides or other chemicals. or high-wage imported labor, the cry all over Punjab is the same"shortage"! Even unskilled farm hands are in short supply ; though "anywhere up to 400,000" (an estimate by the Department of Economics at PAU) are imported annually from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Orissa, wages in the busy season can go up to Rs. 20 a day for the daily wage worker.

MANAGING CREATIVITY A FILM DIRECTOR'S APPROACH

by EILEEN MORLEY and ANDREW SILVER

Filmmaking calls for intense short-term collaboration among creative people. The methods used by the film director can be effective in managing creative projects in the business world. Although relationships in business are not as intense as in filmmaking, there are equivalent managerial techniques to encourage people to communicate and contribute creative ideas. hen someone mentions a film unit. most people think of location shooting but, in fact, most major films are made in a series of predictable phases, of which shooting is only one.

In each phase or a film 's production a group of people colla borate to form a miniature work organization which has characteristic problems of motivation , leadership, and structure.

Each phase is a temporary system, limited in duration and membership. in which people come together, interact, create something, and then disband. And in each phase, the director has to stimulate and manage different kinds of creative work under intense budget and time pressures. The director's principal job is managing the creative process.

In this article we usc the word ''creativity" to mean technical as well as artistic creativity, rc:alizing that this will overlap what others define as innovation. The notion of creativity is important because there is a high correlation between temporariness and creativity, and between permanence and routine. M ost temporary organizations, such as fi lm units or project teams, exist to develop an idea, a plan, a product, or a service, or to make something happen such as a trip to the moon or a Bicentennial celebration.

When groups or teams have completed their task, they dissolve.

In contrast. permanent organizations exist to carry out a relatively repetitive manufacturing or service task for which there is a continuing need.

Because film units a re temporary creative systems, they have much in common with technical or scientific projects, consulting teams. task fo rces, and other short-term task groups. For this reason observations about the film unit we studied should be relevar.t to managers of such groups.

Film units go through three main phases. Each involves different people. tasks, and locations. Only the director, producer. and script writer stay with the process from start to finish. But before anythi ng can begin, a deal has to be made- a package arranged of writer (and script), a director. and " bankable'' star, all of whom arc committed. Putting the package together is like developing a proposal; getting the package financed is akin to getting the contract. Once this has happened , the film unit comes into existence.

The first phase (preproduction) consists of script development, production planning. casting. and hiring. ·The preprodtlc-',· tion team is usually small, consisting mamly of j:,eople who are close to and trusted by the director.

The production phase involves the actual shooting of the film.

This phase usually has a visible social structure and culture of its

W

own. People are separated into occupational groups: actors. camera crew, a nd so on.

T he postproduction phase begins when the production group has disbanded. It includes pictu re and sound editing and recording and synch ronizing of music and other sound effects. Usually the postproduction phase resembles the preproduction one in that during each a small group of people work in close contact with one another and the director. T here is usually also a subsequent marketing phase, but since the parent studio organization carries this out after completion of the film, we did not include it in our study. ·: M ost tcmporitry projects go through an analogous series of ·p hases. The peopie who plan ·and recru"it an operation are not necessarily the ones who implement or lead it; nor the ones who follow up. or even clean up. The most useful way to analyze the phases is by examining membership. Who belongs? At what time

Re:pnntcd by permiSMOO or /ltu l (lf(/ Btmness Rnh:~.. Copynght by the PrestdeJH a nd l' ello"'~ of 1-larval'd College. All nghl:rr. IC)Crved

and for what purpose does each person belong? For how long? Which sets of people must work well together? How will people be grouped; will they group themselves; will the groupings change as the project moves from phase to phase ?

Few managers think about the systems they lead as social organizations of this kind, or about the key roles and interfaces between individuals, groups, and levels. However, the structural characteristics of a work system have a great influence on communication and collaboration.

People who work together tend to exchange information and form relationships-people who come on line before or after each other or who work in separate buildings do not.

The film we studied was Night Mo1·es. directed by Arthur Penn and starring Gene Hackman and Susan Clark. The preproduction took place in Los Angeles, where a small "family" group worked in contiguous offices with much face-to-face contact and informal consultation. Hours were long and the atmosphere was very personal. much like the atmosphere of any small group getting together to start up a new project. Recruiting of actors was more than usually important. because Arthur Penn's concept of filmmaking centers on creating and filming an authentic spontaneous happening, not on capturing the repetition of some previously rehearsed behavior. Because it was critical to find actors who could really give Penn what he wanted, the associate producer did the casting, instead of leaving it up to a casting agency or the casting department of the parent company, as usually happens.

Four main actors were chosen to go through screen tests, which Penn used to generate photographic data that he could exatnine at leisure in making casting decisions. Penn was interested in the actors' professional competence and style; their stamina. patience, and willingness to follow instructions ; their ability to remain spontaneous after 10 takes of the same few lines of dialogue ; their response to stress and fatigue; and their reactions to his way of working, which differs from that of many directors. he producer and the production manager recruited the technical personnel, also with great care. They hired some in groups. For instance, the directors of photography, lighting, and sound brought their own crews with them. The search was for people with professional competence and the ability to commit themselves quickly to a short project, and to tolerate stress. T hey looked for people known to have a helpful, responsible attitude. Most of all they wanted people who would not get "uptight.·· All these qualities were explored through firsthand knowledge. word-of-mouth reputation. and conversations with other people in the business. The search for people with the correct qualities was more persistent than is customa ry in business or industrial recruiting.

The project manager who sensibly tries to assess the people he isrecruitingin termsoftheircompatibilityand tolerance for stress may have to develop a language in which to communicate his inquiries. ''Does so-and-so ever lose his temper? How does he behave then?'' ''Is she sensitive and responsive to other people's feelings'?" ··How does he react when he's given an impossible workload or conflicting instructions?" "Does she have a sense of humor?" "Does the quality of his work deteriorate badly under pressw-e?'' ''Can she see someone else's point of view?"

During the production phase of a film unit there are five main areas of concern that are common to all creative temporary systems. These include the need for people to get into a relationship quickly with the task and with each other; the cultivation of enthusiasm and commitment : the encouragement of creativity; the question of an effecti ve leadership style on the part of the

T

group's head; and the effective management of stress and conflict.

Everyone in the film industry is used to moving into a new production. and takes it for granted that be or she must cultivate working relationships fast. Because they had done it often before, most people in the unit we studied were very skillful at this. But, in addition, Penn scheduled a week of rehearsal time at the end of the preproduction phase, which was an unusual thing to do. During production, actors would not all work together at the same time. The rehearsal week en a bled Penn and the cast to experience themselves as a team. It gave actors the chance to learn and develop confidence in Penn's way of working without being under the pressure of the shooting schedule. People worked intensively together without any interruptions for hours at a time. The isolation increased concentration on the task and the intensity of personal interaction. It enabled a great deal of work to be done in a relatively short time. This way of working is very stimulating to participants, but it is also extremely tiring. Such intensity can usually be maintained only for short periods and is, therefore, best scheduled immediately before the main task is to begin . ln the business and industrial world, initial socialization is

often skimped or neglected. The process can be formal or informal and can center on task and on personal working relationships or both. Formal task-centered sessions such as orientations, briefings, planning meetings. and so on give people a chance to develop a sense of their manager as a person, of his or her expectations and concepts of the project, of ways of working. Unless they have had a chance to discuss the task with each person, managers cannot assume that people know what is expected of them.

The film director has none of the rewards and penalties traditionally available to the manager of a permanent system. Because so many people are indispensable to the completion of the film, the director cannot usually transfer or terminate them, and because the roles and responsibilities have been contracted in advance, heorshe cannot give promotions or raises or improve fringe benefits. For Night Moves, indispensability was highest and most obvious in the case of Gene Hackman, the star, whose life throughout production was insured fort be cost oft he film to date.

But indispensability was not limited to actors. In the technical area, even the footage shot by the regular director of photography had a different look from footage shot by a subordinate while the director was sick.

Managers of all temporary systems share many of these concerns. Many project managers do influence the later careers of staff who continue to work in the same organization in their periodic performance evaluations. But managers do not usually have full administrative authority for raises or terminations. On

complex technical tasks, a good many people may be indispensable, either because their expertise is irreplaceable or because tight schedules and deadlines mean there is no time to replace them. In these circumstances, the project manager, like the film director, must depend on four sources of motivation: • A sense ofprofessionalism: By this we mean commtment to the standards for task and personal behavior set by professional peers inside and outside the system. Where the manager shares the same standards or those of a closely related discipline, he or she can often act as a natural pacesetter.

• The basic need /o exercise competence. The opportunity to use exjsting knowledge, to develop ideas, and to team something new gives most people a sense of competence and satisfaction, which in turn strengthens their motivation. H owever, the opportunity to exercise competence requires a fairly precise definition of the job, a good match with the individual's capabilities, and a reasonable work.load. When people are struggling with a job for which they are not sufficiently qualified, it is difficult for them to feel confident or competent. When people are in an idle waiting period, which creates boredom, when they arc so overworked that they don ·t have time to do anything well, or when they are uncertain about what is expected of them, their motivation also drops. A workflow that is even in volume and that only somewhat exceeds present capabilities is the ideal. Workflow planning is at least as critical in temporary systems as in permanent ones. In planning Night Moves, the producer had budgeted shooting time and costs with great precision. The tight schedule produced a continual sense of pressure, but people also derived a sense of satisfaction in meeting the schedule effectively day by day.

• The need for appro,•al and apprecia1ion. The director's genuine yet discriminating approval and encouragement freed the actors from anxiety and released psychological energy which enabled them to perform as well or better, even when they were tired. Penn's ability to express his appreciation articulately and non verbally was a key factor in creating an encouraging climate.

The ability to provide clear, realistic, positive feedback is unusual. In the business world, managers finding this difficult often tend to emphasize the negative. One manager we know said to a top subordinate at performance appraisal time, "I've given you an A on everything. You know what's good, so let's talk about the bad ... and then proceeded to do so for an hour. T he absence of managerial approval can have several causes. Many managers are embarrassed at either giving or receiving praise.

Some also find it hard to describe exactly what it is about a piece of work or a person that they value. If expression of approval is to be an effective means of motivation, each manager has to find a lan~:,ruage in which to phrase it- a language that sounds natural both to the organization and to him or her personally.

• Long-term career self-inrerest. In the case of this film unit, Penn's reputation and past success undoubtedly attracted people who hoped to learn and enhance their own professional reputation- through the high quality of work they expected to accomplish under his direction, and their association with a film they hoped would be a commercial success.

Similarly, people who a re looking for career -growth and financial rewards in business organizations tend to be keenly aware oft he effects of present performance on future assignments.

Business people a re likely to value tasks that contribute to their future development above tasks that offer only a repetition of past experience or a technical detour away from their main career. In order to mesh personal aspirations and task needs, managers must find time to ask people about their career plans and to li sten to what they have to say about them. Some managers are reluctant to do this, because they fear that conversations about career goals will raise unrealistic hopes in their subordinates, or that during

the conversation they will commit themselves to promises they cannot fulfill. But most subordinates are realistic and are likely to be motivated sufficiently by the knowledge that their manager is makingan effort to understand and take account oftheir interests.

There is another aspect of motivation so important that we want to pay particular attention to it. Because of Penn's approach to filmmaking and his emphasis on the acting moment, his working relationships with actors were of crucial importance. He needed them to behave in ways that were spontaneous, authentic, original, and imaginative; to take risks by trying things they perhaps had never tried before; to be open to his suggestions and ideas; and to develop new ideas of their own and work with them.

He was constantly open to the moment, not only abandoning his own preconceived ideas about how a line or scene should be played, but also actively helping actors shed their own preconceptions as well. One notable technique contributed to this good working relationshi p. If Penn was dissatisfied, he would never give blatant negative feedback. Instead, making very small adjustments, he would keep asking his actors for something more.

By encouraging them to adopt a different tone or attitude in their behavior rather than criticizing the whole performance and person, Penn avoided damaging the actor's sense of confidence and competence. y contrast. Penn was directive and relatively distant with the technical crews, from whom he demanded little spontaneous creativity. Because he needed to spend so much time with his actors, Penn collaborated little with the technical people themselves, leaving the responsibility for their effectiveness to the directors of photography, sound, and art work.

Any temporary system has a timespan within which it must both generate the idea or design of its product, and then carry this through to a finished form. During this process there will be periods when the emphasis is on the production of ideas and alternatives, on improvisation, exploration and experimentation.

And there will be periods when ideas must be evaluated, decisions made, and movement accelerated toward closure of some kind .

A key element to a project's success will, therefore, be the manager's ability to distinguish between the "idea-generating" and " decision-making" periods as they occur and alternate in his organization; to determine how much overlap he wishes to encourage between them ; and to find ways of relating to subordinates according to their engagement in either of these phases.

The manager needs to orchestrate the two appropriately. For while being authoritarian when ideas are needed certainly kills creativity, being appreciative and acceptant when a major decision is needed can kill the whole project, or prevent its moving to a next vital stage on time. It is our impres~ion that most managers are trained to handle the management of the implementation phase better than the management of the "generative" phase. We have described how Penn worked to create a climate ofencouragement that freed creativity by reducing actors' anxiety about their work. Management ofanxjety is an important part of a manager's role. He needs both to understand its negative effects and to avoid behavior which is likely to arouse it, and to protect subordinates from external stresses which are likely to cause it.

It is possible for managers in business and industry to follow Penn's example, and many do so intuitively. But it is rarer for a manager to consider this process consciously, or to try to become aware of the different ways in which he needs to relate to different people, or to the same people at different times. T he intensity of the director-actor relationship will not necessarily occur or be appropriate in all temporary systems. In some scientific or manufacturing environments, for instance, the same intensity might seem excessive. But there are equivalent behaviors in all organi-

B

zations and cultures that communicate a basic acceptance of people and their ideas, and encourage them.

All this goes further to explain why a director's or manager's own personal behavior is a very important source of motivation in a temporary system. He or she can show personal appreciation and approval, or he can show neglect, apathy, or disapproval. He can motivate through personal attention and social contact.

He can increase the amount of creative participation that he invites from different people, and vary the intensity of his working relationship with them. All these are subtle, often nonverbal .cues.

How did people cope with the stresses caused by tight time and budget pressures, estrangement from familiar people and surroundings, and uncertainty about how good the film would be?

One important element in reducing stress was the norm of helpful collaboration that prevailed. This took the form of sensitivity to other people's feelings, and a willingness to provide interpersonal support. Usually this consisted of a symbolic gesture of some kind that could vary from a sympathetic look or a pat on the back, to doing an errand for someone, listening to a person's worries, or providing a special dinner for a group.

Most temporary systems share the stresses of the film unit: uncertainty of outcome, intense time and budget pressures. long hours of work, a nd mo re than usual interdependence between fellow workers. In looking for ways to think abo ut this aspect of their responsibilities, many managers, particularly scientists and engineers, naturally look to physical models of stress. As a result they make the assumption that stress in human beings is akin to stress in materials ; that everything will be fine as long as a certain limit of elasticity is not passed. But , unfortunately, stress in people is cumulative ."The only way for a manager to be aware of how much and what kind of stress his people are experiencing is to monitor it- by asking them and listening to what they tell him.

The final stress that film and theater people manage well is the business of " letting go. " The director or producer usually arranges some event that marks closure- such as a cast party.

Many managers do the same, using a party or dinner as an opportunity to make a final expression of appreciation , to plan a moment for their subordinates to celebrate their achievements.

A friend in the film world summed up the challenge of working in temporary systems for us: "Really, the thing about temporary systems is that you have to be able to accept criticism and come back the next day and get on with the work just the same; live through crisis and stress and provide support for each other to get through it; and still keep the creative ideas coming."

In businesses such as the film industry and the theater, where ymbolic support can have considerable importance between high levels of interpersonal sensitivity and expressiveness are a manager and a group of subordinates, as well as between necessary to complete the system's task, most people are already individuals. For example, in one high-technology com- interpersonally competent. They are trained to be. But in organipany, an overburdened project team was told that the company zations where the task depends on a process of scientific rationalpresident had called a meeting at a nearby hotel late on Friday ity, interpersonal competence is not immediately and selfafternoon, which everyone had to attend. They arrived, tired and evidently necessary, and tends not to be highly valued. The skills dispirited, expecting a chewing out over time-schedule delays. needed to manage or be a member of a temporary system are not Instead, they found themselves at a surprise cocktail party, hear- in great supply and may even be regarded as "counterculture. " ing the president say: 'There's still a long way to go, but I want So the-cultivation of higher levels of interpersonal skills is an area you to know we appreciate your efforts so far. " Then everyone in which more research and experimentation is urgently needed.

Part of the excitement in making a film comes from the was free to go home.

Penn dealt with stresses caused by interruptions by unusually product. The creation of a film involves more drama and more careful protection ofthe work areas. In the business and industrial opportunity for fantasy, for personal expressiveness and emoworld, geographic boundaries are less easily monitored, but tionality, than does the manufacture of, say, a refrigerator or a there are other ways of protecting people's concentration on the computer program. But some of the excitement comes from the task. For example, many disturbances tend to be caused by or- organizational form itself. Temporary systems provide opporganizational or personal administrative problems. In some cases tunities for intensity in work, and for closeness and commitment it may be worth appointing a support person who can buffer in working relationships which many, though not all, of us enjoy disturbances from the outside, and can service the team. and value highly for limited periods of time. Because of these time Another common source of stress in temporary groups is the and membership limits and the mutual commitment to a clear conflict that occurs between people who must work closely common goal, temporary systems have the potential for being together. One of the main thrusts of current organizational more exciting places to work than permanent ones. development work is the encouragement of conflict resolution People who have participated in such systems often have a by means of confrontation. However, time in a film unit-a sense of having experienced their work life more fully and excitmarginal cost of$25,000 per day for Night Moves- is too valuable ingly than in other settings. Not all the experience is necessarily to spend on resolving difficulties in working relationships which good. Obviously it includes stress, frustration and sometimes will soon come to an end. Here a major professional convention isolation . But because the goal is circumscribed and time-limited, of the film business protected the work. This unwritten law re- it becomes possible for people to put out a greater effort to quires that no matter how tense, dissatisfied, or upset actors and achieve it than is possible on a continuing basis. When the director may be, they keep their complaints and conflicts off the exertion of such effort is accomplished by achievement of the goal, set and out of fonnal working hours. by fruitful collaborative relationships with others, and by the Managers can do even very small things that contribute to or appreciation of those who Jed the work, most people experience alleviate stress if they continually repeat them. For instance, if a an important and positive sense of satisfaction.

0 team is somewhat slow in ending a coffee break! the director or manager can adopt an authoritarian tone of voice and yell his About the Authors: Eileen Morley is a psychologist who has taught ar the orders to "get back to work." Or he can stand up, point silently Harvard Business School since 1972. Her special interests include the to his watch, and rely on his subordinates' sense of professional- organization of wor/s and the personal saiisfaction people derive from their ism to motivate them to get moving. In the latter case, there is less careers. Andrew Silver received his doctorate from the Harvard Business chance that employees will experience the message as a reproach. School in 1975. He has laugh/ at Brandeis University, and has made two and so less chance that the level of confidence and trust which short films, one of which. 'Next Door, won an award at the American Film Festival in 1976. they have in their manager will be reduced.

S

MEETING HUMAN NEEDS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

by MAHBU B UL HAQ

Why has economic growth failed to alleviate poverty in so many countries of the world? Because growth on a national scale does not automatically ensure that the basic needs of the poorest people will be met. An eminent economist outlines a new strategy that would focus directly on these needs, and eliminate dire poverty by 2000 A.D.-provided the world's developed and developing countries work together.

Reprinted by counesy oflbe World &nk's newsl<tttr kport.

SPAN APRIL 1979

35

MEETING H UMAN NEEDS cominued

lleviation of poverty is not a recent ( concern. What is recent is the concern that successive responses to the problem have not had a sufficient impact on world poverty. Despite a fairly impressive aggregate growth rate in the income oft he developing countries over the last 25 years, over onehalf of their present population still cannot meet its minimum basic needs.

The question has, therefore, arisen whether by focusing directly on the objective of basic needs itself, rather than on the means of overall growth, it is possible to advance the time period for meeting the basic needs of the vast majority of their populations.

Some of the initial controversies around the concept of basic needs have proved, on calmer examination, to be based either on misunderstandings or on the exaggerated claims of the proponents and the exaggerated The five basic needs ofhuman beings- water, .food, health, housing and education-can be met by 2000 A .D. with an additional annual world investment o.f$20,000 million, says the author. fea rs of the opponents of the concept.

For instance, it was soon realized that: • Economic growth is absolutely necessary basic needs with a degree of analytical or able or curable diseases, and other forms of to achieve basic needs, especially in the poor- operational rigor that would be generally bodily harm. They include, among others, est countries. The main issue is what type of acceptable. Part of the difficulty is inherent in maternal and child care and instruction of growth can enable a society to satisfy the the concept itself, since human needs are rel- the population in elementary sanitation and basic human needs of its whole population ative to each society, and not absolute. They nutrition. Basic health services may also considerably sooner than would be possible change with environment, climate, level of include family planning measures. The numunder a less discriminating strategy of all- development, cultural diversity, and over ber of people presently deprived of these time- as they should. Moreover, basic needs basic health services is estimated to be round income growth.

• The concept is a relative, not an absolute will vary depending on whether the objective at least 800 million. one; no one seriously suggests that nothing is (a) bare survival, (b) continued survival, Shelter: The basic need for housing is else should be produced except basic needs, or (c) productive survival, and (d) whether more difficult to define, but can probably or that everyone getting more than his basic only the material or certain nonmaterial be boiled down to the need for (usually a needs should be neglected. Moreover, in needs are also taken into account. permanent) shelter which protects human Nonetheless, a list of "core" basic needs beings, their families, or other social groups many societies, the only practical option may be partial progress on selected fronts rather can be narrowed down to five- food and from harmful climatic influences and other nutrition, drinking water, basic health, shel- dangerous factors in their natural environthan comprehensive advance on all fronts. ment. Basic housing represents the minimum • While the basic needs objective is valid ter, and basic education.

Food: An adequate basic diet is the daily socially acceptable dwelling standards among for all developing countries, it is more urgently relevant for the poorest nations than the intake of sufficient protein, carbohydrates, the poorer strata of society. There are no middle-income countries. The poorest fats, vitamins, and minerals to allow human reliable estimates of people deprived of basic nations, even if they manage to double their beings to conduct the required physical and housing, but their number is likely to be at present per capita income growth rates, can mental activities in good health. The average least 800 million. only hope to attain a level ofless than $400 by daily per capita calorie requirement for such Basic education: Basic education is intendthe year 2000. Thus, they must find some survival is about 2,350 for an adult male. The ed to provide a functional , flexible and lowshortcuts to restructure their production and present population getting less than this cost education for those whom the formal consumption patterns in such a way as to requirement is estimated at 930 million. system cannot yet reach or has already passed Drinking water: The basic need for drink- by. The "target groups" of basic education meet the basic needs of their population sooner, at a relatively low per capita income. ing water is defined as reasonable access to are not necessarily school-age children; they • Political decisions are critical, whether water that does not contain any substances may vary according t{} age (children, youths, the development strategies are labeled ''basic harming the consumers' health or making adults) and socioeconomic characteristics needs" or anything else. The chief proponents the water unacceptable to them. Reasonable (rural-urban groups, women, participants of basic needs sometimes tend to understate access is defined as availability to public in particular development programs). The the institutional reforms and political restruc- hydrants within 200 meters in urban areas. present population deprived of basic educaturing necessary to pursue the objective In rural a reas, the sources of water should be tion is estimated at roughly 1,100 millionsuccessfully, just as its chief opponents often sufficiently close so that no disproportionate 300 million children out-of-school, and 800 conveniently forget that tough political deci- part of the day is spent fetching water. The million illiterates. sions are peculiar not only to a basic needs ap- populations unserved by clean drinking water Assuming that a country defines the basic needs of its people and makes their early proach but to any approach that aims at are estimated at roughly 1,200 million.

Basic health: Basic health services are achievement a primary objective of its develimproving the welfare of the poorest sections the public and private measures needed to opment strategies, what operational policies of society.

Jt has proved diflicultto define and measure prevent and cure the most common. avoid- would this lead to? It is impossible t_o say with

A

36

SPAN APRiL 1979

great precision, though the discussion so far has led to the identification of at least three main components of policy. T he first two include increasing the productivity and income of the poorest sections of society by making improved means of production available to them; and redesigning a nd expanding public services so that the poor get an easy access to them. The third is ensuring, through intelligent supply management, that greater income of the poor is matched by greater supply of basic wage goods.

There is a fairly wide agreement on the first two clements-increasing the productivity of the poor and expansion of redesigned public services. The only differences lie in the relative emphasis on t hese two programs.

The third element -supply managementhowever, raises far more emotions and ideological controversies.

T he proponents of basic needs contend that. in a poor society, the production of nonessential goods (apart from exports) should be tightly controlled; all incentives and market signals should be modified toward the production of basic wage goods and services; the state should stand ready for large-scale market intervention if the . existing markets are a slave to the interest of the privileged groups. Without these further steps, the increased income in the hands of the poor may largely evaporate into higher prices, if corresponding supplies of basic wage goods are not readily available.

The opponents of basic needs programs fear that such market interventions will often be inefficient, serve only the interests of the ruling elite, and are probably a "softsell'· for communism. At the height of this debate, often poverty gets forgotten and ideology takes over.

It is not possible to give a consensus view in this area, since no consensus really exists.

Probably, there would be a large measure of agreement that incomes of the poor should be matched by real supplies to the poor. The extent to which existing markets and decisionmaking structures can ensure the emergence of such supplies (and nonemergence of nonessential goods) is likely to be a matter of continuing debate.

In the last analysis, it is an operational issue which should be empirically tested: to what extent various societies wish to, or can, deny nonbasic goods to those who have the income and the power to influence existing market structures? What type of market interventions have succeeded, or failed, in meeting basic needs? Under wha t circumstances? Are there any efficient deli very systems, besides public services, for directing supplies to specific target groups: for instance, in ensuring adequate nutrition to

school-age children'! The answers will, of course, be different in different societieswhich does not mean that the problem of matching income and supplies for the poor disappears or becomes irrelevant to the search for meeting basic needs in a manageable period of time.

Behind all these controversies lurks the uncomfortable political question: Can all this be done in a reformist fashion? Are the political decisions so fundamental as to require a revolution?

The only possible answer is that most societies are likely to proceed in a pragmatic fashion and would try a gradual, partial, and reformist approach. However, this is a field where economic analysis ends and other disciplines take over. While much has been written on world poverty, little analysis has gone, so far, into the political, institutional, and administrative framework required to make a successful attack on poverty and to remove obstacles to fulfilling basic needs.

Some interdisciplinary studies in this field must be organized soon.

If the developing countries seriously set themselves the objective of meeting the basic needs of the majority of their populations in a reasonable period of time, say by the end of this century, what are the policy implications of this for international action? Before proceeding further, let it be recorded for the purists that neither all the developing countries are likely to adopt such an objective simultaneously nor is there a particular sanctity about the year 2000. The intention is to review the dimensions of this problem in a specific time frame and to mobilize national and international efforts for the common objective. Moreover, global estimates, by their very nature, represent the lowest end of the scale, since they are worked out from minimum standards of basic needs.

Considerable work has been undertaken on global estimates by various institutions and organizations, though strictly on a sector basis. With all the qualifications that such estimates are usually subject to, the overall conclusions are as follows: • A basic needs program, aimed at providing minimum acceptable diets, drinking water, sewerage facilities, public health measures, basic education, and upgrading of existing shelter, might require an additional annual investment of nearly $20,000 million over a 20-year period (1980-2000) in 1975 dollars and prices.

• If annual recurrent expendinues arc added to the investment costs (as they must for any successful implementation of these programs), the ~nnual costs will add up to about $45,000 million-$60,000 million.

• If the task is to be accomplished by the

year 2000, the cost of the program appears to be beyond the capabilities of the developing countries alone, particularly the low-income countries, where absolute poverty is concentrated. The annual additional costs (recurrent and capital) of the basic needs programs fo r low-income countries might be in the order of $30,000 million-$40,000 mi llion, which is 12 per cent to 16 per cent of their average gross national product during the period and 80 percent to 100 percent oftheir gross domestic investment.

• This means that either the poorest countries will have to extend the time period for achieving this objective much beyond the year 2000, or they will require considerable additional transfers of concessionary resources from the rich nations, as well as a redirection of their existing investment and current expenditures.

• If the rich nations underwrite about 50 per cent of the additional costs of the basic needs program, this would require about $22,000 million to $30,000 million a year, or about 0.35 per cent of their future gross national product. These amounts can be provided if there is bot h a real increase in Official Development Assistance (OD A) levels and if at least the incremental ODA is mainly redirected toward the poorest nations and basic needs.

The specific numbers must be treated with great caution, but the overall conclusion is quite obvious: the objective of meeting basic needs of the vast majority of mankind by the turn of this century is not beyond reach, if developed and developing countries choose to collaborate on this essential task.

0

Mahbub ul Haq has been called'· rh<• mosr arriculare and persuasil'e ~]Jokesman of rlw Third World" by rhe renou•ned economist Barbam Ward. Born in Pak isran, and educared in tllar cmmrry as ll'ell as in England and the Unired States, lte was formerly in charge f~/ preparing Pakisran·sfive-year plans and is now direcror of the policy planning and program re1•iew deparTmenT of the World Bank. Dr. Haq is rile amllor of rile book, The Poverty Cunain.

SPAN AI'Ril 1979

37

BilBY POBD BICOIS!BUC!S !BI li!B CII!UBY

The life and times of Henry Ford's childhood and youth were re-created by the imaginative industrialist himself in his later years in a specially built village and museum in Dearborn, Michigan. This unique record of the memorabilia of the days of the industrial revolution is visited annually by over 250,000 people who come 'to see and touch history.'

Greenfield Village, clockwise from top left: Early Ford automobiles stand in front of the reproduction of Ford's first plant where the Model A was assembled in 1903. The paddleboat Suwanee which plies the village lagoon provides old-fashioned recreation. Another way of visiting the past is to take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage, which was the mode of

transportation before Ford and his automobiles changed things.

This 17th century windmill from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, now part of Greenfield Village, illustrates the use of natural power before the industrial revolution .

Among the nearly 100 structures at the village is a reproduction of the Scotch Settlement school where Ford began his education in 1871.

SPAN APRIL 1979 J~

HE RY FORD continued

ng after his name became synonymous with mass production and the automobile-with power, wealth, and industrialism-Henry Ford still retained a fondness for the simpler lifestyle and homespun philosophies he'd known as a boy growing up on a " Dea rbornvi lle" farm before the turn of 'the century.

Writers can imaginatively re-create their youth in books. For a man of Ford's practical bent, nothing less than the artifacts of that youth itself-the schoolhouse with its 19th century prime r!> and shiny worn benches, the old homestead with its furniture, stove, lamps, patterned rugs, and china. the barn and farm implements-would do.

What began as a sentimental journey into his past ended as a monument to American cultural, scientific, and industrial development- Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich igan.

Ford's final purpose, as it evolved, was to enable future generations to see and touch h istory as well as read a bout it.

Greenfield Village, built for an estimated $25 million. would hardly be possible to assem ble today. There are about 100 buildings in the indoor/outdoor museum- everything from the Stephen Foster birthplace to the paddleboat Suwanee, the Wright Brothers home and cycle shop, sawmills, sugar mills, carriage shops. a Cape Cod windmill. and other memorabilia of history as they existed in the days of the industrial revolution.

F ord's dream of teaching others about the era he knew was realized almost from the outset. A village school system was set up at G reenfield Village in 1929, and classes began in September of that year. flourishing for 40 years before being closed in 1969.

In September 1937. with the opening of the Edison Institute of Technology, classes ranged from kindergarten through college.

Today, conti nuing this tradition, the institute offers a series of cral't and enrichment courses and workshops based on the Ford museum collections, wi th a yearlyenrolJment of nearly 3.000.

In addition. more than 250.000 young people participate in school group visits to the village and museum each year. Ford would have felt this investment of time and money well justified .

The man himself had only a limited education. Born in 1863 of William and Mary Ford , he imbibed from his parents the principles of bard work, honesty, and perseverance: religious precepts: a nd devotion to country and fellow men which guided his later career. It was especia lly out of devotion to them that he later restored that little white fa rmhouse, .with its minutiae of o riginal furnishings, that graces Greenfield Village today.

The little Scotch Settlement school, also reproduced. gave a start to Ford's formal education in un1. It now recalls the simplicity of his "three R's" education and the blend of mischief and studiousness that characterized Ford. (He later recalled being disciplined many times for some prank or minor infraction in those days.) Ford's mechanical education, so essential to his later work , was la rgely self-taught from youthful experiments, repairing watches. a nd studying whatever machinery or books were on band . He continued to read and repajr machinery of various kinds long after he'd quit school at I{) and taken his first job in Detroit.

Ford was a young, married engineer with a promising, secure future at the Detroit Edison Company when be began building his first car. The two-year project ke pt him working into early morning hours and drained aU the young couple's spare money.

On a rainy June morning in. 1896 he fina lly finished that first "quadricycle'' and was so impatient to try it out he chopped part of his workshop wall away to squeeze it through . The quaintly primitive "car .. and brick workshop on display still remind the viewer of the singleminded dedication of the young inventor, who frequent ly improvised tools and forged parts as be went along.

In August 1899 Ford gave up the security of the Detroit Rcpnntcd by perm1ssaon or fhl.' Sohuxm ma~~llane. courtesy Standard Oil Com pan} (Ohio~.

Edison job to strike out with a newly formed auto firm. the Detroit Automobile Company. He and his backers split after Ford's insistence on workin g out an engine bug frustrated their desire for a quick profit. lt was a recurring characteristic in him that he refused to market a design that didn't meet his complete approval - regardless of pressure. His next venture. the H enry Ford Company, also led to a dispute with investors over what kind of car to build.

By 1903, with the support of 12 investors who put up :b28,000 in cash, Ford started his third and successful company. The first Mack Avenue plant in D etroit. as reproduced at Greenfield Village, still attests to the humble origins of what would become one of the largest industrial firms in the world. The Model A . gleaming from its museum display, bespeaks the quest for simplicity and affordability which became Ford watchwords.

Model A was fol lowed by B, C. F, and others in a shott span of time until the most famous car in history, the Model T. came along in 1908 to bring Ford's mass producti on dream to fruition.

Many questioned whether a low-cost. good auto could really be built (price: $950) until the transcontinental endu rance test of 1908. requiring 22 days through rain. mud. snow. and tortuous mountains, established the ' T " as the sturdiest car of its day.

Mass production was born with the Model T at Ford 's H ighland Park plant. From approximately 10,000 cars in 1909. production zoomed to 248,000 five years later. The moving assembly line, as first employed . is described in William A. Simonds· Henry Ford: His Life. His Work. His Genius: '·A line was laid out along which an endless chain moved the units in assembly past 29 different operations ... . " As Simonds notes, the line had to be adjusted for speed and height. Gradually its concept was extended to include more and more operations. Productivity soared.

Critics were continually poking fun at the unorthodox Ford for every innovation he introduced .

Their scoffs-and predictions or ntin- reached new heights when Ford electrified America in 1914 by a profit-sharing plan that gave $1'0 million in worker bonuses, doubled wages from S2.34 to $5 daily, and cut the wo rkday from nine to eight hours.

He promised a $40 to $50 rebate to car buyers if the company reached a certain sales goal. Production and sales soared again.

Rebates a re still used today. as is the eight-hour workday.

Cutting the workday enabled Ford to increase production from two nine-hour to three eight-hour sh ifts, benefiting his company. while creating additional employment for the out-of-work. Still. he never compromised his moral code by allowing Sunday production, even when demand outstripped his a bil ity to meet ·it.

Ford's humanitarian ism spilled over into other areas, such as the endowment of Henry Ford Hospital and the Ford Foundation. created to advance human welfare. During the war he chartered a " Peace Ship" and sailed with an oddly assorted list of pacifist passengers to appeal to heads of state to "get the boys out of the trenches by Christmas.·· At times, he kept assembly lines going dangerously longer than prudence dictated dUJing impending economic downturns, trying to create employment and reverse economic conditions.

Ford created the mass production concept, which helped put America on wheels, providing the cheap, efficient transportation around which the entire complex of American society has been built- from drive-in movies and banks to suburban living and shopping. Ford helped create au industry that provides, directly or indirectly, one out of si x jobs in America. His quest for lowpriced autos. forcing competitors' prices down. illustrates the virtue of private enterprise at its finest. As one competitor observed: .. No one could have done it better."

Ford lived to be 83, dying inAprill947, in one of fate's ironies, during a power failure in Dearborn. T he pioneer passed his final hours without the a menities of modern civilization which he'd helped create.

0

RECONSIDERATIONS

UPmN SINCLAIR: THE WRITER AS SOCIAL ACTIVIST

by R.N. MOOKERJEE

A firm believer in the social purpose of art, Sinclair, whose admirers included Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, used his writings to expose social evils and espouse thecauseofthe underdog.

UPTON SINCLAIR co111i11ued

he world celebrated last year the cente- liquor and championed prohibition. The nary of one of the most versatile and boy spent his early years in poverty and cont roversia l personalities of 20th misery in Maryland and Virginia and had century America. Upton Beall Sinclair was no regular schooling. He turned from his notable for a wide range of activities and sordid surroundings to the refuge of literasphere of influence: novelist, playwright, ture. H e read Shakespeare, Milton, and pamphleteer, reporter, musician, movie pro- Thackeray; Dickens affected him powerducer, critic, publisher, agitator, and political fully. The family soon moved to New York, activist. A signifkant force in American life in where Sinclair managed to find odd jobs the first three decades of this century, his and began his self-education. ceaseless work spread over 60 years is a living During the years 1898-1900, Sinclair beexample of what one man could do. came a writer of " dime,'' and "half-dime," Today not many know about Sinclair's novels under the pseudonyms of Lt. Fredwork , a neglect partly due to the unimpressive erick Garrison and Ensign Clark Fitch . This literary quality of his writings. However, enabled him to pay his way as a graduate Sinclair himself never bothered with purely student at Columbia U niversity, where he aesthetic considerations. He believed in the attended for a while but left without obtainsocial purpose of art, and all his life sought to ing a degree. At this time he came into conuse it as a weapon to fight injustice and tact with socialists like George D. Herron economic exploitation. He moved millions and avid ly read the socialist papers, Appeal of his readers by his frank and often brutal co Reason and Wilshire's Maga:ine. Sinexposures, and created for himself a unique clair was soon converted to socialism, place as a disturber of people's conscience. making the "most a mazing discovery" that Sinclair fell that art has a "predominantly social impulse,'' and defined it as "a representation of life, modified by the per- Probably the most widely sonality of the artist, fo r the purpose of read American author overseas, modifying other personalities. inciting them to changes of feeling, belief, and action.,. Upton Sinclair's writings have In the changed climate of the 1970s. been translated into more than Sinclair is again receiving the attention he sixty languages, including richly deserved as a voice of protest and dissent. Recent book-length studies by Leon Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Marathi, Harris and Jon Yoder are welcome attempts Gujarati, Tamil and Malayalam. at revaluation.

Sinclair was a prolific writer. During his lifetime. with over 800 editions of his 79 the "heart and the center of the evil lay in books translated into 60 languages in 55 leaving the social treasure, which nature countries, he was easily one of the world's had created, and which everyone has to have most widely read authors. Among his read- in order to live, to become the object of a ers and admirers were ordinary peasants scramble in the market place, a delirium and factory workers as well as such dis- of speculation. " He also took up religion tinguished figures as Georg Brandes, Ber- s~riously; but he began to revolt against nard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Thomas Mann, its sham practices. (However, Jesus remained Albert Einstein, Romain Rolland. Winston one of his heroes.) His reading of Shelley Churchill, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma confirmed him in his belief in radicalism; Gandhi , Jawaharlal Nehru, and H alldor he plunged into social activism through Laxness. The Jungle has been a bestseller writing, believing with his favorite poet that ever since its publication in 1906, and the poets were "the unacknowledged legislators reissue of most of his important books. of the world.'' including the II Lanny Budd novels, beHis first three novels failed. But then Sintween 1969 and 1975 is an indication of his clair scored an enormous success with The contemporary relevance.

Jungle (1906). He was immediately establishSinclair was born in Baltimore in 1878 ed as a major contemporary writer. The result into a family impoverished by the disasters of seven weeks of actual stay and research in of the American Civil War. His father, a the Packingtown district of Chicago, the wholesale whisky salesman, could never get book was perhaps the first example of inaway from drink and brought his family vestigative reporting turned into fiction. to the brink of ruin. This had a tremendous lt was read by millions.

The Jungle is dedicated to "the Workingimpact on Sinclair, who never touched

T

42

SPAN APR IL 1979

men of America,,. and is a moving account of the filth, disease, degradation, and helplessness of the meat-packing workers' lives. and their exploitation by the owners. Jack London hailed the novel as the "Uncle Tom's Cabin of Wage Slavery!" The author became internationally famous overnight.

Winston Churchill, then a young member of the British Parliament. was so moved that he wrote a long review of the novel and called it "a really excellent a nd valuable piece of work,'' which ''pierces the thickest skull and the most leathery heart. It forces people who never think about the foundations of society to pause and wonder."

President Theodore Roosevelt had used the word "muckrakers路路 (an obvious reference to the man with the muckrake in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress) as a term of derogation for Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens and other American writers of works of social exposure. But these writers accepted the label as a compliment; muckraking has become a significant American journalistic and fictional tradition. Popular feeling against the conditions portrayed in The Jungle was so intense that within months of the book's publication a Federal Pure Food and Drug Act was enacted.

Thenceforth, in book after book, many of which he himself published and distributed, Sinclair continued muckraking. He developed hjs ideas in a series of nonfictional works. In these "great pamphlets,路路 as Floyd Dell calls them, he argued for a thorough reexamination of the entire social and political system: The Profits of Religion (1918), on religion; The Brass Check ( 1919), on the press; The Goose-step (1923) and Tile Goslings (1924), on educational institutions; and Mammonart ( 1925) and Money Writes (1927), on the arts.

In his imaginative works. Sinclair often sacrificed the claims of art and technique to his socia l zeal. He was extraordinarily prolific, averaging a book a year- and his work was inevitably uneven. But, if a selection is made of Sinclair's best works, he ranks as an outstanding practitioner of the social novel in America. Such a selection would include: King Coal (1917), dealing with the strike in Colorado coal mines; Oil (1927), with the oil industry in southern California and the 'Teapot Dome" scandals (D.H . Lawrence called it "a splendid novel of fact"); Bosron (1928), with the trial and execution of the anarchists Sacco and Vanzetli in Boston in 1928; and Dragon's Teei/1 (1943), the best of the Lanny Budd novels, a series of II novels which Sinclair began in

1940 and completed in 1953 when he was past 70. The Lanny Budd novels prove to be Sinclair's most significant contribution to American literature. These volumes, a total of 7.364 pages. were the result of extensive research based on painstaking examination of documentary as well as oral sources pertaining to major events in Europe and Anterica between 1912 and the end of the war in 1945. These historical novels proved immensely popular on their publication. and their reissue in 1973 shows their continued appeal.

To the common reader, the novels offer an intensely gripping account of the European scene between the World Wars. The central character in the series is Lanny Budd , through whose movements around the world the events a re unfolded. ln these novels Sinclair created a new type of historical novel, the novel of contemporary history.

He gave his readers all the thrill, excitement, despair, and hope of living these momentous years. These books, Thomas Mann felt , someday "will certainly be recognized as the best founded and best informed description of the political life of our epoch ...

The award of the prestigiou s Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1944 and membership of the U.S. National Jnstitute of Arts and Letters the same year were a fitting recognition of Sinclair's achievement.

As a novelist, Sinclair's strongest points were his gift as a storyteller, and his ability to present social and political ideas. H is lack of interest in character, in individuals, in the lighter side of life, stemmed from this overpowering preoccupation. Precisely in this limitation lies his power and value. As Edmund Wilson once pointed out, "practically alone among American writers of his generation, he put to the American public the fundamental questions raised by capitalism in such a way that they could not escape them.'' The changes brought about in American life by public opinion and legislation by the U.S. Congress as well as control

by Federal agencies in the last quarter century have amply vindicated Sinclair's insistence on the need of state regulation of trade and industry to ensure a just and equitable society.

Sinclair was not content only to be a writer: he was also a vigorous political activist. who believed in putting his theories into practice. He spent most of his earnings on causes dear to him and in keeping his books in circulation at a nominal price. The handsome royalties from The Jungle went to the establishment of a socialist colony

in New Jersey (where Sinclair Lewis had worked as a janitor!), which was unfortunately burned down by an accidental fire.

In 1906, he unsuccessfully contested a seat for the U.S. Congress. In 1914, he took up the cause of the striking coal miners in Colorado.

In 1923. he courted arrest in Los Angeles in support of civil liberties. He was one of the founding fathers of the American Civil Liberties Union. was actively connected with the labor movement, and met with and addressed workers wherever he went. T he major political event of Sinclair's life was his EPIC (End Poverty In California) campaign dllling 1933-34, in which he threw himself heart and soul into politics. He received unprecedented mass support for his program advocating the establishment of self-supporting agricultural colonies to end unemployment. He was nominated as the Democratic Party candidate for the governorship of Ca lifornia in 1934. Sinclair fought hard in one of the most virulent campaigns on record to lose by a narrow margin. For the rest of his life. though he did not seek election to any office, he kept up his association with labor organizations a nd the Democratic Party. nother dimension of Sinclair's personality was his work as an internationalist.

He was a true cosmopolitan; his concern and sympathy for the oppressed and the downtrodden knew no national barriers. The thousands of letters that he wrote and received from all parts of the world, now preserved in the Lilly Library at Indiana University. reveal his deep involvement with social reform activities in all parts of the world. Among the countries with which Sinclair had close ties was I ndia. Througl~ hundreds of lette rs and gifts of his books over a period of 40 years, he endeared himself to many Indians from different walks of life. Tagore. soon after he became a Nobel laureate, sent Sinclair money asking for as many of his books as could be obtained with the amount. Sinclair immediately wrote him a warm Jetter, returned his money, and sent him a gift of all his published books. Gandhi a nd Nehru knew his works well, and showed keen interest in his ideas, as he did in their's.

Sinclair also contributed an appreciation for a commemoration volume brought out on Nehru's 60th birthday. For many important Indian journalists, Sinclair was a source of inspiration. K. Srinivasan of Madras.

Khaja Ahmed Abbas of Bombay, and Banarasi D as Chaturvedi. who later became president of the All-India Hindi Journalists

A

Association, kept up a steady correspondence with Sinclair and explained his work in their papers. So impressed was Srinivasan that he named the study circle he had started the "Upton Sinclair Club.''

In the thirties, more than a dozen articles on Sinclair appeared in language journals and newspapers in India . What is perhaps the first academic dissertation on him, Mehdi Abbas Husaini's "Herald of Hope: Upton Sinclair," was undertaken at the University of Lucknow under the direction of the eminent scholar, N.K. Siddhanta. Sinclair's work in translation enjoyed immense popularity in India. Between 1930 and 1950, his major works like The Jungle, Love's Pilgrimage, Oil and Boston were translated in Hindi . Bengali. Oriya, Marathi. Gujarati, Tamil, and Malayalam. The popular magazines, Ya11¡ik and Bangashree (in Bengali), and Swadeslz Min¡an (in Tamil), serially published translations of Oil and No Pasaran, while his Le11ers to Judd was serialized in the English daily, Hindusthan Standard.

Sinclair's commitment to the cause of freedom, economic justice, and democracy in every part of the world remained undiminished till the very end. He denounced in the strongest terms the suppression of human rights in the communist countries after World War II, disregarding the censure and criticism of fellow socialists. With growing disillusionment with the actual working of the socialist governments in Europe.

Sinclair openly joined the liberal intellectuals of the world in their fight against ' 'iron curtains" that prevented the free exchange of ideas. H e believed in closer ties among all nations based on the religion of love and eradication of want and poverty from the world.

Sinclair's death in 1968 marked the end of an eventful era. He shaped the thinking of millions who had never heard of any other American writer and exercised a profound personal influence. He taught what no school taught - a philosophy of social justice. A few years before his death, Sinclair had said : "I don't know whether anyone will care to examine my heart, but if they do, they will find two words there- 'Social Justice.'"

0 About the Author : R.N. Mookerjee is Reader in English a1 1he University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

He visited !he United Sta1e.1 in /966-67 and again in 1976-77, and worked 011 research assignmems a1 Ytlle and Indiana universities. Dr. Mookerjee is 1he author oj Theodore Dreiser: His Thought and Social Criticism.

SI'AN APRIL 1979

43

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE Drawing by John Corgoran ; © 1978 the New Yorker MBg;tttne.

• Inc.

~

"W.e, the Jury-re .. have the clwr e ~hzm~ tlwt this defendo. . technicality arft gfis agamst him dismi·s d nt wtl! undoubtedly er ve y se on a · tIe State tinIe and mone earsbofappeals- hal'e decid mmord legal I Repnmed with . .

Y him . e to save permiSSIOn from th s not gwlty NOw,

~finding

·-~uEw· • mng Post Co. © 1978.

·

''Here'saf::~:atemng I., . get-well card Reprinted v.ith

. . your boss., penruSSlOO rrom Canoo D Fc-.uures Syndicate.

Eventng . Post Co ....

Rcpnnted wnh permission rrom the .,.turday co .. "" 1978.

~

"I imagme · the truth r

'"""'" "'" .

nntSSIOn

""""''wh"e ;n /><I ween." rday Everun © 1978.

from the SatU

g pOSt Co.

_..,...

CHALLENGE OF LEADFRSHIP cominuedj mm f'<IIW 4

'We do not oppose change. Political currents sweeping the world express a desire we share'-the desire for a world in which the aspirations of nations and individuals can be met.

Just as we work to support national mdependence and to aid our friends and allies in times of trial, we must work to regulate nuclear arms capable of threatening life throughout this planet For a SALT (Strategic Arms Limttauon Talks) agreeml!nt is a fundamental element of strategic and political stability m a turbulent world-stability which can provide the necessary political basis for us to contain the kinds of crises that we face today, and to prevent them from growing into nuclear confrontation.

After more than six years of negotiations, conducted by three Administrations, agreement has been reached on most of the major components of a sound and verifiable SALT II treaty.

The emerging SALT H treaty will establish, for the first time, equal numbers of strategic arms for both sides. It Will thus reverse the Soviet numerical advantage temporarily established in the SALT I treaty of 1972.

To reach these levels, the Soviet Union will be required to reduce their overall number of strategtc arms. Over 250 Soviet missiles or born bers - 10 per cent of their strategic forces- will have to be destroyed or dismantled. At the same time, because we are now well below the agreed ceiling, we could substantially increase our own operational str-atcgtc forces.

The SALT II agreement will also provide negotiated limits on buildmg new types of weapons and limits on the improvement of existing ones-the socalled qualitative arms race. SALT II will limit the size of land-based missiles and the number of warheads that can be placed on them. Without these limits, the Soviet Union could vastly increase the number of warheads on their large land-based missiles- with grave implications for the strategic balance.

SALT II will therefore contribute to our a bihty to deal with the growmg vulnerability of land-based missiles. With-

balance the two. I cannot and I will not let the pressures of inevitable competition overwhelm possibilities for cooperationany more than I will let cooperation blind us to the realities of competition.

Because this carefully negotiated and responstble arms control agreement will make the world safer and more secure, it is in our national interest to pursue it even as we contmue competition with the Soviet Union elsewhere in the world Therefore, I will seek both to conclude a SALT II agreement and to respond to any Soviet behavior whtch adversely affects our interests.

To reject SALT would mean that the inevitable competition in strategic nuclear arms would grow even more dangerous.

Each crisis, each confrontation, each point of friction -as serious as it may be in its own right-would take on an added danger. For it would occur in an atmosphere of unbridled strategic competition and deteriorating strategic stability.

It is precisely because we have fundamental differences with the Soviet Union that we are determined to bring this most dangerous dimension of our military competition under control.

In today's world, it is vital to match the pursuit of ideals with the responsible use of power. The United States is a source of both. Our ideals have inspired the world for more than two centuries. And for three generations our power has inally, let me put this agreement in helped other nations to realize their own the context of our relattons with ideals.

The determination and strength of the Soviet Union and the turbulence that exists in many parts oft he world. purpose of the American people are The question is not whether SALT can be crucial for stability in a turbulent world. divorced from this context. It cannot.

If we stand together in maintaining a As I have often said, our relationship steady course, America can protect its with the Soviet Union is a mixture of co- principles and interests and be a force operation and competition, and as for peace. Americans have always acPresident of the United States, I have no cepted the challenges of such leadership. more difficult and delicate task than to I am confident we will do so now.

0

out tt. the Soviet Union could simply continue to mcrease the number of thetr warheads, nullifying our efforts to protect our missiles.

The agreement will also permit us and our allies to pursue all the defense progmms we believe we may eventually need - the M-X mlsstle; the Trident submanne and missiles, air, ground and sea-launched cruise missiles: cruise missile carrier aircraft; and a new pcrtetrating bomber.

Thus SALT H will allow our own prudent programs to move ahead and also will place important limits on what the Soviet Union might otherwise do.

Without the SALT II agreement, the Soviet Union could have nearly one-third more strategic forces by 1985 than with SALT II. We would, of necessity, match such a build-up. The costs would be enormous, the risks self-evident. And both natwns could wind up Jess secure.

In addition, any SALT II treaty I sign will be adequately verifiable, using our own independent means of guaranteeing Soviet compliance with terms of the agreement. The stakes in SALT are too high to rely on trust.

SALT II will specifically forbid interference which would impede our ability to verify compliance with the treaty. Any effort on the part of the Soviet Union to mterfere with our verification activities would be a detectable violation of the agreement and an early signal of any cheating.

F

SPAN APRIL 1979

45

SCIENTISTS STUDY THE INDIAN MONSOON Scientists from more than 140 nations including India and the United States are engaged in MONEX- a year-long experiment to improve man's understanding of the monsoons. MONEX promises to improve the quality of life in many ways-more and better crops, more enjoyable picnics, safer sea and air travel, stronger reservoirs, more efficient use of electricity.

Will farmers in India- or Brazil, or anywhere-have sunny weather or rain next Tuesday'? Most weather forecasters could probably answer that with a fair degree of accuracy.

But what about early next July?

That is an entirely different problem. Any answer would virtually be a guess. But that is not good enough, scientists now say.

There are too many gaps in our knowledge of our globe and what makes our weather tick. To fill in those gaps scientists from over 140 nations have launched the largest international scientific experiment ever undertaken, the global weather experiment.

One part of this World Meteorological Organization effort will be the study of monsoons, and India and the United States will be the two major participants in MONEX-79. (MONEX stands for Monsoon Experiment.) Virtually every country in the South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea regions plans to participate, with substantial contributions from both the United States and the Soviet Union.

Under this experiment, India, the United States and other nations will cooperate in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to record a large variety of meteorological observations. It is expected these will be of great scientific significance to the understanding of the structure of the atmosphere both before and during the southwest monsoon seasons. In one phase of this, the United States will be flying three research airplanes while working in close cooperation with the Indian 46

SPAN APRIL 1979

Meteorological Department.

In other parts of the operation, Indian and U.S. scientists will also measure what goes on in the turbulent lower part of the atmosphere, analyze dust outbreaks over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea during the monsoon, and monitor the characteristics of rainfall associated with the Bay of Bengal tropical depressions. ¡¡weather," says Dr. Rex J. Fleming, who wi!J coordinate U.S. participation in the masstve worldwide project, "has global roots. Our knowledge is pretty good over the continents, but we don't know enough about the oceans. There are holes in our ability to forecast, especially in the southern hemisphere ...

To fill in those holes, scientists launched their year-long experiment December l. Until November 30, 1979 they will listen to every heart beat, feel every pulse throb, monitor almost every breath of wind on mother earth.

Says Dr. Verner Suomi, who developed the blueprint for the U.S. research efforts: "We 'II be giving the earth's atmosphere its first complete physical exam ever."

Instead of stethoscopes and tongue depressors, the scientists will use nine earth satellites, more than 50 research ships, 110 planes, 300 high altitude balloons, 300 drifting ocean buoys, 3,400 land stations, more than 1,000 commercial airliners, up to 5,000 scientists and engineers, some 7,000 merchant ships, and some "number-crunching" supercomputers that can perform as many as 80 million instructions per second.

As a result, they hope. farmers in the future will be able to plan better when to plant and when to harvest, when to apply pesticides, and how to calculate irrigation needs. Crop losses could be cut drctmatically and production increased. Airplanes and ships can be routed to avoid storms, saving time, fuel , and possibly lives. Electric utilities can prepare better for extreme cold spells, arranging for extra fuels. In fact, just about every human activity, from planning a picnic to building a reservoir, can benefit from the program.

Oddly, only about 15 per cent of the earth's surface today is intensively monitored , and most of that is over the land masses of the northern hemisphere- North America and Europe.

This is sufficient to forecast the weather, say, in Washington, D.C., for tomorrow or the day after. But if scientists want to forecast the weather 10 days from now, they must extend their

In vast stretches of that expanse of water, storms may rage that could eventually bring rain or drought to continents thousands of miles away-yet virtually no one is aware of them.

The total bill for the whole program will come to an estimated $300 million . The United States is putting up one-third of that.

Two U.S. and Soviet satellites will cover the earth from pole to pole. They will send back infrared pictures every half-hour, day or night, rain or shine. Five more satellites- from the United States, Japan, and the European Space Agency- will remain on stationary duty above the tropical oceans.

Commercial ships and planes will augment special research fleets. especially on the little-era veled southern routes, employing new automated data systems.

Balloons, carrying sensitive instrument packages, will be released high into the atmosphere to circle the earth with the winds. Other packages will be dropped by parachute from planes.

Buoys will be deployed in the southern oceans about 1,000 kilometers apart, to drift with the currents, each patrolling an area the size of a small nation.

Three regional programs are planned in conjunction with the global weather experiment. In addition to the MONEX program, analysis ro the tropics, both above and below the equator, and other studies will look into details of the West African monsoon go 30 kilometers into the atmosphere. To be accurate beyond a (W AMEX) and the weather over both the earth's polar regions lO-day period, they need reliable data on the whole earth. as (POLEX). far as the South Pole.

The scientists also have long-range questions to answer : "We ba ve underestimated the importance of the tropics," Is the earth getting warmer as industrialization throws "thermal Dr. Suomi adds. "To begin with, half the earth's surface is pollution" into the atmosphere? Or are we actu~lly beaded for a there. And it is the 'boiler' of the earth's atmospheric energy. new ice age?

The sun is most intense there," bombarding the tropics with an The research could go on for years. excess of energy. Much ends up in the tropical oceans, evaporates "Everybody talks .about the weather." Mark Twain used to into water vapor, and lashes the earth in the form of storms and say. "but nobody does anything about it."

Scientists still may not be able to control the weather, but by rains. The storms' energy is released inro the higher atmosphere the time the MONEX program is over on November 30, 1979. where it travels north and south.

One problem with monitoring the southern hemisphere is they expect to understand it far better than man has ever under0 that most of it is ocean, and not even well-traveled ocean at that. stood his planet before.

u

SPAN is available at leading newsstands at As. 2.50 per copy. An annual subscription at As. 1 8 for 1 2 issues saves 40 per cent and conveniently brings SPAN to your home or office

SPAN WAâ&#x20AC;˘

-nwnrâ&#x20AC;˘

SPAN

SPAN APRIL 1979

47

CYRUS VANCE · ON INTERDEPENDENCE President Jimmy Carter has asked 5 per cent of the raw materials that Congress to approve an authorization of Americans use. $8,900 million for the U.S. foreign asIt is clear that U.S. policies toward the sistance program which includes $3,600 developing world affect individual lives million for assistance through multilateral in the United States as well as abroad.

• The price of food in the neighbordevelopment banks. In his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives hood supermarket is affected by food Foreign Affairs Committee in support of production progress in the developing the authorization, Secretary of State Cyrus world.

Vance pointed out certain facts under• Jobs in U.S. factories depend on lining the interdependence between the growing export markets and on critical United States and the developing world raw materials imported from Third World nations. today: • The incomes of many American • In 1977, developing countries bought $42,000 million worth ofU.S. merchandise farmers depend on poor countries earn~more than a third of all U.S. exports. ing sufficient income to expand food In the agricultural sector. these countries imports.

Economic growth in the Third World, buy about half of all U.S. wheat exports, 60 per cent of U.S. cotton exports and 70 particularly in the more advanced developing nations like India, will clearly have an per cent of U.S. rice exports.

• During the 1970s sales of U.S. goods increasingly important and positive imto developing countries grew by 22 per pact on growth rates in the industrialized cent per year. compared to 15 per cent for world. Third World development will directly affect both how Americans live sales to industrialized nations.

• And over the past five years, develop- their lives and the kind of world in which 0 ing countries have provided more than their children will live.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM

SPAN

To SPAN Magazine Subscription Service Post Box 213 New Delhi 110001

ORDER FORM

Send SPAN for 1 year at Ra. 18 for 12 copies t o:

When notifying SPAN about a change in your address, please attach the address label from a recent SPAN envelope m addition to filling out the form below, S1nce four to six weeks are needed to process a change of address. please let us know about any change promptly.

NEW ADDRESS

Name _ _________________________________________________

(USE BLOCK LETTERS)

Name __________________

___

Address_______________________________________________ P o. _______________________,c ity_________________ _ Pin Code____________ Oist. __________State,____________ I enclose payment of Rs. 18 in favor of SPAN Magazine by " A/C Payee"

Address __________________

P.Q, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _______ _

0 Bank Draft 0 Postal Order 0 Money Order {receipt enclosed) CitY----------------

Date,_______________.Signature.______________________

Pin Code 000000

PLEASE REMEMBER TO ENCLOSE YOUR REMITTANCE.

MAIL TO : Circulation Manager. SPA N

sp

62

~----------------------------------------------_/ ~ 48

SPAN APRIL 1979

24 Kasturba Gandh• Marg New Delh• 110001

Maga~me

"J am like a sponge whenever I am in a new place,¡¡ says American painter and art critic Suzi Gabltk (left), who "soaked up the experience of contemporary art" in India dunng a recent three-week tour of six Cities Ahmedabad, Bombay, Calcutta, Madms. New Delhi and Chandigarh.

She met with a number of artists and critics. visited art ~llcries. museums, and schoob. showed slides of her work.

Author of the much-dtscusscd book Progress 111 Art, Suzi Gablik sees modern art in the West as p<trl of a process of historical evolution. She

believes that modernism in art reJeCtS the concept of social relevance and tends toward total abstraction. Her own specialty as a painter IS the collage, the combining of photographs and oil paints in canvas. Her works, two of which are seen here and on the back cover. have been exhib1ted in more than a dozen famous gallenes. They are replete with images of flowers, birds, bullerflies. snakes. What do they mean'?

Her own writmgs offer the best clues.

Some samples: "All energy moves 111 a spiral. There is something terrible at the heart of this seething web.

something that caused even Darwin's nerves to shudder.. .. The animal world is of mfimte dimenswn. and in this it can be equated with the unconscious forces within man which, like the wildness of nature, are relatable to God .... I don't know which seems more astonishing, the uniformity of earth's life or its diversity. All things are replaceable by all things may not this be the definition of all things'? .. . There 1s a divine Irrelevance in the universe, like trying to find a hole to fill up a hole, which you can only do if you steer off the carousel in time."