Salvemini Disputes Benefits Of British Foreign Service

Gaetane Salvemini, Lauro De Bosis Lecturer on the History of Italian Literature, denounced the British Foreign Servive in a meeting of the AYD last Friday night, following a speech by Launce Fernsworth, Nieman Fellow, and Correspondent for the London Times.

Speaking on the topic of "Students in the Nation," Fernsworth lashed out strongly against what he termed clerical fascism and bureaucracy in this country. The British system of selecting children and training them from youth to hold positions in government, was also upheld by him, in contrast to this country's policy of supplying such training in colleges for those who wish to avail themselves of it. He did not specify whether this selection was to be based upon intelligence or caste.

After he had finished talking, there was a rather vigorous cross discussion with the audience participating. Romylos Macridis, Teaching Fellowing in Government, immediately challenged him on the question of training future statesmen as he had recommended. Fernsworth countered with the shining example of the British Foreign Service, which, he said, used this system.

Macridis Presses Attack

Macridis then appealed to Salvemini for his opinion on the British Foreign Service. The scholarly Italian was quite reluctant to speak on this issue and tried to turn it aside with the statement, "that after he had lived in England for one-half a month he had thought himself to know everything about the British government, but after living in the country for two years he had realized that he knew very little."

The forum pressed the query upon him, however, and evidently seeing the futility of seeking to dodge the question any longer, he admitted, "that he thought very little of the British Foreign Service."

Fernsworth's Speech Argued

This statement precipitated a general attack upon the two major points of Fernsworth's speech. His remark about the danger of American bureaucracy drew forth even more vehement arguments than the aforementioned one on British governmental training. Dr. Salvemini took little part in this discussion.

The meeting also included an appeal by an officer of the American Civil Liberties Union for the support of the anti-poll tax measure throughout the State of Massachusetts.