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visited the academies of science at these locations; their level of research will compare with that of advanced western countries. In the Byelo- russian) Lithuanian, Moldavian, Azerbaijan, Armenian, Kazakh, Uzbek~ Turkmen, Tadzhik, and Kirgiz republics 152 universities and colleges with 320,000 students have been established. It is reported tbat there was not a single school of higher education in those areas previous to 1917. lVlany of the people in the Asian republics forty years ago were nomads. Today these universities have their own scientists, trained in these colleges and universities. I was not in Russia nearly long enough to arrive at even a preliminary appraisal of its educational system as a whole-how effectively its pro- fessed aims are being carried out, and what the long-range results are likely to be on the national life and thought. My guess is that, all things con- sidered, we in the United States still are well ahead. But the signs of rapid progress and continuing earnest effort to advance further aTe unmis- takable in Russian education. l\Jy impressions from the Geneva conference relate less to Switzerland as a country than to a meeting place for currents of world thought and aspira- tion. Political and social differences and barriers of language did not prevent the scientists of many nations from making the meeting success- ful-the first significant interchange of scientific information and ideas in the postwar period. It was with obvious relief that they talked about the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the benefits they might bring to people everywhere. From the start there was a dedicated) almost religious atmosphere at the sessions. I have thought a great deal about these experiences in different countries. As fragmentary impressions of one man they are not, of course, an adequate basis for definite conclusions. But they do form a pattern in which I find much meaning. The five countries are very different in their endowments of natural resources, in density of population, in forms of government, in stages of economic development and levels of education. But all of them in their different ways are striving for higher levels of living and a more equitable sharing of material benefits among their peoples. This is a trend of great significance and promise. Charles P. Steinmetz, one of our great engineers, said that civilizations of the past {ailed to sur- vive because in no case did the majority of the people share in the benefits of their civilization. Even Plato could not envisage a republic without slaves. Steinmetz also said that our modern civilization might survive because a civilization based on science and engineering has the unique capacity to share its benefits with all of the people. What magic key do 5