The terms of reference of the modified Brussels Treaty as far as they concern cultural co-operation have to be borne in mind for a clear judgement of the achievements and programme of work contained in this Chapter: the cultural experts take particular care to ensure that their programme remains always practical and constructive and does not duplicate other international efforts in the same domain.
In fact, their work continues to be a stimulus to projects for cultural co-operation in larger international organisations and a great deal has been learned from experience gained among this limited number of countries with a similar background, heritage and related interests. It is possible not only to pursue and extend co-operation which has been proved to be fruitful, but to eliminate projects which are found to be difficult to realise in practice. The existence of this homogeneous group within larger organisations has again contributed in no small measure to the wider development of cultural relations.
For practical purposes, the cultural activities of the Organisation are referred to under the headings of the Cultural Committee and its subordinate bodies: the European Universities Committee, the Education, Youth and Cinema Sub-Committees.
The Diagram which follows shows the general administrative outline of WEU Cultural Activities. Immediately after will be found the Cultural Calendar, a summary of the meetings of committees, groups and working parties and of the courses which took place during the past year according to a carefully planned rotation system. Each country and each national delegation has thus an opportunity to contribute in turn and in its own way to the general cause. The courses organised by the various committees also follow this same system of decentralised rotation which gives to the WEU cultural activities their co-operative and empirical character.
9th January
Meeting of the "Working Party on Publications (London).
lOth-llth January
Meeting of the Bureau of the European Universities Committee (London).
17th-19th January
Working Party with O.E.E.C. on Shortage of Scientists (Paris)
25th February
Meeting of the Steering Committee for the Dijon Conference (Dijon).
27th February-lst March
Meeting of the Working Party on Physical Education and Sport (Brussels).
24th-25th April
Meeting of the Working Party on Educational Films (The Hague).
26th April
Meeting of the Contacts Committee (The Hague).
27th-29th April
Meeting of the Cinema Sub-Committee (The Hague).
5 t h - l l t h
May Youth course on " Aesthetic training outside school " (Italy).
15th-17th May
Meeting of the Cultural Committee {Strasbourg).
22nd May
Meeting of the Working Party on Publications (Paris).
23rd-24th May
Meeting of the Bureau of the European Universities Committee (Paris).
27th-29th May
Meeting of the Youth Sub-Committee (Bonn).
24th-25th June
Meeting of t h e Working Party on Schoollinking (Paris).
2nd September
Meeting of the Steering Committee for the Dijon Conference (The Hague).
2nd September
Meeting of the Working Party on Publications (The Hague).
3rd-6th September
Meeting of the European Universities Committee (The Hague).
17th-26th September
Teachers course on " Art, music and poetry in school " (United Kingdom).
6th-8th October
Course for Cultural Committee delegates on " Theifpadministration of Italian cultural relations^|with the other countries " (Rome).
8th-10th October
Meeting of the Cultural Committee (Rome).
8th-10th October
Meeting of the Cultural Committee (Rome).
llth-19th October
Youth course on " Traffic education for the young " (Germany).
16th-29th October
Inspectors course on " Audio-visual aids in teaching " (Germany).
21st-29th October
Youth course on " Physical exercise and sport for handicapped children " (France).
6th-8th November
Meeting of the Youth Sub-Committee (Rome).
22nd-23rd November
Meeting of the Steering Committee for the Dijon Conference with the Chairmen of the Working Parties for the Dijon Conference (Brussels).
25th-26th November
Meeting of the Working Party on Educational Films (Brussels).
27th November
Meeting of the Contacts Committee (Brussels).
28th-30th November
Meeting of the Cinema Sub-Committee (Brussels).
9th-12th December
Meeting of the Working Party on Camping (Paris).
During the period under consideration, the Cultural Committee has held its usual two sessions: a short spring session in May in Strasbourg and the main autumn session in Rome in October. As usual, the latter was preceded by a course on the administration of the host Government's cultural relations with the other member countries. This was the fourth such course, previous ones having been organised in London, Paris and Bonn, forming a kind of synthesis of cultural relations within the WEU countries. The next course in this series will be held in the Netherlands in October 1958.
The Cultural Committee, as previously, held an informal exchange of views at its meetings concerning the co-ordination of international cultural activities in its own and other international organisations. In this way, they have continued to ensure that no avoidable duplication of effort occurs. The exchange of observers and documents, according to previous agreements, has continued during the year. Details of practical co-operatiou between W. E. U. and organisations such as the Council of Europe, UNESCO, N. A. T. 0., 0. E. E. C, etc., on specific subjects, will be found under the various committee headings below.
During the year, the Committee has carried out an exhaustive study of the 'Brussels Appeal' submitted by the Intergroupe sénatorial belge des intérêts intellectuels. The results of this study have already been communicated to the Assembly in the Council's Reply to Recommendation. No. 13. They indicate how far the cultural programme of W. E. U. and other international organisations meet the requirements of the Appeal. Further consideration is being given to one of the points to which particular attention had been drawn, namely the conclusion of a multilateral cultural convention.
The Cultural Committee and the film experts have followed with interest the work of the UNESCO meeting of experts which met in Geneva in October on the free circulation of cultural material, a subject which has preoccupied the cultural experts since they first met. Much of the background work for the drawing up of the UNESCO convention on this subject was done by the experts of W. E. U. and their views were clearly put forward at the Geneva conference.
The European Universities Committee has continued to? hold annual meetings and its third session took place at The Hague in September 1957. This occasion was a halfway point between the full Conference of European University Rectors and Vice-Chancellors held in Cambridge in July 1955 and the second full Conference which, it has now been agreed, will take place in Dijon in September 1959. The work of the Committee is being pursued in three main directions: preparation for the Dijon Conference ; promotion of closer collaboration between universities ; and the establishment of collaboration with other international bodies.
It has been decided that the Dijon Conference should be devoted to two main themes, which have been defined as " Problems raised by the Shortage of Scientists and Technologists " and " Studies relating to Europe in the Universities ". The latter theme will be approached from two angles, with special reference to the humanities and to the social and economic sciences. Working Parties have now been established and will make a preparatory study of these subjects during 1958 with the object of presenting reports and recommendations to the Conference. In setting up these Working Parties, the Committee has called on the services of a number of experts in t h e field of industry and scientific administration, as well as on Rectors and Professors in universités.
The Council have welcomed the desire of the Assembly CommitteeNoteto be represented at the Conference in Dijon
The Committee has had under review all possible means of encouraging movement of teaching staff and students among the different European universities, and has carried out a special investigation of bilateral " linking " arrangements which provide for regular exchanges of staff between universities.
An enquiry has been made into the implementation of the Cambridge Conference Resolutions contained in t h e Report of the Conference. As a result, three papers been prepared: CCL (56) 64, September 1956 (Replies on the implementation of the Resolutions have been received from eight of the fifteen countries participating); CCL (57) 1, January 1957 (Draft analysis of the replies to the questionnaire on the implementation of the Resolutions, prepared by the Secretariat); CCL (56) 88, November 1956 (Report on interchange visits of university teachers). The conclusions of this report were transmitted to the Committee of Cultural Experts of the Council of Europe.
As regards the desire of the Committee to be officially informed of the above enquiries 2, i t should be noted that the reports are only in roneoed form. Copies have been sent to the Clerk of the Assembly for the benefit of interested members.
It has been recognised by the Universities Committee that co-operation depends above all on adequate diffusion of information. For this reason, and in furtherance of the Resolutions of the Cambridge Conference, the Committee has formulated a programme of publications and has set up a special Working Party to deal with this side of its activities. The programme at present envisaged covers several different fields: information for students continuing their studies abroad in Europe, the history and evolution of universities and their relation to the State, and higher technological education. It is hoped, moreover, to provide a regular channel for the exchange of information between universities by means of a European Universities Journal.
It is hoped that the guide for students wishing to study abroad will appear in 1958Note. In this event, i t will be distributed on a commercial basis and will not, as in the case of the Cambridge Conference Report, have any free distribution. Nevertheless, every effort will be made to ensure its distribution to universities and colleges in Europe.
As regards the report, compiled by the Cultural Committee in consultation with the Social Sub-Committee concerned, on social security for students, available in duplicated form (A/1693, July 1952), it should be pointed out that it cannot be certain that this collective report is not now out of date. At the time Avhen it was compiled, it was distributed to the five member Governments of the Brussels Treaty Organisation who undertook to distribute it, where necessary, to the student organisations of their countries.
With regard to the recommendation of the Assembly Committee concerning a general catalogue of theses2 , it is pointed out that, according to information received in July 1957 from the 'Union fediraliste interuniversitaire', Paris, that Organisation is publishing as Volume 6 of their bibliography a catalogue of university theses of European interest.
Although the Assembly question speaks of theses in general, it may be considered that this question is more suitably dealt with by the Union fediraliste interuniversitaire. Other organisations such as the International Association of Universities are also known to be concerned with this subject.
The contacts already established by the Committee with the 0. E. E. C. will be further strengthened by collaboration in the preliminary work on the first of the Dijon Conference themes— the shortage of scientists. The Committee enjoys close co-operation with the Council of Europe which officially recognises it " as the independent body of experts on all questions concerning the European universities of member countries "; and in this capacity the Committee has been consulted on several matters of concern to the European universities. In 1956, the Committee was admitted to associate membership of the International Association of Universities and regular and. fruitful working relations between the two bodies have stemmed from that association.
This Sub-Committee of the Cultural Committee meets rarely since it does most of its work by correspondence and concentrates largely on the organisation of annual courses for teachers and biennial courses for educational inspectors. In addition, the Sub-Committee regularly exchanges information on educational methods, reforms, etc.
In September, the 9th Teachers' Course took place in the United Kingdom on " Art, music and poetry in school " at the University of Cambridge and was attended by some thirty participants.
In October, the 6th Inspectors' Course took place in Germany on the subject of " Audiovisual aids in teaching " and was attended by about thirty delegates.
In the course of the year the Cultural Committee studied the results of the course and exhibition held in the Netherlands and Belgium at the end of 1956 on " School-building ".
This Sub-Committee of the Cultural Committee met in Bonn in the spring and in Rome in the autumn. On the occasion of each of these sessions, the host Government arranged for a meeting between representatives of the youth movements and organisations of the host country and members of the Sub-Committee. Representatives of respective German and Italian youth movements attended a lecture on the activities of the Sub-Committee, followed by general discussion and questions. The Sub-Committee made a point, at each of its sessions, of exchanging information on the programmes of the other international organisations engaged in youth work, both governmental and non-governmental, in order to ensure t h a t any duplication of effort should be avoided. Co-operation between the Youth Sub-Committee of W. E. U. and the Gauting Youth Institute of UNESCO has developed during the past year. Practical arrangements have been made for collaborating by the mutual supply of information on programmes, in particular, the courses organised on both sides, and the presence of observers at courses and meetings.
The Council have examinedNotethe possibility and advisability of extending the collective passports scheme for young people to Germany and Italy. They considered that the possibility of a new agreement to include these countries should be examined by the passport experts of the Council of Europe since the question of collective passports has already been raised within the wider framework. Such a study will provide an opportunity to re-examine the original agreement in the light of five years of experience of the Brussels Treaty collective passports scheme between Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and with a view to its possible extension to other countries. Meanwhile, the Council has recommended that the existing regulations be interpreted and applied by the authorities concerned as flexibly and sympathetically as possible.
The Sub-Committee is actively engaged in negotiations with the national railway authorities in each country and with the International Union of Railways concerning traval concessions for young people and in order to try to harmonise the different regulations at present in force for these concessions.
As one of the main practical tasks of the Sub-Committee is the organisation of annual courses on matters concerning the youth of the member countries, three such courses took place during t h e year: in May (in Florence) on " Aesthetic training outside school "; in October (in Toulouse and Paris) on " Physical exercise and sport for handicapped children "; and in October (in Bonn and Berlin) on " Instruction in road safety ". Each of these courses was attended by between thirty and forty participants.
The programme for the 1958 and 1959 courses is under study, and preliminary arrangements are being made.
Another main preoccupation of the Youth Sub-Committee is the problem of schoollinking. In June, a Working Party met in Paris to examine the difficulties in the way of the formation of satisfactory links between schools in the member countries. A meeting of experts to study the problems of camping for young people met in Paris in December. Another Working Party met in February on the subject of physical education and sport and a second meeting is foreseen for early 1958 to define in detail the possible action in this domain within W. E. U.
A factual report on the working of the school-linking scheme in all seven member countries was drawn up; the Youth Sub-Committee is now preparing a brochure which would give information about the scheme to schools, parents and education authorities. The text of this brochure will be put into final form during the coming year.
Before the end of 1957, the French version of a booklet on youth movements in the member countries was published, entitled Youth in the WEU Countries. This is to be followed by the English and Netherlands versions; the possibility of German and Italian versions is under study.
A series of travel guides for young people of the seven member countries was completed by the German guide Spaziergang durch Deutschland and the Italian guide Italian Itineraries
The Cinema Sub-Committee is aided in the task of co-operation on film matters by a Working Party on Educational Films and a Contacts Committee responsible for joint film productions. These three committees met in April in The Hague and in November in Brussels. The two former exchanged information on the production and distribution of cultural, documentary, art, educational and children's films. The films themselves were viewed during committee meetings.
The WEU film experts witnessed in 1957 the results of the first award, at the Berlin Festival, of the Film Prize for which they worked out the regulations at the request of the Council of Europe. They are now submitting a proposal to the Council of Europe that there should be, in addition, a Newsreel Award.
Exchanges of information on the production of non-commercial films have continued. As regards exchanges of lists of newsreels shown commerciallyNoteno further exchange has taken place since 1954 because in that year it was found that the usefulness of these lists varied from country to country and the difficulties of compiling them were sometimes considerable. However, the Cinema Sub-Committee only agreed to discontinue official distribution of these lists to delegations via the Secretariat and, in the case of some of the member countries, the exchanges of newsreels and lists of newsreel items has continued bilaterally. It was stressed at the time that any delegation wishing to receive a list of newsreels from any of the other member countries should apply direct to the country concerned and, wherever possible, these lists would be supplied. It should be remembered that the close contacts established between the commercial companies in the member countries as a result of the meetings of the Newsreel Sub- Committee continue to be in evidence.
During the year, the Working Party on Educational Films completed its first series of five educational films on physical geography. (Les glaciers; The Changing Coast; Volcanism; Les eaux souterraines and The Low Coast). The second series on science (Mirror in the Sky; Victory over Pain; Mercaior; Johannes Kepler and his Work; Galvani, Volta and Electric Current; Une tdche difficile and Anloni van Leeuwenhoek and the Microscope) is almost completed. A third series on Great Europeans (Hugo de Grool; Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Rutherford and Cockcroft; Albert Einstein; Houzeau de Lehaie; James Watt and Mazzini) is in its early stages.
A joint film production, December, the Children's Month, the second of its kind, under the direction of M. Henri Storck (Belgium) was completed shortly before Christmas 1957. The Netherlands version has had its première in that country. As the French and English versions of the film were not ready before the end of 1957, the film experts preferred, in view of the subject matter, to await the Christmas season of 1958 before launching the premières of these versions. The Council will arrangeNotefor a private showing of the film to Assembly Representatives. Preliminary arrangements have been made in certain countries for distribution.
Meanwhile, various proposals are under discussion by the film experts for the future production of films; these will be further considered at the spring 1958 meetings. A proposal by the Italian delegation for an agreement on the making of long feature films is recommended for transfer to the larger framework of the Council of Europe, in view of its legislative implications.
The Cinema Vocabulary, a glossary of terms for the use of film experts in the member countries, was to be published in 1957 in a threelanguage edition. In agreement with UNESCO, the publication has now been extended to cover lists of German and Italian terms and will come out in 1958 as a five-language edition covering all the languages of the member countries.
The Council have considered 2 the possibility of extending the activities of the Organisation in the field of radio and television. They have noted the interest taken by the Assembly in the whole subject of television and have resolved t o pursue their action on these matters. They recall that both the B. T. O. and W. E. U. have already engaged in such activities on a fairly large scale. Reference is made in particular to the instructions of the Cultural Committee to the Cinema Sub-Committee to maintain liaison with the European Broadcasting Union for the exchange of cultural and educational films for television (see below). Moreover, the Council recall that a number of international organisations, in particular UNESCO and the Council of Europe, have recently been dealing with problems connected with educational television. It was pointed out at the last session of the film experts that a conference organised by the Edinburgh Festival with the help of UNESCO in the summer of 1957 was a sort of continuation of the UNESCO conferences on television, themselves partly a result of the Working Parties set up under W. E. U. to study the implications of television. The Council note also that the Cultural Committee has at present under study a proposal concerning the possibilities of a better use of existing television services for cultural purposes.
The Council has therefore expressed the opinion that the already existing studies in W. E. U. on the subject of radio and television should be encouraged and intensified in view of the great influence which concerted action can have in this field.
As regards the exchange or purchase of films by member countries for school television, it should be pointed o u tNotethat under the regular scheme for the exchange of documentary films between member countries, the films exchanged can, in certain cases, be used for television. Furthermore, since the end of 1955, the Cinema Sub-Committee and the Working Party on Educational Films have been authorised by the Cultural Committee to work in close liaison with the European Broadcasting Union for the exchange of catalogues and lists of all those films (cultural, documentary, information, educational, etc.), which may be used for educational television.
The Assembly,
Having considered Chapters VIII and IX of the Council Report on the activities of Western European Union in the cultural and public administration fields;
Noting the progress achieved during the preceding year and aware of its importance;
Desirous of seeing the work undertaken pursued,
Recommends that the Council: