United States Government and History

• Published date: 01 July 1955
• DOI: 10.1177/000271625530000125
• Date: 01 July 1955
• Author: W. Reed West
• Subject Matter: Articles

136
centralization on one hand and decentraliza-
Possibly in due time, material such as is
tion on the other, in various spheres.
in this fruitful collaboration will get into
American attitudes to these technical
our textbooks. A more constant evaluation
missions have varied. The nitrogen survey
and recognition of overseas services by
of Chile and the survey of the Amazon
our citizens may do much to improve such
River basin (1923), &dquo;official American
service.
These missions, obviously, are
ventures designed to serve the needs of the
not the total of American influence in, or
American economy, with incidental bene-
cross-cultural relationships with, any one
fits to the underdeveloped areas ... car-
country or period, but they are an im-
ried further the evolution of the overseas
portant segment carefully treated in this
’
technical mission&dquo; (p. 143).
work.
Some of the generalizations which flow,
RICHARD H. HEINDEL
in temperate spirit, from this history may
The University of Buffalo
be noted here to incite complete reading.
&dquo;Perhaps the most important period in
the life of any mission was its origin&dquo; (p.
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
204). And &dquo;no problem was as serious as
AND HISTORY
that of proper administration&dquo; (p. 212).
The missions varied widely in scope, sub-
WILLIAM ANDERSON. The Nation and the
ject matter, and objectives.
American
States, Rivals or Partners? Pp. xvi, 263.
motives were not always clear-cut. &dquo;There
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota
seems to have been no close correlation be-
Press, 1955. $3.75.
tween the scope of these missions and their
success&dquo; (p. 208). However, &dquo;The limited
A member of the President’s Commission
objective type with a pragmatic approach
of Intergovernmental Relations, Professor
can sometimes be of considerable use and
Anderson, in this volume, gives evidence of
certainly involves less risk of failure with
the moderation that mature study is likely
all that this...