Ford's Progress

The aims of the Ford Foundation seem as vague as they are noble. But it has a lot of un-vague money to spend--more ($30 million a year) than any other foundation in the world. By last week it was beginning to be apparent where the Ford largesse is landing.

About one-third of it will go abroad, to further world peace by a kind of private Point Four program. Last week the Foundation gave $1,309,500 to the Free University of Berlin. Then Director Paul Hoffman and some of his top officials set off for a three-week tour of Europe and Asia to see what else they could do.

They intended to go only to countries that invited them, and take on projects not supported by any government. The projects could be anything from farm development to nutrition, if only they would help to reduce "tensions." One tension the Foundation hopes to reduce is in the India-Pakistan area.

The Foundation has mapped out five fields to work in:

1) Peace. Contributions to date: some $7,000,000. Sample grants: the Resettlement Campaign for Exiled Professionals ($500,000), the Free Russia Fund ($200,000), the American Friends Service Committee ($500,000).

2) Freedom and Democracy. No action yet.

3) Economic Well-Being. No action yet.

4) Education (including adult education programs). Contributions to date: more than $10 million. Sample grants: $1,200,000 to Yale, Columbia, Chicago and Wisconsin for preinduction scholarships for 16 1/2-year-olds; more than $1,000,000 for fellowships to young college teachers; $175,000 to the Great Books Foundation.

5) The Study of Human Behavior. Contributions to date: more than $3,000,000. Sample grant: $100,000 to the National Manpower Council of Columbia University.

This week the Foundation stepped outside its "areas" to make a special grant of $1,200,000 for a radio-television workshop. The workshop will turn out educational and public service shows, sell them to commercial sponsors.

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