President Franklin D. Roosevelt '04 has taken a leading hand in the promotion of the drive to raise funds for Latin-American scholarships by writing a strong endorsement of the proposal from the White House, the committee announced today.

As the Undergraduate sponsors issued a preliminary call for funds, the President complimented there on their "serious effort" and stated that "a very real need" exists for the extension of cultural appreciation between the United States and the Latin-American nations.

Finds Plan "Effective"

The Harvard scholarship plan he found an "effective way" to promote what he committee was organized to encourage-peace and solidarity among the American republics.

The student group announced that it hoped to establish in the future two scholarships each for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Columbia and to extend them to other countries if the former proved successful.

"Confining American foreign policy to the promotion of friendship among our neighbors in Latin-America, we believe, is the most constructive effort that the United States can make at this time," the committee said.

Ralph H. Cutler, Jr. '40, chairman said that the student campaigners have secured the support of Father O'Hara, president of Notre-Dama University and member of the American delegation at the recent Pan-American conference at Lima, Peru.

In addition, the drive has been backed by the State Department through Secretary Cordell Hull; by Dr. Leo S. Rowe, secretary-general of the Pan-American Union in Washington; by Dr. Grant Mason, Head of the Civil Aeronautics Authority; and by prominent industrial and academic leaders in South America.

Committees Will Select Men

Selection of the students will be made by committees of responsible men, chosen with the approval of the Faculty, in the various countries designated to receive the scholarships. The committee said that it hoped to increase gradually the number of scholarships available and to guarantee the permanency of the stipends by an endowment or capitalization.

Although a serious attempt will be made to bring properly qualified Undergraduates to the University to spend a year as members of the Senior chase, meet of the scholars will be graduates with a special said of interest. Already Latin-Americans have signified interest in Harvard's courses in Medicine, Archaeology, Economics, Anthropology, History and Government.

The President's Statement

"There is a very rest need at the present time for the encouragement of mutual understanding and broader relations between the United States and the other American republics. The colleges and Universities of this country can contribute in many effective ways to this important work.

"I am happy to learn of every serious effort to increase the number of scholarships at Harvard University for students from the other Republics of this Hemisphere."