after he returned to the us in 1937, barbour became director of inter-american broadcasts at radio station wixal, boston in 1937, joining a growing movement attempting to promote the use of short wave radio as an international cultural and political tool. in november 1937, he gave a widely reported speech at the 2nd national conference on educational broadcasting in chicago in his capacity as director of a plan for collaboration of the nations of the western hemisphere in a series of cultural programs.