A study was designed to test the hypothesis that different communication stages between nations--primitive, traditional, modern, and neomodern--provide important variables for explaining differences in pre-adults' conception of war in different countries. Although the two samples used in the study were drawn from two cultures which fall into the modern or neomodern stages, it was anticipated that the unility of various communication sources would vary. A ten-page instrument was administered to high school students in the United States (Seattle) and in Canada (Vancouver), consisting of questions to measure orientation to nine concepts related to war and peace, and devices to assess the value of 16 sources of these orientations. The results of a one-way analysis of variance showed a consistently higher utility of print and nonprint media sources among Canadian subjects, while a significantly higher utility of interpersonal sources and religion was found among United States subjects. Also, the findings show that more sources of orientation in the U.S. were geared to the development of notions about war and causes of war, while Canadian subjects seem to regard parts of the communication structure more conducive to the development of about peace and prevention of war. (SH)