tion of the 15 eminent citizens by the President to work with the ex-officio members. These 15 eminent citizens should be of such a caliber that their presence on the Commission would insure that the programs undertaken by it would be a source of stimulus to other sections of the country and not only reflect in Washington what is already in progress outside the Nation's Capital.

The bill, as written, includes two main ideas: One, the development of certain facilities in Washington itself, the other, a very broad program which could influence both the plastic and performing arts all over the country. Therefore, it is of tremendous importance that the Commission as a whole represent a really forward looking and stimulating element from the art professions to balance the members that are automatically members by virtue of their office. I realize that this depends entirely on the wisdom of the President in office and his interest in such matters as are covered by this bill. There is no way of insuring the caliber of appointment that is required and one can only hope that these appointments will be taken seriously and made with the intention of making our national arts program as stimulating and high in quality as it deserves to be.

Sincerely yours,

CHARLES NAGEL, Director.

Hon. CHARLES R. HOWELL,

DEPARTMENT of Art,

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, Urbana, Ill., March 26, 1953.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. HOWELL: Thank you very much for sending me a copy of your release on the subject of a National War Memorial Arts Commission. I am very much pleased that you are sponsoring this movement and I hope you will obtain wide support for it.

I am sending you, under separate cover, copies of the program1 of the Sixth Annual Festival of Contemporary Arts and the Catalogue of the Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture which is now being held at the University of Illinois. I thought you would be interested in this evidence of a comprehensive exposition of many forms of contemporary artistic activities as carried on within the framework of a State-supported school.

Very sincerely yours,

ALLEN S. WELLER, Head.

Hon. CHARLES R. HOWELL,

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION,
Richmond, Va., February 9, 1953.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR HONORABLE HOWELL: We have received the material which you sent us in respect to your new bill, H. R. 452, provided for the establishment of a National War Memorial Arts Commission.

You are certainly to be congratulated on this ambitious venture. There has scarcely been a moment in the history of the growth of our country when such forward-looking steps have been more needed. Naturally, we are aware that the process of favorable action upon such a measure can involve a great deal of hard work and concerted effort by all interested parties. As a result, we would deeply appreciate receiving any further information as to ways in which State art supervisors can further the successful passing of this bill. Since we are in constant contact with educators throughout the State, we are in a position to do much to disseminate information about H. R. 452.

We wish you much success and hope that the Congress will act favorably.

Sincerely yours,

RICHARD G. WIGGIN, Assistant Supervisor of Art Education.

1 Not printed.

And mode by the bound of supervisors are under the 2nd emperising of the art com This ladudes the municipal dag kontana presented with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and vooral art festinal. The est of the symphony encerts is approximately 2000, and the cost of the festival $12,000.

re la any further information you desire, please do not hesitate to call
org good wish and kindest regards.
Sincerely,

JOSEPH H. DYER Jr., Secretary.

Hon CHARTS R. HOWELL,

House Office Building, Washington, D. C.

AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Akron, Ohio, December 15, 1953.

DEAR MR. HOWELL: I enjoyed reading the copy of H. R. 5397 which you sent me with the suggested revisions which were reported to you by Mrs. Rose Robison Cowen after our children's theater conference in August. The idea of the bill is a fine one and personally, and as a member of the children's theater conference, I want to thank you and Congressman Celler for sponsoring such legislation. Your constant reference to the importance of the arts in equitable balance with the sciences in a democracy is a necessary thing if America is to remain wise and free,

I shall make an effort to see that information about your bill is made available to the persons in my vicinity. I hope that 1954 will see its passage. Thank you for writing to me about it.

Sincerely yours,

DOROTHY KESTER, Ph. D., Coordinator of Speech Education.

DANCE NEWS,

Representative CHARLES R. HOWELL,

New York, N. Y., January 27, 1953.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. HOWELL: Thank you for sending me copies of your bill H. R. 452 and Itepresentative Kearns' bill H. R. 464.

Now that I have had occasion to study the two bills may I say that you and Mr. Kearns are to be commended for your public spirit, deep insight into the building of a greater and spiritually richer America and the perspicacity in your attempt to make the creation of the National Memoriai Arts Commission a bipartisan effort and thus bring it closer to realization than the efforts made in the Nd Congress,

Tofar as the advancement of American art is concerned section 7 (a) of HR 622 has a great overall significance. This is the first time that a Member of Congress has taken cognizance of the fact that Art (with a capital A) is a eneric term and that the various art forms which constitute this term have each its own problems, and that unless individual art forms are treated sep itely there are bound to arise misunderstandings, even jealousies, among its

practitioners, which must inevitably lead toward a domination of the less popuous forms by those which have a greater number of practitioners.

You have been very wise in going into the details of your project and not leaving its many-faceted activities to later, so-called, interpretations which often become at variance with the spirit as well as the letter of those who originated the law. We have an excellent example of inadequate detailing in the American National Theater and Academy (ANTA), chartered by Congress. As a result of less than careful legislation the American National Theater and Academy is, in fact, neither a theater nor an academy. The unhappy circumstance that it is practically inoperative, for all the noise made around it, is due mainly to the fact that Congress in chartering the organization failed to authorize even a token appropriation and thus rendered it ineffectual as well as created, in effect at least, only a quasi-civic undertaking, rather than a federally sponsored institution.

I was glad to notice that section 14 (a) of H. R. 452 tends to eliminate this pitfall by calling for an appropriation, modest though it may be.

I need not go into the details of the basic philosophy of the bill which you have so well expressed in your memorandum which you sent along with your bill. To add to your references to the opinions of statesmen, educators, etc., might say that I visited England in the summer of 1950 and again last summer. On both occasions the New York City Ballet, which, as you know, is an activity of the New York City Center of Music and Drama, was playing at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. I had opportunities to speak to several members of our Embassy in London and a number of British artists, writers, choreographers, governors of the Royal Opera House, etc., and the reaction to the visits was most gratifying and, indeed, flattering. One high-placed member of our Embassy told me in July 1950:

"The visit of the New York City Ballet to London is the best publicity the United States has had here in a long time."

A colleague of mine, the well-known English writer and critic, Arnold L. Haskell, wrote in the Ballet Annual 1951:

"Here is an Englishman indulging in the national pastime of seeking dollars, but for an American company this time. If any wealthy American happens to read this, and I believe that men of wealth still exist in America, I would like to assure him that the New York City Ballet has done more for the artistic prestige of his country than a carload of crooners, a 10 years' run of musicals, a high-powered comedian, and a million reels of Hollywood celluloid all added together."

I mentioned the season of the New York City Ballet because my field is dance, but you will find similar expressions of appreciation in the fields of music as well. The participation of American symphony orchestras, operatic organizations, and the New York City Ballet in the masterpieces of the 20th Century Exhibition last spring and summer in Paris is another telling example.

The work of the many nonprofit artistic organizations within this country is too well known to you to need any comment on my part.

I,

Dance News, the publication which I edit, has a very good standing in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. It is read mainly by dancers, writers, critics, teachers of the theatrical forms of dance, advanced students, directors of companies, touring and local managers, and that part of the general public all over the country which has an interest in ballet and other forms of dance. personally, enjoy a fairly good reputation in the field. I have written several books on dance, among them the Dance Encyclopedia, which is considered a standard reference book, and in April Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., is bringing out my new book, the New York City Ballet, a history of the company since its establishment in 1933, the first book ever to be written about an American ballet company.

All this is to say that whatever little support and assistance Dance News and I can give you in getting H. R. 452 reported out of the Committee on Education and Labor and passed by the House will be wholeheartedly given. Our February issue (out this Thursday) is carrying a news item about your bill. Our March issue will have an editorial on this subject. If you can think of any other definite thing we can do to help, please let me know.

Respectfully,

ANATOLE CHUJOY, Editor.

48356-54--8

propriations; shortening the proposed terms of commissioners and increasing their number from 7 to 16; the revision of section 22, adding to the present Commission well-qualified judges of music, drama, and the dance; and proposed wording for the correction of the self-perpetuation by Smithsonian's Board of Regents.

All good wishes,
Sincerely,

BENJAMIN J. ATLAS, Chief, Washington Bureau.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF SINGING, INC.,
St. Cloud, Minn., March 29, 1953.

DEAR SIR: I have read, with much interest, your publicity release on your bill 452, relative to the establishment of a cultural center in the Nation's Capital, and a War Memorial Arts Commission. I shall keep your communication in my files for future reference.

May I say that I am very strongly in favor of your proposals and would like to help in any way I can to promote the passage of your bill 452? I have heard of the Senate bill 1109, through my own Senator Humphrey, and I expect to let him know my approval of the matter. I would like to be kept informed of your progress so that when the bill comes up for a vote I can inform my own legislators of my approval.

As I am a national officer in the Association of Teachers of Singing, I have the ear of many influential persons in that and related areas; I will be happy to bring this bill to their attention, and urge them to support it. I hope our entire membership is being circularized about the bill. If there is anything I can do, please call upon me. It is time that our country should realize that the time has come for us to establish real cultural foundations. Sincerely yours,

Hon. CHARLES R. HOWELL,

HELEN STEEN HULS,

Second Vice President.

MID-WEST MUSIC FOUNDATION,
Chicago, Ill., January 12, 1954.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. HOWELL: I have read H. R. 5397 very carefully and certainly hope the fine arts in the United States will soon have substantial aid.

My suggestions on the bill are of minor consequence compared to the very great need in the country for a liberation and stimulation of our latent talents, which are being abandoned and dying.

For nationwide dissemination, it seems to me it would be better presentation to lay the first emphasis on the national need, with secondary accent on Washington's need for a theater. A national theater for the fine arts, including drama, ballet, and opera is vital and, properly presented, should meet with support throughout the country; but sectional groups are not too apt to see the national picture.

This, however, is only a detail as would my other suggestions be, and once aid is forthcoming, sectional groups can form their own pattern of what best suits their needs.

Please let me know if there is any way I can help as an individual.

Cordially yours,

MARY WICKERHAM, President.

THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF AMERICAN PEN WOMEN, INC.,
Washington, D. C., April 7, 1954.

Hon. CHARLES R. HOWELL,

House of Representatives,

Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. HOWELL: It has been brought to my attention that you are introducing a bill in the interest of education. It has been described as, "a bill to encourage the growth and development of all the fine arts throughout the United States, to increase the accessibility of the fine arts to the public including literature, painting and sculpture, music, drama, architecture, the cinema, the dance, etc., and to establish in the executive branch of the Government a Federal agency, to be known as the National War Memorial Arts Commission, to support fine arts activities and cooperate with public and private agencies and organ.zations operating in all the fields of fine arts on all matters relating to the general welfare and the cultural development of the Nation."

I believe that such a bill is one of vital interest to the members of our organization who number approximately 5,000 professional creative workers in art, letters, and music composition. This promotion of the fine arts is within the scope of our activities. We believe that promoting these phases of American culture is a service to the Nation and, indirectly, to the world.

This movement should be free of restrictions, which would limit the rights of all of our people to create and sell in open market. If your bill is worded along similar lines, I feel sure it will have the support of all Pen Women. Will you kindly see that a copy of the bill is sent to our office for our information? Cordially,

LILLA WOOD DANIELS,

National President.

Hon. CHARLES R. HOWELL,

Member of Congress, Washington, D. C.

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY,

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC, Princeton, N. J., July 9, 1953.

DEAR MR. HOWELL: Thank you for sending me a copy of H. R. 452.

I am, of course, delighted that an effort is being made to get Government aid for the arts.

You ask for suggestions, and therefore I may make the following observations: (1) I think the relative importance of opera is overstressed by allotting only one division to "opera and other forms of music." If there is to be only one division, it seems to me it should be called music, not opera.

But I would suggest substituting in section 7 (a), for your Divisions 1-3, the following:

(A) A Division of Theater Arts, including (a) a Department of Prama; (b) a Department of Opera; (c) a Department of Dance.

(B) A Division of Music.

Division (A) would make a natural managerial combination, it seems to me, as at the New York City Center of Music and Drama.

(2) What are the proposed functions of the Division of Fine Arts, Personnel, and Education? And why should there not be a similar division for music? (3) I think the provisions for aid to States and municipalities ought to be emphasized and spelled out in greater detail. It is in local efforts, such as have been made by municipalities like San Francisco, Louisville, and New York, that I believe the greatest hope for fruitful Government aid to music lies. I should like to see the Commission empowered to contribute up to 50 percent for the first 3 years of the cost of any new State or municipal venture, and I should like to see this aspect of the bill made much more prominent.

(4) I think a provision like section 19 is highly inadvisable. Such matters should be left to the administrative agencies set up. No doubt they would tend to favor productions in English, as the New York City center does; but such matters of policy detail should in my opinion not be written into law.

Faithfully yours,

ARTHUR MENDEL, Chairman.