Preservation of Collections During War.The Commission recommends that funds should be provided by the Congress for the preservation of the Government's irreplaceable art, scientific, and historical collections during hostilities, in a manner similar to that provided in Public Law 528, 77th Congress, during World War II.

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The Commission recommends that the Music Division of the Library of Congress, which offers facilities for giving competent advice to the Government in the field of music, should be utilized by the Department of State in connection with sending abroad symphony orchestras, ballet, and other organizations for which Government funds might be available.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

The Commission recommends that greater use should be made of sculpture, mural painting, mosaics, ceramics, and stained glass in the decoration of public buildings. The Commission is in agreement with the present policy of the Public Buildings Service, Office of General Services Administration, to make use of decoration to such extent as might be justified in each particular instance, taking into consideration the funds available. The Commission hopes that an adequate amount, in relation to the cost of each building, may be set aside for this purpose. The Commission also hopes that an occasional opportunity may be given to select the architect, painter, and sculptor by means of competition and in this way to discover new and promising talent for the execution of such projects.

Restoration of Works of Art.-The Commission recommends that funds should be made available for the services of competent restorers for the maintenance and restoration of works of art owned by the various departments and agencies of the Government.

Removal of Temporary Buildings.—The Commission recommends that, when conditions permit, the Public Buildings Service, General Services Administration, should arrange to remove the temporary buildings which were erected in Washington by the Government in World Wars I and II.

Establishment of a Community Music Center in Washington.-The Commission recommends the establishment of a music center in Washington under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government. The Commission feels that the Government would be justified in erecting a building in which opera, symphony concerts, and ballet can be performed. Such a building could be erected and maintained by the Office of General Services and arrangements could be made to lease the facilities to professional organizations which might make use of the building.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of Educational Exchange.—The Commission recommends that the Department of State should arrange for the allocation of funds. under the Smith-Mundt Act to qualified Government agencies for the purpose of financing exhibitions of art which are sent from this to other countries and also to help in defraying the expense of bringing to this country official art exhibitions from other countries.

The Department of State has asked that a mechanism or organization be devised which would facilitate the sending of exhibits of cultural material abroad without burdening the Department with the responsibility of selection, since it claims no expert knowledge in the field of art. The Department has also requested that a method be devised for bringing to this country official exhibitions which are offered by other countries.

Such a mechanism existed at the end of World War II in the Inter-American Office in the National Gallery of Art. The office was discontinued after 3 years, when funds were no longer available, notwithstanding the fact that the services performed by the office were considered useful by the Department and the Gallery.

The Commission of Fine Arts feels that a mechanism of this kind should be revived and that the National Gallery of Art should be requested to reestablish an office for the exchange of exhibitions between this and other countries. Funds for the operation of the office should be allocated by the Department of State to the National Gallery, as was done in the case of the Inter-American Office. The National Gallery, in turn, should organize, or contract with competent museums and organizations, as

the American Federation of Arts, to organize exhibitions to be sent abroad. The office should also be provided with funds to bring to the United States official exhibitions from other countries when funds are not available from private sources. Such procedure would be in line with that followed by other countries such as England, France, etc., and would result in extending a knowledge of American culture in other parts of the world.

The Commission recommends that a similar office should be established in an appropriate agency, such as the Music Division of the Library of Congress, for organizing undertakings in the field of music and ballet and arranging to send artists in these fields to foreign countries. Funds for operating such an office should be allocated by the Department of State to the Library of Congress or other agency chosen for this purpose.

Division of Foreign Buildings Operations.— The Commission recommends that a policy should be established whereby a certain percentage of the cost of erecting or acquiring a building for an embassy or legation abroad could be used for the decoration of the building by American artists, and also for the purchase of works of art for use in such building and in its garden. The Commission feels that it is of the utmost importance that our embassies and legations abroad should be provided with fine examples of painting and sculpture by American artists, and also of furniture and other decorative arts that have been produced in this country.

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

The Commission recommends that the Bureau of the Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing emphasize the great importance of high artistic quality in their many products, such as coins, medals, and stamps. In the case of postage stamps, this could be done in several ways, such as by creating a position in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing resembling that of the Mint's chief sculptor and engraver, or by employing artists as consultants to participate in the design of new stamps.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army.-The Commission recommends that the present method of recording military operations, under the direction of

the Department of the Army, by means of civilian artists engaged under contract, should be made a permanent policy of the Department of Defense.

Heraldic Branch, Office of the Quartermaster General. The Commission recommends that this office should be provided with adequate space in which to house the valuable medals, badges, and other insignia now displayed inadequately in a building that is not fireproof.

Department of the Navy.-The Commission recommends that plans now being developed by the Navy to engage civilian artists for the purpose of obtaining a record of any future war should be carried out.

Department of the Air Force.-The Commission recommends that the program should be carried out, as now envisioned by the Air Force, for the utilization of artists' skills to be found within the service and also for the employment of civilian artists, under contract, to make a record of wartime operations in which the Air Force may be engaged.

The United States Marine Corps.-The Commission recommends that the present method employed by the Marine Corps for recording military operations should be continued: That is by recruiting combat art teams, consisting of three artists and one photographer, from among the most promising young artists in the Reserves with combat experience in World War II.

Museum of the Armed Services.-The Commission recommends that some disposition should be made of the paintings obtained by the armed services during World War II. The Commission hopes that the recommendation of the Commission, appointed by the President in 1946, that there be established a joint museum of the armed services, will be ultimately carried out and a place provided for paintings, as well as instruments of war and other records of wars in which this country has been engaged.

THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT

The Commission recommends that the subject matter of postage stamps should include, not only representations of persons and events of historical importance, but also architectural monuments and other evidences of American culture, which can in this way be made known to people throughout the world.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The Commission recommends that the Motion Picture Service, Office of Information, Department of Agriculture, be given funds with which to produce informational films of high quality for distribution through film libraries and television stations.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

The Commission recommends that encouragement should be given to the work carried on by the Bureau of Indian Arts and Crafts under the Office of Indian Affairs.

The Commission also recommends that support should be given to the national policy, declared in the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666), to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States.

The Historic American Buildings Survey, which was carried on jointly by the National Park Service, the Library of Congress, and the American Institute of Architects from 1934 to 1941, should be revived on a broader scale and should include measured architectural drawings

of all the great monuments of American architecture and history.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND

WELFARE

The Commission recommends that the Office of Education should receive larger funds with which to bring to the public schools of the country lectures, slides, motion pictures, and color and black and white reproductions of works of art to be used in the teaching of art and art history.

VETERANS' ADMINISTRATION

The Commission recommends that the use of paintings and sculpture in the decoration of veterans' hospitals and other buildings devoted to veterans' use should be encouraged; also the use of the arts of paintings and sculpture in medical rehabilitation courses for veterans.

THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

The Commission recommends that the facilities of television should be made available to the Government's museums and libraries for the preparation, recording, and presentation of cultural television programs.

T

HE Act of Congress, approved May 17,

1910, establishing the Commission of Fine Arts, authorized an appropriation of $10,000 for the annual expenses of the Commission. In recent years that sum has been increased to a maximum of $21,200 due to the increase in the work of the Commission, and to increased costs.

The Commission has its offices in the Department of the Interior.

The Commission holds a meeting each month in Washington and occasionally meets in other cities, when an inspection of models so requires. Subcommittees are continually at work during the interim between the scheduled official meetings to investigate and report upon particular aspects of the submissions.

The personnel of the Commission consists of a Secretary, a stenographer-typist who serves also as assistant to the Secretary, and a messenger. It is a small organization considering the volume of work done annually. There is great need for a research assistant.

The Commission receives its funds for expenses through the Department of the Interior Appropriation bill, by authority of Executive Order 6166 dated 10 June 1933. Accordingly, budget matters are processed through that De

partment. In 1953, Senator Cordon, chairman. of the Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Interior Department Appropriations, requested that legislation be drafted to raise the limitation of $10,000, as above mentioned. The Department of the Interior has agreed to request that the amount be increased to $35,000.

Maintenance. The Appropriation Act for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1949, made an appropriation of $12,000 for the Commission of Fine Arts; plus $645 under Public Law 429 for pay increases.

The Appropriation Act for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1950, made an appropriation of $12,210 for the Commission.

The Appropriation Act for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1951, made an appropriation of $14,530 for the Commission.

The Appropriation Act for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1952, made an appropriation of $20,000; plus $1,200 under Public Law 375, 82d Congress.

The Appropriation Act for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1953, made an appropriation of $21,200 for the Commission.

The Appropriation Act for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1954, made an appropriation of $21,200 for the Commission.