The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-06-08

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her look about sixteen.
! Mrs. Lawrence Townsend,
very chic in black, was close by,
for these are "her" artists: for,
being a very great artist herself
along several lines, one OF
them being her talent for max
ing fast friends, and another,
musical, she numbers among
her intimates some Of the great
est stars in the musical fir1na-
ment.
It was she who founded the
ultra-fashionable w e DIN e sday
morning musicales, which are
held each winter at the May
flower, and, incidentally, Law
renee Tibbett made his first
appearance in w a hington,
when he opened that series.
In 1885 Mr.. and Mrs. Town
send will celebrate their golden
wedding anniversary, and the
tenth consecutive year Of the
latter's musical mornings also,
the tenth anniversary of the
first concert given here by
Rosa Ponselle.
These two opera singers and
q galaxy Of other artists OF the
first rank, among then KirSlen
Fragstad, Lottie Lehman, Helen
Jepson, Frank LaFarge, and
Richard Crooks, will be heard
here during Mrs. Townsend's
golden jubilee series next sea-
son.
An Unselfish Act
To get back to Rosa Ponselle
and Lawrence Tibbett, they,
together with Richard Crooks,
Ernest Schelling, Frank La
Fargo and Deems Taylor, can
celled their engagements (and
they were major oneS) to come
down from New York Thursday
to appear before subcommit-
tee of the House to urge the
enactment of the bill intro
duced by Representative Will
liam I. Sirovich to create a
Federal department Of science,
literature and art, at this Ses-
sion of Congress.
It was an act of unselfiShness
on their parts, that commands
the respect Of every citizen of
these United States. They did
not come to plead for them
selves, but, as Rosa PonSelle, in
her speech before the commit
tee said, in part:
II join those who are present
here, and the thousands who
are with us in spirit in this
movement, in pleading with you
most earnestly that you use
your power and your influence
to help establish a Government
department. of fine arts, and a
Government subsidy for the
further development of these
arts. Both are vitality important
needs. What we have accom-
pliShed in industry. in finance,
in politics, and similar fields is
truly remarkable, and we can
be justly proud, but we all know
that q nation cannot survive on
bricks, machines and dollars.
The cultural life of a country
Is, after all, it's biggest force.
That, history has taught us"
In conclusion she said: 1.-THE
fate Of Americas future cultural
life lies in your hands"
Lawrence Tibbett is heart and
soul with this movement, to es-
tablish in the Capital a cultural
center, and make the Govern
ment get behind a national
movement to support the fine
arts, music especially. thereby
doing what every other nation
in the world does, except China
and Turkey.
For National Opera
He and his fellow artists
strongly urged Congress to
listen to their appeal, which is
not only for musicians but for
actors (stage and motion pic
ture), painters, architects, writ
ers, all those whose professions
have to do with what as Mr..
Tibbett so aptly puts it, is the
spiritual and cultural side Of
this great nation, where talent
tuour1sheS and where, at the
moment, opportunities to de-
velop and foster genius are so
pitfully few.
He maintains we should have
q national opera house here in