Evening star., 1940-07-14
Music of Invaded Countries
To Be Played at Water Gate
Tonight's Program
Gesture of Faith,
Dr.. Kinder Says

Dr.. Kinder Says
Music OF the inpaded coun-
tries OF Europe Diu be presented
tonigh: By the National SYM
phony Orchestra in a concert be-
ginning at 8 o'clock at the Water
Gate. The program tollo,Us::
"Syu1phony In d Minor"
(Franck), tuo 18th Century
Dutch Songs, peer Gynt Suite"
(Grteg), "Baroarolle" (Mendels-
sohn), "Spinning Song" fMen-
delsso1n), "Polondise" (Chopin),
"Slaponic Dance No. 10" (Dporak),
"Finldndid" (Stbelius).
Hendrix Willena Dan loon, the
noted author and a cousin of DR..
Hans Kinder, the conductor, totH
appear as commentator.
DR.. Kinder has aDritten the
touoDing in explanation OF to-
nights program:
BY DIR. HANS KINDLER.
This concert Is a gesture-a small
and possibly q futile gesture-on the
part Of a musician and all American
born in the now temporarily en-
slaved country Of Holland. The
program of this concert Is the
natural outcome of sense OF sorrow
and indignation at the incredibly
foul tactics Of deceit and treachery,
OF broken promises and ruthless In
vasion, followed by mass bombing
and mechanical murder on q scale
of which America does not--know
the exact details, but which, We
Americans Of Dutch birth and de-
scent have privately learned since
the arrival Of Dutch refugees In
this country - details Of q kind
infinitely more bloody and extenstve
and murderous and narrowing then
those of the invasion of Poland even.
For over eight weeks the Germans
have tried to keep these nauseating
details from leaking through. They
have locked the doors Of cummuni-
cation. Letters were not permitted
to leave. Cablegrams were not
allowed to be sent. Inquiries re-
manned unanswered. The news
papers, therefore. have not been able
to get at the truth.
But we do know that SO hours
before the Germans sent their
bombers over Rotterdam and The
Hague the newspapers in Berlin
appeared with screaming headlines:
Lying British Accuse Germans of
Planned Attack on Lowlands!"
Every Berlin newspaper came out at
the same moment with these or
similar headlines.
Treacherous Onslaught.
The very next night the Dutch
citizens Of Rotterdam, lulled into
temporary tranquility and hope
that the horrors of war might yet
pass them by, relaxing their vigilance
after weeks and months of strain,
were reused and surprised, and then
attacked, annihilated and driven
mad by one of the most treacherous
and murderous onslaughts OF care
fully prepared savagery the world
has ever known.
At 3 In the morning 200 bomb
ing planes swarmed over the from
tier. Less than half an hour later
they had covered the short distance
to Rotterdam. The citizens OF this
open city of 100000 inhabitants
stumbled out of their beds, and In
their surprise and terror ran onto
the streets.
Whereupon, the ''brave" Nails
carefully circled three times over
the city, each time dropping their
loads of hundreds Of bombs. The
subsequent attacks, the attempts to
capture the Queen and her daugh-
ter and grandchildren, as well as
the cabinet, the $1,000 parachutists
descending on The Hague, the use
Of Dutch uniforms, of children held
in front of the "cenquering" troops,
Of all kinds Of treachery, would be
unbelievable were they not carefully
substantiated by the Dutch, known
as sober and reasonable and truth
loving nation.
Music Already "Verboten."
There may be even now certain
crynics who will try to defend these
tactics. But if the human race is
to continue in this direction Of de-
generate amorality, life for those
who believe in eventual evolution is
not worth the living. Certainly we
here in America, who have faith in
the future of free mankind, cam
not possibly condone this particular
kind Of callous, unprincipled, and
treacherous brutality. Our every
feeling of the simplest and most
elemental decency is outraged. And
1t is this sense Of outraged decency
which makes us grope for every
weapon and for every expression
Of indignation.
As I have said, the program Of
this concert In . small way Is one
such expression. It consists Of
music, Of typical muhc by compos-
ers, by creative artists, Of the in
vaded countries, as well as by some
whose music already has been "ver-
boten." The Dutch songs Of the
10th century, for instance, as well
as the tone poem "Finlandia," and
of course the music of MendelssohIl
have been and will no doubt agaia
be "verboten." 4
The flaming message of refus4
to submit to oppression, for instancf,
is expressed In the song "See tie
Cursed Qnnressor." written in 1900