Evening star., 1940-01-21

plight was given consideration. One
problem, except that 1t is compli-
Gated by the need to preserve our
own while exercising the virtue of
good neighborliness.
Artist refugees are arriving in this
country at every opportunity. They
are destitute and pitiful and help
cannot be denied them. Some OF
them have great deal to contribute
to our musical life and some of
them have very little, yet it has
never been the policy of this coun-
try to hold back its generosity for
any such considerations. Life must
be preserved for them and a chance
at the liberty and happiness which
make the gospel on which this coun-
try is founded.
Yet their presence is real prob
lem, not just one of bread and
butter, but one involving the de-
Election of opportunities and the
curtailing of the progress of our
native-born talent. These new
comers have a way of appealing to
their countrymen already estab-
lished here. many of them in prom
inent positions. National ties are
strong, even when diluted with a
newly acquired citizenship and cam
not be gainsaid when there is suf-
fering.
Facts Not Grasped.
The eyes of Americans have been
opened, since the World War, to the
fact that there is no real love for
us or even admiration among other
nations. We are for them and prob
ably always will remain, a nation
where every individual is rich and
filled with naive generosity and en-
thusiasm. That the generosity and
enthusiasm are not the result OF a
child-like mentality, but a spiritual
force of a great and united people,
can never be grasped by those whose
age-long history is dark with op-
preston and duplicity.
1t will take generations before
this fundamental difference can be
done away with. In the meantime,
the new element that is coming into
our midst will retain for some time
its attitude of condescension, even
while being grateful for a chance
to live. It is not to be expected
that it will rise up and acclaim the
musical potentialities of this coun-
try and bend its talents to further
ing it. 1t will continue to try to
exert its own philosophy of music
on the public of this country by
pushing forward its own artists and
composers irrespective of their
worth. And one cannot blame them.
Find National Note.
We are blessed with a freshness
Of outlook that, having absorbed
what Europe had to give, is now
ready to be tuned to national note.
There are young gifted artists who
have gladly modelled themselves on
the best the foreign market had to
of1er and are now eager to prove
themselves before the public. We
have public that, just within re-
cent years, has awakened to the fact
that not everything with a foreign
label is perfect and that American
products are very often astonishing
ly better.
There are only certain avenues
open for a musician to earn living.
There are many of our native and
naturalized musicians of splendid
education needing to use music as
a livelihood. We have no right to
defect these opportunities to the
newcomers when our own are beg
ging for chance to exist by music
Nearly every day some musician
from another country, only a resi-
dent here of few weeks, is heard.
or his work is played, over the air
or IN concerts becoming known as
candidate for paying concert en-
gagements or for teaching oppor-
tunlties. Every help is being given
these musicians by their erstwhile
countrymen now American citizens.
Two thoughts most oppose each
other In the mind of every one
who considers this problem-the de-
sire to share our plenty with the
less fortunate and the wish to pro-
tect our own Whether a solution
can be found other than by Gov
ernment Intervention is question.
able; there is no way in which to
control the natural sympathy of a
prosperous, naturalized leader with
his refugee compatriot.
Seek Musical Idiom.
The important point to remember
Is that we are trying to establish
a musical idiom to mirror the feel
ings, thoughts and customs of this
country in music, as the great
works of foreign composers have
immortalized that of their home
land. We are trying to encourage
our talent to perfect itself, and
some provision has been made ter
the budding artist to attain rec
ognition. A long road has been
travelled in the last 20 years to
the present day, when American
names balance in number the for
eigners at the great American opera
house, and American concert ar
fists and American composers are
known in every household. This
progress cannot be interrupted.
However, we need not feel
squeamish at taking definite stand
in this matter. Every European
country has shown us the way
when they closed all doors to
American artists for the frankly
stated purpose of protecting their
own. All we need to do is firmly
to decide our course and to stick
to 1t, or else In a few years we
will have foreign art flourisning
here and that of the American va
riety choked In the abundance.
Europe has never helped the Amer