Evening star., 1949-08-20
Library Of Congress
|Abandons lis Prizes
After Pound Dispute

AHeI P0unQ DlSpu1e
At the urging of a committee of
Congress. the Library of Congress
has decided to abandon all it's
annual awards, including the
81 900 prize that caused a storm
of controversy this year when it
was awarded to Poet Ezra Pound.
Librarian Luther H. Evans an
nounced the move a few hours
after unsuccessfully opposing it
yesterday at a meeting Of the
Joint Senate-House Committee on
the Library. which has supervision
over library policies. The COM
mittee, headed by Senator Green,
Democrat. of Rhode Island unani-
mously recommended ending the
awards.
Senator Green said the action
was inspired by the Pound con-
troversy, which several times
reached the floor of Congress it
self. But he added that the COM
mittee was not concerned with
whether that award was right or
wrong.
u. S. Awards Dangerous"
1--WE thought it was a bad prin-
ciple for the United States Gov
ernment to be giving awards OF
this kind on competitive basis"
the Rhode Island Senator de-
clared. Decisions by the Gov
ernment in matters of taste are
dangerous procedure. Such awards
are unwise.'
Abandoned in addition to the
Bollingen Poetry Prize, of which
Pound was the first recipient, are
the long established Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge Medal for emf
nent services to chamber music
and three annual awards for
prints and etchings. The Cool
idge medals have been presented
since 1882 and the print prizes
since 1943.
Senator Green said his commit
tee gave no consideration to a
proposal of Representatives Javits
of New York and Patterson of
Connecticut. both Republicans,
for a reorganization of the Board
of Fellows of che library which
made the Pound selection in Feb
ruary. Among the IA in the gyoup
were Poets T. s. Eliot. w. H.
Auden and Robert Lowell.
Pound Under Indictment.
Pound was given the prize for
THE Pisan Cantos," work pub
lished last year and completed
while he was in Jail in Pisa. Italy.
awaiting transportation to the
United States. Under indictment
on charges of making reasonable
broadcasts in Italy during the
war. the poet has been patient
at St. Elizabeths Hospital here
for more than three years.
e'- The award Jury. in making It's
recommendation, explicitly dis
counted objections to the poets
status. and later vigorously de-
Tended it's choice against attacks
in leading literary magazines.
Pound was given the prize for
"the best poetry Of 1943." |
DR.. Evans said he had been in
consultation with members of
Senator Green's committee for
some weeks on the question. He
said he opposed the committees
decision at yesterdays session.
but he added:
II think they would have made
the same decision If it had been
called attention to in favorable
light. 1t was a principle we were
talking about. The committee
felt it was a bad principle for
the Library to select things for
special notice where artistic taste
was involved. I considered that
The committee spoke for Congress.
and after consulting with the
Library's policy advisers. We
agreed that there was nothing
else to do"
Music Medals Undecided.
DR.. Evans was unable to say
whether Mrs. Coolidge, who spon-
sors concerts as well as the an
nual music medal through foun-
dation at the library. would make
any independent arrangement for
continuing this award. Among Is
past recipients are former Ma
tional Symphony Conductor Hans
Kinder, Composers Darius Mil
haud. Roy Harris, Benjamin Brit
ten and. Randall Thompson, Carl
Engel, former music chief at the
Library. and Joseph Roismann.
violinist of the Budapest Quartet.
This years Coolidge Medal would
have been presented October 80.
Members of the joint Library
committee present at yesterdays
meeting, besides Chairman Green,
were Senators Hayden of Arizona
and Stennis of Mississippi. Demo-
Gratis, and Ives Of New York and
Lodge of Massachusetts,, Republi-
cans, and Representatives Albert,
Democrat, Of Oklahoma, and lie