Milford chronicle., 1960-06-10

Congressman Mcdowell and DR..
Trusler are seeking to arrange an
overseas tour of the University
Concert Choir as part of the Gov
ernment's cultural exchange pro-
gram
Like other nations, the Federal
Government is sending American
artists abroad to demonstrate cur
rent advances in American culture
and to counteract the Soviet drive
to picture the United States as
materialistic and the USSR as the
seat of culture
The program has been largely
confined to commercial groups
such as the New York Philhar-
monic Symphony which was a
smash hit in the Soviet Union last
year with Leonard Bernstein con-
Quoting.
The Broadway play "My Fair
Lady," scheduled for the Whining
ton Playhouse this past April, be-
fore the State Department chose
it for an overseas assignment, is
an outstanding success in the Us
SR at this very moment.
The program soon became COM
pletely dominated by New York
City's commercial theater and
music organizations with the re-
suit that only five college and un-
iversity talent groups were sent
abroad in five years.
Congressman Mcdowell wrote
officials of the State Department
and the Defense Department urg-
ing that student talent groups be-
ing sent overseas to entertain
American troops be scheduled to
entertain young people of other
nations. A drama group from the
University of Delaware, headed by
DR.. Kase, toured Korea year ago
to entertain US. troops.
The proposal was eagerly well
coined by the Department of De-
fense, which saw in it an opport-
unity to win new friends for
American troops overseas at a
time when they are very much
needed.
The State Department agreed
with Congressman Mcdowell that
their program, which is quite mig
gardly when compared with the
program of the Soviet Union,
could be greatly expanded through
cooperative use with the Defense
Department of US. college and
university talent.
Major General RV. Lee, The Ad-
jutant General, US. Army, wrote
Congressman Mcdowell that =. -.
For your information, it is pre-
sently planned to schedule some
ten university college drama or
musical groups for tours of mill
tary overseas areas on a world
wide basis during the period Sept
ember 1S60-August 1861 A copy of
this. schedule has been furnished
the appropriate Department of
State officials responsible for the
Presidents Program so that they
may advise their overseas posts
of the forthcoming tours by these
groups"
As result of Congressman Nc
Dowell's campaign, arrangements
have been made by officials of the
Department of State this summer
for music group from the Univer-
sity of Kansas TO present "Briga-
doom" before student groups in
Tokyo and Manila. A group from
the Catholic University of America
will present six or seven programs
in Amerika Houses in Germany
Assistant Secretary of State
William B. Macomber, Jr., wrote
Congressman Mcdowell that his
useful suggestion" was really
an extension of cooperative action
already existing between the mill
tary and the Department of State:
I'm great many instances the
military have provided transport
for Presidents Program attract
ions in return for special troop
appearances.
On the other hand the Presidents
Program has picked up troop en-
tertainment groups for civilian per-
formances. While the cooperative
effort between the two agencies
has been excellent in the past, we
are continually seeking practical
ways to extend joint action. The
Department will proceed, however,
to develop this suggestion to the
maximum extent feasible
Among the outstanding national
groups supporting Congressman
Mcdowell in his drive to use
college and university talent
groups in the country's cold-war
efforts against the Soviet Union
are the American Educational
Theater Association, the Music
Educators National Conference
(the music department of the Nat
ional Education Association), the