AMBASADA R. P.
W WASZYNGTONIE

POLISH EMBASSY
WASHINGTON 9, D. C.
2640 16TH STREET, N. W.

332/SZ-143

May 23, 1947

Mr. Thornton Wilder
50 Deepwood Drive
New Haven, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Wilder:

I keep in my memory our meeting about a
year ago, when you were so kind as to invite me and
my wife to a dinner in a French restaurant in New York.
Because I have full confidence in your very sincere
interest in problems of cultural exchange between
different countries, I look for your advice in one of our
important, as I think, matters.

You know about the "intellectual starvation"
of Europe. I am enclosing a copy of an article on
cultural life in Poland, written by an American
journalist and reprinted from the "Saturday Review
of Literature" by the Polish Embassy. I think that
the image presented is truthful.

I confess that I do not know any American
writers who are sincerely interested in promoting
intellectual cooperation. You are the only man who
can help the Europeans in their efforts. Therefore,
I boldly put forth the following questions:

1. Are you of the opinion that there is in this country an organization or a group of writers which would be willing to organize a trip for Polish writers to the United States and a trip for American writers to Poland? As far as I know, the Association of Writers in Poland would be able to invite a few American writers to Poland and would be able to pay their expenses during their stay there. I know from my discussions with representatives of UNESCO that some funds could be appropriated to cover the transportation of the writers. The difficulty lies in finding an organization, a university, or the like, in America which would invite Polish writers. Such an exchange would be very useful, because many details of intellectual cooperation could then be cleared up by the writers themselves.

Mr. T. Wilder

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5/23/47

2. Do you see any possibility of providing Polish writers with American periodicals and books? Do you not think that 100 persons in this country, giving $6 a year each, would be able to subscribe to more than 100 American periodicals or would be able to buy about 200 good books which could be sent to my country? Does such a group exist? There are millions of people in America who give money to numerous relief organizations, but relief organizations, as I noticed, are mostly anti-intellectual and care little about books. Some supplies of books go through the American Book Center in Washington, but these books are predominantly scientific and destined for universities.

3. Are you thinking about your trip to Europe? I am sure you would be welcome in Poland, where your name is well known. I am enclosing a copy of my article on American authors whose works are read in Poland. The transportation to Poland is easy at the present time; our big liner "The Batory" leaves New York for Gdynia every month.

I will be very grateful for your sincere remarks and advice. I receive many requests from Polish writers and painters who are eager to travel abroad as well as to see foreign writers and painters in Poland. From the officials of UNESCO I learned that UNESCO is ready to give its blessing to such an exchange.

Hoping to hear from you and sending you my best greetings,

Enclosures