SPREADING CULTURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18901, 31 December 1935, Page 14

SPREADING CULTURE

FOREIGN OFFICE HELP GUEST CRITICS IN LONDON LONDON, Nov. 10. A quiet development is ta'king place in the official British attitude towards art. For the first time," several great Government departments, aided and co-ordinated by Hie British Foreign Office, are making the attempt to "•sell" British culture abroad. This week a group of foreign musical critics are visiting London and enjoying a week's hospitality. Their programme includes attendance at three or four symphony concerts, when the programme will include Elgar's Second Symphony, Vaughan Williams' Fourth Symphony, and Arnold Bax's Sixth Symphony. Other items in the programme are a visit to Oxford, where they will hear the choral singing in New College. Chapel, several ceremonial meals, and a luncheon by the London Critic's' Circle, which will be attended by Mr Bernard Shaw and Mr Max Beerbohm.

This movement to "sell" British ,-ulture is so far being done on only i< small scale. The French Government reputedly spends £1,000,000 a year on what it calls national cultural propaganda. The British Treasury grant of £6OOO is insignificant compared with ihis, but it is important as marking a change in the official attitude. A British Council for Relations with Other Countries was formed recently, the Prince of Wales giving a reception at St. James' Palace to mark the inauguration. The visit to Britain this week of musical critics from 20 European countries, who are now hearing British music, eating British food, and meeting British colleagues, is one of the first activities of the new council. WHAT BRITAIN STANDS FOR Colonel Charles Bridge, the clerk of the new council, told an Observer correspondent this week that the council is not necessarily copying the French plan, because half a dozen other great nations have already had the idea for themselves, among them the Japanese, the Germans, and the Italians. But England has lagged behind. The new council is working under the aegis of the British Foreign Office, and the idea is to use any means that may explain to foreigners in general what Britain stands for, apart from political and commercial considerations. In short, tho world is to be told of Britain's contribution to civilisation —British life and language, art, drama, music, theories, and practice. A well-known American journalist recently remarked that, in relation to Egypt, the "French pen has conquered the British sword." In other words, though Britain has had .a special position in Egypt for the last 60 years, French is still the recognised cultural language of the place.. Dutch merchants declare that trade between Britain and Holland improved after the wonderful exhibition of Dutch painting that was held in London. The London Critics' Circle ;re a little exercised as to what to give their foreign guests for a British luncheon. MiEdwin Evans, equally well known as an authority on food as on music, says that good British food is grilled sole or whitebait; saddle of mutton or roast beef, or silver-side of beef and dumplings or steak and kidney pudding; apple tart and Cornish cream; and Stilton cheese or green Cheshire cheese.