FOREIGN TALENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20669, 6 March 1937, Page 14 (Supplement)

FOREIGN TALENT

BAN IN UNITED STATES ATTACKED BY CONCERT MANAGERS “You can’t deprive American audiences of men like Fritz Kreisler and Arturo Toscanini." Three weeks ago (says “The Literary Digest” of February 6), concert managers from all over the country met in New York City, and with this as their battle-cry threw themselves into a fight to stop favourable Congressional action on the Dickstein Bill. As most vitally conceded parties, they organised the Concerts Association of America. Simultaneously, they pledged themselves to oppose this measure, "calculated to impair the present standards of musical life by restricting the entrance of foreign artists to this country.” As the House Immigration Committee organized, however, the Dickstein Bill's originator, Chairman Samuel Dickstein (Dem., N.Y.) appeared certain to push his pet measure through the House of Representatives as easily as he did once before. At the end of the last session of Congress it died in the Senate.

Russian-born Samuel Dickstein defends his bill hotly. “Uncle Sam is now the fall guy for all the foreign actors, artists anu musicians who come over here and earn a pocketful of money and then go back to their own countries,” he says. “Ninety-five per cent, of them are no good anyway.” American artists, seemingly, are in favour of the bill.

Last June, when it was first proposed. Lawrence Tibbett, Efrem Zimbalist and Charles Hackett went to Washington to advise on the drafting of it. Hackett, a leading tenor with the Metropolitan Opera Company, thinks the managers have the wrong idea about the bill. “We are not attempting to keep out reputable foreign artists," he said. “On the contrary, what we are trying to do is restrict the number of mediocre foreign artists who come over here and absorb work for which we have Americans just as competent.

“This bill shuts no doors to foreign artists who have something unique to offer. It does direct the Secretary of Labour to seek the co-operation of artists’ organisations in determining who these people are.” Hackett and Tibbett have placed behind the bill their organization, the American Guild of Concert Artists. Among the directors are such diverse artists as Fred Waring, Jascha Heifetz, James Melton, Gladys Swarthout and Earnest Schelling. As members of one of the organizations sure to be consulted if the bill passes, they do not see an America devoid of foreign stars. “We could not possibly make up the complement of an opera company, for instance, without Europeans who have had the diversified experience necessary to play a variety of roles,” Hackett said. Opposition to Ban Fred Schang, of Columbia Concerts Corporation, is a member of the Committee directing the fight against the bill. “Such Irreplaceable artists as Lily Pons and Kirsten Flagstad (both Metropolitan sopranos) came to this country with no reputations and little ballyhoo,” he points out. “We can’t run the risk of missing potential stars. The loss would be to American audiences.

“Besides, America is a relatively young country artistically, and ve can afford to absorb foreign talent. The foreigners being booked here only amount to a handful, anyway. “More than 80 per cent, of the people now performing on the American concert stage are Americans.” Schang suspects the artists of chauvinistic motives. “Many foreign countries, particularly the Fascist ones, have laws restricting the number of foreign artists who may perform there. Americans suggest that the Dickstein Bill will give them something with which to dicker with those, countries to gain admission.” Schang also contends the Dickstein Bill would leave the way open for racketeering. “They can’t have any way of discovering if an artist is good enough to be admitted if the person is over in Europe,” he said. Other Barriers The American musicians protest innocence of any such ideas, Representative Dicksteii zonfesses that his bill was designed w.th an eye to reciprocity. “England, Germany, France, Italy,