4 Review * Whose the blame? y would appear that the folks in charge of last week’s concert in the Queen Elizabeth, featuring an outstanding People’s Artist of the USSR, Dmitro Hnatiuk, mis- calculated on a number of import- ant factors. This was painfully évident in a truly great singer and his equally talented accompanist and teacher performing to a two- thirds empty theatre. There’s a coldwar on. The moneyed “patrons of the arts” who usually fill high-priced seats to display their “substance” at such events, obviously staged a tight boycott, while coldwar “na- tionalist” In response to U.S. de that all NATO “allies” prolt their shipping from the Sov) Cuba trade, only two have pub ly complied, Turkey and auer’s West Germany. Many British shipowner told the U.S. “no dice”. s ha Tom | y McEwenk” gy feature selection, prohibitive door prices, the arbitrary control of Big Business which measures “culture” by its $-intake, plus the soggy blanket of a coldwar men- tality, and presto; the answer as to why the Vancouver International Festival and other cultural endea- vours invariably end up in “the red”. This year so much so that the pundits responsible are now Cy poor judgement in 1963? It is not the purpose of this column at this time to go into the whys and wherefores of the ob- vious bankruptcy of VIF manage- ment. Socred provincial secretary the opening of the 1962 VIF when to tourist dollars? Perhaps a more recent incident in whicn the coldwar ideology of the U.S. State Department, specif- ically designed to fool the public, will suffice to indicate what is amiss. When coldwar becomes part of the arsenal of our “cultural” promoters, the living culture of the people (in any field), takes a bad beating. Quite recently Famous Artists talking about cancelling VIF for Wesley Black underscored that at he tied our “cultural attainments” their cultural attractions for Van- couver during the 1962-63 season. Among these are the Foo Hsing Theatre advertised as being “from the Republic of China’”’. Recalling the magnificent success of the Peking Opera Company presentation in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre during the 1961 VIF, we “smelled a rat” in this Famous Artists’ attractions and wrote them as follows: =1n 1 your leaflet outlining artistic attractions in Vancouver for the 1962-63 season you specify the “Foo Hsing Theatre from the Re- public of China,’’ scheduled for _ October 17-18. “YT would deem it a favor if you would inform me whether this theatre aroup are from the Peoples Republic of China or from the Chinese island -of Formosa (Tai- wan), presently held by the Chaing Kai-shek nationalist junta. If the latter, I would suggest that your advertising be corrected so as not to mislead the public” Famous Artists didn’t deign to reply, but they did a few weeks later in another leaflet in which a Mr..S. Hurok “presents the Foo Hsing Theatre ... in order that the ancient dramatic arts of China might be passed on to the youth of a Free China... (and) the con- tinuity of ar art that has meant so much to their ancestors for 20 centuries”. In brief, Famous Artists are now busy promoting the U.S. State De- partment’s creation of “Two Chinas”; one apparently not “free” but whose outstanding cultural performances in all ~Canadian the other a “Free China” as © dom” is interpreted by the nucle? war maniacs of the Pentago® ea their Chiang Kai-shek hirelin8* ‘ We have no doubt the «Chil ren’s Theatre of Free China” © sists of a talented bunch of youll sters, worthy of the support of a Canadian audience, providing * audience knows that they are the U.S.—Chiang Kai-shek * China” and not from the PeoP RepuPlic of China. There’s 2 W - of difference in the culture in the social objectives of Washi ton’s ‘‘Two Chinas’’? Je’ *. * * A Chicago ‘Socational tral corporation” in collaboration 2 Dief’s “11 Steps to Survival’ ™, us in a circular letter we hav® yst very bright future” if we'll iy enroll in one of their ‘special _elasses. And in the same m-:‘! é age Dief’s “CD” assures us th no need to get panicky since iation is not “contagious” “seven hours” after the big “90-percent of its strength is 8° That being so we can continue ure “training for a bright with Chicago undisturbed? In another mp: packagve W® ig an ironclad guarantee of a “PF ei future”. Seems like an entetF . ing group of U.S. tycoons “) worked out a cash deal with | ji to head-up their “Third Mil Soul Crusade”. At retail pricy works out at $2.00 per sou month, $5.00 for ten per 7 ed and so on up. All this USP our “prayer” monopoly wants 1§ wv money”, and they’ll do the a tiating with God. All of makes our “future” look ne Ltd. issued a mimeographed list of ‘centers can still be ‘‘cashed in” on; “bright” than ever?