Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

AUTOGRAPHED SHEET FROM ARTLKd TllSCANINl'S ARRANGE- MENT OF THE "STAR SPANGLED BANNER," WHICH BROUGHT $1,000,000 IN WAR BONDS. PRAISE FROM M0R6ENTHAU Secretary of Treasury Thanks Toscanini and NBC Symphony Orchestra for Easter Concert that Raised $/l.l90.045 in War Bond Purchases Dear Mr. Toscanini: You have my warmest thanks for Sunday's concert. You expressed in music the might and power and fierce re- solve deep down within all of us to battle to victory-—a re- solve that is sometimes hard to express in words. Please tell the NBC Sym- phony Orchestra for me that I wish I were able to thank each of them personally for the per- formance. It is pratifying to know that admissions to the concert re- sulted in sales of Second War Loan Bonds totalling more than ten million dollars •— money that will fight for the right of man to utter his be- liefs and feelings openly and sincerely, whether in music or words. Sincerely, (Signed) He.nry Morgenthau, Jr. Thus did Secretary of the Treas- ury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., thank Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra for the Easter Sunday War Bond concert, which netted Uncle Sam's fighting war chest $11,190,045 in bond pur- chases. The concert took place in Car- negie Hall in New York and fea- tured Vladimir Horowitz, noted concert pianist and son-in-law of Maestro Toscanini in an all-Tschai- kovsky program. So great was the interest in the concert that $10,- 1!)().()-15 in bonds was purchased by ticket holders as admission to the hall. The audience literally "hung from the rafters". Many members of the press gave up their preroga- tive of press passes so that more seats in New York's largest concert hall would be available for the bond sale. An additional sum of $1,000,000 was raised by auctioning the orig- inal manuscript of Toscanini's own arrangement of the "Star Spangled Banner". Robert St. John, NBC correspondent and commentator, asked for the bids over the air. The winning bid of $1,000,000 came from W. T. Grant of Kansas City. This was one of many times that Toscanini has lifted his baton to flay the dictators. In the season 1941-42, he conducted the NBC Symphony in a series of five special bond concerts. And again this sum- mer Toscanini uses his art in the cause of freedom. Realizing that war recognizes no seasonal letup, Toscanini offered his services to the Treasury De- partment for four summer con- certs. The broadcasts, scheduled for the regular Summer Sym- phony broadcast time, Sundays on June 20, July 18 and 25, and Sep- tember 19, at 5 p.m. (EWT), take place before audiences com- posed entirely of service men and women. Maestro Toscanini extended invitations to nearby posts of the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Maritime Service. The invita- tions were promptly accepted. In addition to the official thanks of the Treasury Department for the Easter Concert, Toscanini and the orchestra received warm praise from music critics for the musical excellence of the program. Tosca- nini has always contended that great art can flourish best in an atmosphere of liberty and justice. Photophone In Australia With the aid of portable RCA jihotophone equiiiment especially designed for this nigged job "down under," remote battle stations in Australia are enjoying sound pic- tures as part of the Army's enter- tainment-for-morale program. Mo- liile units travel thousands of miles under ditficult conditions. Their pei-f()rniani.e has been hailed enthu- siastically by the troops. RCA Photophone of Australia, subsidi- ary of RCA, supplied the eciuipment to the Australian military forces. The "vans," as the Australians call them, were designed to operate at great distances from sources of reiilacements. They were built to bring the sound and projection e(]uipment safely through rough country. [34 RADIO AGE)