LETTERS
253
'Over the Waves') called
The River Wife,
to he read under the proper
conditions. Turn out the light and read this with your ear, if you please.
(Fade-in Bessie ad lib · chatter}
ARCHIE
(hysterically):
Good God, Bessie, you're changing into a river!
-like a river. That's what you are--a river, a river that goes on and on
and never stops.
(Sound of 'Over the
Jl7
aves' segueing into river purling.)
BESSIE
(through filter in under-water effect}:
Oh, Archie, what have you
done to me! Where are my hands-my feet-oh-oh-
ARCHIE
(hysterically):
Good God, Bessie, you'rs changing into a river!
Oh what have I done, what have I done, oh my poor Bessie!
BESSIE
(making hysterical river noises with mood music continuing back
behind):
A fine thing! Just look at me. Now none of my new clothes
will
fit-and will you look at the trout all over me! Oh, I hate you, Arch
Oholer, do you hear-hate-hate--hate--(Voice
fades into river purling,
'Over the
Jl7
aves' segues into angry river growlings as it rises, flooding the
living-room. Fade-in of Oboler's drowning cries segue into Musical Cur–
tain of 'River, Stay Away From My Door.')
Letters
THIS HUMOROUS FIGHT FOR DEMOC–
RACY-AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS
Dear Mr. Morris:
It was suggested to me that the PAR·
nSAN REVIEW
would be interested in
hearing of an undertaking of some sig–
nificance 1) for American letters and
2) for the cultural fight against fascism.
The European P.E.N. Club, a branch
of the International P.E.N., has recon–
stituted itself in America.
The group includes men who have ex–
ercised the greatest influence on the de–
Yelopment of culture in their native
lands. They include Feuchtwanger, Wer–
fel, Zweig, Sforza, Undset, Maeterlinck,
Maritain, Maurois, Augenheimer, Goffin,
Bruckner, Hoffmeister, Del Vayo, Stern,
Maugham, Maurois, Romains, Milano,
Lania, and others. They are rounding up
those members of the European P .E.N.
who
are now in America to carry on,
from here, the fight for a free culture.
The weight of their fame will go far to
help them, and us, in that fight; and the
aipificance for the future development
of our own culture is obvious.
DAWN PowELL
On April 29th, under the auspices of
the
Saturday Review of Literature,
an
Inaugural Dinner of the European P.E.N.
in America is planned. Its purpose is to
gather together into one room not only
the great men of letters, but the great
numbers of people who are concerned
with the fight against fascism on all
fronts, and with the future of America.
The major event of the evening will
be some back-talk to Hitler. Members
of the European P.E.N., including those
names above, and of the English and
American branches, will speak to the as–
semblage, and to the United States, over
a nation-wide hook-up; then, they will
address the people of their conquered
countries, in their own languages.
President Roosevelt is expected to ex–
tend a welcome, via radio, and Dorothy
Thompson will be given her chance to
talk to Hitler again.
Could you help us in any way? We
have very little money with which to put
this through. But what we need most
is space to make our announcement, and
lists of people to whom we could write
and tell about
it.
