| Content | Vladimír Vaněk thanks Petr Zenkl for his letter of 4 November and writes to him about the cultural affairs of the Council of Free Czechoslovakia. Among other things, he writes to VV about Bohuslav Martinů. The suspicions are petty. That BM is playing at home and writing nicely about him is turning the whole thing upside down. BM is a complete anti-communist. VV has been an intimate friend of his since 1924 when BM stayed with him. BM is a "man of God", simple, sincere and brilliant, but he can't get anything done. He helped VV arrange the visit of [Miloslav] Bures himself, without his intervention MB would not have got his visa. VV was with them the whole time MB was there. Bures was given the task by the Communists to persuade BM to return home, he told them frankly that otherwise they would not have let him go. BM's concerts at home are an expression of protest, perhaps the only ones they can afford with impunity at home. VV urges them to read THE OPENING OF THE STUDENTS or THE DIVINE SONGS, which BM deliberately wrote to encourage resistance at home. Of all those in exile, BM is doing the most to strengthen resistance at home. The fact that BM is being written about nicely at home has various causes. Some people are ironing it both ways, just in case, and in Moscow they don't understand Martin's influence, so the Communists in Prague are keeping their mouths shut. It's similar to [Jan] Werich, whom they let do various anti-communist speeches to leave some kind of valve for the people. The fact that they write well about BM is a trump card for the exile and suspicion is short-sighted. VV is in frequent contact with BM. |