WPAchievement

Last year Congress decided to have a look at WPA's so-called Professional Projects--Art, Music, the Federal Theatre and Federal Writers. Well-founded rumors of radicalism among WPA artists and authors had long irked the legislators. After looking, Congress abolished the Federal Theatre, allowed the others to survive on condition they find local sponsors who would put up 25% of their expenses. To the surprise of nearly everybody, the States were so satisfied with WPA's writers that all 48 soon put up their 25%.

About the same time it was decided that tousle-headed, slow-spoken, walrus-mustached National Director Henry Alsberg seemed a little too pinko, talked a little too much about his indigestion, was a little too slow in getting production started on the Guide Books and other projects. He retired from WPA. Alsberg and colleagues had started out to produce great Art. Congress by & large preferred results.

To get them, WPA hired John Dimmock Newsom, 46, who was born in Shanghai, brought up in France, went to Cambridge, anthropologized in Melanesia, resided in Morocco. In 1938 he became State director of the Writers' Project in Michigan. Last year he had returned to his Maryland farm when he was asked if he would try to make WPA's writers write. Soon he was doing it. Says he with an efficient snap in his voice: "This is a production unit, and it's work that counts. I've never been for art for art's sake alone."

In the year Director Newsom has been ruling the writers, 28 State Guide Books have been published. This week even the belated Maryland Guide appeared, with sketches of Marylanders Barbara Fritchie and Wallis Warfield. With the 17 that came out under Alsberg, that leaves only three States undescribed by WPA.

Director Newsom is given credit for ramming through the State Guide Books. Ex-Director Alsberg is credited with the plan whereby established publishing houses bring them out. Viking Press has published nine. Oxford University Press and Hastings House are each publishers of seven. Houghton Mifflin published the six New England Guides, soured a little when Massachusettsians raised hob about the amount of space given to Sacco and Vanzetti. Publishers have not made much money out of the Guide Books, but report a steady sale.

With the Guide Books almost finished after five years' labor, WPA authors really buckled down in earnest last week to a new project--WPA Factbooks. The Fact-books are supposed to be completed in 18 months, will sell for about $1, will be bound in durable but removable covers so that more facts can be added yearly. They will contain concrete and succinct data about whatever localities may wish to sponsor the Factbook project. Among other facts will be summaries of the work of the New Deal agencies--pretty good propaganda for the New Deal, quibblers pointed out, if it is still around by the time the first Factbook is published.

Far too busy to worry about propaganda is bustling Director Newsom. His job is to keep the Writers' Project on something like an efficient basis. Says he cheerily: "Our nose is clean."

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