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agreements reached in extensive conversations with the State Department and representation from the White House, pressure did come from various sources and Mr. Taylor called a meeting in New York City of museum directors and Mr. Schneidman of USIA to discuss the problem. It was determined that there should be an exhibition, and the Museum of Modern Art's International Council was asked to organize one show that would reflect the work of young artists and would be available for limited circulation. After a period of consideration, the Museum of Modern Art decided it could not produce the exhibition. Mr. Walter Hopps, who had earlier been asked to plan an exhibition for circulation, was then asked to adapt his ideas for Venice as a part of NCFA's program of exhibitions abroad. At the close of the Biennal, the show will travel in Europe under USIA. Assembling such an exhibition on short notice was difficult, but the staff, working with Mr. Hopps, has produced an excellent show. There is no intention of NCFA's sponsoring future biennals in Venice or elsewhere. The entire question of the United States representation abroad will be further discussed with directors of major museums in the autumn.

A new program started this year in Museum Training that will be in full force in September. Students usually with at least Master's degrees in the history of art, will be awarded a stipend of $5,000, the same as our research scholars, to spend a year preparing for museum work. A staff committee for museum training will supervise the program that will engage each intern in every section of the museum. It is hoped to make the museum an attractive option to the university for soundly prepared students in art. A new center for this work has been created on the third floor. The research program will have three doctoral students this year, and one post-doctoral fellow. There will be two interns in conservation. All of these are provided with fellowships either by the S.I. Board of Academic Studies or the NCFA.

The need for eating facilities has become increasingly urgent. The Women's Committee of the Smithsonian Associates has also been concerned about this, and space is being prepared. By summer there will be a contract for transient catering of good sandwiches and soft drinks.

The Metro excavation continues to be a serious inconvenience. In addition to the loss of the main entrance and the freight elevator, the Lincoln Gallery is still closed. Engineers will not commit themselves on the possibility of future damages, nor precisely when the Lincoln Gallery can again be opened.

There have been changes in several of the galleries and new galleries are being installed on the second floor. A selection of Rogers groups and paintings of the domestic scene will occupy one, and paintings by Dewing,