Ezra Pound, Bronson Cutting and American Issues, 1930–5

Abstract

In the wake of the 1929 stock market crash and the onset of the Depression, political engagement became the order of the day for many artists and writers. No one knows exactly how many officials of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the United States federal government, not to mention state and local governments, Ezra Pound lobbied by mail from Rapallo during the early 1930s. The number may approach two or even three score. In a herculean effort to influence American policy and opinion, Pound sent hundreds, perhaps thousands, of letters, cards and telegrams from Italy at his own expense to highly placed public and private figures in his homeland, urging upon them various remedies for the crisis that had struck Europe and North America. Largely overlooked by editors, biographers and critics of Pound, this correspondence is an important part of his oeuvre during the 1930s and a significant source of information for anyone seeking to assess his political position in the years leading up to the Second World War and the Rome Radio broadcasts.¹