In 5½ weeks, the 202 German masterpieces in Washington's National Gallery had drawn almost a million visitors. Crowds were so thick that few got a good look at the paintings. U.S. Army officials had planned, and promised, to ship the whole show back to Germany as soon as it closed. General Lucius Clay insisted their prompt return would be proof that one conqueror was not a looter. Several Congressmen were equally insistent that more Americans should be allowed to see the paintings. Last week the Army worked out a Solomonic compromise.
As a starter, experts picked 52 of the most perishable pictures...
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