LOL, 1938!!! I thought it was maybe from 10 years ago. Anyway, I think it's about exoticism, people always want what's different and I know a lot of these US musicians can go over to Europe and get jobs more easily than they can here because there's an exotic quality to Americans, plus the American accent makes them more "sympathetic". Ballet is like this too, there are so many European ballet companies that will break their necks for an American, and if they can't get an American they'll settle for a Canadian, I think either Stuttgart Ballett or Zurich Ballett have a Canadian director about whom they brag, but over here he'd be overlooked.