New-York tribune., 1905-12-30
THE FREER COLLECTION.

Questions of art very much in the air
lust now The notifications of the tariff, look
ing to the easier admission of the WORKS OF
foreign artists into this country, which have SO
often been advocated in The Tribune are again
being urged upon the attention of Congress with
renewed vigor and with livelier hopes. Recent
favorable developments in the affairs of our own
museum have increased public interest IN that
institution. and the action of the newest mem
ber of it's staff Mr.. Edward Robinson, in re
signing from the post he had long held in Bos-
ton has led to much discussion Of the broad
subject of museum management there and else
where One thing proftably brought out by all
this has been the existence in the mind OF the
country at large of liberal ideas regarding the
value of art and the Importance Of giving it the
right consideration in the administration OF our
whole national fabric Whether 1t is a luxury
of the rich and is therefore legidmately to be
taxed, or a necessity for the great majority or
the people. and therefore to be made free, Is
point which will doubtless continue to be argued
with much heat In some quarters; but ON the
central fact that art in all its manifestations is
INDISPENSABLE to America there is wider agree
ment to-day than ever before in our history. IL
is because, with the prestige attaching to his
high office President Roosevelt has made an
important contribution to the further establish
ment of that fact that we welcome the more
his characteristic utterance the subject of
the Freer collection.
This collection, as readers have been In
formed was offered by Mr.. Charles L. Freer of
Detroit TO the authorities of the Smithsonian
Institution more than year ago. 1t is one of
peculiar character. The owner, taking long
time to form it. has restricted its range. He
has devoted himself on the one hand, to Ori-
entail art, and, the other, to the works of
group of American painters, giving special prom
inence to the late Mr. Whistler. 1t is the kind
of collection that is the better for exhibition by
itself and in making his offer to the Smith
sonian Mr.. Freer has stated as his main condi-
tions that his treasures should be housed In a
separate building at Washington. erected at his
expense and that nothing should be added TO
the collection after his death. The regents hav-
ing been extraordinarily dilatory in taking ac-
tion Mr. Freer repeated his offer, this time send
ing it to the President, and Mr.. Roosevelts
letter TO the board. given the other day in our
Washington dispatches, pointed out that if the
matter were not soon settled he would have to
take 'some other method of endeavoring to pre-
vent the loss to the United States government,
land therefore TO the people Of the United
States of one of the most valuable collections
(which any private individual has given to
"any people"
Into the details Of the situation IL is needless
to enter What is essential 10 note is that this
offer of Mr.. Freer's is salient instance of what
promises TO develop into a movement of the
highest significance and that Mr. Roosevelt in
emphasizing its Importance. does much to stimu-
late thought in the right direction. People talk
sometimes as though all the masterpieces had
been hung permanently in the public galleries of
Europe and there could be no hope of raising an
American museum above the secondary rank
The entrance of yelasquez's Venus" into the
market, only a few weeks ago. showed how small
a foundation there is for this view The bulk
of the old masters will unquestionably remain
forever on the other side of the Atlantic; vet
the uninstructed layman would be fairly stag
gered If he were to be shown list of the first
rate examples of the great schools which are in
American collections, and every year witnesses
q engthening of this list. AS for the triumphs
of modern art America is so rich in them that
the announcement of an auction sale here has
been known 10 bring eager dealers post haste
from London and Paris. The fact that so many
| of these precious works of art ancient and mod