The Washington herald., 1912-05-10
WOULD IMPROVE
AMERICAN ART
Conference Of Craftsmen Fa-
yors Establishment Of
National School.
PRESENT QUALITY. POOR

The establishment Of q National
School OF Industrial Art In washington
As q step toward raising the art and
craftsmanship OF America to a plane
/ of equality with that OF foreign ma
tions was urged by the American Fed
Grafton OF Arts at the second session
of its third annual convention yester-
day afternoon in the auditorium Of the
New National Museum.
The matter was introduced by Lee
McClung. Treasurer OF the United
States. in q report Of the committee on
Industrial Art. of which he Is chair
man.
II would have the National School
OF Industrial Art" said Mr.. Mcciung,
pattern after the Pennsylvania School
OF Industrial Arts. although on much
larger and more comprehensive scale.
Much TO Be Learned.
In speaking OF the need Of national
art school, the speaker said:
American design cannot compare with
that OF foreign countries. There IL much
for US to learn from other nations"
Leslie W. Miller. one OF the prominent
delegates to the convention, indorsed the
project as presented by Mr.. McClung,
and discussed the proposed institution at
length.
at is q subject Of national shame" he
said, ''that the leadership IN the produc-
ton Of the art Of this country should be
IN the hands Of persons who have<to be
imported. It Is a national disgrace. 1
But little excellent work OF any kind is
seen In the United States. The age IL
hopelessiy given over to the manufacture
OF the commonplace.
The plan was further indorsed in
speeches by Albertus H Baldwin. chief
of the Bureau Of Manufactures, Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor; and Mrs.
Martha s. Gielow, vice president and or
ganizer OF the Southern Industrial Edu-
cational Society.
Henry Bacon. Of New York. presented
a report on the present status Of the
federation.
opPOBes Gettysburg Highway.
Glenn Brown. secretary OF the Ameri-
can Institute Of Architects. and chairman
OF the federation committee on govern |
ment art, submitted q report, condemnIng |
the Lincoln memorial highway plan.
"A national highway to Gettysburg" |
he said. would not be a fitting memo
rial to Lincoln. II would be enjoyed /
only by whose who have automobiles, |
and not by the thousands who annually /
make piIgrfrnages to the National Capt.
tai The highway would be lined with 1
saloons. road houses, merry-go-r0unds,
and what-not and would be a disgrace
rather than a fitting tribute to that
great historical figure.
MY idea OF a fitting memorial to
Lincoln is a monument in stone to be
located in the Capital City. / would
have It divided into three sections. In
one would have a statue OF Lincoln
done by Saint-Gaudens- In the second
/ would have q tablet commemorating
the great Gettysburg address, and In
the theird section I would have q tablet
another one OF his mas
terly speeches"
c. Howard Walker. chairman OF the
committee on craftsmanship, presented
| report He recommended that the fed
,ration urge craftsmen from undertaking
work which can be done just as well by
machinery.
Many Paper Presented.
Lloyd Warren, Of New York. and D.
Boyd. OF Philadelphia.
poke on the same subject. Sculpture"
vas the subject Of a paper by Herbert
adams, chairman Of the committee on
cuIpture. John Nolen delivered an ad-
Iress on Landscape" Civic Theaters''
vas the subject Of a paper by Percy
Edwin Rowland Blashfeld, of New
York. vice president of the federation,
nd Robert W. de Forest, OF New York.
ikewise a vice president, presided. The
ederation will again convene at 10
icIock this morning.