The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-06
PARIS NEWS LETTER

Paris, Nov. 6s-Annerica has started
a new current OF civilization in the
world, according to Guglielmo Ferrero.
the Roman historian. Professor Fer
zero, IN lecture before the Societe DIES
Conferences Etrangeres in Paris, con-.
trasted America and Europe and de-
clared that new standards OF Judgment
must be formed if Europe is to UNDER
stand America at its true value.
I'VE are accustomed said he, ito
regard things solely in terms of quail
ity. We look upon the riches of Ameri-
ca, for instance, with a kind of dis
dain. They are often regarded in
Europe in the same light as the riches
OF a b~arbarous people which, to acquire
them, has forsaken mans superior
spiritual activities. IT is not necessary
to spend much time intAmerica to see
that Americans are very far from ben
ing devoted solely to the pursuit Of
wealth.
II have also heard it said that Amer
leans r without taste for art; that
their cities are hideous. They are pic
tured as paying large prices for any
thing that is antique or passes as such.
without distinguishing the beautiful
SAAS LA4S dutAISllLlS kOl1L 'tAlS nlSuLOCES
and the false. It is unjust to say that
the American is Indifferent to beauty.
Moreover, who would dare affirm that
the progress Of the arts, letters and
sciences is at this moment the principal
pre-occupation Of the old world? Lis
ten to what is said about us. We hear
nothing but talk of perfecting economic
equipment, the exploitation of iron and
coal mines, industrial development, and
11nxKr ~ 3yonrAarN +noI4 TIC III -4 a. -
American, then Europe must be under
going Americanization at an amazing
ly rapid pace" "
M. Ferrero sees in this new spirit,
which has developed since the dis
coVery of America, an immense his
tofical movement which threatens to
overthrow the very foundations of the
present civilization. It Is founded on
the idea of progress, which, born at
the end Of the seventeenth or the be-
ginning of the eighteenth century, now
dominates u civilization. .
1.-THE idea of this progress is Is
vague and indefinite in it's meaning"
said M.aFerrero, "as it. is popular and
powerful in action. But it Is a
strange phenomena that just in this
century Of so-called progress every
one Gems to be complaining of the
decadence of things. Are we progress
ing or are we not? Can it be that
this progress for which we sacrifice
our repose, IL tranquility and some
even u lives, is only an illu-
sion? This is the supreme problem
which presented itself to me as the
of all I saw and learnt during
my travels in North and South Am
erica. 7-.-' ..l.~.~.@ -.
"In former times quality was more
m nNTfonf thn- rrynJpsLy NY Y-.,..
now reversed the world in which our.
ancestors lived, piling up riches has
become u aim. We have won liberty,
destroyed almost all the limitations Of
the past, but we have had in the pro-
cess to abandon almost all the ideals
OF artistic, moral or religious perfec-
ton held in Veneration sacrifice
quality to quantity. '. e
h there are two standards by
which we may judge civilization, the
standard of quantity and the stand
ard of quality. One is typifed by the
civilization Of America and the other
by the past civilization Of Europe.
Either, judged by the others stand
ard, will appear deficient. You can
not reproach a presidential candidate
in the United States who is compelled
to make half a dozen speeches during
the day If his style is not so polished
nor his phrases SO nicely turned as
those of Cicero. Nor could you ex-
pect such gems Of oratory from
Cicero If he had been called upon to
comply with the same demands as are
made upon the modern orator."
The painting Of sounds, noises and
smells" Is the latest ambition of the
most advanced school of Paris futur-
list artists. Sounds. noises and smells,
a firm sara nnnrnnrofoS IN %hA
expressions of lines, volumes and col
ors, just as lines, volumes and colors
are incorporated in the architecture Of
musical work. From the point Of view
OF form there. are sounds, noises and
smells which are C or convex
triangular, ellipsoidal, oblons, conical,
spherical, spiralic, etc. From the point
Of view of color they are yellow, red,
indigo sky-blue and violet . In sta
lions, factories, garages, hangers and
in fact, throughout the whole Of the
world Of sport and mechanics, the
sounds are almost always red. In
restaurants or saloons they are
'silverish yellow and violet. AS for
sounds, noises and smells of animals
they r yellow and blue; Of women,
green, sky-blue and violet" II, order
to be of the latest kind of a ~futurist
you must s plenty of reds, scream
ing reds" and greens, never enough
exploding yellows, saffron, copper and
green's; yellows, never enough yellows,
early morning yellows." ,-., Fl"
Hector Granet, an obscure scholar
living at V~iverols, in the Auverne, con-
the idea Of preserving in alco-i
hol the corpse of his dead father
This eccentric act appears to have
supplied the touch which was neces-
sary to transform his obscurity into
prominence. M. Granet is now the
celebrity of Viverols. 1t has since been
that his studies are worthy
of some notice and the French gov
eminent has decorated him with the
Academic palms. M. Granet also has
prepared a glass rooted coffin similar
'ET' . d" .-.Est - E.f-E" Al