Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-04
THE WORLDS LONG DERT TO TTAI Y
Il tho Days Rest Cartoons.


IN tiers thousands Of precious objects
torn from their natural sites. their In
tentions lost. But In Italy one does not
suffer from this museum torture.
one sees n Dronze horscman whero
he was first placed. steps from the
DUSK or little church that has a ia
nous altar piece directly into the
piazzn and the life OF the people IL
pictures. looks from the gallery win
COW down into fragrant garden upon
DnDoling fountain surrounded by
weath2rcd marble. 1t Is all of n piece.
Art and life are never far removed
In Italy. as they never should be
out. as with US. they almost always
are. One turns with ease and reality
from life to art. from art to life Each
supplements ana completes the other
fhat Is why men love Italy above all
countries they have known. 1t is one
ana all beautiful.
Succession of Bcnuties
.And so IL Is not nature. not art abb
stractly. :hat one remembers of italy:
~ ~ succession Of fine sensations
beautiful moments that merge into n
drcam-i palace mere. Il garden there.
stately tree. the Piazetta the crowd
Cd bridge across the Arno the noble
reach OF crumblinG nqucduct in the
twilight Of the Campagna All these
thinss are still used: they have n ma
Hic thus which comes of the rnys-
ferrous union OF beauty and life And
me people who use them retain some
| thing OF the spirit of their ancestors
VINO created them. at least Il love for
beauty These modern Italians are liv-
ing their lives perhaps vuIgarly. as
W" live ours. building themselves into
their ancient home, often, alas. with
II robust bad taste. But they them
selves are still vital. living, beautiful
"a strong race. Italy would be empty
indeed. without the soft rcvcrberant
III 4 ..nln
mote past. promising vivid future
Thus 1t comes that Italy Ia the haunt
or all those who hunger for beauty.
10 "hom beauty means more than sur
NiNai units. more than wealth and eff
hciency and comfort more than learn
ing or statesmanship-to whom It
means the complete life-life as II
should be.
The Latin peoples cannot be con-
quered-they may be ovcrr,.n Again
and again ms this been proved The
Latin conQuers his conqucrors. absorbs
them. teaches them, because the Latin
French or 1talian--posscsses these
priceless things of the spirit-Ioy and
beauty IT Is easy enough TO enumer-
ate their failures In the practical life
TO speak of them. ignorantly. as de-
cadent peoples. to assume n superiority
OF kultur because OF superiority
of force or OF wealth. The things OF
the spirit ultimately conquer for the
reason that the very men who seek to
destroy them in turn submit to the
sway and become their votarics. Thus,
should France be overthrown. should
Italy. In spite of her prudent resolu-
lions, be drawn Into the present mael-
strom Of greeds and hates. neverthe-
less ultimately the Latin would
triumph by the charm and the power
OF his sptit. by his capacity for beauty
and Joy.
But Will the time never como when
the stronger nations are willing to
admit our human obligations to these
things Of the spirit? When they will
not weigh the worth of life In terms
OF gold and soldiers, but by the intan-
gible satisfactions that endure? If
such serene point were ever attained,
the Latin nations would be protected
from the envies and the rapacity of
their coarser neighbors. In their ripe
age they would he set apart for tho
delight of mankind In n spirit Of graft
tudc TO those who have given SO much
to all the world. For our debt both
to France and to Italy Is immense.
unpayable.