Williams news., 1917-11-22

call and it was determined to start an organization of some kind and inquire of the government if the idea were worth developing. Fortunately about this time Gen. John J. Pershing went to France in command of the Ameri- can expedition, and it was not long before without inquiry of any kind from this side of the water, he began to cable back requests that a company of -camoufeurs be sent to France. Thus with simultaneous enterprise and pa triotfsm the commanding general was demanding and the American artists were organizing a branch of the serv- ice which appears destined to play an important part in the activities of the American troops on the battle front.
 The company began to grow and is still growing. Evarts Tracy, one of the leading architects of New York, had taken all the courses at Plattsburg and received commission as major in the Officers Reserve corps. He en- tered with enthusiasm into the idea of organizing the artists and became the moving spirit of the enterprise.
 To make long story short. large company of artists, sculptors, archi- tects, civil engineers and others who have won fame with brush and chisel- and many of them much money with their brains and skill-are now drill ing and experimenting at Camp Amer ican University. They must be sol diers also, as well as artists, for no one who goes upon foreign battlefield in the uniform of the United States is permitted to be there until he has learned how to take care of himself The company is under the capable com mand of Capt. Martin Nixon Miller, U. s. R., from whom they get daily a gruelling course in military instruc- ton.
 A first lieutenant of the company is Homer Saint Gaudens, son of perhaps the greatest of American sculptors and himself a stage director of note, as witness his remarkable work with Maude Adams in the preparation and production of the wonderful effects and illusions in Peter Pan" and "A Kiss for Cinderella" Second in command is Lieut.. Wilfred s. Conrow, the land scape painter. Both are graduates of Plattsburg, and so far highly success full with the task they have in hand.
 It might appear invidious to mention the distinguished professional men who compose this unusual company, but it seems appropriate to make special mention of Barry Faulkner, the New York artist, if only. because he is pupil of Abbott H. Thayer, the great figure painter, who early in life made a study of animals and discovered the law of the protective coloration of the animal kingdom. It was Thayer who first dared to differ with Darwin upon this subject, the British scientist hay ing attributed the coloration to sex in- fluence while Thayer, combining the faculty of visualizing and noting the actual aspect of things in their rela- tion to one another with his knowl- edge of the animal world, proclaimed that natures gift of color to her chill dren of the forest enabled them to disappear quickly from the sight of their enemies. That the truth was stated by both writers now is generally acknowledged. MT. Faulkner is a de- vout disciple of his master, but in his most intimate studies with MT. Thayer he could never have dreamed that the theory of an artist in relation to the dress of birds and animals would some day contribute to the success of Amer ican arms.
 The company bristles with men of the highest standing in their profes- sion. Fry is a pupil of MacMonnies, Lorado Taft and other distinguished sculptors and, like Faulkner and Harry Thrasher, the painter, has taken the Prix du Rome. Among their comrades are Sutter, Tubesing, Dewer and Nell, the painters. Twigg Smith, who has been painting the exquisite scenes of the Hawaiian islands, has come back