Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-06

w IAsHINGTON, D. c.. Sept. 2.-America has
w accepted the poster as part of the war
w program and signifies its approval by be-
sieging the government departments with requests
for copies of favorite designs. EOQuence, spoken
and written plays its part but it is the poster that
flashes to the passerby sudden glimpse of the
reality of war; mpelling him to explore his pocket
book order corn bread for lunch.
The idea of government advertising more
of a shock to England than to this country.
month after England entered the war, recruiting
was being promoted by aid of posters which reached
and influenced communities inaccessible to the re-
cruiting officers Progressive England applauded;
conservative England gasped. The London Morn
ing Post, highly conventional organ of British
society," broadly denounced this commercial boost
ing or patriotism vulgar and unworthy of Eng
lands traditions. London editorials notwithstand-
ing, the poster continued to blaze from fences and
walls, carrying its to every corner of the
empire.
There has been no one outstanding example
which could be termed the best American poster.
Many of designs have been excellent from the
artistic point of view, and have, at the same time,
carried strong, general appeal. few have been
commonplace, and great number have been sue
cessful with single type or class of persons.
large percentage OF the two thousand posters
used by the various organizations have been
drawn by the well-known artists of the country,
some of whom have had previous experience in
poster design, while others have studied it since
the call conspicuous example of the less
prominent achieving sudden renown through
a poster is the case OF Mr.. A. f. FOrlng6r, a
commercial artist, who submitted to the Red Cross
the design for The Greatest Mother in the World
This poster, which has attracted much attention,
has been adopted by the Red Cross as trade mark.
1t is an ancient jest that almost every person
thinks that he or she do one of three things
sing write or paint. The government is inclined
to believe that than one-third of the popula-
ton is convinced that it paint and that posters
the certain medium by which fame can be i'm
mediately secured Amateur artists do not appear
to understand that every poster used by the gov
eminent fits particular need and carries some
timely message A picture of the Goddess of Lib
erty holding uplifted prize carrot and urging the
populace to eat carrots and save the world has
small chance of securing attention even though the
drawing and coloring may be good. Yet ideas more
unsuitable than this, infected with cubist reckless
ness painted in fifteen colors, item of the
poster experts daily mail.
No poster selecting bureau in the government
is accepting rough drawings that could be made
passable with touching up, designs that could be
used if revised and adapted. There are too many
competent artists giving their services to make it
worth while for the government to have crude work
patched up. The fact that almost all the poster
work is being done by artists who have arrived
does not eliminate the struggling young genius
from the competition if he has originality, skill in
drawing and coloring and understanding of what
constitutes good poster.
Because good poster cannot be executed in a
day, the Liberty Loan committee starts its work
the posters for the next drive Immediately at the
close of the preceding loan.
In the selection of poster the main question is
HAS it the punch?" In other words, is the appeal
there, forcing the attention of the public to the
message and making it feel the urgency of the de-
mand The difficulty in deciding this all-important
problem is that poster showing wounded soldier,
which would impel the father of an enlisted man to