Evening journal., 1918-07-29
BY BURTON KNIsELY
tcopyright 1918, Newspaper Enterprise
Association.)


Assoclatlon)
TOXIC, July 29-It is picture post
card time in America.
The American who takes a little
trip" mails back to family and friends
not letters but picture cards.
Sister, home from college for her va
cation, keeps IN touch with her class
mates in other cities by brief sentences
on hlghly-colored pasteboards showing
"The Lovers Lane in ldora Park
Mother informs Aunt Julia OF the can
ming season sugar shortage on a rose
tinted miniature llthograph Of the coun-
ty court house Sweethearts' trysts
and amateur baseball games are ar
ranged on these convenient and for
some reason supposedly attractive rect
angles Of communication. Even father
Is not immune, but delights in oircu-
lating views Of the golf course among
envying friends In other cities.
Picture postcards are used by the
millions IN the United States every
year. Some folks have collections OF
thousands, which they will hang onto
until next moving day, What is so
plentiful on a day In June as the pic
ture postcard2
And-the grandfather OF the picture
postcard was born in Japan.
He is an old gentlemen worth know
ing. He Is really beautiful-a work OF
art. He Is the Japanese print, for which
collectors from every land under the
sun ranssck the hooks and corners Of
Nippon. paying hundreds OF dollars
apiece for rare specimens.
Japan commands prominence today
because Of material things-army and
navy. ships and factories.
But the glories OF Old Japan are the
glOries Of art. A nation solely OF Ar
madas and factory chimneys may In the
long run cut little figure in history, may
prove eventually to have been only
briefly great, may be much distrusted
and may 20 on the rocks after course
Of disaster TO others and herself.
But a nation Of the artistic taste and
achievement Of Japan VIII not fail 20
contribute enduringly TO civilizations
riches. For such a nation worships the
beautiful as we'll as the strong, the
splrit as well as the form. And a ma
ton which worships beauty as con-
sistently, as persistently and as uni
versally as Japan does, may have her
uSlf ulvuAtlto UNb NoAASN ~ fN-AiN
nently ugly.
The japanese print is by no means
comprehensiyely representative OF the
brilliant achievements OF japanese art.
But It is the form OF japanese art most
widely known abroad 10 Is fairly typi-
cal of the prevalent japanese taste for
beauty. and II will serve as a keyhole |
through which American readers can
look at this side Of Japan-the artistic I
side, far from the least important side /
and almost the most Interesting.
Most Americans have seen reproduc- |
tions OF japanese prints. These repro
duotions have looked like ordinary lith-
ographed posters Of incongruous de-
sign, strangely drawn and not appealing |
or impressive 10 western eyes. And /
they have Autographs. valuable only as
ouriosities, though some OF them are
sxcellently done.
But the genuine original japanese
print is quite another thing, with all
depth and color beauty OF an oil paint
ing. a maximum triumph OF artists
brush combined with printers ink not
10 be edualled today-a prize esteemed
an three figures by the wise collector
as one OF the greatest artistic treasures
OF the past.
Americans are practical, and would I
like 10 know how Japanese prints were
made. and why. They served as ad-
vertisements, as fashion plates, as an j