The sun., 1918-12-22
CUBIST ART AGAIN
STIRS UP STRIFE
Red Cross Decorations in
Fifth Avenue Afford
Present Occasion.
SCHOOL rs RECOGNIZED
Other News and Views Gath
cred in Various Studios
and Galleries.
BY HENRY MCBRIDE.

The subject of cubism, it seems,
still has the power to stir up STRIFE
for there are some who feel toward
cubists as they do toward Huns,
that as long as there shall be one
Of them left on earth we will not
have peace. The present agitation
has been aroused by the decorations
upon the Avenue for the Red cross
drive, cubists having been allowed to
participate. Before l ever saw these
questioned works of art my tcle-
phone bell began to ring, and pas
sionate voices poured accusation and
defence into the porches OF mine ear
1 was urged to decry this profana-
ton of the sacred way that had so
recently been christened the Ave
enue Of the Allies" and I was also
urged to expose the political machina-
tons OF the wealthy but corrupt
old timers who had known how to
prevent, through pull and intrigue,
the ardent and spiritual young cubists
from truly expressing themselves.
This certainly was how-to-do.
There was nothing for it but to
see the arches, and this was easier
said than done, for, what with the
Christmas shoppers, and what with
the Red Cross drivers. the Avenue
was fairly damned. and progress diff
fcult However, l finally succeeded
in obtaining a foothold at Forty-sec-
ond street and Fifth avenue, but
before / had seen both sides OF the
| arch a Red Cross driver-an irresis-
tible blonde-approached and pinned
Red Cross button to my coat, alb
| stracting a dollar before one could
say Jack Robinson"
This interruption, naturally
changed the whole current of my
| thought. l forgot the misgivinGs
| had felt at first sight Of the cuhstio
arch of triumph and lost myself in a
contemplation of the drive. In less
| time than il takes to write this SEN
tence the Red Cross blonde had
pinned six buttons on the coat lapels
of six art lovers--all of whom.
was near enough to gather, We're OBJ
| iecting to the arch-and had relieved
| them of the required amount of cash
1t was all very thrilling and illumi'
mating.
So, before I was able to push my
way to the other side of the arch
| had concluded that even If the arcl
were not all that cubists and academi-
clans might desire. it was at least
! not a failure as a Red Cross bait
and all hopes that the choruses OF
| recrimination from the two divisions
of the art committee might increase
into n cause celebre--the season needs
a cause celebre badly--vanished. Fol
the Red Cross the affair was success
full enough,
The other side of the arch wa
better but not good. Since the debate
over the arch is likely to drop will
the end OF the drive. it is scarccl!
worth while criticising 1t further thar
to say that what II needed most wa'
an architect. Mr.. Lachaise's relef'
were ineffective because they wer
not part OF the structure, There wa
no structure. properly speaking. II
decorate-and I always seem 10 have
to use this phrase when speaking o
the ornamentation OF this city Will
sculptures-to decorate one mus
first have something that can b
decorated.
The cubists. however, reglstere
several successes UP and down III
avenue. Mr. Webers panel was tn
most mural of all those in front o
the library. and Mr.. Walkowitz'
painting for the window of tn
Kraushaar Gallery will have an in
terest for some time 10 come