New-York tribune., 1918-07-21
Ouch Imagination Must
y Have Some Vent

No one would expect the exubesant imagi-
nation Of ChairmaA Creel to be pent up in
one place. 1t must have vent, or he would
lapse inte another sophomore period re-
ferred to in these hearings and discharge
10000 words day, as he used to do at
Denver when he was in normal condition.
The committee is subdiv,ded under the
testimony in this House hearing into twen-
tyone branches, ranging all the way from
film service to elocution. Creel is the par
ent trunk, which forks so near the ground
that no saw timber can be gotten out of it.
Moving pictures and professors of eiocu-
ton synchronlze themselves in voice and
action. Speakers are classified into four
minute squad and those who run an orator..
cal platform marathon. The four-minute
recruits Iaken into a hall where there is
no pitiless publicity and instructed by the
elocutionist furnished by Creel how to de-
liver strong message. His gestures and
infections are shorn of their barbaric
crudeness and pronunciation reduced to cur
rent vernacular. The rough protuberances
trimmed down and suitable predigested
intellectual nutriment provided for those
lacking sufficient mental vigor to assimilate
raw ideas. The long distance men are gen.
orally hardened miscreants, l ought to ex-
plain, who Scorn instruction even from
Creel himself They comprise some who
can TAX for hours without obtaining any
permanent relief. Among the latter, how
ever, were some who had a chronic propen-
sity to part their names and hair in the
-riAN1a Nd I,,
belt.
Mr. Creel suffered intensely from their
refusal to harmonic themselves with the
Western landscape. He furnished them.
without avail, an inspiration and model
in himself They scorned it, They were all
together at the Capitol, where he communi-
Gated to them the genuine adlatus, which
can come only from personal contact and
the overmastering Impulse generated by the
presence OF such an audience. Nothing
short OF a subiimated psychology, linked
with an unprecedented cerebral agitation,
could have stimulated him to such fervent
thanks for our unpreparedness for war
The division into four minute men and
those who can stand alone on the platform
for an hour oa more without help from the
oflclal elocutipnist is q feat that rises to
Alpine heights of a genius that is unique.
novel and sui geDeris in the annals of ap-
preparations. Each squad has foreman
1t would not look half so imposing to have
them all in one oratorical brigade. The
'our-mInute performers need no cloture rule.
The end Of their elocutionary reel is auto
matte The hardened platform veteran with
pitcher OF ice water and practically an
inexhaustible supply of throat ozenges
needs foreman to protect the audience.
The moving picture feature is most in
dustrously developed. 1t has also devel-
oped that one moving picture concern is
gwen monopoly of war films in the United
states scenario department assimilates
the output and does the sign writing Mr.
Cree and his dramatic genius censor it so
eue puDLc VIII consume the proper article.
me IDEA Is TO create healthful mental con-
a1tions among the popuace. This could not
De dohe' Of course, by letting every concern
nave the film lndiscriminately. Patriotism
Is promoted By farming the films out to 'one
company 1t simpliies bookkeeping to do so.
mere IS business management depart
ment which would simply be worked to
uea'h II It had to deal with more than one
moving picture outfit.