The sun., 1919-03-23
Bolshevism in Our Ma
tional Academy.

| committee OF twelve members of the
National Academy OF Design desired
to present a plan for a complete re-
vision OF the jury system and other
radical changes In the policies of the
National Academy. They issued over
their printed signatures an invitation
to some other members TO attend a
meeting on March to hear the plan
discussed. About fifty members at
tended and heard II outlined and ex-
tolled by them. The plan being a
complicated one. it was decided that
1t should be printed and distributed
In order that II might be carefully
studied and brought up for future dis
cussion.
To this the undersigned officers and
members of the council OF the acad-
envy can see no objections, believing
that 1t Is a service 10 the academy
to propose and discuss plans Of this
or any other nature-the more dis
cussion the better.
But the undersigned are a unit in
condemning the succeeding action of
this self-constituted committee. which
has printed the plan in the form OF
booklet, with arguments set forth
In the first person plural, to which
instead OF signing their own names
only they have appended all the names
OF the forty-nine members attending
the meeting, thereby giving the i'm
preston that the forty-nine were pre-
sentins and indorsing the plan. 1t
has already come to the knowledge
| OF the undersigned that members read
| ing the booklet have assumed that Il
was issued by the forty-nlne. Fur
Their, they have sent out this booklet
| In envelopes bearing n return head
ing Business of National Academy Of
! Design" and stiil further they have
included a detachable blank calling
| for two yotes-the first n subscrip-
ton to programme including several
| vital changes and expressing the wish
to see the programme put into effect.
and the second binding subscription
to the so called principle OF proper
tional representation in the jury sys-
tenn"
This proceeding, however we'll in
tended, gives the impression OF an at
tempt to bind by a snap vote all those
who are thus made 10 believe tina,
the "fortynine" have already in
dorsed the plan. As no vote was
taken at the meeting of March on
the merits of the plan the undersigned
consider that the following statemen,
in the booklet was not justified, viz
ut was decided by preponderant ma
jority OF those present that the sub
stitutlon Of the principle of proper.
t!onal representation for majority rule
was greatly to be desired"
None OF the undersigned whose
names were used in this way had any
Idea that their names were to be sc
used. and now give notice to all mem
bers of the Academy that the plar
Is not theirs The undersigned pro-
test that this is not the proper method
OF effect!ng reforms IN body havinr
the dignity and weight of the National
Academy. They most earnestly cal
upon all academicians and associates
to reserve Judgment until the free dis
cussion. as proposed and agreed TO
can be had and until those whose sig
natures have been appended in the
booklet without permission have hat
chance to repudiate this unauthor
lied use of their names.
This is not intended in any sense a.
! a condemnation of the plan but as
call for its fair and unbiased consid
era alton.
| Herbert Adams. president: Howard
| Russell Butler, president: Harr.
w. Watrous, corresponding secretary
Francis c. Jones. treasurer; Charles
c. Curran, recording secretary; Elliot
| Daingerheld. Douglas Volk. Colir
| Campbell Cooper. z. Irving Couse
| William T. Smedley.
THE INsURGENT PAMPHLET.
II To members and associates of tn
National Academy:
Every member and associate of In
National Academy of Design is asket
to consider with the greatest care tn
matters, arguments. plans and rcsolu
tons contained herein with the objec
of preparing himself to bear part II
the constructive programmes whici
must be put into operation If tn
academy is to develop and grow int
an institution OF real meaning an,
poicer.
With these objects in mind n spon
\ taneous gathering OF opinion has beei
taking place informally and meeting
have occurred growing larger an,
larger where focusing has been ac
| complshed which cannot only he pre-
scented as a constructive programme a
a full meeting of all members and as
sociates, but can and should be frs
presented in writing so that a thorough
| consideration may be had by each an
an opportunity given for the mos
open discussion before the meeting /
convened.
II has been truly felt that tho frs
step necessary IL to codify the objec
lions of all members and to get TO
Fether n force of opinion which.
II focused could make of the Academy o
Design the institution We all wish
to be. All of the men who have gath
cred together so far have been aske
to express openly and frankly thei
objections and the following list of i'm
| provemcntS have been collected,
II First--A change in the jury system
III. Second-Th" abolition OF the ret
! ticket.
c Third--A positive effort to elect /,
c membership many artists who mos
!. certainly should receive the honor.
. Fourth--The enlargiFg of the acad
4 leHy's attention TO the allied arts, 4
!. proposition to make ~ various medi.
il.'lll.tAllNAslL1tssEiA9 ,ilaA.1 tlile