Newark post., 1919-07-16
PEACE CONFERENCE
THE DESPAIR OF
ARTISTS
Nothing Colorful, Heroic or
Significant of Power in
Whole Scene

and to lovers of the picturesque
ness of the historic" was this
group of representatives who made
over the map of the world.
There is no individual record Of
the great war that Americans will
view with greater interest than the
painting of this significant gather
ing.
Trouble for the Poor Artists
Our hearts should go out in smy-
pathy to the artists who are now
engaged in the work of preserving
for future ages the appearance
and characteristics Of the Big
Four-or was it Five?-and the
lesser diplomatists whose names
will be associated for quite some
time with the sessions in the
Foreign Office in Paris and the
even more significant sitting in
the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace
of Louis XIV. at Versailles.
These paintings and sculptors
cannot be expected to forget that
their part in the great and memor-
able scene is of no mean import
ance. For when the Fourteen
Points" have been forgotten; when
the League of Nations" is re-
membered only as an amiable
theory which has passed into the
limbo of amiable proposals, like
the Holy Alliance that followed
the Napoleonic wars, the bronzes
and canvases now making or
recently made in Europe will con-
tinue to recall in it may be vague
way the great men whose names
were familiar to everybody in the
year of grace 1919.
A Dull Conference
Nothing less suggestive of the
"historic" could be imagined than
the plenipotentiaries who did their
work in Paris and Versailles
What were artists to do with great
men who refused to dress for the
part? A we'll known motion photo
graph of President Wilson, Mr.
Lloyd George, DR.. Clemenceau ant
Signor Orlando, taken on terrace
engaged in earnest conversation
for the benefit of the frequenter
of the movies, is almost deplorable
The immediate impression is on
of surprise that the masters of tn
world should be so undistinguish
ed. Here is nothing heroic, moth
ing significant of power. Wha
symbolism is there in Mr.. Wilson
morning coat, DR.. Clemenceau'
REFER or Mr.. Lloyd Georges dou
BILE breasted jacket. For all pract
cal purposes the illustrious fou
might as we'll have been model
dressed in the --latest bushes
styles" parading before group
buyers interested in garment
ready to wear"
Not AS in the Old Days
1t was not thus in the old day
Consider George Washington, {
any UtHel VI IIe IdthClo . VI III
Republic, sitting for his portra
to Gilbert Stuart, for example. NJ
Solomon in all his glory was a
rayed like one of these! In sue
a case there was no easy manne
no careless pose, no thoughle:
attitude. Not at all. From tt
powdered hair to the buckled shoe
every detail bespoke the prot
Roman austerity of men who r
spected humanity because they r
spected themselves first.
Even the army and the navy o
fcers present in the Hall of Mi
rors when the treaty of peace w;
signed did not add much to tt
"color" of the occasion or give tt
sort of contrast that the painte
look for. The fighting men, to
were in their working clothe
Apart from the simple insignia
rank there was nothing to di
tinguish Generalissimo Foch al
General Pershing from captains
colonels in the services to whi
they belonged. The full dress
other times has departed, and t
indications all point to Che pt
sibility of it's never returning. 0
reason is that the old magnifican
was very expensive, another til
it was uncomfortable and yet 6
other that it was German, for
matter of fact there is hardly
dress uniform of our own, or a
other army, that was not borrow
from the Prussians or Austria
who had used the trappings
glorify the only profession tt
had any respect for, that of arr
e. IT ctc Of