The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-28
AMERICAN SOLDIER
IS DEV0TEE OF ART
Doughboy Has Grown Susceptible fe
Artistic Surroundings I'm France.

! Paris, February, 22--The American
douehboy has been called many
things, but perhaps he has never be-
fore been called devotee of art All
me saT me. that's what he is He has
the true aesthetic sense.
So says ABBOTT Graves of Boston
Mr.. Graves ought to know if anyone
does, for he is an artist himself. in
arnationaIly known. He ia also a
member of the American Art associa-
lion IN Paris, OF the Salamagundi club
lin New York. the artists guide In
Chicago, the arts club in Washington.
.. c., he Boston art club and the
Copley society in Boston. and a dozen
o'her oreaniza ions that have the
right~-and exercise ito say the
very last word about art
For the past few months, Abbott
Graves has deserted these various So
cieties. and his work as a decorator
and "a landscape artist. II you want
20 Talk art 70 him nowadays, you
have 10 catch him on the fly between
one camp and another over here In
France. where he is at work for the
4. f f. as a Y. NJ. c. A, decorator.
That's how he knows about sold iers.
and how aesthetic they are.
IL the old days when he was ali
artist and an interior decorators.
back in the United States Mr. Graves
used TO be. like all real artists. rather
tenn peramental about things. He
wouldn't work unless he could carry
out his own idea OF beauty. and unless
the materials for doing so we're right
at hand. Everything had to he just
So, OF course.
Over mere In France, on The other
hand. he has had to do much OF his
fine carving with a trench knife.
when no other supplement- Was pro-
durable. and he has had TO use white
wash for white paint. and TO make
places Of beauty out of underground
huts and old stables--places that
lacked possibilities. he would have
said. back In the United States. But
much appreciated. and he has never
while as over here.
According to Abbott Graves, the
American soldier, no matter from
what class he comes. or whether he
halls from Oklahoma city or from
Kalamazoo. knows good things when
he secs them, whether in art or In
other things 1t makes all the diff
ference to his moral to have
beautiful things about him He
may not be able TO give you a brief
sketch OF the lives and paintings OF
the old artists, ard there Is a fairly
good chance that he could not tell
Leonardo de Vihci from Rosa Bon
heur. But he does know what he
likes, and what he likes Is usually
the right thing. This is the reason
why the artists enlisted in Y. NJ c. 4.
service are spending all their time
and considerable amount of money
in identifying as many as possible of
the gathering places of the men OF the
A. E. F.
To see the American soldier in the
decorated "Y' huts Is TO justify Mr..
Graves high opinion OF their artistic
temperaments They can be TO doubt
whatever that they get 'as much
pleasure out of them ns he supposes
Husky doughboys who have been liv-
ing in the mud for SO long that they
have almost forgotten what the par
lor at home looks like win stand
around for hours gazing with awe at
a hand-painted rose-colored lamp
shade, or at a frieze of roses upon a
freshiy-painted white wall
Among Mr.. Graves work for the
A. f. r. has been the decoration of
the huge new theatre at Trempeloun,
built by the gobs and the Y. NJ c.
A., and capable OF seating $500 per-
sons,--the only theatre of It kind In
France. He also designed the insignia
of the Thirty-fifth engineers, whose
motto is Joan OF Arc saved France.
but we built the cars" Within
week he made over the officers club
OF the Thirty fifth engineers from
forlorn barracks made of rough stone
and old packing box cases into a
beautiful room full of warm lights and
soft celors. a. room that would be
credit to any club house in the United
States. with Its hand painted panels
It's great fire. place, and its oak set