The Washington herald., 1920-05-25
In the Linelight
BY George Ferry Morris.

Joseph Pennell. the enfant terri
BILE Che Is 90 years ODD. the bull
In the china shop. the terror" OF
any and all conventions he ad-
dresses or clubs he talks 10. has
broken loose again. The American
Federation OF Arts convention in
New York was the place. The nomi-
nal red rag that infiamed him was
the "sign-boa art" Of the nation;
and ere he had finished his tirade
the alien residents of the country.
the journalists. and the public at
large all had been bastinadoed.
The federation, while dIscounting
his epithets, agreed with his gen.
eral position. and passed resolutions
denouncing public sign boards as
''an artistic disgrace" to be pre-
vented by all lawful means. Pen
nell and Whistler, disciple and mas
\ ter. supreme examples of the fine
art OF making enemies!
The Sothern- -Marlowe season haN-
ing closed with much money In the
purses of the players. they go to
England to rest and TO prepare for
1871 season that will see them
4 playing their old full repertoire,
such as they used to give ere they
| formally retired" prior 70 the war.
Evidently their mild experimental
tion this season with new forms of
stage setting and lighting tried this
year has proved satisfactory, for
Mr.. Sothern announces that while
abroad he will make further inves-
tigation of the methods OF Gordon
Craig. Max Reinhardt. and Antoine.
How soon the minor heretics of
yesterday are forgotten! II you are
major revolutionist against a
creed OF any kind. history treats you
more considerably. Fifteen years
ago the Methodist Episcopal Church
North had its depths stirred by the
Higher Criticism" taught, so IL was
alleged. by Professor Hinckley Gil
bert Mitchell of the School of The
ology. at Boston University. where
SO many of the liberal leaders Of the
The drawing card OF this school at
the time was Borden P. Bovine.
a philosopher; but Professor Mitchell
was a close second. For his "ad-
vanced views" he was denied con-
firmation or reappointment by the
bishops of the church: and his aca-
demic Affiliations then changed to
the Tufts College Divinity School
where he had more freedom. He
has just died, and now men are aris-
ing up to do him reverence who in
1905 were throwing stones at him
1t was ever thus! Dallas Lore
Sharp, the author. one of his pupils
at Boston University. says that the
expulsion from a post that Professor
Mitchell had filled with distinction
for twenty-one years, and at the be-
hest of ecclesiastical politicians
was "a living death" to the scholar
who had 10 suffer the penalty.
The cat is out of the bag. Henry
Lane Wilson. former diplomatic rep
resentativc Of the United States al
Mexico City. defender of Huerta and
an opponent of Wilson. has outlined
what should be done. A buffer state
made up of the northern states OF
Mexico and Lower California should
be created. independent Of Mexico
and of the United States: but to-
ward which. of course, the northern
republic could have very friendly
relations. He frankly admits that
In 1913 he urged our Intervention in
Mexico. There is this to be said for
Mr.. Wilson the diplomat that he is
quite as loyal TO his policy as Mr.
Wilson. the I'residen'. is to his.