The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-14

NEW YORK, Jan. 1.-THE opportu-
nifty for which so many of our American
m~illionaires have been patiently waiting
has at last arrived, The door to the
vault of Europe's greatest art treasures,
which held its W. for so long a time
against the steady attacks off Ameri-
can art connoisseurs and collectors, Is
now open to all who care to buy. One
by one, or occasionally dozen by dozen,
Europe is parting with it's great paint
ings, Its rare manuscripts, its most
highly priced and priced precious stones,
ana even its historic furniture-not be-
cause it loves them less, but because it
loves food and clothing more.
No man can enjoy luxury while he Is
hungry, and so, in spite Of fearful re-
monstrances on the part Of European
art lovers, in spite of the rawlings and
threats Of indignant governments, the
owners Of some Of the most remarkable
art collections abroad are sadly put
ting them up for auction. They have
one consolation. The prices now being
offered by American collectors are from
three to six times as great as those Of
fered in 1914.
A few weeks ago, for instance, the
greatest one-day book sale ever held
occurred in London, when the BritWell
court library, comprising the greatest
private collection of books in Great
Britain, and famous all over the world,
was auctioned off. Before the bidding
took place, a New York collector APP
peared on the scene and offered to buy
the entire collection for his American
millionaire client at the price of 81, 000,-
600, but this was haughtily refused by
the agent.
Nothing daunted, however, the New
York collector attended the sale, deter
mined to secure the special books de-
sired by his client. 1t this he succeed
ed, although the British museum was
anxious to obtain the same books and
price Of SIS, 900 he bought a copy of
the earliest edition of Sh~akespeare's
Venus and Adonis," printed in 1899, a
little book two inches by three and
bound in its original tattered vellum e.
He also bought for $40. 900 a Caxton
translation of 'Dictes or Sayings of the
Philosophers" dated 1477; for $l2, 900 a
edies, histories and tragedies, with
seven unpublished plays, and for $11, 900
a first edition of Much Ado About
Nothing"
At about the same time it was learned
that an American senator had just Sc
cured his twenty-third Corot in Paris
for a price known to be in six figures.
and that an American in Vienna had
just offered $500, 900 for a famous Aus
trian jewel.
The art treasures of Germany and
Austria Hungary, particularly, are now
at the financial mercy Of foreign bar
gain hunters. The central powers are
overrrun with art collectors. ostensi-
bly, from Holland and Scandinavia, but
actually representing, in many cases,
American and English buyers. Natural
~, Germans do not enjoy turning OVer
their most valuable possessions to their
PRINCIPAL enemies of the late war. 50
49, n,,4,I on1 Goo rItT n tria, tntnrDNN-
diaries are usually necessary A col
lection OF prints nv Albert Durer. who
has become one Of the big speculative
art stocks" recently brought nearly
1000. 900 marks at auction, and il Is
strongly suspected that these prints
are destined for a certain private gal
lery on Fifth avenue.
ii is now rumored with interesting
persistency that the Austrian govern
ment is about to offer its works Of art
for a large loan. at which news Ameri-
can dealers have at once derarted for
Austria to Join the mob of collectors al
ready there. securing the field FIR val
liable paintings and tempting aTt-loving
cut impoverished Vienna with bright,
new. war-made money.
america Is the art ogre OF the world
at the present time,' declared a we'll
known British art |connoisseur the other
day, in complaining of the way In which
American tOlittlblS dit NtllNlhb VII
Europe's masterpieces. You really
cant blame Americans for wanting u
great works OF art or for taking them
When they are the only persons who
can pay the price for such thirgs when
they are placed on sale, but ut the
same time It is most regrettable-most
regrettahle. indeed. you know--from
our standpoint. Really, il it keeps up,
II will only DO a matter Of time before
we must go to America to see some Of
our finest art treasures
A more emphatic protest was recently
registered In the British parliament,
where IL was proposed to put a high
eypoIt duty on works of nrt. which
would not only discourage the sac of
them. but nroNide n revenue with which
they might be bought by the govern
mCnt. +
Similar bellows Of rage and disgust
have also issued from German official
Headquarters. where much discussion
has taken place concerning prompt and
rfficaCiouS me sures Of keeping Ger
many safe fnr German art property. In
order to educate the people to the ne
ccSSitv of such measures. and also per-
hans to make use Of it's art treasures
before they have been gohhled uu by
foreigners, the municipality of Berlin
not long ago arranged for a travelling
exhibition OF paintings belonging to the
CITY. which formerly were practically
hrried in departmental offices. The ex-
hibit includes IS paintings, chosen
without regard to propaganda or poli-
tics. but for their art value alone, which
are TO be transported all about the pro-
letarian districts of Berlin, thus car