Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-01-10
HASKIN LETTER

By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

/ New York. Jan 6-Thc opportunity
! for which SO many of our American mil
| lonaires have been patiently waiting has
at last arrived The door of Europe's
greatest art treasures, which held its own
/ for so long a time against the steady at
tacks of American art cOnuoisseurS and
! collectors, is now open for all who care
| to buy. One by one, or occasionally doz-
en- by dozen, Europe is parting with its
| great paintings. its rare manuscripts. Its
most highly prised and priced precious
stones, and even its historic furniture-
+, not because it loves them less, but be-
cause it loves food and clothing more.
No man can enjoy luxury while be 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 col
| lections abroad are sadly putting them
up for auction. They have one consola-
| ton. The prices now being offered by
| American collectors are from three 10
six times as great as those offered IN
| 1911
| A few weeks ago, for instance. the
greatest one day book sale ever held oc-
Cured in London when the Britwell
! Court library. eromprising the greatest
private collection of books in Great Rri-
| tain, and famous all over the world, was
auctioned off. Before the bidding took
! place. New York collector appeared on
! the scene and offered to buy the entire
collection for his American millionaire
client at the price of one million dollars,
| but this was haughtily refused by the
1 agent.
| Nothing daunted however, the New
York collector attended the sale. deter
mined to secure the special books deslr-
| ed by his client At this he succeeded,
although the British museum was anx-
! ous to obtain the same books and did
| its best to outbid him. For the price
! liest edition Of Shakcspeare's Venus and
! Adonis," printed in 1899, a little book,
| two inches by three and bound in its
| original tattered vellum. He also bought
! for $4,000 n caxton translation OF
Dictes or Sayings of the Philosophers,
dated 1477. for $4,000 a third impress
/ sion Of Shakespeare's comedies, histories
plays. and for $11 900 a first edition of
much Ado About Nothing"
At about the same time it was learn
| ed that an American senator had just
secured his twenty third Corot in Paris
| for price known to be in six figures,
/ aud that an American III Vienna had just
offered 100000 for a famous Austrian
| jewel.
! The art treasures of Germany and
n
at the financial mercy of foreign bargain
| hunters. The central powers are over
run with art collectors. ostenslbly from
Holland and Scandinavia but actually
representing, in many cases. American
and English buyers. Naturally, Germans
do not enjoy turning over their mos,
valuable possessions to their principal
enemies Of the late war. so that Dutch
and Scandinavian Intermediates are
usually necessary. A collection of prints
bv Albert Durer, who has become one
! of the big speculative art stocks, re-
| large loan, at which news American
at auction, and it is strongly suspected
that these prints are destined for GER
tain private gallery on Fifth avenue.
| 1t is now rumored with interesting per-
sistency that the Austrian government is
about to offer its work of art for a
to ioin the mob of collectors already
dealers have at once departed for Austria
to Join the mob of collectors already
there, securing the field for valuable
paintings and tempting nrt-ioving but I'M
poverished Vienna, with bright. new,
war made money.
America is the art ogre of the world
at the present time" declared well
known British art connolsseur the other
day, in complaining of the way in, whscn
American collectors are carrying or M
ropes masterpieces. lyon can't really
blame Americans for wanting our Krtnt
works of art or for taking them when
they are the only persons who can pay
the price for such things when they, IRE
placed on sale, but at the same time at
is most regrettablc most regrettAt4e,
indeed, you know-from our standpoint.
Really, if it keeps up. it will only be- a
matter of time before we must 70 TO
America to see some of our finest art
treasures" III u
A most emphatic protest. was recently
registered in the British parliament,
where it was proposed to put . high Eek
port duty on works of art, which wOpld
not only discourage the sale of them,
but provide a revenue with which trey
might be bought by the government. Il
Similar bellows Of rage and disgQst
have also issued from German Official
| headduarters. where much di&sqgsion has