The New York herald., 1921-12-22
NEW DOLLAR DESIGN
STIRS UP CRITICISM
Broken Sword Interpreted by
Many Sculptors as Symbol
of Defeat.

An editorial in THE NEW YORK
HERALD yesterday calling attention to the
use Of broken sword to symbolic peace
ir. the design for the new silver dollar
to be ndnted by the Government soon
after January 1 has brought out storm
sculptors agreed that the accepted in
depreciation OF broken sword is defeat,
surrender or dishonor. One, however,
contended that Anthony de Francisco,
who won the competition for the de-
sign had properly symbolized peace and
the end of all wars by introducing a
sword with its tip severed, above which
bends an American eagle.
Gutson Borglum, sculptor, character
lied the broken sword as representing
the attitude Of the United States toward
Partial disarmament as bad symbolism.
II am in accord with THE NEW YORK
HERALp's editorial" he said, land par
ticularly with that paragraph which
states that America has not broken the
sword, has not lost allegiance to itself.
and the determination and will to protect
itself.
The sword unbroken will always
have a place in the symbolism of the
United States, for 1t indicates the puni-
tive spirit, very necessary spirit, which
expresses itself in the court Of justice as
we'll as in war. / cannot express too
strongly my poor opinion of our coinage.
l think we have the worst set of metals
issued anywhere In the world. That is
regrettable. for it is unnecessary"
Roland Hinton Perry. whose Neptune
fountain in front of the Congressional
Library at Washington, y. c., and bas
reliefs In the ceiling of the same building
are among his best known pieces OF
sculpture in the capital, is of the opin-
ion that only one Interpretation can be
given to broken sword. and that is de-
feat and dishonor. THE NEW York
HERALD Is quite right In its editorial"
said Mr.. Perry, "and it seems surprising
that a board should accept such a de-
sign for peace coin. A sheathed sword
seems the fitting emblem of the cessa-
tion of war. If this had been used
there would. perhaps. have been no crii-
cism Of the sculptors design"
Leo Lentelli, sculptor, upheld De
Francisco in his use of the broken sword.
"It means the end of war or it may
mean that the eagle is holding the
broken sword Of the enemy" suggested
Mr.. Lenteli. How else can you SYM
bolze the passing of warfare? A sword
sheathed may mean that war Is still pos
sible, but when you break thing you
destroy its use. and that is what the
sculptor has intended to convey to the
public in his design. There doesn't seem
to me to be any other way to use a sword
II you want to express the passing of
war and the beginning OF peace"
The designer of the coin, Mr.. de Fran
cisci, contends that the severed sword is
a weapon of defense, not offense. above
the sword, from which the point has been
broken In my design, ''he explained,
Stands the American eagle. and surely
the eagle can never be used TO repre-
sent defeat. Also with the sword there
Is the olive branch of peace, and the
combination of the two renders it inn
possible to conceive Of the sword as a
capitalization of defeat. 1t does not
seem credible that any one would place
such an Interpretation on my design, as
the Washington conference must be first
i'm the public mind, and America has
never suffered defeat"