Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-05-22
VULGAR|TY DRIVES
MILE. SOREL FROM
| PARIS TO NEW YORK
Bedroom" Plays Nauscate Fa-
nous French Actress, Who
Seeks Other Surroundings.
SAYS AMERICANS STRIVE
FOR BEAUTY AND HIGH ART
France Has Abandoned Her
High Ideals for Grossly
Material Benefits.
By tecl1r SUr~l,
Famous Beau,y, Whom Marshal roch
called Frances Mos, Beautiful

Woman
II i'ARlS. May 2l.-Ncw York has ra-
placed Paris as the center Of tho ar.
tistIc world.
Two things have caused this. ON.
n the earncs, striving after beauty
OF tho Americans. directly opposi,.
I" the abandonment by French,non 80
inc grossly material. and the other H.
'hc TACT that the art treasures 81 tn.
Ola World arc drifting ono hy one
across tho Atlantic because the Amer
leans are tn" only people who have
me money and appreciation 10 buy
them.
For half century we ~ tn. Ola
World have looked upon America as
\ land OF crud!ties. az a place where
men thought only OF the almighty
dollar. as country devoted % mat
ria!ism in Us mos, blatan, form per
haps II vas. once. all Of that
But ac have awakened now 10 tho
realization that the one country in
the world which We have locke,
Gown upon, Is the country ina; j. do
ing the mos, for the pcrmanen, adj.
vanccmcn, Of art.
You may say Yes bu, Amcr.c.
has no Louvre" Quite truc-bu, l.,
me tell you something
60 10 tho Louvre cvery morning
regularly. II is only a minutes Walk
from nay apartment. Every day IN
IN" "ccH visit different gallery
admire different picture or statue.
think know the Louvre and It's
habitues as well. II not better tina n
los, people. -e
and can ,ruthfu!y AFFIRM that 30
r cent OF all tn. people | Sc" Gaily
: this maGninccnt muscuIn--crow,.s
Fhich are after all. lamcn,ably
fsmali-arc Americana
The other dag l accepted an invita-
| ton 10 din" ~ the house OF "a friend
near the Bois de Boulopnc. Sh. had
as h"E guests number OF very
wealthy people. several Win titles
two or three authors, Il famous jour
nalist and several members Of Par
Lament. The subject OF art cam. up
and said
American. nj the Louvre
~ Is extraordinary TO me tina,
Louvre. one sees there only for
ciEncrs"
Il; IS true" said my hostess. Then
l
self have never been inside tn
Louvre"
What is more" she added. Il am
willing 10 wager tina; not half OF you
her" have been there either"
Then direct questions we're pu,.
and II Was found that Of all that dis
tingnished company only myself and
the Journalist had ever set foo, irsid.
f,lti "a i.,G
every foreigner who comes Ia Paris.
!, vas like finding flower seller
/ outside the Prophets tomb q; Mecca
sho had never himself worshiped a,
tho shrine!
Is not evidence 10 he seen on>cvcry
side that. French pcopi. have aban
dcned art as their guiding star? Look
AT our !itcrature-ninc out OF every
ton new books morbidiy concern
sexual topics. showing where the
taste OF the public Hes They sell ike
wiidhre. and YOU can see young girls
sitting on benches in the ruiierics
"a l'nly reading volumes which would
have brought the blush OF shame To
the cheeks of our grandmothcrs
our picturcs--ln my last article
described how thousands Of people
n.
while at the same time only five per
sons were in the Louvre.
our staEc--whcn my thca,.r tho
/ Francais. devoted TO the highest in
drama. and state-subsidized. is half
empty. thcaters on the boulevards
showing plays with titles such as.
YES. but Not Quite Nude" which
PLAYED AT the Abri recently. are
packed To surocation.
Blatant VuISarIt,.
one cannot walk through the prin-
cipaI streets OF Paris without being
assaiied on all ~ides by a blatant vul-
earty which dcflcs description.
clothes. manners. faccs-ail are de-
generating. soon We shall have sky
scrapers on the Place Ncndome. and
then. indeed, the day Of Paris will
have gone forever!
la my private life cndcavor to
keep the splendid traditions OF the
Empire. My apartment is furnished
{, exactly as it was when the second
I Napoleon ruled. My guests dine off
golden cloths and beaten silver dishes.
ana myself wear by preference the
crinoines of the late forties
do this not to be an Original" or
to distinguish myself from others. but
as silent protest against the dread
ful vulgarity OF modern times
II is this vulgarity which is driving
me from France. | am leaving for
New York, the real art center, either
In November or December. and sha II
There play French plays exclusively
the old plays. such as the comedies OF
Moliere. abandoned now In France for
\ tho inevitable bedroom play.