The New York herald., 1922-08-13
By JESSE LYNCH WILLIAMS

creasing tendency" in Amer
lea to-day to offer prizes,
public emblems of merit, to those
who do we'll in the fine arts, and in
many ways that is good thing. Es-
pecially in America In some ways
it is not. I will mention them pres
emily.
Why especially in America? Be-
cause notoriously no other country
in the world is so given to measuring
success by the mere amount of money
made and because no other nation
with pretensions to civilization gives
public recognition to fine work.
Fine work, that is, if done by our
own compa riots. To be sure. if
done by FOREIGNERS many of us can
recognize it a a glance. Especially
when it has been properly intro
duced to us. BY some distinguished
foreign critic. They have such beau
tiful manners, those Europeans
So being true lovers of the arts
and of our country we like to en-
courage both by decrying art made
in America. 1t shows visiting for
eign celebrities that we really know.
Yes. sometimes. it really does-ex-
actly how much. You have observed
that we no longer look down on our
c,lyx 81, f.lr
to looking up to them. Even those
Americans who were happiest at
feeling sorry for their country now
say authoritatively that the best
architecture being designed to-day is
by Americans. You see, noted
French designers said so first That
settled that matter.
Another healthy sign of change is
in the attitude of our universities.
When the most conservative force
in American life bestows public rec
ognition upon achievement in the
arts. we may feel sure that our cul-
tural standards are evolving. 1 can
remember the first time my own uni
versity conferred an honorary de-
gree upon an American painter. 1t
was not SO very long ago. But now
adays upon any commencement
stage you are likely to see, not
merely foreign but native painters,
or poets or playwrights, composers.
novelists or scuiptors. Indeed. our
masters. such as they are, of our
art, poor thing but our own, are
officially pronounced Masters of Arts.
of even Doctors. almost as frequently
as are our masters of finance, and
quite as solemnly.
That ought 10 give American art
a great boost. Those who search for
beauty and those who search for
wealth, lined UP together for the
multitude to admire, both appro-
priately adorned in gay colored
gowns symbolizing learning, and the
one treated with almost as much
respect as the other. An inspiration
for those who search for truth. II
shows that after all we have true
democracy as we'll as true culture in
this country. At any rate it may
help the graduating youth looking on
with diplomas in their hands to ac-
cept the excellent and original vale
dictory advice to cherish high ideals
and eschew high finance More than
rs per cent. Of them go into bust
ness.
However. the rating an artists fell
low craftsmen give him. while it may
not be taken so seriously by the pub
lie. which is Impressed by pomp and
parades, even Academic ones, is
taken more seriously by himself and
his own crowd. They know. For
example. there is the gold medal an
nually awarded by the National In
stitute of Arts and Letters to an
American. whether member of that
body or not, for creative excellence.
One year it is for sculpture. another
for musical composition. for bellies
lettres. fiction. painting. history. po-
etry. drama. and so in rotation over
again.
About this coveted honor the pub
lie hears little because publicity is
not sought The medal is usually
conferred in private, but it is award
ed by a vote of the $50 members
And they are all supposed to have