Evening star., 1922-01-11
PRAISES BEAUTY
OF ITALIAN RACE
Association Raises Standard
], of Personal PuIchritude,
II
I Saws E. A. MoWrer. :
ny EDGAR ANsEL MowRER.
(Following Il the third of d series OF artf
cles by Mr.. Mowrer on modern ItalyJ

By EDGAR ANsEL MOWRER.
More than an inanimNte decoration,
the richness Of Italian life depends on
the flne features and straight. attractive
bodies Of its men and women. To asso-
ciate long with Italians is to raise ones
standards of personal beauty. There
are exceptionally beautiful persons In
all countries, but one comes here 10
know that what one admired IN men
and women of other countries was no
bility or charm Of expression. ROBUST
ness Of muscular structure. visible cnar-
acter Italians are handsome in theif
own right. and so far as | Know there as
no race to compete with tnem. lnes
are healthy and strong as well. and II
smaller than some northern races are
generally more resisting. The human
beings you pass In the street are nne
physical specimens.
OF course. there are too many men
with the stamp of the primitive clay
and too many women, their beautiui y
faces as yet unmarried by thougnt:
But it is easy for plain or ugly races 70
attempt to reduce beauty TO visible
strength of character or nobility OF ex-
preston. The ancient Greeks. our supe,,
riors in these matters, knew better. ana
we shall not go forward producing pny-
sicaily beautiful human beings untii we
admit that. in some mysterious manner.
the body is a projection OF the soul. II
is my belief that the handsome proper
tions and good looks of the Italians are
the reflection of an inner harmony. an
ancient secret of living that has become
manifest in flesh and bone.
American Response to Opportunity.
MANY Americans learn through So
tourn in Italy that all their lives they
have been starving for art ana never
knew it. Here in the land or statues,
pictures ard songs they find them
selves expanding. They begin to take
art seriously 1t affects their char
acters: for, perhaps. the first time in
their lives they are not afraid OF Spon-
taneous emotion. As their knoWledge
increases their taste improves. They
become amateurs, even connolsseurs.
They know the secrets OF Nenetlai.
glass and can discuss the periods OF
Raphael and the baneful influence OF
the great Michelangelo on later art.
Back home, of course, these things are
known to be the stock in trade OF
poseurs and dilettantes. But in Flor
ence or Venice or Rome they seem
genuinely important. and the real
poseurs are those who pretend to take
no notice of them. Strange paradox!
But is it stranger than the paradox
of the great American people. who
claim to be in the van of civilization,
yet the majority of whose members
not only ignore. but do not even de-
sire any form of art beyond the movie,
the newspaper cartoon and the popu-
lar song? once the subtle taste for
art is acquired it cannot easily be
foregone, and no menu of existence
is complete without it's, relish. 1tal-
ians eat less physical food than Amer
leans. Yet sometimes 1t seems that
they set richer table Of loving.
For one thing, Italians are frank,
hold no skeletons: the skeletons stand
at the house door, and II you find
them too ugly you need not enter.
Any fool can compile a pompous list
of Italian weaknesses. but 1t Is not so
easy to understand in what they are
superior. Their frank acceptance OF
the realities of life shock the sensitive
foreigner. Later he comes to realize
how the "materialistic" Italian is per-
haps less the slave of matter than his
idealistic self. The Italian does not
worry so much about his soul and he
frankly enjoys E9oh food: SUD sunshine, s!n
but he puts up with discomfort with
out . murmur, submits to privation
with comparative indifference, and al
most never sinks to the depths of
british vices or excesses. Drunken
ness IS uncommon, Drutallty rare Qe-
liberate cruelty almost unknown.
There is not enough joy in Italy.
Living Is essentially serious busi-
ness. and. although the laugh comes
easily to Italian lips. there is next
to no humor in their lives and little
comedy. What comedy exists tends
to Sbe sarcastic. stinging-the Floren-
tine beffa or practical joke. The aver
age Italian takes small pleasure in
life and does not seek pleasure. The
reason is that he has ceased to be-
lieve in pleasure. 1t is not that he
lacks the means or the opportunity;
in no other country in the world can
luxury and amusement be had so
cheaply II is life itself that is at
fault. and the fault is in the nature
of things and ineEadicable. ONE may
feel youth and warmth and love SO
keenly that the thought of dust and
ashes is insufferable. Youth and love,
sunshine and children, these are the
only true pleasures, and they illusory.