The New York herald., 1922-03-27

cradle group of creative artists of
brush and pencil and pen who have
no use for prohibition, seeing in the
practice Of it nothing but hypocrisy
increased drunkenness and corrup-
tion of morals; company which in
cludes Mary Roberts Rinehart and
Sir Arthur Quiller Couch.
mo nation ever produced and main
tanned art without freedom of thought
such as drink implies" Mr.. Penneli
said when group cs fanatics takes
away such a privilege as wine, then
freedom takes TO it's wings and the
graces are not long in following. You
cannot have good art or good literature
without drink. 1t is absolutely impos-
sible, and unless something is done
toward ameliorating the prohibition
laws then art will go to the devil in
America
Upliftcd TO stupidity.
Il have been suspecting its destina-
ton for some twenty-five or thirty
years, for in all that time and more
there has not been noteworty de-
yelopment. What's the trouble? We
are being standardized and sterilized and
purified and uplifted TO the point OF
stupidity. All the originality is being
taken out of us by the people who in
sist that life must be lived by pattern
the pattern to be devised by themselves
only. There is plenty of originality and
courage in the United States if the
standardizers would keep hands off.
4s II - -, -
the art appreciation OF the average
American was about equal to the art
appreciation of an Abyssinian. The av-
erage American is bored by art. We
did not even appreciate Whistler. one
of the shining geniuses OF all times, and
Il was only the other day that here IN
New York a CeZanne sold for $21,000
and Whistler brought only $1,000
Americans are money crazy and movie
crazy. The press has degenerated and
Is dominated by advertisers. There is
saturnalia of vulgarity and ugliness.
Beautiful old Colonial houses are being
torn down TO make way for atrocities
labelled French chateaux and Italian
villas.
when one walks or rides about one
scarcely perceivcs a gleam OF intelli-
gence in the eyes of the passers by.
Everywhere about are plain signs that
this country is taking the worst traits
from the rather poor lot OF Europeans
we have been getting for a generation or
so. Even women are coarsening obvi-
ously and losing their beauty. They in
sisted on becoming our fellow citizens
and what has happened? They now
have the privilege OF standing in the
subway while the mon sit.
"It is absolutely a rare thing nova
days to sec a pretty American woman.
All honest men must admit that women
are less beautiful than formerly: that
they have lost a certain aristocratic
something. what made them charming. 2
certain delicacy and grace abandoned IL
the passion for athletics and rugged
bodies and political privileges.
"one looks over the arts with feel
ing of sadness for the little that is be
ing accomplished. All that the archi-
tects have given US In this country Il
the siSyscraper. That is the one beauti.
full thing that American architects have
created.
Finds ZopinE Destroys Beauty.
"If they had been left to themselves nc
man knows what glorious towers the,
would have created, but the regulator
and standardizers couldn't keep thci
stupid hands off, and the coming ant
height regulations have throttled a grea
distinctive art. Gaze at that abortion
called the Equitable Building. blot OF
the skyline. A few years ago the sky
line was miracle OF loveliness. Now !
Is beginning to resemble string o
packing boxes set on end.
"Nor can they even let a really beau
tiful thing alone. They have stuck
hideous red light up In the Woolworu
Tower and ] suppose they will put
gigantic ten cent piece on the tip or tn
tower next thing we know. Still. IN
skyline Is wonderful and none appreci
ates II so much. thirk. ss ovr forefEi
visitors OF culture. When II. G. Well
was here nc came over here at this hotc
to call on me. and we sat and talke'
by this window, looking ont over tn
river and tho cleaning lights OF New
York.
"'Thia Is no city II IS an enchanted
thing Wells said.
"'You are right replied. TT Is !
range OF mountains. the peaks outlined
in light
Wells was so enraptured by tn
beauty OF the city at night that he fol
lowed my suggestion for larger en-
joyment OF II. He walked homewar'
view in the world 10 equal the pano
rama Of harbor and city visible from
this window, and I have made a dozei
, etchngs OF Il. II is here in this Colum
bia Heights district that artists shoul'
gather for inspiration. The streets
around here nre very beautiful. Tn
houses are roomy and we'll proportioned
with large rooms grateful 20 the eye
and nerves. There is amazing beaut.
in this quarter and II Is where artist
who try to catch the spirit OF the cit.
should bc. But there are few OF our ar
tIsts that are willing TO learn anything
They won't travel and they won't stud.
and they spend their time runnini
around discovering things that were dis
covered centuries ago.
There are plenty OF painters II
America. but there are very few artists
10 you think am pessimistic when
sav that art has been degeneratlng. ant
thpt the art OF illustration has fallci
from once proud height? DO yoi
know that thirty or forty years ag'
srch men as whistler, La Forge. Wins
! low Homer and Timothy Coles wer
4 illustrating our magazines and that pco
lnle knew and appreciated their work
4 In those daya. with such illustrations
ma gazinea were saved and bound in.
volumes that were treasured.
roo Much junk Published.
''who saves magazines now2 VIII.
should they be saved7 Like the news
papers. they arc cranircd full Of unim
portant junk. 30 per cent. worthless
They have cheapened themselves by oh
seuuiousness to advertisers. and v ha