New-York tribune., 1922-03-06
Artists p ail1t
The Air Red in
Fight &, ON Critic
Hamilton Easter FieldStauds
Up Under Fire From Full
Directorate and Comes
Back With Shipping Shots
Sh! Exhibition Is Near
President Sloan Hopes Peo.
pie Won't Think Pictures
Will Be Core-Spattered

storm broke yesterday when the
directors of the Society of Independent
Artists took up the resignation of Gas
ton Lacheist. 1t broke upon the head
Of Hamilton Easter Field. No report
E"rs were present, the weather man hav-
ing failetlto forecast tha storr' by
John SloaI. pres dent Q tile scA .et5,,
asserted that it had no more effect on
Mr.. Field than "rocks flung at a sand
pile Mr.. Field, he said, was impervi-
Gus to storms.
The weather proof Mr. Field is edi-
tor of "The Arts Magazine" as we'll as
director of the Society of Independent
Artists, and has an article in the cur
rent number of the magazine which
other directors feel reflects on them.
In the article he criticizes Mr.. Sloan
for appointing Walter Pach to the
finance committee after Mr.. Pach had
failed of reelection as president, and
Lacheist was due to Mr.. Lacheists s con-
viction that MI Pach was using the So
ciety for advertising purposes.
The directors refused to act upon Mr..
Lacheist's resignation yesterday on the
ground that he had failed to give his
reasons for resigning. Then they lit
into Mr.. Field.
There were seventeen or eighteen di-
rectors present. Besides Mr.. Sloan, Mr.
Field and Mr.. Pach there were George
Bellows, F. Louis Mora, Marguerite
Zorach, Robert Henri and others who
are better known as doors than as
critics. There was more criticizing
than doing, however, when the attack
on Mr.. Field began.
And an Exhibition Coming Soon.
On the word of Mr. Sloan, who pre-
sided, no blows were struck. Mr.. Sloan
admitted that in less cultured and
self contained circle some of the names
that were called might have led to
blows There was a good deal of rough
cast characterization" said Mr.. Sloan.
One of the rough and ready words was
short and ugly" one, he said.
Really there was nothing else to
print" said Mr.. Sloan, when pressed
for further details.
1t was said. however, that the direc-
tors betrayed no hesitation in telling
MIR. Field that they thought he had pre-
cipitated the row with view to the
exhibition of the society, which is to
have its public opening Saturday on
the Waldorf roof. 1t was their opinion,
they said, that Mr.. Field intended to
hitch his name to that exhibition by
whatever means was handiest.
1t was terrible downpour, but it all
rolled off Mr.. Fields back, according
to Mr. Sloan.
Whenever he could obtain recogni-
ton, Mr.. Field, it was said, jumped UP
and sent back as good as he got. He
maintained that the article in his mag
azine was true He declared the heat
ed assertions made by his fellow direc-
tors were untrue.
Such Is Life in Art
Mr.. Field was not at his home last
night, and it was impossible to obtain
his version of the encounter. Even
those who disagreed with him, however,
acknowledged that he put up good
fight and bore no scars of battle when
he retired, which he did in good order
Mr.. Sloan thought it was too bad
that the matter had become public
at all.
"That's the way it goes" he said
"art pursues its quiet and efficient
course and the public pays no atten-
ton whatever. Then comes fight or
dispute and art gets on the front
page and everybody takes an interest
in it.
"I suppose people will go up to our
exhibition now, looking for blood on
| the floor. There won't be any, but the
fact that they come will help, perhaps
to that extent. They may happen to
cast their eyes above the floor, you
know, when they see it is unstained."