Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-04
NOW MY IDEA IS THZS!.
Daily Talks With Thinking Phiqdephans Subjects They
KrOtv Best

grown out Of the life Of this country and
therefore must be solved in a manner as
new as the problem itself; the experience OF
the past may be guide. but It certainly will
not furnish the solution. New conditions
have produced new problems. and in turn
the solution must be new also.
Matter Of Reconstruction
"A certain famous French architect who
visited this country on mission connected
with the reconstruction Of the devastated
areas Of France expressed the hope that In
assisting In this restoration the role OF
America would be limited to material and
practical one and that we would respect
their desire that the entire artistic direction
be left in French hands.
american architects, he said, could not
possibly realize French conditions and ira
ditions, and to be able to build new French
houses one must have lived for generations
In the old ones.
ut is regrettable that this expression of
truth 80 obvious should have been thought
necessary, for do we not realize that to build
or design a new American house one must
nave lived for generations In America?
There is, however, an excellent reason
Tor the mixture OF styles in this country
AS ! have said, we have always extended
welcome to all the foreign born architects
VINO come here to live, and because Of this
1t was inevitable that We should have had a
Ix0m
tnis encouragement. Tho foreigner natur.
ally expressed in his buildings the spirit and
the tradition Of his native land. It was the
only thing he could do, because be knew the
spirit and traditions Of his own country and
was ignorant Of the American ideals and
traditions.
A Keen American Interest
The American people always have taken
Keen interest In architecture, and this
nRnn kIvvI .iAls
TWO or three decades. But, being a much :
travelled people, they usually wish to con.
meet all that we do intellectually with some
recognized historic style, instead of seeking
own lives. '' ''"''r
I'm our mechanical arts and sciences we
take the greatest pride In our national
achievements, and we should and will some
aaS take the same pride in our arts. In ref.
erehce to the development Of the practical
arts and the neglect Of the fine arts in edm
cation, Inn, Rodin. the French sculptor, wrote
IN l9o4 as follows: ''''
-. IT may be replied that the inyentions
% %th scuenfe compensate for this deficiency
Nthe neglect of the fine arts), but tbeso IN
ventlons are almost exclusively, il not Guite
mere Increase in the power of the hodii,
senses and faculties, the telegram IN tha.
OF the tongue, the telephone in that Of tho
ear, ear the railway In that of the legs the pbo.
ttppgraphlc science In that of the eve: and
tnesG inventions leave In Ignorance the mnra
intellectual part of the Individual. Y"ur
portrait can be taken, your voice boxed nm
an ms rs extraordinary, but the soul which
forgotten - :" '"e "ead' Is
:. lhis Is Just as true today as it wos whom
~ was written, except for the natural
uroaaehihg M influence of two decades. Refore
we can nope to have a distinctiyely Ameri =
can expression of architecture Or any other
,io vi Tue arts, we we must get away from this
,,tli lTiPo'nu. o with this once done the progress