Evening star., 1923-07-19
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN

vantages to- be gained through th'
Reorganization of those occupied with
the arts-that is, producing artists
| Such a union to the majority OF per-
sons would seem as chimericali- a
| thing as a working plan to abolish
| war from the face Of the earth, foi
| which Edward Box is now offering
prize of 100000, but the. fact Is
that such a union has been formed
not in one, but in several countries
Of Europe. In France 1t Is called the
Confederation des Travaiileurs In
tellectuels"; in England 1t is known
as the National Federation of Pro-
fessional Workers" The former was
| organized about two syears ago, the
latter held its inaugural congress in
London on June 23 of the present
year.
In the announcement that was sent
out from England it was stated that
"the organization of capital and OF
manual labor has, in our day. reach
ed such scale and such complete
ness that it has become necessary
for the equally complete organization
of the force by which capital is set
in motion and through which all
manual labor is employed. This force
is the power Of the intelligence or
the intellect-the work of the men
and of the labor of thought"
In the French organization there
are societies representing all the arts
and all the sciences, including the
four salons. Under the auspices of
the French confederation an inter
Sorbonne in Paris in April. at which
over twenty nations were represent
ed by delegates" There has been
no such gathering of thinkers" one
who was present has said. since the
councils of the thirteenth century
which met in Paris and out of whose
meetings came the Universities OF
Paris and of Oxford
More than two years ago William
J. Locke, the well-known British
novelist. in an address made before
the Liverpool Architectural Society
proposed and advocated the import
ance of such a union of artists. Deal
ing with world conditions both as a
literary man and as one-time secre-
tary Of the Royal Institute of British
Architects, he said. as reported in the
Institutes journal: is this the time
to concern ourselves with the trivial
theories and PHILOSOPHERS of art? Are
We, as artists merely fiddling while
the world is burning? What is the
use of US? What is the meaning OF
us? Are we, or are we not. vital
force in the world cropping its way
through chaos to the light?" Before
answering these questions he strongly
emphasized the fact that those who
write. those who paint, those who de-
sign houses, those who compose music
2have everything in common, every
ching in life that matters, for there
is only one art; and he said, 'If we
are to be of any use to mankind as
artists we must live or die together
In this way he stressed the solidarity
of art.
But his recommendation were more
explicit, even. than these, and he con-
tinued: The one art is mighty
force If there were some means OF
organizing it, co-ordinating the eff
forts of painter, musician. architect
poet, so that they all could be brought
into one sociological focus, its infiu-
ence would be immeasurable." How
it could be done he admitted he die
not know Certainly not through the
medium of the academy. The need as
he saw il was for a great organiza-
tion for the conservation of the spirit
A vast trade union in which there
should be no rules as to wages oil
limit of output or the right TO strike e
1t should be generously all-emprac
ing, unselfishly educative, In all II:
elastic superficies in touch with TIT
great social mass. 1t should be
Erreemasonry without other secret:
than those only dimly OWNED which
each of us keeps in his soul Tor th'
execution of his peculiar work. 4
Freema sonry too subtle for signs ane
passwords, yet very real IN. the nu
tuaI recognition OF brethren, and very
potent in it's universally of beneh'
cence. 1t would carry on, In word
the eternal propaganda Oh beauty
In support of his theory, Mr.. Locke
claimed that ever since the woric
began mankind has craved some
revelation of beauty. has demanded
that the life around him should be
interpreted in terms OF beauty
! Therefore, he argues, as the creative
artist adds beauty to the world, ne
does matter-in fact, he matters sc
much in the continuous regeneration
of the world that every man living
today who practices any form of art
should take counsel with himself anC
search out his own sincerity, for ne
is indeed dealing not with thlngs
material. things which pass, but witt
the destinies of mankind.
X X
AS an offshoot of the Internationa1
Association of Intellectual Worker:
there has been formed in England
confederation of the arts. similar II
scope (and to an extent modelled
after) the American Federation OF
Arts, which was formed here ir
Washington fourteen years ago an6
has come in that time to be nation
wide, so that it now embraces 35t
affiliated organizations scattered
throughout the United States. Thi:
American Federation of Arts has'it.
headquarters in the Octagon and 1:
carrying on throughout the country
a. widespread educational work ir
| the interest Of what Mr.. Locke ha:
called 1.-THE everlasting propaganda
of beauty" 1t sends out travelling
exhibitions of paintings and Other
works of art, circulates illustrated
lectures, acts as a bureau of infor
nation and q general clearing house
for art associations-but, more thar
all this, it binds together the work.
ers in the arts and the lovers of ar
and forms in a measure that solidar
| ity for which Mr.. Locke has pleaded
y Il X
1t is not always easy to make
plain to those who have had little
association with art or time for it:
consideration that it is one of th'
great forces in life and that without
e oiyilizafion Would he lost II ia