Evening star., 1923-11-08
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN

vember Forum, boldly affirms the
appreciation OF beauty to be some.
thing more than an evidence Of civili-
has been harassed and distressed
and outraged by the upcropping Of
billboard advertising signs along the
roadways of New England. Taking a
trip from the Berkshires to Boston
and thence north, he says, matters
get worse instead of better as you
approach the White mountains, un-
til you must strain your eyes inces-
sanity to catch a glimpse of Tripyra-
mid between the signs, like a land
scape viewed through a picket fence"
Regarding the roadside view from the
pictorial standpoint he remarks:
Suppose you were to enter an art
museum, and across the foreground
of every landscape paint rectangles of
ugly blue and green and yellow print.
The gallery would become a place of
horror" But this is virtually what
has been done along the roadsides in
some of the most beautiful sections of
New England.
Mr.. Eaton says that some are of the
opinion that there are more impor-
tant matters facing America TO-DAY
than this, but personally he is of the
belief that 1T may not be so. He takes
it that the vulgar Haunting of ma
tional products from the hilltops, no
matter how much the countryside is
spoiled, is a symptom OF national Ill
health. and that if remedy is not
found it means that the disease has
struck very deep.
X X X X
And Mr. Eaton is right, for a peo-
pie who do not hold beauty sacred are
undoubtedly on the downward slant.
Furthermore, from an economic
standpoint it Is a waste. Hundreds of
thousands of dollars are being spent
to build roads, and for a mere song
the beauty of these roadways, these
arteries of travel, Is being despoiled
for private gain. The farmer who
leases his ground for the purpose re-
ceives very small reward, and 1t has
yet to be proved that the advertisers
are greatly profited. But if they were,
the greater would be the crime.
The state of Massachusetts, has
passed an ordinance forbidding all
billboard advertising on its state
highways. In Great Britain recently
those in authority awoke to the dan
ger of this growing evil ana peti-
toned that steps be taken by the
county councils to prevent IT,
certain woman's club in New YORK
state has waged an enersetlc ana
a successful war aaginst Dlllpoards
in the vicinity of Lake George. US
ing persuasive melhouS lo seeuie
their removal
There are many people VINO enjoy
the beauties of nature-a lovely
landscape vista, who have had no
artistic training, but 1t is snort
step from appreciation OF beauty In
nature to appreciation of beauty In
art
In recent years great progress has
been made in the art OF city plan
ming. Twenty-Five years ago the
majority of our cities were growing
like Topsy in a perfectly haphazaru
fashion Now the majority nave
adopted we'll ordered plans, looking
far into the future to insure har-
monious development The Mcmillan
Park Commission plan for Washlns-
ton did much to awaken the people
to the need of such planning, anu
the fact that it had to fight its way
to acceptance probably Increased It's
usefulness in this respect.
When the Rurnham plan Tor Chl,
cago was first published it seemed
a chimerical dream. but 1t is a dream
which is fast finding realIzatioh. II
was Mr. Burnham's belief that one
should plan on generous lines Make
NO small plans" he said, and many
a small city has lost out Dy not Ian
ing to heart this advice. II is eA-
ceedingly desirable to have Wen ae
signed lamp-posts, lighting nxtules,
letter boxes, etc, but such are mere
incidents-the big thing is the plan.
There is a body of experts now de.
veloping a great plan for the CITY OF
Greater New York, looking to the Tar
future, foreseeing it's larger CROWN
and forestalling as much as posslnie
the blunders of ignorance Whlch VIII
deprive generations yet unborn OF tne
ioy which civic beauty gives, as wen
as it's ennobling influence.
X + *
It is really amazing how much is
heine done along these lines. how
many communities are trying to I'M
prove appearances and to secure that
which is fine in the place OF that
which is unsightly.
There is a great increase also In
tho use of sculpture for PUBIC memo
rails and civic adornment. Our jack
son statue in Lafayette Square was
the first equestrian statue by an
American sculptor in this country
| and the date of it's unveiling was a
ago. Today there is scarcely city
| in the United States of $4,000 in
habitants that has not some notabie
work of sculpture to which its cio-
the list of sculpture of a really
worthy character and chiefly by
American scu1ptors in the cities and
towns of the United States Is amaz-
ingly long and honorable. IT IS such
things that are going to produce In
the minds of young Americans an
| impression and cultivate in them a
discriminating love of art
y X * X
Often the question is asked: Are
the masses in America appreciative
of art? To a great extent they are,
but not in the same way that the
| masses in France or in Italy are. AL
most any boy or girl on the streets
/ of Paris or Venice can direct the
travellers steps to the great works or
art, and will do so with pride ana en-
| thusiasm. They and their fatners
and their grandfathers and their
great-great- grandparents have grown
up in the company of the masters and
have learned not only to love put 10
understand them. Art to them is
matter Of course and is a part OF life,
| not because they have been taught
| of It in their schools or have been
| instructed in their museums, but on
account of having had this intimate
association from earliest infancy.
Furthermore, time has put on the
works of the great masters its mark
| Of approval A copy of the Alhambra
erected on the plains of Texas would
not mean to those of this generation
what the AIhambra in Spain means to
even the casual visitor today. All the
wealth of our country cannot buy the
art which has descended to the peo-
pies of Europe through hundreds of
ii,.a., +ba arf that thew have lived