Evening star., 1924-01-24
The North Window
by LEILA, MECHLIN

House Of Representatives last Satur.
day by Representative Tinkham OF
and referred to the
committee on education. If this bill
is reported on favorably by the com.
mittee 1t will presumably then come
before the House and Senate for con-
and discussion. Probably
this particular bill was drawn up By
or at the instigation of the art com
mission Of the commonwealth Of Mas
sachusetts, which has openly declared
its interest in the matter and its de-
termination to press 1t.
But for some time the question OF
the establishment of department o.
fine arts has been more or less IL
the air. One has heard murmurs ir
several sides. At meeting held ir
New York not long ago in the. inter,
est Of the American Federation OF
Arts Walter Damrosch spoke en-
Enthusiastically In favor OF the estab,
lishment of such a department ane
the conviction that 1t would brtne
governmental recognition of the fine
arts as a factor in national life. The
have been particularly in
terested In the creation of such 6
department, supposing, OF course
that music would be reckoned as
that the long-dreamed-of national con
servatory of music would be an out
come.
There are many persons who arr
of the belief that a government or
ganized department functions auto
and that those who admin
lister such are endowed, upon taking
office, with wisdom from on high
But if $50 much cannot invariably be
taken for granted. at least the agi-
tation in various quarters for the
creation of department of fine arts
shows desire on the part OF the
people for the inclusion OF art In our
budget and our nationai ad
program, along with the so-calieo
things of life.
Mr.. Tinkhau's bill not only creates a
OF fine arts, but the po-
sition of secretary, one, 1t IS speclneu:
who shall be learned and experienced
in matters pertaining to the flne arts
and shall assume charge Of the Ma
tional Gallery Of Art, the F'reer Gallery
and all other galleries which may here:
after come under national control; anc
shall also be member ana chalrnidu !
ex-officiO of the Commission OF flnf
Arts: and shall advise and judge al
matters relating to construction, monu-
mental as we'll as buildings, paintings
sculpture, and exhibitions in the United
States and its possessions which are
held under government aid. Ihis same
secretary OF the fine arts. is to have
direction and charge Of international
in the field of art. assum-
ing responsibility for gifts TO the gov
ernment on the part OF foreign gov
and charge of art exhipitions
sent abroad where the government mas
control. He is 10 investigate ana repoT'
upon the teaching of art in the public
schools of the country: he is 10 cooper
ate with the industrial interests of the
United States. but his jurisdiction Is
restricted to merely the arts OF design
Incidentally he Is TO report once year
or oftener if necessary, fuil ana com
nlete statistics relating to the fine arts
Of the United States" The position car
ries with it a salary of S12,o per an
mum. and il is proposed that there DC
an assistant secretary with a salary o'
$4,000.
But note should be made that as &
member of the cabinet the secretary
of fine arts tenure of office will be
that of the heads of the other exec
utiye dspartments'-in other words
for four, or at the maximum. eigh,
years. This would mean that there
should not be merely one but nu.
merous candidates with the extraor-
and very unusual aualifica-
tions which such position would
require.
Unlike other cabinet positions. a
very specialized type or knowledge
would be essential. 1t would not be
an administrative office
States today for men possess nG
these qualifications 1t is difficult
indeed, to find qualified museum di-
both learned in art and
with administrative abillty-and as
new museums are coming into exiS.
tence the scarcity of capable admin.
istrators Is being sorely felt and
remarked.
At the present time the Congress.
of the United States makes a yearly
appropriation of from $4,000 t.
$4,000 to provide not alone for the
salary of the director of our Ma.
tional Gallery Of Art, but for all sal.
aries in his department and for al
expenses incident thereto-a mig.
gardiy and ridiculous sum. Further.
more, the Congress of the Unitee
States has not yet provided an ade.
quate building for the National Cal.
lery COLLECTIONS. now aggregatine
several million dollars in value,
But what the government does not
DO private individuals and organiza-
lions are to a measure doing. For in
stance, In the matter of international
cooperation in art and American rep
resentatlon abroad, the American
Federation of Arts has just Assem- ed
and is sending, through the co-opera-
ton Of the Department of State and
the United States Shipping Board, an
of paintings by American
artists to be shown at the great in.
ternational exposition in Venice this
spring and summer. The municipality
OF Venice has set aside a site fol
a United States pavilion and invited
the United Srates government to erect
It's own building. This would require
an appropriation of $4,000 from Con
gress and has not yet been approved
therefore this year the American col
lection Will be shown in two galleries
set aside by the exposition authorities
In their main pavilion wherein are
shown works by Italian artists.
Last fall, when an invitation came
to the architects of the United States
10 ScIlu du tO the txpOSltlOT
Of architecture held at Santiago, Chile
the American Federation of Arts,
the cooperation Of the State
arranged for suitable
In sending a, represent
ative exhibit.
In a few months will be brought up
for consideration and decision the in
vitation of France to the United
States to officially participate in its
great exposition of decorative and in
1ustrial art to be held in Paris in 1925.
4 X X +
To a great extent the American
of Arts, which has its
headquarters here in the Octagon
House, and chapters and individual
throughout the United
States, was originally organized by
a group of broad-visioned men. in
Elihu Root. the late Robert
Bacon, Francis D. Millet. William E.
Curtis and others, to function for the