Evening star., 1924-11-14

War is declared upon ugliness. The
General Federation OF Womeu's Clubs
has spoken softly, but Is ready to WELD
a big stlck-or rather several thousand
clubs-against the pest. Mrs. Rose V.
S. Berry chairman of the fine arts COM
ruittee, declares, or behalf of the fed
Grafton, that Americans must be taught
to love beauty in the home. the school
and in all civic environment. No more
shall Grass uglinesS mar the walls OF
our living rooms, nor our furniture, our
lawns nor our highways, where 10000
900 automobiles now travel past sign
SCARED landscapes.
In strong support of the Federation
of Women's Clubs, the Art Society Of
Washington Ia to feast tomorrow. and
during that repast 1t will consider a
symposium of esthetics, wherein artists
and connoisseurs will pronounce the
'Iast word on how to find beauty in
Washington.
To the majority of 'just folks the
art idea is hopeless-it can be under
stood, they think, only by the ultra
esthetic and not by practical people.
How many general readers appreciate
the beauty of q Constable-not one with
a silver star on his bosom, but one
duly incased in gold frame? Yet
artists assure us that art is all that dill
ferentiates civilization from savagery
1t makes the hut sweet home. and
it inspires the gentler. sublimer con-
cepts of life, whether it be expressed IN
musical tones or in rich color or eX-
quisite form. All the arts are inter-
related and their inspirations inter-
changeabe.
Every connoisseur comedies that the
worst possible environment of pictures
or etatuary is where they are huddled
togther in galleries or sepulchral mu-
seums. jangling unrelated emotions or
ideas. Yet whenever art is referred TO
such a Tower of Babel comes to the
mind Of the unartistic. Art belongs
primarily in the home. where it may
cover a multitude of what the great
Napoleon evalued as worse than a
crime-a blunder.''
In a letter from the federation's
art chairman is this message: LAS to
getting art into the home, we are
working upon that this year for the
first time"
Yet she interpolates: IT am always
amused when ono happens to dis
cover the General Federation of
Women's Clubs and imagines he can
do us up in sentence or two. Our
art division is one of the largest, If
not the largest, in the United States.
We have 400 clubs doing nothing but
study art. We have 1000 clubs put
ting on several art programs"
Shall a mere man be laughed at.
then, for discovering encouragement
in the mighty interest in art by the
federation-the four hundred-when
with all its exclusive art study of
the past 80 years. 1t has just now un-
dertaken to teach that the place of
art is in the home? Have not these
clubs been doing us up by substi-
tuting profound essays on the history
of Grecian sculpture or of the Italian
renaissance or the English pre-
Rapha elites. in place of giving US
beauty in our own homes? Is 1t any
wonder that we who are hungry for
true grace and beauty should resent
so hard a stone as the antique art,
with arms or head fractured? Good,
The federation's clubs. are working
on that this year for the first time"
Why-oh why. this haste?
X n X
The art chairman brings this
charge, which. without bias, may be
submitted to .tomorrow's art sympo-
stun:
America has never been artistic
since it cut away from the Old Coun-
try"
Is that a covert suggestion that for
pewter cups and handmade period