Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-08-26
ARTISTS RELIEF 0 KID
BY BAXTER, turned
Down BY BREWSTER
Nh. Roston Herald Tuesday said:

Greatly to the concern OF MISS
Bashka Paeff, the artist, 1t oecaunS
known today that the bronze reiel
which she was commlssiome1 ~ ~
Maine for a conspicuous position In
the war memorial bridge at klttery
has been rejected temporarily "a, at
least. by Gov. Brewster on the
ground that the design is more OF a
glorification of pacifism tna1 o. h'S
states part In the world connic..
When she was asked to. comment
on the situation last evening at her
studio, As River street, MISS Fasid
was obviously much disturbed. Sne
firmly declined to talk Of the fact
that two checks for $4,000 and 81.
600 respectively which had Deen
drawn to her credit during the pax :
ter administration in add l90n h so
preliminary payment of 5000, nave
been held up by the present execu-
tive Of the State. -,
Instead, she said, feelingly.
won't say word. I'm upset that tne
newspapers ever got hold OF tne
affair. 1t shouldn't have come out at
all. No, 1t should never nave peeH
printed" she repeated.
The story of the rejected Teiiea
really begins in May, 1874, When tne
then Gov. Baxter and a memo aff' .
sketch from a number of others
which had been submitted. Iney
made a contract with her to model
the bronze relief after the design IN
the sketch and agreed to set u IN 9
special plinth at the entrance TO the
memorial bridge which connests
Portsmouth, N. H., and Kittery, Me
Then, as ex-Gov. Baxter recently
explained, that all bills for the mem
orial should be met, by his admin
istration and not embarrass his sue
cessor, checks were drawn by the
State treasurer, payable to MISS
Paeff's order and were locked uf
for safe keeping with a trust com
pany until they should come due
Previously, however. the sum OF
$4,000 had been paid the artist te
bind the contract.
| So far so good, Miss Paeff worked
steadily on the relief and a month OF
two ago finally completed the clay
| model from which the bronze was u
be cast. She was pleased with hel
work and thought it would be
good notion to invite the Governol
OF Maine to view it. But by thi:
time Baxter had retired from OFFICE
and when the executive of the State
came it was Brewster, who has yer.
distinct ideas of his own.
| He was extremely polite. Thu
dramatic force and the, artistic quail
| ity of the relief were striking, M
said. It was skilfully modelled ant
the symbolic design was deeply i'm
pressive. But-and he mentionet
this with disarming mildness-h
doubted whether such design
would be entirely satisfactory to, the
| people of Maine who expected al
appropriate memorial for the deed:
Of their sons in war.
With equal savoir faire, Mis-:
Paeff pointed out that it was perhap:
| the figures, the design and the whole
| spirit of the piece, and reminded
Gov. Brewster that she was simply
| carrying out her end of the contract
| which had been legally and binding
| ly made with his predecessor.
That should have ended the mat
! ter. except that the Governor, who
as has been intimated, has a will Of
his own, did some stopping on hi:
own account, He notified Miss Paef
| to stop work and stopped the pay
| ments on both the checks. There the
matter rests-for the time being.
There are four figures in Mis-.
| Paeff's embattfed relief. Two o.
them are the torsos of dead youths
their bodies and features twisted il
| agony. who are lying at the feet o.
a horror-stricken mother clasping {
baby in her arms. Besides one o.
the corpses is dog and in the back
ground is a whirling wrack Of mids
i suggesting mystery and terror. 1t il
a large panel, 8 by Is feet.
| Why Gov. Brewster should fee
that this would not make a mos
appropriate memorial for the pa
triots of Maine, Miss Paeff canno
imagine, she says. She is still NOR,
bewildered by the fact that when tn,
bridge was formerly dedicated som,
months ago she was present as al
official guest.