Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-18
THE NORTH WINDOW
By Leila Mechlin.


| that the Metropolitan Museum OF Art
in New York would receive through
| the will Of the late Frank A. Munsey
approximately $40 900 900.
; Within the last fortnight announce
ment has been made that the Toledo
Museum Of Art has been bequeathed
f, by the late Edward Drummond Libbey
| nearly $20.000.00 an amount which
does not take into consideration the
splendid museum building with It's
lately completed addition erected
through Mr. Libbey's muniflcence. 1t
| was not a great many years ago that
this museum came into existence. It's
| first home, and it's home for num-
Der Of years, was q rented building
designed as private residence. Luck
| lily its first and only director was we'll
chosen. George w. Stevens not only
has a genius for organization, but
great vision, and from this little be-
ginning, under the tlreless care and
| joyous effort of himself and his wife,
| the beautiful museum splendidly
housed and richly endowed has ma
terialiZed. The achievement Is to a
great extent due to the wisdom and
| well directed efforts Of the Stevenses,
but without Mr.. Libbey's generous
| support and princely gifts 1t would
have been impossible.
I 1t should not be thought, however,
for a moment that this museum Is In
any way rich mans toy. Mr.. Lib
| hey would not consent to have 1t bear
| his name, and he has always insisted
| that the people of Toledo should bear
| their part in its upbuilding. They
| have done SO. In all Toledo 1t Is diff
| cult to find any one who does not
claim part ownership in the art mu-
I Ca NJ hnnthl1nk X.
layer. motorman, merchant and those
Of the professions. 1t is the citys
art museum. With an endowment OF
$20,000,000 the days of struggle and
| financial anxiety are over; the days OF
wider opportunity ahead.
| II r X \
| In an address made at the Brooklyn
Chamber of Commerce more than a
year ago, Otto III. Kahn, after touch
ing on the amazing growth and vital
ity Of the art life of America. called
! attention to the fact that while far
more was being done in this country
| by private generosity than anywhere
: else in the world for hospitals.
churches, universities. libraries and
the like, relatively little consideration
had as yet been given by the liberality
of successful men to the vastly i'm
portant and fertile field of art. and
| expressed the hope that as the social
value and beneficial potentialities of
art became more widely understood.
more and more well-to-do men and
women would be found to help along
such movements as had fol their pur-
pose the advancement of art and art
standards, the making Of the Joys and
| inspiration of art more widely acceS-
sible to the people. In the light Of the
| Munsey and Libbey requests to the
| Metropolitan Museum of Art and the
Toledo Art Museum 1t would seem that
this hope was to be realized.
| n y X n
| One Of the greatest problems which
| confront us nationally today Is the
wise use of leisure. A story is told
Of a foreigner visiting this country
who. after being shown innumerable
mechanical time.saving devices, ex-
claimed in evident bewilderment. But
what do you do with the time that is
saved?"
| The pleasure which comes from q
love Of art Is essentially recreational.
1t was doubtless recognition of this
fact which led Mrs. Frederick S. Cool.
| idge to give to the Library of Con-
gress the charming little auditorium
l
music concerts, and to contribute a
sufficient fund as endowment to in
sure its perpetual good use.
The Government of the United
States, making vast appropriations for
utilitarian objects, does not seem to
recognize. up to the present time, any
responsibility for the cultural life of
The people-that is. for the cultivation
of the finer tastes: this 1t has left ex-
clusively to private munificence. In
asmuch as ours Is a government of
the people, for the people. by the peo'
pie, it may be argued that III the end
the result is the same: but govern
ment appropriations mean national
| recognition Of national needs and an
even division of responsibility.
Because OF the difficulty. however.
of obtaining such appropriations. and
because of the generosity Of those OF
large private means, there seems
greater hope Of obtaining a desired
end by appeal to the public than to
the Government. Indeed, 1t would
seem as though the Government itself
had recognized this fact, for as lately
as last year an act creating Trust
Fund Board for the Library of Con-
gress. enabling it to accept gifts and
| endowment, was unanimously passed
by both houses Of Congress. This act
was further amended and approved on
| January 81 of the present year. 1t
was undoubtedly Mrs. Frederick S.
! Coolidge's gift and endowment. the
latter of over 100000, which led to
the passage of this act.
| The board is concerned only with
| endowments, its function being to hold
and administer a principal sum OF
which the income alone is applicable
to the benefit of the Library and its
service, but it does not preclude the
gift to the Librarian direct Of moneys
| Immediately applicable to the needs
Of any purposes.
Mrs. Coolidge's endowment is anal
ogous to the endowment or part
endowment Of "chair" of music. In
a handsome paInphlet recently issued
by the Library of Congress Trust
Fund Board, the suggestion is made
that endowment for other chairs
| among them that of Fine Arts
, chief of the division of prints) Is
pressingly needed, as well as gifts OF
free funds" for the acquisition of
material for editing or publication. for
various types % service. This state
ment has been printed mot as a spe-
cific appeal for funds or the gift of
collections, but with a view to COM
municating a situation and prospect to
those who have concern for the pro.
motion of scholarship, Of exact knowl-
edge and Of culture in the United
States" 1t Is to be hoped that it
will fall into the hands and appeal to
the inclinations of those who have it
in their power to give.
| X X X 4
And then there is our National Gal
lery of Art, still unhoused, still with.
out visible form. Congress has set
aside a site and private interest has
|provided a plan. A second site has
been offered by Mrs. Henderson, and
still the project waits. The richest