Evening star., 1932-01-27
7OTESTS MURRAY
POSING FOR ALIEN
.'2ad of League Charges
Governor Was Taken in by
Art "RaCket."
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 81. When
Gov. William H. Murray, Oklahoma's
celebrated Alfalfa Bill" was in Wash
ington last week he took off little time
from talking about present-day prob
lens, politics and the sad pass to which
the country has come, to permit an
artist to paint his picture. Last Thurs
day Albert T. Reid, member Of the Ex-
ecutive Committee Of the American
Artists Professional League, saw in
newspaper a photograph showing Gov.
Murray in a chair, and his portrait on
a nearby easel with an artist standing
proudly beside it, palette in hand. The
artist was Hungarian, Adolphe KISS
Subsequently, quite few American
born artists remarked to Mr.. Reid that
if Gov. Murray wanted his portrait
painted, he might have patronized the
home industry, a goodly part OF which
is at present unemployed.
So Mr.. Reid sat down to his desk In
a Park avenue Office and wrote letter
to Gov. Murray, protesting against MS
having chosen foreign artist 10 put
cnt0 canvas a likeness Of his thoroughly
100 per cent Oklahoma self.
Points to Artists IN Need.
There are more than 10000 per,
sons in the profession OF the VlSuai
arts in the United States" Mr.. Reld
wrote to the Governor of Oklahoma.
They are scattered proportionately
throughout the country. You would be
amazed at the list Of Oklahomans in
this field Of endeavor.
THE American Artists Professional
League does not feel that you nave
purposely intended any discrimination
against the American artists, who have
no peers abroad. At the present time
they are needing your help"
Yesterday tie New York Herald IT'D
me sent a telegram to Gov. Murray ask
ing for his comment
Your telegram" he promptly Wlred
back from Oklahoma City, was my
first knowledge that I had permitted
foreigner to paint my picture. Whlle
in Washington two artists asked 10
paint my portrait, saying they made no
charge. I promised them nothing ana
paid them nothing and the portrait was
not for me. I never stop to ask for
his birth certificate or naturalization
papers when dealing with a stranger.
CONSIDERS Lkku VA SSh%J'
"Since calling my attention to this
matter let's consider 1t in the light OF
Justice and fair play and comfy be-
tween different nations. Should Amer
ica not treat with consideration all
citizens from other nations when we
lawfully permit them to come within
our border? Should We not either give
them fair play and justice or stop them
at the port?
"A correct answer to such questions
will aid international peace and greatly
promote harmony between nations. My
position is that of love for my own Ma
ton and keeping it out OF entangllng
alliances with all others, maintaining
peace and commerce with them and
maintaining justice between cur Nation
and theirs and justice between Amer
leans and citizens Of all other nations.
Il have no desire to dodge the issue,
fer I hold SteadfaStly to the doctrine
that justice and fair play Is the only
basis for permanent peace and the
safest precaution against war."-Wil-
liam H. Murray, Governor.
Dealers Racket Charged
When Mr.. Reid heard what Gov.
MURRAY had had to say, he explained
that the American Artists Professional
League had no hard teeIlngS against
the Oklahoma executive personally, but
the organization simply had taken the
opportunity to begin with him a cam
paign Of protest against a racket"
which art dealers have worked up for
the benefit Of their pocketbooks and the
regulations of "lot Of second and
third rate foreign painters"
The racket has been going on for
a long time" he said. The dealer
brings a third-rater over here from
Europe and finds celebrity Of some
sort-a society woman, a politician, an
aCtor-to pose for him, telling the celeb
rity the portrait will not cost him or
her a cent. It's like the peanut vendor
giving a KID goober so he will bring
his mamma back to buy him a sack
of them. The dealer, by getting hold
of a celebrity, obtains some publicity
for his imported artist and then sells
the rest Of his pictures at 100 per cent
profit.
The game is also worked in diplo-
matte circles. A Governor or a PreSi-
dent sits for several Of these portraits,
and then finally, when 1t comes to the
question of an official portrait to hang
in Washington or in a State capital or
a museum, the off1ce-holder is already
tired of posing, and he says: well, So
and-So did a pretty good one Of me.
Why don't you buy that one?"