Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11

everywhere to the common man as
potential voter and soldier Is deeply
sincere. Beneath their ora
tory one senses real distrust of the
average mans ability to think ra-
tionally. They have lost their faith
In the perfectibility of Demos
through education, which was the
sheet anchor Of elder liberals like
Jefferson, Helvetius and James Mill
and cynically would replace educa-
ton by propaganda. One Of the
latest favorites Of the New Deal,
Assistant Attorney General Arnold,
has written a widely read book to
explain how from humanitarian
point of view the best government
is that Of an insane asylum -
whose aim Is to make the In
mates as comfortable as possible
and to show how the modern state
cannot survive unless 1t FORCES q
mythology to its purpose. To the
thoughtful man such aspects Of
craftsmanship in the year 1888 as
the dramatizing of complex eco
nomic problems into a simple and
exciting class war and the notion
that SUFFICIENT unto the day is the
strategy thereof are Of graver con-
Germ than a mere passing phase OF
national extravaganza in spend
ing"
The reviewer could contribute,
something here as to these novels,
plays, poems, sermons and mural
paintings" of which Mr.. Wecter
speaks. She would point out that
since practice of the arts became a
handsomely paying profession in
this country, entrepreneurs IN all
the artistic fields have been more
numerous than talented, and for the
most part have exclusively followed
the safe course of playing the sed-
ulous ape to the successful.
Now, it happened, in painting, for
example, that the outstanding mural
artist of the day, Rivera, chose the
laborer and peasant for his great
subjects. What followed then?
Why, a cheeping and peeping in
tender tones throughout the land
as a thousand or so little Riveras
picked their way out of their OBJ
scure shells into the reflected light
of the great eagles genius, and a
spotting and smearing OF the walls
of our hapless public edihces from
coast to coast with the figures Of,
one-too-graceful share choppers.
! long-faced denizens of the dust bowl,
rectangular miners with pick and
shovel, labor striking off its chains
(what chains?), the spirit of the
machine calling to its mate and
what have you. Do these paintings
indicate a tremendous awareness of
the problems of labor among our
artists? Not in a million years. They
indicate that Rivera made pots of
money painting the proletariat and
that his lesser brethren hope to do
likewise.
Similarly in the novel, though
there the inspiration has come more
from politics than from art. Mr..
Roosevelt, trumpeting lyrically to
the world the tidings of the forgot
ten man, scored highly profitable
success. 1t is generally conceded to-
day that he would have met with
the same triumph if he had chosen
to celebrate any other tag phrase
or none. He was elected because
Mr.. Hoover was doomed. But our ,
novelists. observing what national
best seller he had become. rushed one
and all-or nearly so-into the mar
ket with works Which were obviously
vamped along the lines of his
speeches crying up failure! Down
success And so we have the great
social-minded trend in current lit
erature. And the same process has
held all along the so-called artistic
line.
1t may be added that in the arts,
as we'll as in politics. the Govern
ment is doing great deal to en-
courage this tendency. 1t has given
considerable sums to subsidize ar
tistic well, what would you call
themD projects, and generally this
money goes to the artistic failure
the unemployed. The reasoning
is that these unemployed ones de-
serve help as we'll as do the unem-
ployed in other fields, and there is
a convincing ring of justice about
it, too. But the practical result Is
simply that the Government has
bought the talents of large num-
Der OF workers in the arts to propa-
gandize its own policies. While it
cries out against the private en-
ployer who interferes with his en-
ployes' freedom of thought, it
virtually controls body of re-
lief-taking painters and penmen.
What does this mean? It means
that the unsuccessful artists of the
land are being hired to celebrate
the nobilities Of the unsuccessful
farmers, and workers, and that not
merit but political color determines
the artistic output of a great body
OF so-called creative laborers, Just
as the Government is at present
encouraging the cult that the failure
in private life Is somehow better
man than the one who maintains
himself
1t Sits down to meaner and
meaner terms. The reviewer will
take 1t no further, but will leave it
to you. She will only add this-that
in recent weeks she had an anony-
nous letter warning her that if she
did not start praising the New Deal
she would be forever barred from
the higher levels of her profession.
Pleasant? OF course, the reviewer
does not suppose that the writer
was any government official. It
was some ignorant or demented per-
son. But that letter was symptomatic.
1t was striking at the Individual
or the institution which, in trad1.
tionai American fashion, stands on
indlvldual conscience and refuses
10 become one Of regimented mob.