In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 21

In the Public Eye

The annual award of the Hundred Year Association, composed of business houses established in New York a century or longer, will be given to John D. Rockefeller. Jun.. for his gut to the city of Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters, museum of medieval art, it was announced recently at the eighth annual dinner. The award, given to the individual who has performed an outstanding service to the city, will be presented formally to Mr. Rockefeller at a luncheon this month. Mr. Rockefeller was unable to attend the dinner. Announcement of the award was made by Alexander R. Sharton, president of the association, who read a letter from Mr. Rockefeller expressing regret at being out of the city, but saying he would accept the medal at a luncheon he is giving to the board of- directors of the association next month. Last year's medal went to Park Commissioner Robert Moses. Thomas Baird Appleget, vice-presi-dent of the Rockefeller Foundation, represented Mr. Rockefeller unofficially. He spoke on the work of the foundation, which he said had been created for the "wellbeing of mankind throughout the world," but was "not a general philanthropic agency." "We are interested in certain limited objectives," he explained. "The world ia not static, and we have, from time to time, altered those objectives In response to : what seemed really cyclic changes in human needs. We believe, however, that we can serve the world better by concentrating our efforts. The foundation has persistently dedicated its resources and its efforts, all too weak, to man's never-ending struggle against poverty, ignorance, and disease." Saying that the foundation supports research based on "the theory that man is the most important inhabitant of the world," Mr. Appleget outlined its five programmes as follows:— ' "The international health division is concerned with man's struggle for survival in the environment of disease. Our division of social sciences is interested in man's endeavours to understand and control the social, political, and economic forces which have recently given such a convincing demonstration of power. "The medical sciences division, concentrating in psychiatry, is supporting those who are seeking to understand man's mind and to make rational its functioning in the. world of ideas. The natural sciences division, in its programme pi experimental biology, is co-operating with efforts to find out how man's mind and body works. The humanities division is interested in man's cultural environment, in efforts which- hope to enrich the life of the spirit." - Professor J. W. Haver. The collapse of the Neopagans' attempt to develop their religion and the degeneration of Nordic paganism into a purely anti-Christian revolt are symbolised by the retirement of Professor Jacob Wilhelm Haver of Tuebingen University, as head of the German Faith, Movement. Count Ernst zu Reventlow, who was Professor Haver's right-hand man before his own resignation from the organisation just before the recent National Election, revealed in his weekly newspaper, the "Reichswarte," the reasons for Professor Haver's and his own decision to abandon the fast-sink-ing Faith Movement •He declares that Professor Haver was unable to continue to co-operate with the majority of his associates, who were evidently primarily bent on tearing down Christianity. The article gives no details, but Count Reventlow promises that if it seems necessary further explanations will be given. It had become perfectly evident at Professor Haver's public meetings that he only bored his followers when he indulged in his usual long discussions of the Nordic faith and that they were roused to enthusiasm only when he attacked Christian doctrines or conditions in the existing Christian churches in Germany. He failed entirely to attract young people, and his subordinates soon began to ignore"his abstruse philosophical arguments and concentrated on what they call the weaknesses of pre-sent-day Christianity, notably its international , character. Professor Haver has adopted the standpoint that Nordic Paganism must conquer Christianity in Germany by virue of its own appeal. Count Reventlow, who is a party politician and a member of the all-Nazi Reichstag, has practical reasons for adopting the same viewpoint. Herr Hitler has recently made plain to his intimates that he regards public attacks on Christianity as endangering the nation's unity. He has apparently made up his mind that Christianity is one of the permanent factors in German life. The Nordic Pagan groups outside the German Faith Movement, such as the one headed by Mathilda LudendorfT, General Ludendorff's wife, are not affected by Professor Haver's action, but they are of little importance. In the meantime Reich Bishop Ludwig Mueller, who had not been heard of for months, has issued a booklet containing a Germanisation of various sacred texts. The booklet is difficult to obtain and' has evidently appeared in a strictly limited edition. This work is seemingly the net result of Dr. Mueller's mysterious labours since Harms Kerri, Reich Minister for Church Affairs, stripped him of all his functions and forced him to abandon both his suite of offices and official car, and he retired completely from the scene last northern summer. He has been ignored by the remaining Nazi German Christian leaders, who blame him for the practical.extinction of their movement.

One of the most interesting books of reminiscences in connection with the world of art is that by Sir Charles Holmes, who served both as Director of the National' Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery. The duties of his office included the purchase of pictures for the State, and one of " his efforts in that direction is recorded.' The incident occurred during the war when an opportunity occurred in Paris to obtain some paintings for the National Gallery which had been awaited for years. ' "The auctioneer puzzled me at first by disregarding entirely the catalogue order," writes Sir Charles, "beginning somewhere in the middle of the numbers, and dodging backwards and forwards at will. This, it appeared, was the French sale-room plan for giving minor lots the chance of being seen by the whole assembly, and keeping buyers alert. "Gradually I got accustomed to his ways and voice, and to translating quickly quotations in francs to their approximate sterling equivalents. I even, ventured to beguile the weary waiting by cautious bids for things I did not really want; such was the potency of impatienc . Matters had droned on thus for a full hour, when, at 3 o'clock, a dull 'boom' sounded outside as if a smallish bomb had dropped. 'C'est le canon'- was heard on all sides, and people began to leave the room. "Still the paintings did not appear. At 3.15 a second 'boom' showed that what we afterwards, knew as Big Bertha had again got going. There was quite a considerable rush to the door. . ' "Then, at last, the important pictures came up before a much-depleted assembly. By great good luck, one of the very finest, the Ingres portrait of M. de Norvins,.did not appeal to the room so much as the painter's later and more oily products, so we secured it for about a third of the price we expected to pay. But the big Delacroix, Baron Schwiter, was not to be had so easily. "As I went on bidding there came a stir, people stood up to look at me, and voices, "C'est pour le Youvre, Monsieur,' 'Vous luttez contre le Louvre, Monsieur.' It was most unpleasant. Yet if I gave way for a moment to the clamour, the' picture would be lost for good and all. Better face a little trouble now, than a permanent regret for funking: So we secured it. Over the other-pleasant Delacroix the Louvre was too strong for me. "But we got the pieces of the big Execution of Maximilian, by Manet, as well as the luminous study, Mmc Manet, with the cat orr1 her lap, two small compositions by Ingres, the vivid little early landscape by Corot, which Degas kept hanging over his bed, and several other useful things." Sir Charles Holmes, after spending many years at the National Gallery, naturally has views of his own with regard to reforms—or rather improvements—which, might be carried out. "Turner indeed is our Wagner," he says, "and it passes comprehension why we should now entomb his most triumphant products m remote1 portfolios, instead of keeping, as heretofore, a small selection on view at Trafalgar Square, where anyone can look in, en passant, and refresh himself for a few moments in the light of their beauty. The Print Room of the British Museum is a charming placewhen once you have got there, with an hour or two at your disposal for study. The mass of Turner's, sketches could not be in safer custody, but a few of the best deserve to be made more accessible." i ■ ■• • • Mr. Harold Seton. The man with the world's largest private collection of celebrities' photographs was recently in London, to present some of them to museums and clubs. . ' He is Mr. Harold Seton, of New York. Forty years, ago, when a young man, he decided that his life's ambition was to compile the "largest family album" in the world. All his leisure since then has been devoted to the hobby, and he has achieved his ambition. He is now referred to in New York as the "walking social register of the nineties." "My collection now numbers 10,300 portraits," he said recently in his London hotel. "I am offering twenty-four rare pictures of British actors and actresses of the past seventy-five years to the British Museum, and may give some to the Shakespeare Theatre, at Stratford-on-Avon." In 1895 Mr. Seton was.New York's youngest regular first-nighter. For thirty years he attended the opening performance of. every v important theatrical production. He always went alone,and never accepted a free ticket In this way he came to know the leading American actors and actresses, and theatrical photographs form an important section of his collection.1 From bundles carefully wrapped in tissue paper he produced pictures of Mrs. Langtry, Mary Anderson, Mrs. Bandmann-Palmer (America's female "Hamlet"), Miss Marie Tempest wearing tights in the New York production of "The Tyrolean" in 1891, Miss Edna May, and many others. Mr. Seton's collection contains many portraits of English Royalty, ranging from Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort at the time of their betrothal to snapshots of the Prince of Wales as a child. Costume designers and Hollywood producers often consult Mr. Seton for guidance on bygone fashions.