June 13.
In his speech on the occasion of the Royal Academy banquet, Prince George propounded the question of uniting art and industry. By interpreting the word art in this connection as "the great potential artistic resources} country," at d associating and. perfection of design in industrial materia, it would seem that there is rather Crown, It was characteristic of this perplexing divergence between theory and fact that, while the Irish Members of Parliament vigorously opposed the South African War in 1899, they were exceedingly jealous lest the bravery of Irish battalfons should xot receive its due Imeed of official recognition. Mr. J. H. Thomas, who has shown consistently clear appreciation fof the issues at stake but has been restrained and firm in stating them, has now been invited to go over to Ireland and discuss the whole matter with Mr. de Valera. This is a triumph for Irish commonsense and for British statesmanship. It is} yet. to propound the comforting theory that the danger a breach is removed. Mr.
is accompanied by Lord whose House of Comas Sir Douglas Hogg proved hi possession of great powers of diplomacy.
It is clear that readiness to come to such a conference instead of relying jon a unilateral action which should never have been attempt-
{vould probably be an eventual "Such unions can fairly be de-source of fierce conflict between the Dail and the Senate, has been impressed on the Irish President by the stern logic of events, Distress in Southern Ireland must make any Government worthy of the name exceedingly'
ye ta the danger of foregoing Jany economic benefits now obtaining and to be obtained, possibly, as the result of the Ottawa Conference.
Mr, de Valera is perhaps rapidly undergoing experilence which is familiar to all politicians who, after a career lof recalcitrance, come into power jand find that power is not so easy as it looks. In_ other words the accession to responsiity breeds responsibility. That is why the vehement assail-Jants of the bureaucracy are so} often permanently without the power of directing that instrument. They proceed beyond ordinary criticism: to persistent] attacks in which they commit! [themselves so far that, eventually, the last thing they would desire is the chance to make Jgood their criticisms. Obseurfantism and opportunism exist everywhere. They can be detect-led at times among the bureau-legacy as among politicians themselves. Mr. de Valera is now, finding that out. He wants ce-equality" and he can get it! confusion of thought. Artisan ship is mistaken for art: skill for that innate and rare inspira tion which informs an artist.
If by the potential artistic resources of a nation is meant the host of mechanical designers and draughtsman that are to be found any country it appears to be st ing the limits of pure art to include them in the same category. Moreover national art as) a communal expression of feeling flourished in Europe during. periods of massed religious convietion, With the self-emancipation, during the last century, of individuals from the arbitrary dogmas and tenets of the bet: er-known creeds, and from the blind acceptance of the opinions bf the priests, art has slowly become more individualised. The: home, the paris, the city, have now, by reason of the growth communications, ceased to have: one voice and a cosmopolitan influence creeps in.
The artist of the days of complete communal life filled the same important position in the community, asa medium of communal expression, as the poet and prophet of early Greece and Rome. With the, of present-day its consequent acceleration, art, that is pure art, has lost much of its influence on 'a public struggling for existence in the frenzied maelstrom of chance and change. Art doubtless is long, but the brevity of life, and the effort to live it under: pressure, gives the average man, little time to seek its solace or contemplate its significa would seem, therefore, that, able as the ambition may be, little progress in industry will bd attributable to the sponsorship the Royal Academy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.