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Show WAR'S EFFECT ON ALL ARTS Inevitably Bad in the Extreme, Is the Opinion Expressed by William Dean Howells. "War stops literature." says William Dean Howells. "It is an upheaval of civilization, a return to barbarism; it means death to all arts Even the preparation for war stops literature." Mr. Howell's opinion is probably shared by a good many observers, and by a good many more Grander Mat- thews among them It Is entirely rejected. re-jected. The fact remains, however, that we have had five months of the most appalling war that the world has ever known, and In that length of time no literary product that will survive beyond its little hour. This may prove Mr. Howells righL, or it may prove merely that we have not yet had enough war to produce the stimulating effect that others ascribe to it. If the latter is the case, literature must be in the doldrums, indeed, and it would prove interesting to know how much war those who believe in war's revivifying revivi-fying tonic think is required to produce pro-duce a masterpiece in letters, or painting paint-ing or drama or music. Someone, surely, ought to be able to figure it out to tell us, in round numbers, how much blood must be spilled, how many battles must be fought, how many lands made desolate, how many thousands thou-sands of men maimed and killed and hew many hearts bowed low with grie: before art is purged clean and genius is stimulated to respond to war's inspiration. Indianapolis News. |