JUDAISM A. S. ISAACS The Balkan War.-The transfer of | Workingmen's Committee was organ100,000 Jews from Turkish sover- ized to influence Jews expatriated eignty to Servia, Greece, Bulgaria, and from former European Turkey and Rumania has involved new conditions Asia Minor to join the Zionist movewhich have aroused wide interest ment and settle in Palestine. among the Jews of western Europe and America. Efforts were made to secure a guarantee of civil and religious liberty for Jews of the conquered territory. The United States sought to secure the insertion of a clause in the Treaty of Bucharest to guarantee civil and religious liberty without distinction of creed; the reply was that such liberty already existed (see also III, International Relations). In England, France, Germany, AustriaHungary, and Italy, the status of the Rumanian Jews was the subject of parliamentary discussion. Rumania has assured full citizenship to the Jews of Silistria and other annexed territory, while Jewish recruits enlisted in the war against Bulgaria will also acquire citizenship. The Zionist Congress.-The eleventh International Zionist Congress, held in Vienna early in September, was at tended by 535 delegates and 30 members of the Nations' Committee, with about 1,800 present at the meetings. The existence of much divergence of view was indicated. The way in which Palestine colonization was carried on was strongly criticised, and opposition was aroused by the demand of the central committee that the direction of the Zionist financial institutions should be identified with the party management. The Jewish Colonial Bank and its associated undertakings have more than $2,000,000 in their keeping. Much activity was shown in regard to Palestine work in education and sanitation. It is estimated, as a sign of increasing Jewish interest, that in the last few years the Jews have gained seven per cent. of the entire area. The sum of 4,000,000 francs was raised to establish a Jewish university in Palestine. At a Zionist Congress at Cracow, composed of a section of the Vienna delegates, efforts were made to advance emigration to the Orient instead of to the Occident, and a special Palestine The Ritual Murder Trial.-Mendel Beilis, charged at Kieff with the mur der of a Russian lad, Andrelo Yusshinsky, in 1911, for the purpose of using his blood in a Jewish ritual, was brought to trial after two years' imprisonment, on Oct. 8. The trial attracted world-wide attention. Not only did Europe and America in general express their disapproval, but even Russian public opinion, as voiced by its representative bodies, including some by no means pro-Jewish, was equally outspoken in its condemnation of the charge and its prosecution. It was commonly held that the trial was promoted as an incentive to new pogroms against the Jews. The evidence brought forward to connect Beilis with the crime was evidently manufactured, and the blood accusation was supported by the most trivial and fanatical testimony. Beilis was acquitted by the jury on Nov. 10, and while small isolated outbreaks against the Jews occurred, the acquittal destroyed the possibility of a general pogrom. Jews of France.-Latest data place the Jewish population of France at about 125,000, with three chief rabbis, 30 rabbis, and 160 synagogues. Paris has 100,000 of the Jews in France, and the rest are distributed among Lyons, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Besancon, Nancy, Bayonne, and Nimes. Despite their numbers in Paris, the actual roll of members in the various temples reaches only 8,000. Besides, Algeria has 69 Jewish communities in Algiers, Constantine, and Oran; nevertheless, the total budget for religious purposes in France and Algeria amounts to only half a million francs. The loss of Alsace and Lorraine 40 years ago removed 30,000 Jews and some historic communities, like those at Colmar, Strassburg, and Metz. There is very little emigration of French Jews to other countries, as is true of the French in general. Of recent years was made Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce and Agriculture. In the United States, Henry Morganthau of New York was appointed Minister to Turkey. Dr. Heltas became Burgomaster of Budapest. In June eight Jews were elected to the Prussian Diet. Professor Oppenheim, in Holland, refused the post of Minister of the Interior. the Russian Jewish immigration has Finance. In Turkey, Sassoon Effendi been marked, particularly to Paris. Jewish Progress in America.-Little of marked significance occurred during the year save gradual progress in the field of federation in charity and education, especially among the socalled orthodox elements, more or less recent arrivals from Russia, Rumania, and Galicia. Over 100,000 Jews came to the United States in 1913, including about 1,500 from the Levant, due to the Balkan War. In April the Jewish Publication Society celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary; it has 11, 000 members. The Hebrew Union College dedicated its new buildings in Cincinnati during the year. New synagogues, hospitals, homes, and schools were opened in Los Angeles, Sacramento, New Haven, Chicago, Muncie, Ind., Bangor, Baltimore, Lawrence, Malden, New Bedford, Boston, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Lincoln, Neb., Buffalo, Elmira, New York, Pleasantville, N. Y., Rochester, Schenectady, Yonkers, Toledo, Greensburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Scranton, Sumter, S. C., Bryan, Tex., Houston, Tex., and Roanoke. Honors of the Year. The appointment of Sir Rufus Isaacs as Lord Chief Justice of Great Britain was made in October. In France, M. Klotz became Minister of the Interior. Signor Malvano was appointed president of the Italian Council of State. Ernesto Nathan was elected for the sixth time Mayor of Rome. In Denmark, M. Brandes became Minister of American Incidents.-An American, Dr. Joseph Hertz, was installed on April 14 Chief Rabbi of the Jews of Great Britain. In January President Taft received a gold medal from the International Order of B'nai B'rith in recognition of his efforts to secure observance by Russia of the Treaty of 1832. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has urged the abolition of the Jewish method of slaughtering animals. The Governor of New York approved a bill passed by the legislature making it a misdemeanor for theaters or hotels to discriminate against any one on account of race, color, or creed. Special vigilance committees were organized by the New York Jewish Community to fight against moral and political corruption revealed by the Rosenthal case. Continued opposition is shown by rabbis and Jewish societies to Bible reading in the public schools and the prescribed study of the Merchant of Venice as a textbook. Permanent committees were formed in June to take action against the stage caricatures of Jews. XXXII. ART, ARCHEOLOGY, MUSIC, AND DRAMA PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND HANDICRAFTS DAVID LLOYD Memlings, three of the earlier works of Franz Hals, a portrait of Philip IV of Spain by Velasquez, the subject of an intermuseum war of attribution a few years ago; a Vermeer of Delft, "The Sleeping Girl." Mr. Altman had the unique privilege of making his own no less than 13 of Rembrandt's paintings. Three of them, from the Kann collection, were shown in the Hudson-Fulton loan exhibition at the Museum in 1909. The others include the "Old Woman Cutting Her Nails" (1658), and the collector's last purchase, "The Toilet of Bathsheba After the Bath" (1643). The Altman Museum, had it been called into being, would have stood in the first rank of the world's small galleries. Its unusual quality was sufficient excuse for the Metropolitan's admitting it as an inviolable unit into a growing and orderly system. Museums. - Benjamin Altman, acclaimed Ruysdael is the landscape whose collection of paintings, ceram- called "Cornfield." There are four ics, textiles, and other art objects has been known to students in Europe and America as important, not to say priceless, died in New York City on Oct. 7. He disposed a great fortune by an amazing will. None of its several philanthropic bequests came with less surprise than that of his art collection. A tradition is growing in this country which limits our wealthy collectors to a life interest in their treasures. Mr. Altman, who left no children, was sweeping in his generosity, painstaking and exact in his plans for the public. The Metropolitan Museum of Art received the offer of the collection on the condition of agreeing to keep it intact, apart, and unmixed. In case the Museum should decline, the executors were directed to incorporate the Altman Art Museum of New York and dedicate the collection to the public in a suitable building, preferably Mr. Altman's own house and galleries. J. Pierpont Morgan died in Rome The trustees of the Metropolitan, on March 31. He had been interested meeting on Oct. 20, voted to accept in the Metropolitan Museum since its the bequest on the conditions named. inception. He had been trustee of the The collection has been assembling corporation since 1888 and its presi quietly for over 30 years. Without dent since 1904. During this latter attempting a full account of it here, period the Museum had entered a some of its items may be recalled. new stage in growth and prosperity. Among Italian masters it affords ex- Its demands upon his time and atamples of Fra Angelico, Botticelli, An- tention were never postponed, not tonello da Messina, Francia, Gior- even, as Mr. de Forest, the newly gione, Titian, Filippino Lippi, Verro- elected president, has recalled, by such chio, and Cosimo Tura. The "Holy pressing business as the famous bankFamily" of Mantegna tipped auction- ers' conference on staying the 1907 room records at the Weber sale in panic. He was liberal of his treas1912 at $150,000. Holbein's portrait ures, too. As a collector, his position of Lady Lee added a similar notoriety was all but fabulous in two hemito its fame at purchase. A long-spheres and his insatiable interest in the acquisition of objects of artistic merit resulted in an extraordinary private collection. At the time of his death it had been transferred to this country and loaned to the Museum for exhibition. Twenty-nine paintings had been hung in January, among them the Colonna Raphael and portraits by Rubens, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Romney, and Raeburn. Fourteen panel decorations painted by Fragonard for Madame du Barry have been added. The strength of the collection, however, does not lie so much in the canvasses. The famous group of miniatures numbers 900. The enamels include the Swenigorodskoi and the Hoentschel collections. There are Della Robbias among the Italian Renaissance sculpture and the bronzes, mainly of this period, comprise 260 pieces. For the rest, there are jewelry, silver, metal work, watches and clocks, crystals, amber, Italian majolica, early French faience, French, German, and Chinese porcelains, Venetian glass, tapestries, furniture, ivories, small carvings in boxwood and honestone, all told, about 4,100 objects. The ultimate disposition of this collection was left by Mr. Morgan's will to his son, J. Pierpont Morgan, Jr. No decision has yet been announced; but the loan exhibition which the collector had intended for the planned south wing of the building has been advanced in date by Mr. Morgan's suggestion, and will be seen on the upper floor of the new northeast addition early in 1914. Though the Morgan collection does not pass as an outright gift, it constitutes the Museum, at least for the present, a richly stocked storehouse of matter far beyond the reach of such an institution; and with the Altman gift in addition the Metropolitan has shot ahead in the course of a year to the front rank. Mr. Morgan's advice and example are held responsible for the recently announced decision of N. K. Riggs to pass over the claims of Washington and transfer at once to the Metropolitan his important collection of armor. Superficially and for the moment this shifting of prestige may bring to light only the vexatious embarrassment of a lack of gallery space. But 767 the importance of the Metropolitan's windfall lies in its cultural promise and its earnest of the next stage in the so-called American invasion, when the inspirational effect of our European plunder shall have gradually, yet inevitably, invaded the quality of American art and taste. Though the transfer of possession from private hands to public institutions has been going on continually in various parts of the country, a more magnificent scale has been struck during the year in New York. Other cities have other treasure in expectancy, some of it, as in the case of the Freer collection for the national capital, already designated. The death of George Arnold Hearn, which occurred in New York City, Dec. 1, removed another important benefactor of the Metropolitan. A trustee since 1903 and untiring in his gifts, he displayed a discriminating interest in contemporary work. The well known collection which bears his name fills two galleries. He had also given to the Museum four funds of which the income is applied to the purchase of American paintings. An unusual condition in his gifts was that subjecting the paintings to later rejection by the Museum authorities and providing for replacement. International Exhibition of Modern Art.-The newly formed Association of American Painters and Sculptors held its first international exhibition of modern art in New York City, Feb. 17 to March 15. The collection was seen later in Chicago. About 1,100 works were shown, or more than those of the Spring National Academy and the larger Pennsylvania Academy exhibitions combined. The declared purpose was to show the results of new influences, but no dead line was drawn. It was in many respects a notable affair. In the American exhibits the scope was narrowed to emphasize the qualities that have marked those painters in or out of the National Academy who became fretful of that institution. As the new society was organized in some sense of impatience with the older body, this result was perhaps at once natural and accidental. This reservation made, it should be said that the selection of American work was com prehensive and all the more interest- fellows announced the close of the ing for including several types which chapter of representation. From the had not before been accorded wall very beginnings of art the sanctions space in a general exhibition. The and limits of representation have foreign work ran back to Manet, been in a state of flux. Here was Monet, Corot, Courbet, Daumier. an arresting proposal, to do away There was another group in Pissarro, with this function utterly. Yet the Seurat, Sisley. The character of work itself showed that the fallacy Gauguin and Van Gogh had waited in the theory was one of hyperbole. introduction, not to mention Cézanne. The post-impressionists are still repForty specimens of the elaborated resentationists after their fashion. beauty of Odilon Redon's touch and Picabia and the cubists came nearer fancy made an exhibition by them to expunging the awkward difficulty. selves. Recent extremists were also Their chosen province was more stricton hand, post-impressionists and cub-ly limited to the impartment of mood, ists, Henri Matisse, Francis Picabia, another element in the painter's prodPaul Picasso, Marcel Duchamp. The uct which has varied in dominance futurists had been bidden, but like at different periods. In means these the wedding guests in the parable, had painters sought to restrict themselves sent their condescending regrets. to a pied representation of compacted Unfortunately for the due appre- and contiguous geometric solids. Now, ciation of the Association's vigorous though visual experience, which aland welcome enterprise, the novelty ways trails emotion, is instinctively of these new fashions, the extraordi- reflected in terms of the identical exnary aspect of the sculptures and can- perience, it might be possible to match vasses and their voluble defense or approximately evoke the emotion swamped the solid merits of the ex- in terms of other experience. When, hibition as a whole. No such hub- however, as in Picabia's essays, the bub had been raised in many years, two projects are merged, the vehicle no such chatter about the province of of mood breaks down and betrays the art. The cool and urbane gauged the fallacy of a jumble. Again Duchamp tempest on the teapot scale; more attacked one of the inveterate probrapturous temperaments seemed to lems of art, the suggestion of moveadopt the sigh of du Maurier's intense ment. Kinematophotography was bride over Algernon's teapot, "Ah, let frankly taken as the sanction. us live up to it!" Convinced defend- so-called instantaneous photograph, ers of beauty cited the art impulse the single rapid exposure, had outof the insane for comparison. Critics moded, for instance, all art's horses were reminded that they had rejected from the Parthenon frieze down and impressionism; they were warned to nevertheless falsified the optical fact. reject post-impressionism at their When Duchamp, offering to surmount peril. In Chicago the vice commis- this falsity, puts his kinematograph sion of the legislature, then sitting, to the test, motion is suggested by a felt called upon to investigate; and new multiform symbol, which, in itafter the close of the exhibition there the official bulletin of the Art Institute comforted its patrons with the assurance that no one had been really harmed. Though this interest, aroused by a small section only, was disproportionate, it marked the year with a benefit which the customary round of the art season too often lacks: hundreds of people for once were genuinely interested in art. The self, is, if anything, a representation of such a train of persisting images as the mind cannot preserve or a running overlay of moving-picture films such as the projecting lantern could only throw when out of order. The balance between the record of things seen and the notation of the mental abstract sprung from them, the degree to which expression may be fruitfully concentrated on the artist's reflex of The uncouth guise of the debated feeling, the means for communicating work alone was not so much the cause by immobile statement the sense of of the stir as its illustration of the movement, these three puzzles were well-ventilated theoretic programmes not answered; but the putting of of the innovators. Matisse and his them, even if phrased in a lingo ring |