into each other's eyes in the famous Florence gallery.

Chase was not only a great painter, he was a great teacher. He taught wherever he painted-in New York, at Shinnecock, Haarlem, Florence, Madrid. Pupils naturally gathered about him wherever he was. Many of those pupils have now obtained fame for themselves. The reason why Chase was "the real thing as a teacher was, first, because he knew well how to impart clearly the expression of his own art; and, secondly, because he was just "plain "' kind. He would buy his pupils' best pictures and hang them alongside those of the old masters in his studio. And he knew when and how to encourage. One day he was walking on the beach at Shinnecock. A youth in shabby attire was sketching. Chase stopped, looked at the sketch, and remarked: "Young man, why don't you come to my criticisms? Come to the next one." The poor lad would have long before applied for admittance at the Chase school had he been rich enough. Now, helped by the generosity of the students, inspired by their master, he came. It was Chase's habit to put a canvas on the easel and call out, "Whose picture is this?" The sketcher would stand up and be criticised. The usual procedure went on that day until the strange youth's canvas was exhibited. Instead of asking the customary question, Chase pointed straight to the lad and said, "Young man, you will be a painter some day.'

And the young man has since abundantly justified Chase's prophecy. He is one of the most disinctive of the younger American painters.

Three things Chase impressed on all his pupils. The first was truth; the second, interesting treatment; the third, quality. By truth Chase meant, as he said, that "the picture shall give the impression of a thing well seen." But truth is not enough-that is an external element. As the artist would continue, "We must add to it the interest of the artist himself, the interest which expresses itself in his manner of treatment." Finally comes quality, and this Chase would define as "the result of a perfect balance of all the parts."

And there was one thing more to impress the pupils a blank canvas on a frame high up on the wall of Chase's studio. He called it his masterpiece, and said, "That is my best work. I have painted on it thousands of times, and I know that I am getting on with my art because each year I paint a better picture there. Not that I shall ever

actually touch a brush to that canvas; it is for the pictures that I paint in my mind, for the ideals towards which my actual works are directed. I am sorry I cannot show you that picture quite as I see it. I am always trying, but it keeps ahead of me the more I advance, and must remain something that no one can see but myself-the full measure of what my years as a painter have led me to realize of life and nature and art."

T

HE article entitled "Wilson, Hughes, Taft, and Mexico," which appeared in the last preceding issue of The Outlook, has been taken notice of by officials of two Governments. It was, as our readers know, the first of a series of special correspondence articles from Mexico written by Mr. Gregory Mason, a member of the editorial staff of The Outlook.

Mr. Mason's first article reported very recent interviews held by him with General Carranza and the three other most prominent and influential leaders of the Carranza party and the Carranza army. It is not surprising that these interviews have been quoted all over this country in the newspapers, for, while evoking expressions of gratitude for certain acts of President Wilson, they contain

such expressions as Carranza's "Wilson has not kept faith with Mexico;" as Obregon's "Wilson makes too many declarations which have no facts behind them;" as Gonzales's "Wilson's policy is not clear, it is not frank, it is not clean;" and as Aguilar's "Wilson's policy has at times been marked by vacillation and double-dealing." Three of the Mexican leaders, Mr. Mason reported, intimated what Gonzales openly declared, that "direct aggression from Hughes" was preferable to "the doubtful friendship of Wilson."

In Washington, as well as in American newspapers, these interviews excited interest and comment. From one source, indeed, they brought forth question as to their authenticity. The Mexican Ambassador-Designate to the United States, Señor Arredondo, was

1916

Mexican Ambassador-Designate,
Washington, D. C.

We observe in press despatches statements that you deny the authenticity of the interviews by Gregory Mason in The Outlook this week with General Carranza, General Obregon, General Pablo Gonzales, and Secretary Aguilar. As we do not wish to depend upon press reports, and as we vouch for the trustworthiness of Mr. Mason and his interviews, we respectfully inquire if you deny that these interviews are true and genuine interviews, and should appreciate a telegraphic reply to reach us by THE OUTLOOK, ERNEST H. ABBOTT, Secretary.

to-morrow.

539 One

political campaign in the United States. reader even writes to us in almost hysterical perturbation about the "outrageous" conduct of The Outlook in trying to manufacture political opinion! As a matter of fact, when Mr. Gregory Mason went to Mexico early in September last, the letter of authorization that he carried made this clear, as follows:

September 5, 1916.

Mr. Gregory Mason, of the editorial staff of The Outlook, is authorized to show this letter to any one interested as a mark of our confidence in his responsibility, and as our respectful request for any courtesies that may be shown to him. He is visiting Mexico for the purpose of learning something about the prevailing social and industrial conditions in that country. We have sent him on this mission with the belief that it will enable The Outlook to discuss the relations between Mexico and the United States with more intelligence and sympathy. He is not going to Mexico to further any preconceived political notions or the fortunes of any political party. THE OUTLOOK COMPANY, LAWRENCE F. ABBOTT, President.

(Signed)

A word about the author of the article under discussion. Gregory Mason is not a reporter, nor in the ordinary sense a special correspondent; he is and has been for several years a member of the editorial staff of The Outlook. To say that the editors of The Outlook have confidence in his integrity and fairness and truthfulness would be simply to say that they have confidence in their own honesty. It has been the good fortune of The Outlook to utilize for its readers' benefit Mr. Mason's ability as an observer and student of conditions in other countries, as it has been its privilege to utilize in the same way those qualities in the work of Mr. George Kennan. Just as Mr. Kennan visited Cuba, Japan, and Martinique in behalf of The Outlook, so Mr. Mason has visited Mexico and Russia.

The journey in Mexico which has resulted in the series of articles now appearing in The Outlook was the third made by Mr. Mason in The Outlook's behalf. The first was in the days when Carranza and Villa were fighting against the Huerta Government, and our readers will remember vividly the interviews with the two revolutionary chiefs; the second was when the United States troops under General Pershing entered Mexico, and from it came a series of articles relating Mr. Mason's

experiences with our army and on the border; the present series will tell what Mr. Mason saw and learned in Mexico City, in Yucatan, and elsewhere in Mexico. Quite as notable in their scope and graphic quality were Mr. Mason's special articles from Russia last year. Not only was his journalistic achievement in securing the remarkable interview with Mr. Sazonoff, then the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, a matter of comment in Europe as well as in the United States, but the interview itself has been regarded as one of the most remarkable utterances from any Foreign Minister of the belligerent nations. We are referring to all these accomplished achievements because, first, frankly speaking, The Outlook takes sincere pride in them, and secondly because they testify to our colleague's experience and admitted fair-mindedness in precisely the kind of journalistic work which is now in question.

In connection with this statement will be found signed photographs of two of the Mexican leaders whose views were reported last week which were personally presented by them to Mr. Mason. We are also printing facsimile extracts from two Mexican papers commenting upon one of the interviews, which was prematurely published, not by Mr. Mason, but by General Gonzales himself. These two newspapers are of a semi-official character and are warm in support of General Carranza and his Government. Finally, we present a facsimile in Spanish and English of part of the first page of the questionnaire approved by General Gonzales. It is not in defense of our colleague's integrity and truthfulness that we print these pictures and documents, for they need no defense; but because they are intrinsically interesting. For the same reason we here quote from an account which Mr. Mason wrote for the information of his colleagues (he returned to the United States immediately after securing the interviews) in which he narrates the story of the way which the interviews took place:

in

"You may be interested in knowing the circumstances under which I got the interviews with the four Mexican leaders which have just been published in The Outlook.

"Of the four men, I first saw General Pablo Gonzales. I believe it was on Wednesday, October 11, that I visited him at his house at Tacubaya, a suburb of Mexico City.

With me were a Dr. Cockerill, an

-American well known in Mexico City, and a friend of his, a Mexican, Señor Pastrana. General Gonzales said that he would prefer to have me put my questions in writing, and the next day I sent him a list of ten questions.

"The following Sunday, October 15, at about half-past ten in the morning, a messenger from the General brought me his autographed photograph and my list of questions translated into Spanish, with his answers thereto in the same language. About ten minutes later I opened a morning newspaper of Mexico City and found my questions and the replies of General Gonzales published in full there. I subsequently learned that General Gonzales had sent copies of my questionnaire and of his replies to it to all the newspapers of Mexico City and to the correspondent of the Associated Press and to the correspondent of the New York "World." These copies had been given to most of them on the afternoon and evening of Saturday, October 14, or from twelve to fifteen hours before they were sent to me. My questions and the General's replies were published in full in El Pueblo' and El Uni versal,' and, I believe, in all the other papers of Mexico City. The translation of Gonzales's remarks was made for me by Señor Andres Osuna, Director of Public Education in the Republic and a close friend of Carranza. Señor Osuna acted as my guide and sponsor, and his presence gave to my visits to the four Mexican leaders official sanction.

"After my arrival in the United States I found in a copy of El Democrata,' a Constitutionalist paper of Mexico City, for Monday, October 23, a statement from General Gonzales reaffirming his authorization of the interview which he had given me. This statement from the General was brought out by a letter from Mr. R. H. Murray, correspondent of the New York World' in Mexico City, in which Mr. Murray informed the General that his important declarations to The Outlook were being used by the Republican party in the United States as a tremendous political weapon against the candidate of the Democratic party, Mr. Wilson.' General Gonzales, in his letter published in 'El Democrata,' replied as follows:

"I have only to declare in the most categorical manner that any one is profoundly mistaken who supposes that I have any special interest in favor of the Republican party in the United States and against the Democratic party. Before