"Carefree Yet Rhythmic"

". . . Unspeakable design . . . horrible example . . . palm-leaf bauble . . . witless bit of trash. . . ."

With these and other explosions, Art Critic Edward Alden Jewell last week blew up in the New York Times. He was writing about a proposed temporary Victory Arch for Manhattan's Times Square, to be erected when the boys come marching home. The scheme, sponsored by the Broadway Association, was described by its backers as "an arch fashioned to represent two huge palm leaves which are emblematic of Victory. . . . At the apex of the main motif will be placed the figures of Peace and Justice. The finger of Peace will point in the direction of Europe and Asia. Justice, displaying her broken sword, will be shown facing the Americas."

Designer of the arch was Lucia Helene Willoughby, a portrait painter and 23-year-old daughter of Broadway Committee Chairman P. A. Willoughby. Said the Broadway Association of her effort: "In depicting the Four Freedoms, Miss Willoughby has created several modifications of the original theme as developed by Norman Rockwell [TIME, June 21]. . . . Freedom of Speech . . . will show separate scenes. . . . Freedom from Want has been designated for the west panel. Here is portrayed Cornucopia pouring out its bounteous contents. . . . The fourth panel . . . will delineate Freedom from Fear. The ever-protecting element of mother love will be indicated by a mother holding her child in her arms. The carefree yet rhythmic motions of the nature dancer complete the theme for this panel."

Once Critic Jewell let go, he found it hard to control himself. Said he: "Since the 'victory arch' is now before us on this page, I am spared the anguish of having to describe it. . . . The locale selected is wrong for a victory arch . . . unless . . . we let the people who do the Macy Thanksgiving Parade, or the Soya Bean Association, or the Tight Rope Artists Union have a chance to compete. . . . In my opinion this design . . . is atrocious in every respect. It is flimsy, it is ugly, it is inept."

Wrote one prospective soldier to the Times: "Tradition dictates that at some point along the roadways of my city I'll march under a victory arch. But under the proposed Willoughby thing. . . ? Never!"

Other Times letter writers: "No! No victory arches!" "Dali on canvas is at times tolerable. Miss Willoughby's 'Horse Feathers sprouting from a metronome' is intolerable! ... I vote a lusty no!"

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