Raphael & Mellon

Riga telegraphed Paris, Paris cabled the U. S. and last week every big paper in the land carried the news that Andrew William Mellon had purchased Sanzio Raphael's Madonna of the House of Alba from the Soviet Government for the fabulous sum of $1,500,000.

When Pennsylvania's Governor Gifford Pinchot read the story he angrily declared: "This is the same Mr. Mellon who refused, not to give, but to lend $1,000,000 to keep the unemployed of Pennsylvania from starving. Now he pays half as much again for a picture. That is all anybody needs to know about him."

Columnist Arthur Brisbane gloated: "Geese will say 'How terrible to spend so much money for one picture in these times.' Wise men will say to the geese: 'You wouldn't get the money anyhow if he didn't buy the picture. He is to be praised for bringing that magnificent work of art to his own country, where thousands of young artists will see and be inspired by it.' Mr. Mellon is generous, lending his finest paintings for public exhibition. . . ."

But the onetime Secretary of the Treasury was deserving neither of Governor Pinchot's criticism nor of Columnist Brisbane's praise, for he had bought no picture by Raphael or anybody else from U.S.S.R.

The old gentleman stopped grouse shooting on his Scottish estate long enough to explain: "This story has cropped up recurrently for the last three years. Each time I have denied it."

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